Layla Mattress Review: A Comprehensive Analysis

Being memory foam, it’s not really a surprise that the Layla mattress performed excellently when it came to motion transfer/isolation.

Both sides showed equally good performance across a range of movement tests, including dropping weights, rolling over, etc. The memory foam does a good job at deadening movement, vibrations, and sound.

It won’t prevent all movement, and the tightness of the cover means some small movements may be transferred. Still, anyone who has a restless partner or is a light sleeper will not find much to complain about — any movement felt is minimal.

The Layla boasts features like the thermo-gel infused cover that dissipates heat, the copper-gel infused memory foam, and the channeled Max Airflow support foam.

These all seem to be great counters to the heat-retaining property that memory foam is known for — but do they work?

The majority of testers seemed to feel the Lyala is a fairly temperature-neutral mattress and that the cooling elements like the copper-infused foam and cooling-gel cover do make a difference in reducing heat retention.

If you are a naturally hot sleeper, then the Layla still might not be the best choice for you, but some testers did find it holds a lot less heat than other memory foam mattresses.

One point to note is that the firm side will feel cooler than the soft side; the soft side is plusher, envelops the body more, and contains more memory foam than the firm side, which has a much thinner layer of memory foam and provides more of an ‘on top’ sleeping experience, which exposes more of the body to the air.

Firmness is always a fairly subjective area. While there was some variation in opinions among professional testers and reviewers, the majority of firmness scores were within a small range with few outliers.

The consensus is that the ‘soft’ side of the Layla memory foam mattress has a medium-soft feel, while the ‘firm’ side sits at the lower end of the firm range — some may consider it a true ‘firm’ while others may see it as sitting between a medium-firm and firm.

Either way, it is noticeably and significantly firmer than the soft side, thanks to the thin (1”) comfort layer that sits directly on top of the dense support core with no transition layer.

The soft side compresses very easily and has that traditional slow-melting memory foam feel. Its thick cushioning with the 3-inch thick comfort layer and 2” thick transition layer means it allows for some relatively deep sinkage, and it has very much a ‘hugging,’ enveloping feel.

The firmer side still gives some of that memory foam contouring, but the 1-inch comfort layer transitions quickly to the firm, high-density support polyfoam beneath. This side feels more responsive and has more of an ‘on top’ feel as opposed to the classic memory foam feel that can sometimes make sleepers feel a bit ‘stuck’ in the mattress.

The versatility the Layla memory foam mattress offers thanks to its variable firmness means many sleepers will find the level of support they need regardless of sleeping position or bodyweight.

Although, as will become evident further on, we wouldn’t recommend this mattress for very heavy people (>250lb).

Lighter people and side sleepers will probably find the soft side better suited to them — the comfort and transition layers on this side together make up a full half of the mattress’s 10-inch thickness, meaning there’s a lot of cushioning.

Being memory foam, the soft side will offer a lot of body contouring, and along with the zoned support, it will provide most people with very good spine alignment and support.

However, it may prove too soft for heavier people, who may find their hips or shoulders sinking too deep, causing misalignment.

Heavier people and stomach sleepers are likely to be a good match for the firm side. The thin (1-inch) comfort layer and absence of any transition layer on this side mean sleepers will get the cushioning and contouring of the memory foam top layer along with a feeling of firm support from the Polyfoam core.

This contouring while still feeling ‘on top’ of the mattress without too much sinkage means stomach sleepers should find good support and lift under the hips, which is essential for spine alignment and support in this position.

Heavier individuals (in this case up to ~230-250lb) should appreciate the firm support without heavier areas of the body sinking too deeply.

Due to their soft, cushiony, unreinforced construction, all-foam mattresses traditionally do not have the best edge support.

While the Layla memory foam mattress is no exception to this rule, it is not exceptionally bad and pretty on-par with other foam mattresses.

None of the testers who tried it out for edge support found it bad to the point of extreme instability or feeling like they would roll off the bed — but this could be the case for heavier people.

Of course, the soft side allows for greater compression, so the edge does collapse more on this side, so if you are someone who sits on the edge of the bed a lot or sleeps close to the edge, the soft side may be too unsupported at the edge for you.

Even the firm side probably lacks enough edge support for people who like to sleep right near the edge, especially those on the heavier side.

Being a memory foam mattress, it should come as no surprise that the Layla rated well for pressure relief among testers and reviewers. Both sides provide very good pressure relief thanks to the contouring and even weight distribution of the memory foam comfort layers.

However, side sleepers will likely find better pressure relief on the soft side, as pressure mapping showed some slight build-up of pressure at the hips and shoulders on the firm side.

Due to the mattress’s relatively thin construction, heavy individuals (>230lb) may find that Layla does not provide adequate pressure relief as they are likely to compress the comfort layers far enough that they come into contact with the firm support core.

Being an all-foam mattress, it’s inevitable that there will be some off-gassing and smell from the Layla mattress.

However, the testers all found the level of smell from the brand new mattress once unpacked to be on par, if not better than most foam mattresses in a box.

The finding of the testers and reviewers is consistent with customer reviews — that there is an initial smell right out of the box. Still, it will dissipate within a day or two, especially if left in a ventilated room. Not only that, but there was also no obviously-noticeable lingering smell after a couple of days.

Memory foam has a very slow response, meaning it does not spring back into place quickly. This, along with its contouring properties, makes for both pros and cons when it comes to sex.

The fact that memory foam allows bodies lying on it to sink into the mattress and be somewhat enveloped by it means that it does provide good traction, which is helpful when it comes to sex.

However, this slow responsiveness can also mean moving around, and changing positions can be challenging, and couples could feel a bit ‘stuck’ in place.

The firm side will still give the same traction, but sinkage is a lot less pronounced on this side, meaning couples should feel a bit more ‘on top’ of the bed on the frim side, making movement a bit easier.

Lack of bounce is another negative of memory foam for some people. The Layla does not have much bounce at all, thanks to both the memory foam and the dense, firm support core. For couples who like a mattress with some bounce, an innerspring or hybrid mattress may be a better option.

The current version of the Layla memory foam mattress is a step up in foam quality — the memory foam used is denser than that used in the previous version.

Foam density is the best measure of expected durability and longevity. Both the memory foam and support core are high-density, and while the Layla has not been on the market long enough for any reliable data on longevity to be available, the majority of the testers and reviewers see it as being at least on par with other similar all-foam mattresses, and that it should have a lifespan of seven to ten years.

Memory foam mattresses are prone to developing permanent impressions over time (permanently-visible indentations over 1” are covered by the warranty), and heavier people especially are likely to cause wear and tear more quickly.

Rotating the mattress occasionally may help prolong the mattress’s lifespan, as will flipping between the soft and firm sides.

The soft side of the Layla is thicker, more cushioned, and allows deeper sinkage than the firm side, meaning it gives more of a ‘stuck’ in the mattress feel, which may make it harder to roll around and change positions.

The lighter an individual is, the less they will sink, so lighter individuals should feel less resistance to movement on the soft side.

Heavier people or those who prefer a more ‘on top’ feeling will find better ease of movement on the frim side, thanks to the thin memory foam layer, which does not allow for as much sinkage.

Surprisingly, Layla does not offer a white glove delivery service, even as an optional paid extra.

This means that your mattress will be delivered by the postal service to your door, but from there, you’re on your own; shifting it to its room, unpacking it, setting it up, and disposing of the packaging and your old mattress.

This would typically drop the rating down to just “Ok,” but, being a thin all-foam mattress, the Layla is not overly heavy. That means while it’s still recommended to have two people to unpack and set up the bed, carrying and handling will not be too much of a problem.

The weight of the Layla memory foam mattress ranges from 50lb for the Twin to 90lb for the King and California King.

The high-quality and durable materials that mean a good expected lifespan, the unique built-in cooling features, the versatility of variable firmness options, and the affordable price of the Layla memory foam mattress all add up to great value for money.

If you’re a fan of memory foam mattresses, then it’s hard to go past the Layla in terms of value for money.