I Tested the Sleep Number ComfortNext Mattress − It Was Supportive, Cool, and Worth the Investment

I’ll be honest: I’ve had my eye on the Sleep Number bed system for years. I remember playing with the remote on an older relative’s bed, hearing the slight whoosh as my cousins and I inflated and deflated it. That’s why I jumped at the chance to try Sleep Number’s ComfortNext Mattress and fulfill my childhood dreams.

As a somewhat temperamental sleeper, I’ve developed some strong feelings about mattresses. I’ve spent years testing sleep products as a journalist, but my desire to create the perfect, cozy resting spot is personal, too. Between my nightly habit of tucking myself into my bed with a book hours before lights out and a back injury that means a night on the wrong mattress can have me hobbling around for days, I’ve developed a sense of what truly makes a bed great. Factors like support, firmness, thermoregulation, and pressure relief matter to all sleepers to some degree, but I’ve become very aware of how these factors affect my nightly sleep.

I’ve tested a whole host of the best mattresses, both innerspring and foam mattresses, but this product is in its own niche category. I slept on the ComfortNext mattress for 30 nights, conducting experiments to test the performance and keeping track of how I felt each morning − here's how I got on.

The Sleep Number ComfortNext Review

Sleep Number’s standout feature is adjustable air chambers that let you change the mattress’s firmness, with separate settings on each side so couples can personalize their comfort. The ComfortNext line also adjusts support automatically as you move during the night, combining that flexibility with cushioning and cooling materials. Built-in sleep tracking is another perk. We woke up each morning to a report in the Sleep Number app about our sleep quality, duration, and more. While sleep tracking is still an imprecise science, technology is improving all the time.

The Sleep Number ComfortNext Mattress − Specifications

Delivery, Unboxing, and Set-Up

While Sleep Number does offer contact-free delivery and guided self-setup, we opted for the Comfort Service℠ Home Delivery option. This means techs delivered the bed, hooked it up to our home WiFi, and showed us how to use it. Removal of your old mattress is available as well, though we repurposed our previous mattress for one of our kids.

As someone who receives multiple large, tracked shipments each week in the course of my review work, I found the Sleep Number delivery notification and tracking system to be one of the most efficient and easiest to navigate. Once I signed up for a delivery date and enrolled in text alerts, I received timely notifications up until the moment the two techs arrived at our door.

This mattress arrives at its full size and does not come rolled or in a box, so it’s important to plan ahead for delivery. The terrific team of two navigated our tight stairwell, placed the mattress on top of our platform bed, hooked up the air pump system, and showed us how to work everything. There is a remote control, but the companion app gives a lot more data and is easier to use, in our opinion. The techs not only plugged in the bed unit (a small box that sits under the platform of our wooden platform bed), but they also connected it to WiFi and made sure everything was working properly. Once the team left, we had a small issue connecting the remote control, but the Sleep Number website was helpful.

The techs placed an air pump machine, about the size of a standard CPAP [a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine, used to treat obstructive sleep apnea], under our wooden platform bed before setting up the mattress. Two plastic hoses snake under our bed to power the adjustable firmness.

Since this mattress was not vacuum-packed, we did not experience any issues with off-gassing or odor. We slept on the bed the first night without issue.

What's It Like Sleeping On the Sleep Number ComfortNext Mattress?

• Pressure relief and comfort: This is where this mattress truly stands out from the pack. Due to the frequent, minor adjustments of the Sleep Number system throughout the night, I found this mattress to be extremely supportive and to provide excellent pressure relief. My partner prefers a less firm mattress than I do, and the dual-side adjustments work great for us.

• Thermoregulation: As a “hot sleeper,” I have tried many sets of cooling sheets, mattress toppers, and even pajamas designed for those of us who sleep hot (or have middle-age hot flashes). I found the thermoregulation properties of this bed to be excellent (on par with the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper, which I reviewed and have loved for the past year). I only had one morning during the testing period where I woke up clammy and sweaty, but the bed itself did not feel hot. Since I sleep with a firmer setting (90 or above), I do not sink into the mattress very much. I did trial one night with the mattress on a soft setting (30), and despite more “sink in,” I did not sleep hotter. I attribute this to the cooling materials used in construction.
• Motion isolation: This is another category where this mattress stands out from others I have tested. I rarely move during the night while my partner tosses and turns. We also have a restless cat who moves around the bed during the night. None of their movements affected me. I found the motion isolation to be great when testing with a hand weight and a glass of water, too.

• Edge support: After several years of using a mattress topper on a traditional innerspring mattress, the edge support of this all-in-one mattress feels like a gift. Mattress toppers are great, but they do seem to reduce the edge support just a bit, in my experience. Even on the lowest firmness settings, this mattress feels solid enough to sit on and put on a pair of shoes (or pet the persistent cat).

• Weight bearing: Given the adjustable nature of this bed, this feature varies depending on the setting each sleeper chooses. Even on the least firm setting, though, the general structure of this mattress feels sturdy and supportive.

• Materials: The ComfortNext line combines adjustable air chambers with cushioning polyurethane foam and built-in cooling materials; the Lux and Ultra models also add small, individually wrapped coils. The foam is CertiPUR-US certified, meaning it meets standards for low chemical emissions and excludes certain harmful substances, but that certification does not mean the mattress is organic or entirely chemical-free.
• App Support. One benefit of the Sleep Number ComfortNext line is the included app that can be used to adjust the firmness setting as well as track sleep movement. It may sound like a gimmick, but I found the data to be useful and interesting.

• Price: While I pride myself on being a bargain shopper in some cases, I have never thought of mattresses as one of those cases. At just under $3,000 for a Queen, the Sleep Number ComfortNext is a substantial purchase for some shoppers − but for those with significant pain issues or couples who prefer different firmness levels, it’s worth the investment. The 10-year warranty also provides some peace of mind.

Who Would The ComfortNext Mattress Suit?

The ComfortNext is a step beyond most basic mattresses. For a child, teen, or adult without musculoskeletal issues, a more affordable mattress may be fine − but for anyone with old, achy bones, I’d recommend it in a heartbeat. I’ve been testing sleep products for years, and this is the best all-in-one mattress I’ve tried so far. No topper is needed to achieve the perfect sleep nest with the ComfortNext, since the firmness is adjustable.

I realize the price tag on this mattress is more than most, but for those with body pain who do have room in their budget, I believe it’s a worthy investment. I think the Sleep Number ComfortNext would best suit:

• Couples who have different sleep styles. There are only a handful of brands on the market that allow couples to choose different firmness settings for each side of the bed, which is a huge perk. I was concerned about feeling a “wall” down the center of the bed when different settings were chosen, but we felt no noticeable change between each side, even with varied settings.

• Techy sleepers. If you like gadgets and data, the Sleep Number app is an interesting tool for judging how you slept. My partner and I compared sleep scores, noted how a restless night versus a solid night’s sleep affected us the next day, and generally geeked out over the biometric data provided by the bed.

• Sleepers with back pain. Sleep Number markets the ComfortNext collection for personalized support and pressure relief, with the Lux and Ultra models specifically targeting the lower back. However, I found even the entry-level ComfortNext mattress to be great for my lower back injury, which is three herniated discs in my lumbar region. If you suffer from back pain but have some room in your budget, this bed may provide significant relief. The mattress may qualify for HSA or FSA reimbursement with documentation of medical necessity, but buyers should confirm eligibility with their plan administrator before purchasing.

My Verdict

After 30 nights, the Sleep Number ComfortNext has earned its place in my carefully curated sleep nest. I could keep my side firm, my partner could soften his, and neither of us had to compromise − or add another mattress topper to make it work. The pressure relief was excellent for my temperamental back; I stayed comfortable on most nights despite being a hot sleeper, and my partner’s tossing and turning barely registered. The sleep scores were fun to compare over morning coffee, but how I felt getting out of bed mattered much more.

Would I recommend it? If you have room in your budget and have struggled to find the right balance of cushioning and support, I would. At close to $3,000 for a Queen, this is a substantial purchase, and a simpler mattress may meet your needs perfectly well. But for me, being able to fine-tune the firmness without sacrificing comfort made a real difference − and after years of testing sleep products, this is the best all-in-one mattress I’ve tried so far.

Find out more about how we test mattresses for more in-depth information on our thorough process and parameters.

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