This hot sleeper just found the perfect cooling mattress that's ended the sleepless summer nights – turns out $3,000 is the price you pay for an incredibly cool night's sleep

'Why is the mattress wet?' my partner shouted through from the bedroom, where we had just set up the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress. Confused as to how the mattress went from box to bedroom and was now somehow damp, I went to see what had happened.

Touching the mattress's surface properly for the first time, it was so noticeably cool to touch that I could see his confusion. And as I left my hand to sink slightly into the mattress, that cooling feeling didn't instantly disperse. It was a hot day in late August, so I couldn't wait to see if the lovely cooling effects my hand was enjoying would translate to my whole body and finally I could get a restful night's sleep, Spoiler: my husband and I, plus our dog, (probably one of the reasons I overheat) had a great, sweat-free night's sleep.

So the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress was off to a great start, and I would say it's the best cooling mattress I have tried. So if you are a hot sleeper like me or get hot flashes, it would suit. But it does have a few flaws; it's not the best mattress in the world for motion isolation, and the edge support could be better. My bed sits in the corner of the room, so I have to exit the bed from the end, something that did feel noticeably more difficult with the Leesa.

This is also a luxury mattress, and comes with a luxury price tag, but it's often in the mattress sales. I would say you'll likely never have to pay full price.

Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress – a hot sleeper's honest opinion

The Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress comes in at just under $3,000 for a queen (although it's currently on sale for $2,290), so it's definitely not the best affordable mattress, but it's not at the extreme end of a luxury mattress price either.

So, if you aren't sleeping properly because you are a hot sleeper, I think it's worth the money to sort out that issue forever – and it has done that for me.

P.S. Don't worry if you come across any unfamiliar terms. You can cross-check any new words against our mattress jargon buster.

Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress Specifications

Who would the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress suit?

• Hot sleepers: I think you probably get it now that this mattress is best for hot sleepers. I have never slept on a cooling mattress that hasn't eventually warmed up to my toasty body temperature throughout the night. This mattress stays cool, and while the temperature does rise slightly, when I move around in my sleep, it's like flipping the pillow to the cool side, and I feel the effects all over again.
• Back and stomach sleepers: the medium mattress firmness of the Leesa means it should technically suit all sleeping positions. However, I found it slightly more medium-firm than medium and felt this supported me better when I slept on my front than on my side. I switch between the two sleep positions, and when on my front, I was well supported with no sagging, so my spine felt well aligned, but on my side, there just wasn't quite enough give for me to feel fully supported. That being said, my partner, who is heavier than me, didn't have this issue sleeping on his side, so it could suit heavier side sleepers.
• Anyone who wants support but not the 'sink in' feel of memory foam: while I see the appeal, I have never gotten on well with memory foam mattresses. That instant pillowy feel is too soft, I like the supportive feel even from the first layer. The Leesa still has a bit of give, but it cradles around you rather than sinks around you.

What's it like to sleep on the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress?

• Thermoregulation: the top cover is infused with cooling fibers, and Leesa advertises that the mattress will 'help maintain the ideal skin temperature of 88 degrees'. I can vouch for that as the weather warms up again. The second layer is also designed with cooling in mind and is a quilt foam that's gel-infused for more temperature regulation.
• Pressure relief and support: this is a supportive mattress. It has two foam layers, a micro-spring layer, another foam layer, a spring layer (which includes up to 1,032 individually wrapped springs), and a 'stability layer' which is more foam. Like I said, it doesn't have that memory foam feel when you first lie down, it's plush yes, but it's far more supportive than that. It's the perfect balance of comfortable yet supportive, and it gets the sweet spot between soft enough so you feel cradled, but firm enough so you don't feel like the mattress is rising up around you.
• Motion isolation: I was so happy with the cooling effects of the Leesa, I was almost reluctant to acknowledge it was letting me down when it came to motion isolation. I share a bed with my partner and my dog, and although both are pretty static sleepers, I am a light sleeper, so if either moves, I will wake up. You can really feel others moving in the bed, and my glass of water test proved this flaw. I filled a glass with water and placed it on the mattress. Usually, I would walk around a bit on the mattress, lie next to it, and even get my dog to sit near it. But as soon as I placed it on the mattress, it was obvious that even if I were to push my hand near the glass, it would tip. It didn't totally tip over when I lay in my husband's spot on the bed, but it did tilt considerably.

• Edge support: for a mattress that made me feel so supported while I slept, I had issues with the edge support. The mattress does have higher gauge springs along the sides to help with edge support, but I found I didn't really notice these, and still found it harder than usual work to get out of bed from sitting. However, since I sleep against the wall, so have less risk when it comes to rolling out of bed, I asked my partner, who sleeps on the edge, if he ever felt he was going to fall out, or if the support was weaker at the edge of the bed, and he said he had no issues.
• Delivery: the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress is a box mattress which makes delivery easy, quick, and free (returns are free, too). However, it's a luxe bed, and that does mean it's pretty heavy, so you will need more than one person to maneuver it around and get it upstairs. If you add on White Glove delivery, the team will move and set up your bed for you.
• Sleep trial: you get a 100 night mattress sleep trial with Leesa. You can return your mattress at any point within that window, however Leesa recommends (as do I) that you give it at least 30 nights before deciding it's not right for you.
• Warranty: all Leesa mattresses have a limited lifetime mattress warranty. The T&Cs are extensive, so definitely have a read through the website's warranty help page.

Should you buy the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress?

Despite not being the best mattress for motion isolation, I am giving the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress 4.5 stars. And for someone who shares a bed with a human and an animal, that says something about the cooling properties of this mattress.

If you sleep hot all year round, or live somewhere with a warm climate, I would recommend this mattress. It's the best cooling mattress I have ever tested, and even the best cooling mattress toppers and pads I have been trialing to help improve my sleep have done nothing in comparison to this mattress.

This isn't a cheap mattress, but it's so often listed for less. At the time of writing this, there's almost $750 off the RRP, so make the most of deals while they are on.

How we test mattresses

We put a lot of thought into how we test mattresses. Our sleep editor first matches the right reviewer with the right mattress. When she heard I am a hot sleeper, she assigned me to the Leesa Legend Chill Hybrid Mattress. We have a whole team of testers who live across the country, in different climates, with different sleep needs and different sleep setups. We also test in our own homes, with all the real-life situations that come with that, and we test a minimum of 30 nights before we come to a verdict on a mattress.

We assess each mattress against the same criteria: pressure relief; thermoregulation; motion isolation; and edge support. Pressure relief is quite personal, depending on your sleep position, weight, and what you consider comfortable. But we always try different sleep positions and ask those sharing our beds how they feel too, especially if they have a different sleep style to us.

Thermoregulation means closing the windows, turning off the air conditioning, and seeing how we fare through the night. I tested the Leesa through almost all seasons, the hottest summer evenings, and frosty winter nights, so I can really speak to how it performs all year round.

The motion isolation test involves filling a glass of water, placing it on the mattress, and using weights, or our own weight, to see how it affects the glass and the water within it. Starting from further away and moving closer, we check how much the glass and the water inside moves. The more the glass moves, the worse the motion isolation, and the less we would recommend it for those who share a bed. To assess edge support, we sit on the side of the mattress and measure how far we fall. The further we fall, the worse the edge support, and the harder it might be to get into and out of bed.

Second opinions are always worth checking too, which is why we look around the internet at verified reviews to see if there's anything we might not have covered that would be worth considering. We also look at price, warranties, sleep trials, delivery, and return policies so you can be up to date on the practicalities of buying a mattress too.