Written by Olivera Jancikin, Content Writer
We don’t always have the finances to get the most luxurious bed out there, but that doesn’t mean we want to skimp on quality either. Brooklyn Bedding offers a fantastic middle ground with their Essential mattress. The Brooklyn Bedding Essential is a hybrid mattress that mixes proprietary foams and coils, and while many hybrid mattresses are priced high, the Essential is one of the most affordable hybrids on the market from a reputable American brand.
In this review, we’ll cover what our team found while testing the Brooklyn Bedding Essential bed. You’ll find out everything from how it feels in different sleeping positions to the materials that make up this bed and more.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
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Material
Hybrid
Trial Period
120 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Warranty
10-year warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
Material
Hybrid
Warranty
10-year warranty
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
120 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
Material
Hybrid
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Trial Period
120 nights
Warranty
10-year warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential Mattress Performance Ratings
Who We Recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Essential For:
- Back sleepers – The Essential has a mid-range firmness and hybrid construction to combine support and relief. Based on our experience with this bed, you’re unlikely to sink around the hips when lying on your back, which is great if this is your primary sleeping position.
- Warm sleepers – Warm sleepers should appreciate this bed’s breathable cover and coils that allow maximum airflow. Although it doesn’t have any advanced cooling features, it stays fresh and breathable enough unless you’re an extremely hot sleeper.
- Couples – We think the Essential should be a good mattress for couples as it combines bounce, breathability, edge support, and a little motion isolation.
Who We Don’t Recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Essential For:
- Stomach sleepers – We think the Essential is not firm enough to support stomach sleepers. This group might find their hips sinking too deeply within the comfort layer, which can cause back pain.
- Side sleepers – If you’re a side sleeper, you may be better off with a more contouring bed. There’s some contouring with the Essential, but some side sleepers often need more to battle pressure buildup in the hips and shoulders.
- Extremely hot sleepers – If you usually overheat and wake up sweating, you’ll most likely prefer a mattress with more specific cooling features. The Essential is breathable, but this might not be enough for some people. Find more cooling mattresses here.
Customer Reviews of the Brooklyn Bedding Essential Mattress
According to Brooklyn Bedding’s website, the Essential mattress scores about 4.5 out of 5 stars. Users have noted that the Brooklyn Bedding Essential mattress offers a budget-friendly option for customers. However, some have mentioned that it may not be as durable as higher-priced alternatives.
Testing the Brooklyn Bedding Essential Mattress
Sleep Advisor’s Testing Methodology
We incorporate a hands-on testing method that allows us to truly see how a particular mattress stacks up. We focus on how the bed feels and performs in different sleeping positions to get a better evaluation of its pressure-reliving capabilities. We also focus on how it supports the body, especially around the hips. We also assess the bed for performance-based features like motion isolation, bounce, cooling, and edge support, all of which can be valuable to shoppers looking to buy a new mattress. We then take the information we’ve gathered to evaluate who the bed would (and wouldn’t) work for.To learn more about our testing methodology, visit our product review process page.
Firmness & Feel
Firmness Scale: 6.5/10
Please remember that firmness is a subjective characteristic and your body type will dictate how you experience a bed. A heavier person whose weight can more easily push through softer comfort and support layers might experience a bed as softer than a lightweight person. The way you are shaped could also play a role here. Consider your weight, shape, and size when evaluating firmness scores.
The Brooklyn Bedding Essential was made to be among the most versatile models from the brand. Did they succeed? We’d say yes for various reasons, but mainly because of its mid-range firmness.
We score mattress firmness on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest. We rated the Essential a 6.5 out of 10 based on our firmness scale, so we’d call it a medium-firm mattress.
How Does It Feel?
Lying on this mattress, you should feel the cushioning of its comfort layer. Although it’s only one comfort layer, we’d say it provides enough cushioning to relieve pressure and pain in different areas. That said, how the mattress feels is likely to depend on your body weight and shape, so keep that in mind.
You can also feel the coils keeping the heaviest body parts from sinking, which helps keep the entire body aligned.
Sleeping Positions for Different Body Types
The Essential can handle up to 950 pounds, which is the same weight capacity as all Brooklyn Bedding mattresses. This is great news for couples and heavier people, though we always suggest being mindful of its firmness and how it fits your weight.
Side Sleepers
- Lightweight Sleepers – The Sleep Advisor team agrees that this mattress might be too firm for lightweight side sleepers. If you’re under 130 pounds, you might prefer something softer that does a better job of contouring around your curves.
- Average-Weight Sleepers – Side sleepers weighing 130 to 230 pounds should experience more relief because they’re likely to sink deeper into the comfort layer. They should get better contouring, but this may not be enough if you have shoulder or hip pain.
- Heavyweight Sleepers – Heavy side sleepers should like how the Essential feels, combining foam and coils to support the body.
Back Sleepers
- Lightweight Sleepers – Lightweight back sleepers should experience a nice level of lower back contouring and support to keep the body aligned.
- Average-Weight Sleepers – Although average-weight back sleepers should sink deeper, they should remain aligned thanks to the bed’s medium-firm feel.
- Heavyweight Sleepers – The Essential can work for some heavy back sleepers, but in our opinion, most sleepers in this group should prefer more support for the lower back.
Stomach Sleepers
- Lightweight Sleepers – The Essential can keep your body aligned in this position if you’re under 130 pounds, but the lack of contouring can create some pressure in the hips.
- Average-Weight Sleepers – Average-weight sleepers are likely to sink too deeply into the mattress, and there’s also the potential for pressure buildup.
- Heavyweight Sleepers – Heavy stomach sleepers are simply too heavy for the Essential’s single comfort layer and mid-range firmness.
Pressure Relief
3/5
Pressure relief is not the Essential’s strongest feature, mostly due to the fact that there’s only one comfort layer and an even thinner transition layer underneath. There’s not much between you and the coils, which is why the pressure relief part is lacking a little.
The comfort layer offers a nice level of contouring, but this might not be enough for some people. Average-weight side sleepers are likely to experience buildup in the hips and shoulders, while the same can be said for stomach sleepers.
Explore mattresses for pressure relief here.
Is the Brooklyn Essential Mattress Good for Pain Relief?
Whether the Brooklyn Essential is good for pain relief depends on your body shape, weight, and preferred sleeping position. This bed combines foam and coils and should provide a nice level of support and contouring. However, the medium-firm feel stops it from being the most contouring bed out there. For this reason, it might not work for pain relief, depending on the kind of pain you’re struggling with.
Back Pain
Back pain can make it impossible to fall asleep, so it’s only normal to look for a mattress that can help you relieve some of that tension. The Brooklyn Essential can be a good option for this, but again, be mindful of its firmness and feel. If you’re over 230 pounds, you’re likely to sink too deeply in the hip area, which can make your back pain worse. Lighter-weight people should get more relief for the back. Find more beds for back pain here.
Hip Pain
Hip pain can be equally problematic, more so if you’re a side sleeper. Side sleepers usually need more contouring and cushioning, something the Essential might not be able to deliver. Some people may experience some pressure buildup in the hip area due to the lack of more contouring comfort layers. Those who sink deeper should experience more relief in the hip area.
Explore: Best Mattress for Hip Pain
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is the same as hip pain if you sleep on the side. For this reason, you might want a mattress that offers more contouring and cushioning. The Essential has a medium-firm feel that may also feel a bit too firm on your shoulder, creating more buildup than relief. Although heavier people should experience more cushioning, this might not be enough to relieve pain.
Browse: Best Mattress for Shoulder Pain
Support
4/5
The Brooklyn Essential is a hybrid mattress and these typically excel when it comes to support. The 8-inch AscensionX® coils do a good job of supporting your body in alignment, more so since the entire bed has a medium-firm feel.
The two foam layers add cushioning so that you don’t feel so much of the coils under your body. Nonetheless, they’re firm enough to keep the heaviest body parts elevated with just enough sinkage to follow the spine’s natural curve. That said, heavier people might prefer more support and an overall firmer feel.
Motion Transfer
3/5
We noticed a little movement when testing the Essential for motion transfer. Although small movements are isolated well enough, big ones, like getting in and out of bed, might carry from one side to the other. This makes us believe that the Essential might not be the best for couples with significantly different sleeping habits and preferences.
The mattress performs average when it comes to motion isolation, but this is to be expected given it’s a hybrid with minimal comfort layers. For those who want something exceptionally great for motion isolation, because maybe they have a partner who tosses and turns a lot, we recommend taking a look at our favorite memory foam mattresses. All-foam beds usually absorb movement best.
Temperature Regulation / Cooling
3/5
The Essential is not a cooling mattress, but we found it to feel rather fresh and breathable. The reason behind this is probably the coil unit that allows plenty of airflow to keep the rest of the mattress from overheating. On top of that, the Essential doesn’t have too many foam layers, so there’s not much chance of it trapping heat close to your body.
Nonetheless, if you’re a particularly hot sleeper who often struggles with sweating, we’d suggest a more cooling mattress with a cool-to-the-touch cover and more specific cooling features.
Bounce
4/5
The Brooklyn Essential is not the bounciest mattress from the brand, but there’s still a good amount of bounce here. The coils are responsive, and so is the foam on top of them, which makes the entire mattress responsive.
When you press into the foam, you can see it bouncing right back into shape, which makes us believe it would be good for repositioning. On top of that, it makes it easy for people with mobility issues to get in and out of bed as the bounce is not exaggerated.
Related: Best Mattress for Sex
Edge Support
4/5
Hybrids usually have good edge support, and the Brooklyn Essential is no exception. When we tested its edge support, we had several team members sit and lie near the edge of the bed. Everyone reported they felt secure enough in this area, although some people experienced more sinkage when sitting near the edge.
Either way, it’s a good option if edge support is your primary concern, allowing you to use the entire surface of the bed for sleeping with only minor sinkage when you sit here.
Performance for Couples
3/5
The Brooklyn Essential can be a good option for couples for various reasons, but there are a few factors to consider. First and foremost, think about how similar your sleeping habits and preferences are. This bed doesn’t have the best motion isolation, so you might not like it if your partner moves around a lot. On top of that, it’s not the most cooling bed out there, which can be a problem if you get particularly hot sleeping beside your partner. Still, there’s a good amount of bounce and edge support, both of which most couples sharing a bed can appreciate.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
Material
Hybrid
Trial Period
120 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Warranty
10-year warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
Material
Hybrid
Warranty
10-year warranty
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
120 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
Material
Hybrid
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Trial Period
120 nights
Warranty
10-year warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Preference-Based Features
Simple Design
Many mattresses nowadays have a lot of features and unique specifications, which is a good thing. However, all that jazz can sometimes be a little confusing, which is why we also appreciate a simple design such as that of the Brooklyn Essential mattress. This hybrid has a comfort layer, transition layer, coils, and a thin base. It doesn’t get simpler than that.
Bed-in-a-Box Shipping
Who doesn’t love easy shipping? Brooklyn Bedding ships their mattresses in a box, making them easy to move from your doorstep to the bedroom. The unboxing process is easy and quick as well.
Adjustable Base Compatible
Brooklyn Bedding mattresses, including the Essential, work on all kinds of foundations and bed frames. This includes adjustable bases, such as the Ascension Luxe from the same brand.
Made in the USA
The Brooklyn Bedding Essential mattress is made in Arizona. Explore more mattresses made in the USA here.
Construction: What’s Inside the Brooklyn Bedding Essential?
As we mentioned earlier, this bed has a simple design without too many add-ons and special layers. It’s a hybrid with coils and a few foam layers that balance out the support it provides. The Essential is 10 inches tall, which is the average height of a modern mattress, according to the brand. The construction starts with a woven cover that resembles a pillow top. It feels breathable, but it’s not cool to the touch.
- The comfort layer is quilted to the cover. It’s made from high-density foam that feels plush when you press into it. When lying on it, it feels more medium-firm than anything else.
- The transition layer comes next. It’s made from a thinner layer of high-density foam that helps prevent you from bottoming out to the coils.
- The support layer is the main act here, featuring the brand’s proprietary AscensionX® coils that are individually wrapped for added motion isolation and enhanced support where it’s needed the most.
- The base is a thin layer of foam that prevents the coils from pushing into the bed frame.
Unboxing & Off-Gassing
As said, the Essential is a bed-in-a-box mattress. The company ships the bed directly from their Arizona factory, so you shouldn’t wait too long for it to arrive at your address. The unboxing process is simple and can even be fun to do with other family members. The box is compact enough for easy maneuverability, but we’d suggest an extra pair of hands because it can be heavy.
Once out of the box, the Essential takes a few hours to decompress. Don’t worry if you notice any off-gassing odors during this period because these are harmless and should dissipate by the time the mattress decompresses.
Certifications
- CertiPUR-US® certified – “The foams in this bed are CertiPUR-US® certified. CertiPUR-US® is a third-party program that ensures the foams meet rigorous health and safety standards. This means they don’t contain harmful substances like ozone depleters, PBDEs, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and phthalates. They should also have low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.”
Coupons, Trials, Warranties, and Shipping
- Shipping – Brooklyn Bedding ships this mattress for free within the 48 states in the USA. Shipping to Hawaii or Alaska is $125 per mattress, whereas shipping to Canada is $250.
- Trial – The Essential comes with a 120-night trial, which should be enough for most people to test how they like it.
- Warranty – The company offers a 10-year warranty with the Brooklyn Essential mattress.
- Return Policy – Returns are easy, but they’re not free. There’s a $99 fee if you want to return the Essential mattress. The company also asks you to wait at least 30 nights before returning the bed. Shipping fees are also non-refundable if you’re from Canada, Alaska, or Hawaii.
Sizes & Prices
| Size | Dimensions (inches) | Price (w/o discount) |
| Twin | 38” x 75” x 10” | $532 |
| Twin XL | 38” x 80” x 10” | $732 |
| Full | 53” x 75” x 10” | $799 |
| Queen | 60” x 80” x 10” | $932 |
| King | 76” x 80” x 10” | $1,132 |
| Cali King | 72” x 84” x 10” | $1,132 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brooklyn Bedding made in the USA?
Brooklyn Bedding makes all their mattresses in their Arizona factory. This includes the Brooklyn Bedding Essential, which is great if you’re looking to buy a USA-made mattress.
Does Brooklyn Bedding need a box spring?
You don’t necessarily need a box spring for any Brooklyn Bedding mattresses. Any type of bed foundation and base can work, including a platform, slats, or box spring.
Is the Brooklyn Bedding Essential flippable?
The Brooklyn Bedding Essential is not a flippable mattress. You can sometimes rotate it to ensure an even wear, but flipping it would disrupt the order of the layers. In other words, there would only be a .25-inch base between you and the coils if you were to flip the Essential.
How durable is the Brooklyn Essential?
There are some durability concerns with the Brooklyn Essential since this bed doesn’t have too many layers and is among the most affordable models from the brand. Nonetheless, we think it should last at least seven years, given its high-density foams and coils.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential vs. Other Brands
Brooklyn Bedding Essential vs. the WinkBed
Product
Firmness
Trial Period
Product
Brooklyn Bedding EssentialFirmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10Trial Period
120 nights
Product
WinkBed MattressFirmness
Multiple firmness optionsTrial Period
120 nightsWho We Recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Essential For
- Warm sleepers
- Back sleepers
- Budget shoppers
Who We Recommend the WinkBed For
- Those after a lifetime warranty
- Stomach sleepers
- Heavy people
Check out our full WinkBed mattress review to learn more about this unique hybrid mattress.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential vs. Nectar Hybrid
Product
Firmness
Trial Period
Product
Brooklyn Bedding EssentialFirmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10Trial Period
120 nights
Product
Nectar Hybrid MattressFirmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10Trial Period
365 nightsWho We Recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Essential For
- Couples with similar sleeping habits
- People with mobility issues
- Those after a simple mattress
Who We Recommend the Nectar Hybrid For
- People interested in a longer trial
- Lightweight stomach sleepers
- Hot sleepers
Want to learn more about the Nectar Hybrid? Check out our Nectar Hybrid review.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential vs. Other Brooklyn Bedding Models
Brooklyn Bedding Essential vs. Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid
Product
Firmness
Trial Period
Product
Brooklyn Bedding EssentialFirmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10Trial Period
120 nights
Product
Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid MattressFirmness
Multiple firmness optionsTrial Period
120 nightsWho We Recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Essential For
- People after average bounce
- Sleepers after an affordable mattress
- Back sleepers
Who We Recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid For
- Those who want multiple firmness options
- Sleepers interested in better edge support
- Hot sleepers
Read our full review of the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid if you think this mattress might be a better option for you.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential vs. Titan Plus
Product
Firmness
Trial Period
Product
Brooklyn Bedding EssentialFirmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10Trial Period
120 nightsWho We Recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Essential For
- Lightweight sleepers
- Average-weight sleepers
- Budget shoppers
Who We Recommend the Titan Plus For
- Heavy sleepers
- Stomach sleepers
- Hot sleepers
Read our review of the Titan Plus to learn more about this Brooklyn Bedding mattress specifically made for heavy people.
Our Verdict
The Brooklyn Essential is a versatile mattress with simple construction and firmness that should work for many people. Even though it doesn’t have too many standout features, it should do a good job of supporting your body in various sleeping positions.
The construction is breathable and, in our opinion, should be good for warm sleepers. Plus, we can’t argue with how affordable it is given there are much more expensive mattresses out there.
However, some people might prefer more motion isolation, pressure relief, and cooling. For this reason, we suggest you check its features and specifications, thinking twice about how they meet your needs. Overall, we gave it a score of 3.5 out of 5.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
Material
Hybrid
Trial Period
120 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Warranty
10-year warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
Material
Hybrid
Warranty
10-year warranty
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
120 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Brooklyn Bedding Essential
The Brooklyn Essential is an impressively affordable hybrid with a simple yet satisfying construction.
Material
Hybrid
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Trial Period
120 nights
Warranty
10-year warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:
Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.Financing Options
Financing options are available for this mattress.
Olivera Jancikin
Content Writer
About Author
Olivera is a content writer for Sleep Advisor and is enthusiastic about sleep. She firmly believes in the benefits of daytime naps on top of getting a full 8-hour sleep at night.
Combination Sleeper