Our Verdict
Best for:
Back sleeper
Combo sleeper
Side sleeper
Stomach sleeper
With its spooky and unique name, GhostBed is a mattress company that piqued our interest. But it doesn’t end there. Its Classic mattress combines three different types of foam to provide a feel that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s enough to separate itself from other big-name bed-in-a-box brands like Casper and Nectar.
Our sleep experts tested the GhostBed Classic mattress, evaluating it based on firmness, feel and performance to see if it’s worth the price. Read on to learn who we recommend the GhostBed mattress to and how it compares to other beds we’ve tested.
If you’re looking for more upscale options, GhostBed also has more expensive Luxury and Premium Collections of beds. But this review is strictly for the GhostBed Classic in the Essential Collection.
Video: GhostBed Classic Review
Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole review the GhostBed Classic mattress.
First impressions of the GhostBed Classic mattress
I’m a big fan of anything spooky and scary, so of course GhostBed partly sold me on the cute ghost showcased on the end of the bed in its logo. Aside from that, I am a fan of the mattress and the fact they include a thin latex foam layer in the comfort layer. I love latex foam for several reasons — namely, the bounce and responsiveness it can add to a mattress. Paired with that memory foam center layer, the GhostBed Classic has a unique feel compared to your standard foam mattresses.
Straight out of the box, it does have a noticeable chemical smell, and that’s because of the synthetic foams used and the compression process. It will go away eventually. Most bed-in-a-box mattresses emit this odor when you unbox them, except for natural and organic mattresses.
GhostBed Classic mattress firmness and feel
How firm is the GhostBed Classic?
When judging firmness, I try to gauge how much I’m sinking into the mattress, how much pressure relief I’m getting and how supported my back feels. Is it sagging into the bed or in a straight line? For the GhostBed Classic mattress, I think it offers a little of both.
That memory foam promotes a contouring feel around your curves, but it isn’t difficult to switch positions. It also provides ample support to my spine when sleeping on my back or stomach. As a result, I’d rate the firmness around a medium, or a 5 out of 10, with 10 being the firmest on our scale. It’s right at that sweet spot for firmness profiles that accommodate many different sleeping positions.
How does the GhostBed Classic feel?
The three major foams typically used in mattresses are polyurethane foam, memory foam and latex foam. Most mattresses don’t use all three, but the GhostBed Classic does. I feel the support and sponginess of the latex foam, but it doesn’t bounce like a typical latex foam bed. That’s because I can also feel the slow-moving, contouring feel of the memory foam from underneath the latex foam. That makes it more neutral-feeling like poly foam, resulting in a blended foam feel overall.
If you’re someone who hates the feel of a memory foam mattress because it can give you that “sinking” feel, you’ll probably be pleased with the GhostBed Classic mattress. It’s pressure-relieving, but you aren’t going to become nestled into a memory foam cocoon.
GhostBed mattress construction
The GhostBed Classic mattress is made entirely from foam and is about 11 inches thick. As I mentioned above, this bed utilizes three different foams, including synthetic latex foam. Synthetic latex foam has similar characteristics to the natural and organic forms of latex but without the steep price tag. That said, it isn’t eco-friendly.
Here’s a rundown of the three foam layers in the GhostBed Classic mattress:
1. First is 7.5 inches of dense polyurethane foam, which acts as the main support layer.
2. The center has 2 inches of gel memory foam, which is better at regulating temperature than the typical memory foam.
3. The comfort layer is 1.5 inches of GhostBed’s latex foam. It’s perforated across the surface, letting air pass through and making it more breathable than most other foams like poly or memory foam.
The cover on the GhostBed Classic mattress is made with polyester and viscose, and I must warn you — it’s not machine washable. So, although you can take the cover off, I don’t recommend throwing it in the washing machine. If you do, don’t say I didn’t warn you when you try to fit it back on.
The layers you’d see if you peeled back the cover on the GhostBed mattress.
GhostBed Classic mattress performance
Motion isolation
This mattress does a great job at deadening movement, even though it contains that latex foam top layer. There are no springs and memory foam is second-to-none at isolating movement throughout a mattress. This is a feature to take into consideration if you share a mattress with somebody.
Edge support
When you find yourself near the edge of a mattress at night, you don’t want to suddenly feel the sensation of falling off — or worse, actually topple off. This happens if the sides give easily and don’t offer proper support. Foam bed-in-a-box mattresses generally have average edge support, and the same goes for the GhostBed Classic. It didn’t blow me away, but it also shouldn’t be bad enough that you won’t be comfortable on the edge.
Testing the edge support on the Original GhostBed mattress
Temperature
The GhostBed Classic mattress isn’t going to sleep cold, but it is better at regulating temperature than other foam mattresses on the market, like the Casper and the Layla mattress. That gel memory foam helps prevent the bed from retaining heat, and the latex foam lets air pass through the entire layer. I didn’t sleep hot when testing out the GhostBed Classic mattress, and I think most people will have that same sentiment.
Who is the GhostBed Classic mattress best for?
Considering the bed’s all-foam construction and medium or 5 firmness level, here are the types of people I’d recommend this GhostBed mattress to.
Sleeping Position
Mattresses in the center of the firmness scale offer ample pressure relief and support to side, back, stomach and combination sleepers. This makes the GhostBed Classic ideal for just about everyone, sleep position-wise. Though it might be a bit too soft for some back and stomach sleepers who want a firm bed, especially if you weigh over 230 pounds.
Body type
Foam mattresses aren’t as supportive or durable as hybrid mattresses, so I would mostly recommend this bed to people under 230 pounds unless you plan on keeping it in a guest bedroom. I don’t think you’ll get the right back support over time, especially if you sleep on your back or stomach. Check out the GhostBed Flex mattress or our list of the best hybrid mattresses.
GhostBed Classic mattress pricing
| Size | Measurements (inches) | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | 38×75 inches | $1,295 |
| Twin XL | 38×80 inches | $1,395 |
| Full | 54×74 inches | $1,495 |
| Queen | 60×80 inches | $1,695 |
| King | 76×80 inches | $2,015 |
| Cal king | 72×84 inches | $2,025 |
| Split king | 76×80 inches | $2,790 |
Latex foam is usually decently expensive, but this GhostBed mattress is synthetic and will be a little nicer on your wallet. It’s in the range of your average bed-in-a-box prices, on par with brands like Nectar and Casper. A queen size will retail around $1,695, but you can find the brand running promos pretty often.
GhostBed Classic mattress warranty, shipping and trial
If you’ve never purchased a mattress online before, you should know that it looks a lot different than purchasing it in-store. It’ll be delivered to your door(typically for free), rolled up inside of a box. Not a mattress-size box, but a box the size of a set of golf clubs. After you unbox it, it will slowly expand to its full size.
With the GhostBed Classic mattress, you’ll have 101 nights to try out your mattress and figure out if you want to keep it. If you do, you’ll be backed by a 20-year warranty. If you want to return it, reach out to customer service and they’ll walk you through the rest of the process.
Final verdict on the GhostBed Classic
In a virtual sea of online mattresses, the GhostBed Classic finds a way to stand out from the rest of the competition even though it’s a fairly simple foam mattress. Its use of all three types of comfy foam gives it a unique feel that combines the best of all worlds: it’s supportive and pressure-relieving, but not difficult to switch positions in. Here’s why I say you should or shouldn’t pull the trigger on GhostBed.
You might like this mattress if:
- You want a moderate firmness level that isn’t soft or firm, but right in the middle
- You don’t like the feel of memory foam and want something different
- You weigh under 230 pounds
- You sleep on your side, back, stomach or a little of each
You might not like this mattress if:
- You want an ultra budget mattress
- You weigh over 230 pounds
- You want a more supportive bed with coils
- You want a mattress that’s either very soft or very firm
How we tested the GhostBed mattress
At CNET, we have an established testing process for each mattress we review. It includes both quantifiable metrics and subjective features. We test each bed for roughly 10 hours, though often longer.
When testing the GhostBed mattress, we assessed and ranked it based on key factors like firmness, feel, responsiveness, edge support and temperature. After evaluating each factor, we compare the results to all the other beds we’ve tested to see who we recommend it for.
Other mattresses from GhostBed
GhostBed offers three mattress collections: Essential, Luxury and Premium. The GhostBed Classic in the Essential Collection is its most affordable bed — aside from a cheaper GhostBed RV, a 10-inch, thick medium-firm bed perfectly sized for RVs or campers.
The next tier is GhostBed’s Luxury Collection. This collection includes the Venus Williams Legend and Legend Hybrid mattresses, designed for recovery and performance with a mineral-infused gel memory foam layer that the brand says will promote faster muscle recovery.
The highest tier is the Premium Collection, which includes a GhostBed Massage Mattress with patent-pending massage technology and eight preset programs to choose from. The other mattress in this collection is the GhostBed 3D Matrix, offering patented cooling technology with a thermal conductive gel polymer layer.
GhostBed Luxe
The GhostBed Luxe has seven layers of cooling comfort, including a contouring gel memory foam layer designed to relieve pressure points and alleviate back pain. This bed has a medium firmness level which accommodates most sleeping positions.
GhostBed Flex Hybrid
The GhostBed Flex Hybrid is 13″ thick and offers a medium firmness profile that should work for all sleeping positions. With individually wrapped coils and gel memory foam, it’s more responsive and doesn’t have that “sinking” feeling of traditional memory foam. Learn more about this bed in our GhostBed Flex Hybrid mattress review.
How does GhostBed compare to other mattresses?
GhostBed vs Nectar: GhostBed and Nectar are all-foam mattresses with a three-layer construction. Though GhostBed has a synthetic latex foam comfort layer instead of memory foam. The construction is where the similarities end. GhostBed offers a mixed-foam feel, while Nectar feels like dense memory foam. GhostBed is also slightly softer than Nectar at a medium instead of the medium-firm profile of the Nectar bed.
GhostBed vs Purple: The original GhostBed and Purple mattress have the same firmness level. At a medium, just about anyone can sleep on it, though it might not be ideal for back and stomach sleepers who need added spinal support. The main difference between these two mattresses is the feel. Purple’s comfort layer is its unique Purple Grid, which is made of Hyper-Elastic Polymer. It gives you an almost buoyant feeling while sleeping.
Yes. GhostBed’s mattresses have no harmful chemicals, and all of its materials are CertiPur-US approved and non-toxic.
No, you will not need a box spring as these mattresses are plenty supportive and durable. All you need is a bed frame. Consider checking out GhostBed’s bundles with adjustable bases.
GhostBed offers free shipping and returns — a perk that some mattress brands no longer offer. If you try the GhostBed and decide it’s not for you, simply return it for free with GhostBed’s money-back guarantee. Rest assured, your mattress purchase is safe and secure with the 101-night trial period and 20 to 25-year limited warranty.
