GhostBed Flex Mattress Review

The GhostBed brand is well-known in the sleep industry for providing some of the best sleep comfort with advanced cooling. Their mattress, the GhostBed Flex, is no exception. Sleepers have praised this mattress as both comfortable and cool, but we wanted to put it to the test for ourselves.

This review will examine the behind-the-scenes details of the GhostBed Flex mattress, its pros, cons, and what we like most. We will also discuss which type of sleeper this mattress best suits.

Let’s dive in.

GhostBed Flex Mattress Review: Our Rating

We put our mattresses through an intense testing process with different criteria, learn more about it here.

GhostBed Flex Mattress Review: Construction and Design

Our review of the GhostBed Flex mattress will begin with its thoughtful construction and design. Its cover is made of Ghost Ice fabric, which is a unique phase-change material that can absorb more heat than standard cotton or polyester. I noticed the cover to feel pleasantly cool to the touch.

The GhostBed has a 2-inch quilted pillow top with 1 inch of cooling fibers and 1 inch of cool gel memory foam. Lying down, I noticed this initial layer was conforming and continually drawing away excess heat.

Unboxing and Off-Gassing of the GhostBed Flex Mattress

When I first received the GhostBed, I removed it from its box, cut open the plastic, and rolled the mattress onto my bed frame. It was flat at first, so I let it decompress for about 24 hours before beginning my tests.

The initial off-gassing smell was rather apparent when I first brought the mattress out of its packaging. Although the ‘new mattress’ smell wasn’t strong, I found it did take some considerable time to dissipate, even in a well-ventilated room. It took my mattress about 3 days to air out until I could no longer detect any off-gassing smell. It should be noted that the mattress may take longer to off-gas in a closed or unventilated room.

The GhostBed Flex took slightly longer than the Novosbed to off-gas by about 1.5 days, making the GhostBed Flex a bit more time-consuming setup.

Overall, I would rate the GhostBed Flex as a 5 in this category, as the off-gassing period is slightly more extended than the average.

GhostBed Flex Mattress Firmness

The firmness of a mattress is vital for overall spinal alignment, pressure relief, and comfort. It greatly determines how well a bed performs, so I give this category special consideration. The GhostBed Flex has 4.5 inches of comfort layers, which is more than adequate to provide cushioning pressure relief.

During my tests, I found the GhostBed Flex hugging in its top foam layer, with a doughy, soft, conforming feel that enveloped me. It's softer than the Novosbed and Puffy by 1 point, making the GhostBed Flex a good option if you prefer a plusher feel.

I gauged the GhostBed Flex to be a 6 in firmness and gave it this score in the firmness category.

Cooling of the GhostBed Flex Mattress

The coolness of a mattress helps determine how well your temperature stays neutral during the night and keeps the dreaded ‘night sweats’ away. The GhostBed Flex performs well in this category, using unique cooling technology to encourage heat to disperse. Technology like its Ghost Ice fabric and multiple layers of gel memory foam work together to dissipate heat continually during the night.

From my tests, the GhostBed Flex had a temperature of 30.4 degrees Celsius, enough to keep my body cool and minimize heat retention. 

The GhostBed Flex slept hotter than the Novosbed by 0.9 degrees, despite its use of extensive cooling technology. This is something to remember if you’re a hot sleeper and need a mattress that can provide more coolness. You can see our best cooling mattresses in Canada for more options.

I never faced any issues with the coolness of the GhostBed Flex, even if I expected it to be slightly more cooling. So in this category, I gave it a score of 7.

GhostBed Flex Mattress Review: Sinkage

Sinkage directly correlates with firmness and affects how well a mattress can conform to the body and relieve pressure. The GhostBed Flex has a softer firmness. However, its latex-like layer and micro-coils support you from feeling too ‘stuck’ in the layers.

I measured 1.95 inches of sinkage from my tests with the GhostBed Flex, which is slightly less than average. Despite having a softer firmness, the GhostBed Flex’s use of weight-resistant, spongy materials ensures there isn’t too much sinkage. So I was ‘in’ the mattress but didn’t feel like I was sinking in ‘quicksand.’

The GhostBed Flex was 0.55 inches firmer than the Puffy, making the GhostBed Flex the better option if you prefer a more balanced, soft, and responsive feel with a bit less contouring.

Overall, I rated the GhostBed Flex an 8.5 for sinkage, as it has just enough sinkage for comfortable cradling. “When I initially rested on the GhostBed Flex, I found its first memory foam layer hugging. I felt this mattress has an excellent ‘doughy’ and cushioning feel that feels more like being ‘in’ the mattress than ‘on’ it,” explained Bridget Chapman, a Certified Sleep Science Coach at Sleepopolis.

Response of the GhostBed Flex Mattress

Response plays a role in how adaptive a mattress is to pressure and how easily you can move from one sleeping position to another. The GhostBed Flex’s latex-like foam and coils help balance out the softer gel memory foam layers, so this mattress has a response time that’s not too fast or slow.

According to my compression tests, the GhostBed Flex recovered from partial impressions after 0.5 seconds. It recovered 100% from compressions after 1.1 seconds. I could enjoy excellent body contouring that adapted to my body moderately slowly without feeling too restricted.

The GhostBed Flex has a slightly faster response time than the Puffy by about 0.6 seconds, making the GhostBed Flex the better option if you prefer faster, more responsive contouring.

I gave the GhostBed Flex an 8 in this category as its response time is slower than average, but not by much.

Bounce of the GhostBed Flex Mattress

The bounce of a mattress ties in with response, enabling a person to move across the bed freely. A higher bounce typically means you will experience a more buoyant feeling while sleeping. For the GhostBed Flex, its use of micro-coils positively impacts its ability to provide a springy, supportive sleep.

From my review, the GhostBed Flex mattress had 9.01 inches total bounce, with an initial depth of 4.1 inches and a maximum height of 4.9 inches. I noticed the coils felt moderately springy under my weight but not so much as to detract from the contouring gel memory foam.

The GhostBed Flex has 2.31 inches more bounce than the Novosbed, making the GhostBed Flex better suited to sleepers who want more springiness, ease of movement, and a traditional bed feel.

I rated this mattress 8.5 for bounce, as its coils and latex-like layer perform remarkably well.

Edge Support of the GhostBed Flex Mattress

The edge support of a mattress is crucial for stability and ease of movement when getting out of bed. The GhostBed Flex excels in this category, with a record of 3.7 inches along the edge. The micro coils and Ghost Bounce layer work together to increase the overall stability, strengthening the edges. I found this springiness helped me from feeling like I might accidentally roll out, and I was well supported.

Despite having incredible edge support, the GhostBed Flex is slightly outperformed by the Puffy by 1.3 inches. However, 3.7 inches is within the recommended parameters for good edge support, so the GhostBed Flex is still a great option for stability.

Overall, I would give the GhostBed Flex a rating of 7.5 for edge support, as it has an excellent middle ground for stability and support.

GhostBed Flex Mattress Review: Motion Transfer

Motion transfer significantly affects how much movement from a partner or pet is isolated while sleeping. This, in turn, affects sleep quality, especially for restless sleepers. From my review, the GhostBed Flex mattress had its glass of water react to compressions 5 inches away. This is slightly higher than average, so I noticed it absorbed some motion. However, more significant motion, such as getting out of bed, could be slightly felt.

Comparatively, the GhostBed Flex had 2.5 inches less motion isolation than the Puffy, making the Puffy the better option out of the two. However, the GhostBed Flex can still absorb some motion and can still be considered for couples that are deep sleepers or aren’t as disturbed by significant movement.

I rated the GhostBedFlex 8 in this category for its well-rounded performance.

GhostBed Flex Mattress: Performance for Sex

Performance for sex is based on sinkage, edge support, and cooling, as they most affect active couples. The GhostBed Flex had fair results for all three categories, making it suitable for couples. Its edge support and cooling have slightly lower scores, but I felt the sinkage balanced these out, and I could move around moderately quickly across the bed’s surface.

The GhostBed Flex was outperformed by 0.5 points in comparison to the Novosbed. This was mainly due to the Novosbed having a slightly better performance in cooling.

Considering the scores, I ended up giving the GhostBed Flex a 7.5.

Also Read: Puffy Mattress Review

How It Feels for Different Types of Sleepers

A bed will feel different based on your sleeping preferences and weight. This is why I’ve broken down how the GhostBed Flex feels in various sleeping positions based on weight. For reference, I am an average-weight sleeper.

Side Sleepers 

Side sleeping is moderately good on the GhostBed Flex. There is enough give in the layers to ensure I was cradled and felt my weight redistributed. I found the spongy top layers didn’t conform as much as traditional memory foam, but that’s understandable given the latex-like nature of the Ghost Bounce layer.

Lightweight sleepers under 130 pounds should feel enough sinkage to feel comfortable. However, average-weight and heavy-weight sleepers over 130 pounds will feel the most comfortable. If you want more plush options, see our best mattresses for side sleepers in Canada.

Other Important Information 

Other important information to consider for the GhostBed Flex include:

• Its price.
• Free trial.
• And warranty.

GhostBed Flex Price

The GhostBed Flex has a fair price point, given that it's a hybrid. The GhostBed Flex is slightly more expensive than the Novosbed at around $688. It’s also about $639 more expensive than the Puffy mattress. This extra price is an easy workaround if you have a large budget. However, if you are on a tight budget, such as looking for the best firm mattress in Canada, you may want to look at other options.

GhostBed Flex Free Trial

Like most good online mattresses, the GhostBed Flex offers a free sleep trial. When you receive your mattress, you have 101 nights to test it and decide whether the GhostBed Flex suits you. Free shipping is included in most local areas, so you do not incur any fees if you return it. 

The GhostBed Flex has a shorter trial period than The Novosbed by 19 days. This makes the sleep trials between these two moderately similar. For the Puffy, the GhostBed Flex and this mattress have the same trial period of 101 nights, making the GhostBed Flex one of the best mattresses in Canada.

GhostBed Flex Warranty

The GhostBed Flex comes with an extensive 25-year warranty, which is longer for online mattresses. On the other hand, the Novosbed has a 15-year warranty, which is shorter by 10 years. The GhostBed Flex does not have as long of a warranty as the Puffy, though, as the Puffy has a lifetime warranty.

Also Read: Best Memory Foam Mattresses in Canada

Summary

The GhostBed Flex mattress is a wonderful option for outfitting your home with a reliable, firm bed, as per my review. Its uniquely engineered Ghost Bounce material gives the springiness needed for ease of movement. I was comfortable on my back and enjoyed how its layers and coils kept me buoyant while still conforming to my body for pressure relief.

Still have questions about the GhostBed Flex mattress? Alex Savy, the Co-Founder and Chief Editor at Comfynorth has reviewed countless sleep products with over 4 years in the industry and can help you find what you’re looking for. Reach out through email at [email protected]. When emailing Alex, include your full name and phone number or email address.