Tom's Guide Verdict
Thanks to its basic, three-layer all-foam design, the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress won’t break the bank and the sink-in memory foam layers mean this mattress feels like lying on a marshmallow, cradling the hips and shoulders and moulding itself around the body. We felt this mattress provides the type of pressure relief and support that is best suited for side sleepers and some average weight back sleepers. While it has good motion isolation, we found that the edge support wasn’t great and temperature regulation was average. Our tester doesn’t sleep hot and found the bed a little stuffy by morning, but overall, didn’t overheat. However, for the price, we felt that this is a comfortable memory foam bed that could suit a guest room.
Pros
- +
Excellent motion isolation
- +
High level of pressure relief
- +
Best for side sleepers
- +
Good for guest rooms
Cons
- -
Very weak edges
- -
Can sleep warm
- -
Lacks support for stomach sleepers
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Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress: review in brief
The Zinus 10” Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress is one of the most popular mattresses on Amazon, frequently topping the best sellers list. The relatively simple build includes layers of green tea infused memory foam, while the permanent low price makes it a comfortable introduction to memory foam at a great price
Type: All-foam
Materials: Memory foam, other foam
Firmness: 5.5 out of 10
Height: 10 inches (8, 10, and 12 inches also available)
Trial period: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Price: from $199 at Zinus
We wanted to test the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress to see if it can deliver quality for less, and whether this inexpensive bed can compare to the choices in our best mattress guide. Our lead tester spent three weeks sleeping on a full size Zinus Mattress, with help from a wider testing panel with different body types and sleep styles. Below you’ll find our full review of the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress, including key performance areas such as motion isolation, edge support, and temperature regulation. For now, these are the highlights.
The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress comes in four different mattress heights – 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches. We tested the 10-inch version of the all-foam bed consisting of three foam layers. At the base is a layer of dense stabilizing foam, followed by a responsive layer of transition foam, then a top comfort layer of green tea infused memory foam. It’s a basic build, but for a budget-friendly mattress, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Sleeping on the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress initially feels like lying on a marshmallow. It has the classic ‘hug’ you’d expect from a memory foam bed, with a sink-in softness that cradles the hips and shoulders. The soothing pressure relief is most comfortable for side sleepers, but the dense foams offer support for light to average weight back sleepers, too.
But if you sleep on your stomach or have a bigger build, the Zinus is too soft to provide any meaningful support. This softness is also a big issue at the edges, with a noticeable dip if you stray too close to the sides. (Watch out if you have to lean across the bed to turn a light on in the middle of the night).
The ZInus the classic ‘hug’ of a memory foam bed, with a sink-in softness that cradles the hips and shoulders.
However, the sink-in softness of the memory foam does provide the Zinus Mattress with excellent motion isolation. The bed almost immediately absorbs motion, so if your partner gets up in the night, you won’t feel them go. And while the temperature regulation could be better, our testers found the Zinus stayed comfortably neutral most nights.
Most of the faults with this Zinus Mattress can be forgiven when you consider the price tag. Seasonal sales can see a queen size reduced to $379, and if you don’t mind sacrificing some benefits, the mattress is typically even cheaper on Amazon. That places the Zinus firmly in the budget category.
It’s easy to see why the Zinus is considered one of the best cheap mattresses on Amazon. The contouring foams deliver excellent pressure relief, while the supportive core means you never feel like you’re going to sink through the mattress (unless you stray too close to the sides). It doesn’t deliver the high quality support of the best memory foam mattresses, but for the price, you could do a lot worse.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress: price & trial
- A budget-friendly introduction to a memory foam mattress
- Direct from Zinus a queen costs $379 and has a 100-night trial
- Cheaper on third-party sites but you sacrifice the sleep trial
Zinus is known as a budget-friendly sleep brand, with these low-cost beds earning a place in our guide to the best cheap mattresses . With sales, you can get up to 50% off this mattress, which makes it seriously wallet friendly.
Here is the current pricing for the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress:
- Twin MSRP: $399 (usually on sale for $199)
- Full MSRP: $499 (usually on sale for $359)
- Queen MSRP: $599 (usually on sale for $499)
- King MSRP: $699 (usually on sale for $599)
As mentioned above, if you shop directly with Zinus, you can go ahead and ignore the MSRP. There’s always a mattress sale live where you can expect to pay under $500 for a queen. You’ll also get a 10-year warranty and a 100-night sleep trial. These aren’t the best extras, but they’re decent for a budget bed.
The Zinus Memory Foam Mattress is available from third-party sites – including Amazon – where it’s proven hugely popular. The mattress is typically cheaper when bought via Amazon, but you do miss out on some extras. While you still enjoy a 10-year warranty, there’s no sleep trial. Instead, all you get is a 30-day returns period and the mattress must be returned in its original condition.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress: design
- 10 inches tall (6-, 8-, and 12-inch available on Amazon)
- Three layers of foam, including memory foam comfort layers
- Features green tea foam infusion for freshness
The three-layer design of the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress is relatively basic for an all-foam bed, but that’s not a surprise from a budget mattress. It’s also not necessarily a bad thing, as simplicity can be a good choice when keeping costs low.
We tested the 10-inch model of the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress, which is an average height for an adult mattress. There are different heights available if you shop via Amazon, including 6-, 8-, and 12-inch. We recommend opting for 10 inches or higher when choosing a mattress for an adult. Only the 10-inch model is available direct from Zinus.
The Zinus Mattress is comprised of three foam layers. The top comfort layer consists of memory foam, enhanced with a green tea infusion for added freshness (although we have some doubts on its effectiveness). Beneath this is a layer of transition foam, offering responsive support. Finally, a base of durable foam brings stability and support to the overall mattress.
This is all wrapped in a soft to the touch cover with a breathable design. The cover on our model appears cosmetically different to the cover on the Zinus website, but we expect any changes in feel to be minimal. The cover can’t be removed and is spot clean only.
There are no handles, which can make the Zinus Mattress difficult to move around. Our test model also had a surprisingly loose cover. This was rarely noticeable, but after a particularly restless night there was some bunching.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress: comfort & support
- We rate this mattress 5.5 out of 10 for firmness
- Softer foams are best for side sleepers
- Supportive enough for some back sleepers
The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress delivers the kind of adaptive comfort we expect from a traditional memory foam. It ‘hugs’ the body, molding itself to your form to relieve pressure at the touch points and cushion the joints. This is a mattress you sink into, rather than lie on top of.
The memory foam ‘hug’ makes the Zinus Mattress most comfortable for side sleepers, especially those with a lighter build. At the shoulders and hips the Zinus feels dreamy, with a marshmallow softness that ensures none of that ‘numb’ shoulder and hip feeling that can accompany side sleeping on a firmer mattress.
The dense foam at the base enhances the support of the Zinus Mattress, and our lightweight back sleeping tester was comfortable lying in this position. However, our primary tester would have appreciated a firmer support at the hips, to prevent the lumbar region from sinking.
Our lead tester is a stomach sleeper, and the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress is too soft to consistently sleep comfortably in this position. Stomach sleepers need a firmer support at the hips to avoid twisting the spine, but our lead tester noticed some achiness after a few nights on the Zinus. Those with a heavier build are also likely to find the Zinus too soft.
Zinus rates the Memory Foam Mattress as having a medium feel, and our testing panel agrees. We rate it as 5.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, with one being hugely soft and 10 being rock hard. However, we did notice the firmness varied with the weather (which isn’t unusual for a memory foam mattress). On hot days, the Zinus felt a few degrees softer.
Pressure relief score: 4/5
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress: set up
- Arrives in a box and recommends 72 hours to expand fully
- Appeared fully inflated after 24 hours
- Off-gassing smell disappeared quickly
Delivery of the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress was fast and easy, with our tester model purchased from the Zinus store on Amazon. A mattress in a box, it arrived vacuum sealed, compressed in plastic, and rolled to fit in a cardboard box.
The package was slightly unwieldy – some mattresses are folded lengthwise then rolled, but as the Zinus was just rolled, it was still pretty tall. However, this is potentially only an issue for some sizes (larger options might be folded) and was only a minor inconvenience. Out of the box, the Zinus Mattress was quick and easy to unroll.
With the mattress on the bed frame, Zinus recommends waiting 72 hours for it to expand before use. This is a long waiting period, but our model looked fully inflated after roughly 24 hours. Although if you can, try waiting the full 72 hours.
Once unboxed, a mattress off-gassing smell did linger for a while. Mattress off-gassing is caused by Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) being released into the air, and it’s a common issue with mattresses in a box. Our testing panel noted a strong paint-like smell at first, but it did fade quickly with the window open.
Zinus doesn’t offer white glove delivery, and while the bed isn’t particularly heavy for a mattress, it’s bulky and hard to move. Two people or more are needed to unbox safely and efficiently.
Delivery and setup score: 4/5
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress: performance
- Excellent motion isolation
- Average temperature regulation but can sleep hot
- Edge support is poor, with sinkage at the sides
As part of our mattress testing methodology we conduct a series of performance tests on every mattress we review. The three key performance areas we test are: motion isolation (how much movement disrupts the sleep surface), edge support (how strong the mattress is at the perimeter), and temperature regulation (how well the mattress maintains a neutral temperature overnight).
These are the results of our testing:
Motion isolation
Motion isolation refers to how well a mattress absorbs movement, and it’s an important feature for bed sharers. The Zinus Memory Foam Mattress does an excellent job at stopping movement, with the slow-moving foams trapping tosses and turns before they can disturb anyone else in the bed.
We used a series of drop tests to cross reference the motion isolation of the Zinus mattress. To do this, we dropped a 10lb weight onto the mattress from a height of six inches, and noted how it affected a wine glass placed on the bed. When the weight was dropped 25 inches away from the wine glass, the glass didn’t budge. From 10 inches, there was a slight wobble, and a more pronounced wobble at 4 inches, but the glass still didn’t fall.
The drop test confirmed the experience of our testing panel, showing that the Zinus excels at motion isolation. Couples who are often woken by their partner moving should appreciate how the dense foams prevent motion from traveling across the bed.
However, those foams don’t just trap movement – they also make it pretty hard to move in the first place. This can be an issue for those who, like our lead test, enjoy freedom to shift about in the night.
Motion isolation score: 4.5/5
Temperature control
The Zinus Memory Foam Mattress comes infused with green tea and graphite for freshness, but lacks anything in the way of dedicated cooling features. Because of this It can get warm overnight, with the foams that ‘hug’ the body so closely also holding onto the heat.
Our lead tester isn’t a particularly hot sleeper, but she did test the bed over some of the warmest nights of the year. While she was never disturbed in the night due to the temperature, the bed did feel stuffy by morning. We were skeptical the green tea infusion actually served any purpose, despite the warmth the mattress stayed fresh – although we’re still not convinced that’s thanks to the tea.
For the average sleeper, the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress should stay comfortable even on warm nights, with the caveat that you probably won’t need your covers. If you’re a hot sleeper, avoid the Zinus Green Tea – check out our Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress review for a budget-friendly memory foam mattress with superior cooling.
Temperature regulation score: 3/5
Edge support
Edge support describes the sturdiness of the mattress perimeter. A mattress with good edge support will feel strong beneath you whether you’re sitting on the corner or lying directly in the middle of the bed.
The edge support is weak on the Zinus, with a notable sagging when sitting on the ends. This problem is most pronounced when lying on the edge of the bed, and our testing panel agreed it felt most secure sleeping in the center. Watch out if you need to reach out of bed at any point during the night – our lead tester tried to retrieve something from the floor one evening and almost slipped straight off the mattress.
Sagging could also be noticed when sitting on the edge of the bed, although it felt more secure than lying down. Still, our tester with mobility issues found it hard to get in and out of the bed, as the sides collapsed beneath them when they pushed down.
To test the edge support further, we placed a 50lb kettlebell on the end of the bed. At least, we attempted to.The kettlebell consistently rolled forward when balanced on the edge, and only stayed upright when placed around eight inches back from the side.
This isn’t hugely unusual for a cheap memory foam mattress. All-foam mattresses typically lack the sturdy edge support you’ll find in the best hybrid mattresses. However, if you like to sleep or sit on the sides of the bed, we don’t recommend the Zinus.
Edge support score: 2.5/5
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress: customer reviews
- 4.4 stars from over 156,00 reviews on Amazon
- Customers appreciate the pressure relief but find the edge support lacking
- Critics are impressed with the budget price
The Zinus Memory Foam Mattress is one of the most popular mattresses on Amazon, and a fixture of the best sellers list. So there are a lot of reviews to comb through. As of July 2024, the Zinus 10” Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 from over 156,000 reviews – however, many of these reviews are for different heights. There are also more than 1,000 reviews on the Zinus website, but again, many of these are for a different model (the Zinus Hybrid).
Customers have praised the pressure relief and plush feel of the mattress, with many commenting on how the Zinus helped soothe hip and back pain. Reviewers have also been impressed with the balance of support and cushioning, particularly for the price. The inexpensive price was a major selling point among top reviews, with many pleasantly surprised at the quality of the ZInus in comparison to other cheap beds.
The main criticisms are towards the edge support, with some customers finding it difficult to sleep near the side of the bed. Other customers have questioned the durability, with some noticing sagging after only limited use. This isn’t an issue we’ve spotted with our model, but we expect decreased longevity from a budget mattress.
Should you buy the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress?
The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress is a sink-in memory foam bed with exceptional pressure relief and an attractively low price. With a queen typically setting you back under $400 (cheaper, if you shop third-party), this budget-friendly mattress is an excellent choice for side sleepers and guest rooms.
The dense all-foam build offers body-hugging comfort while also absorbing motion to keep bed sharers snoozing happily. However, a lack of cooling features means those foams also hold onto heat, making for some potentially sweaty nights. Edge support is also a problem, as the sagging sides can lead to an awkward sinking feel if you lie or sit on the edge.
Overall, the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress is best for side sleepers on a tight budget, although it’s comfortable enough in the short term to make a good guest bed choice. But a lack of cooling features and poor edge support means if you can afford a mid-range bed, it’s worth upgrading.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress: alternatives
If you’re looking for a budget foam bed with a firmer feel, they don’t come any better than the Siena Memory Foam Mattress. From Resident Home – the brand behind the Nectar and DreamCloud beds – the Siena Mattress offers a supportive sleep surface with impressive temperature regulation and edge support. An evergreen sale reduces a queen to $399, and you get a 180-night trial. Read more with our Siena Memory Foam Mattress review.
Nectar’s flagship foam mattress is slightly more expensive than the Zinus, but if you can afford it, this lower mid-range choice is worth the upgrade. We were impressed with the all-round performance during our Nectar Memory Foam Mattress review, particularly the pressure relief which was cushioning without too much sink. Frequent Nectar mattress sales offer generous savings, while a lifetime warranty and 365-night trial add premium benefits.
The Dreamfoam Essential is the most affordable bed in the Brooklyn Bedding line-up, with a range of sizes and heights that make it a versatile choice. There’s always a 25% off sale at Brooklyn Bedding, but this often increases to 30% around the major holidays – time your purchase carefully for the best saving. In addition, Brooklyn Bedding offers a 120-night trial on this budget mattress. Learn more with our Dreamfoam Essential Mattress review.
