Signature Design by Ashley 10 Inch Elite Plush Mattress

To start off with, I had a pretty crappy mattress for about 10 years before I bought this one, so I’m a little jaded. But I waited until this baby was on sale, that way I wouldn’t feel guilty if it didn’t meet my expectations (which, honestly, weren’t that high, but they weren’t too low, either). I suffer with chronic back pain and dislocated ribs, so I know how important it is to have a great, supportive, comfortable mattress. The mattress was delivered in a HEAVY box. I’m pretty small (5’4”, 130lbs), and was able to force it up the stairs by myself… after about 15 minutes of fighting with it. Not without lots of grunts, sweat, and possibly a few expletives thrown in, but I got it up there. I decided I was going to unbox it and let it expand on my platform bed frame. That way I wouldn’t have to move it twice. I’ve got super comfy couches, so I could deal for a night or two. Once I unrolled it, this thing was nearly as flat as a pancake. It’s gotta be high-quality vacuum-sealed based on how quickly it started expanding once I carefully cut a slit into the bag. (Side note: be sure to have it placed facing the correct way so you don’t have to fight with it once it starts expanding. It’s much easier to move when it’s flat than when it’s fully expanded.) It expanded most of the way within the first 18 hours. But I decided to let it go 72 just to make sure I could get it to the size it was supposed to be. And it made it… almost. My 12” mattress expanded to roughly 10.5-11”. I thought it did pretty well considering some of the horror stories I read in the Q&A and reviews. I don’t think the off-gassing was that bad, but I was ill 3 months before and still was without my sense of smell. But my young daughters said it didn’t smell bad, so I’d call that a win. One thing I read to help the mattress fully expand was to walk around on it once it’d mostly expanded. So I did. And let me tell you, my legs haven’t gotten that great a workout in years. It was tough! I like to think it helped, but I’m not entirely sure it did. Now down to the nitty gritty. My 12” mattress was listed as being Plush. Well, I definitely wouldn’t call it plush. I equate plush with the softest, comfiest, “your body sinks into it” mattress available, and this is not that. HOWEVER, this mattress has all but cured my back pain (at least at night). While I don’t sink into it, it cradles my body without being restricting. My parents have an older memory foam mattress that envelopes my body, making it really hard to roll over. This is the exact opposite. I just feel comfy when I’m laying on it. Kind of like the Baby Bear in Goldilocks. I think a firmer mattress would be TOO firm, and a plusher mattress would be too soft. This is Baby Bear’s mattress. It just feels like all is right with the world when I lay on it. I no longer toss and turn due to my back and chest pain. I sleep really well. This is the kind of mattress you want to snuggle into under a cozy blanket on a rainy day, reading a book while drinking a hot cup of tea. It’s that great. Also, I’m a hot sleeper, and it doesn’t seem to be an issue with this particular mattress. I did buy a cooling mattress cover (a MUST), so that might have something to do with it, but it’s great. All this to say, if you’re on the fence because you think the mattress will be too soft, buy this one. If you think it’ll be too firm, buy it. I’ve never had a mattress that called my name before, but this one sure does. You’ll love it.