I've Always Been a Bad Sleeper—Until I Met the Glacier Hybrid Mattress

• Sleep Improvement: 20/20
• Ease of Setup: 18/20
• Cooling Ability: 20/20
• Value: 19/20
• Quality: 20/20
• Total: 97/100

Some of us tuck ourselves into bed and fall asleep within minutes. And others...well, not so much. If you fall into the latter category, you may need a new mattress to get the ball rolling on your quest to become a good sleeper. Nicole Frazzini, PureWow's former audience development strategist, recently embarked on a mission to achieve a more peaceful slumber that leaves her waking up more rested and refreshed, by making an upgrade to the highly rated Glacier Original mattress (from $998; $499), a hybrid design that is frequently praised for its comfort and craftsmanship. After testing it for over three months, this mattress has transformed the way Frazzini sleeps, reducing her insomnia and eliminating her need for constant morning coffee stops.

The stellar reviews and promises from the brand to assist sleepers via seven comfy, cooling layers, which include a stabilized base and reinforced edges to ensure lasting support and resilience, are big enough selling points to make you want to invest your hard-earned coins, but what else makes the Glacier so efficient? Read on for Frazzini's full review.

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The delivery process was quick, but a bit on the difficult side as she had to haul it up two flights of stairs. Frazzini tells me, "The Glacier mattress was delivered so quickly; however, it was left in the courtyard of my building, so I faced the daunting process of getting it up two narrow flights of stairs. Thankfully, the Frazzini Family Moving Company (my dad and brother) came to the rescue since they were in town when it was delivered."

She continues, "The two of them hauled it up to my apartment, but I have to say, it was tough even for the two of them. The handles on my box got a bit banged up in the delivery process, so they weren’t able to use them, and this mattress is heavy. Overall, I’d say this was the most complicated step in the process and could most likely be resolved by writing out very clear delivery instructions."

"Like most mattresses that are compressed and delivered in a box, setting up this mattress required coordination—and in my case, three people (although you could probably do it with two)," she says, explaining how quickly the mattress inflates. "First, we hauled the compressed cylinder onto my bed frame, then we unrolled and cut all the protective plastic off. After that, we had to act with a quickness because once you slice open that vacuum-sealed compression, the mattress starts to inflate quite fast. I’d recommend taking a beat before this part to make sure you’re ready and double-checking that the mattress is facing right side up. Once it’s unrolled, you’re essentially done! I gave mine a day to fluff, but it was so quick that I probably could have slept on it that night."

Frazzini's experience sleeping on the Glacier? The best she's ever had. "This is, by far, the best mattress I have ever owned—and the guests who have stayed in my apartment wholeheartedly agree. It’s on the firmer side, which means it supports me (and my many sleep positions) quite well. I’ve dealt with insomnia in the past, and it would often manifest as that tossing-and-turning, can’t-get-comfortable feeling. But I’ll just say, no matter how much is on my mind, I have never struggled to get comfortable and fall asleep on this mattress in minutes."

And with a name like Glacier (and features like glacierTECH° cooling fibers and graphite-infused memory foam that's meant to actively draw heat away from the body), the cooling properties don't disappoint. "Although I moved in the dead of winter (which I do not recommend), my building was sweltering thanks to those New York City radiators working at full blast. Of course, I still needed fans going at high speeds, but this mattress definitely shares the credit for helping me fall asleep despite the high temps. Since the situation has stabilized, I’ve even noticed that I no longer need to use a fan as I fall asleep, and I wake up without having kicked off the covers."