Intellibed Gel Mattress Review and Complaints

Intellibed is a company that offers a very unique line of mattresses. The most unique thing about the company is that it uses a gel material in the comfort layer that they say is better than foam at pressure relief and durability.

I was excited to give one of their mattresses a try because all that I’d read about the company pointed to their mattresses being quite unique. Purple is the only other mattress I’ve heard of that uses this same technology.

I ended up trying out one of the higher-end options, the Posture Perfect Lo-Motion mattress.  Read on for my unbiased Intellibed review.

Construction

In the Intellibed Posture Perfect Lo-Motion model, the construction is as follows. The top layer is the Intelli-Gel. The next layer is a high-density polyfoam. The support layer is a pocketed steel coil system.  Though I’ve only tested the mattress for a few weeks, the quality of the materials gives me confidence that this mattress is very durable and will last quite a while.

The key to the construction is of course the Intelli-Gel. This material stands out because of its durability and its ability to reduce pressure points (claimed by company, but also true in my experience).  Check out my video in the Firmness/Feel section to get a better visualization of the material at work.   

Overall Rating

Our team of Certified Sleep Science Coaches personally test each mattress in categories such as materials, comfort, cooling, and support. Hover over the icons to learn more about these different topics, or scroll down for a more detailed analysis on each one.

Mattress Performance Ratings

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Note: Motion transfer is beneficial for those who share the bed and don’t want to be woken up by another’s movements. Looking for a mattress that better absorbs motion? Check out our Best Mattresses for Couples.

Who Might Want To Get An Intellibed:

• People Who Want Their Mattress For A Long Time– The materials used in Intellibed mattresses are very high quality and they will last a long time. The company has a 30 year warranty, which to me is a big indication that the company really believes in the long-term durability of its product. All of the durability tests I have seen and my research into the individual components lead me to believe an Intellibed mattress will last consumers a very long time.
• Those Who Don’t Like Sleeping Hot– The Intelli-Gel in the mattresses make them temperature neutral. Most people complain about foam mattresses sleeping hot. It’s not that people will sleep cool with an Intellibed. The mattresses are just temperature neutral, so people won’t sleep overly hot or cold.
• People Want Both Comfort And Support, No Compromise– In most cases, comfort comes at the expense of support. This Intellibed is one of the few cases where I got amazing pressure relief and support at the same time. The Intelli-Gel layer felt both firm and soft at the same time. It’s very hard to describe the feel without people actually trying it out for themselves, but it’s definitely a great, unique feel.

Who Might Not Want To Get An Intellibed:

• Those Who Have A Particular Feel That They Love– Some people absolutely love the memory foam feel or the feel of a pillow-top mattress. Intellibed mattresses have a very unique feel that is different from traditional innerspring, latex, or memory foam mattresses. If people happen to love a certain type of feel, then perhaps they won’t want to take the plunge with an Intellibed.
• People Who Don’t Plan On Having Their Mattress For A Long Time– Intellibed mattresses are definitely pricey, but they have great value because they are so durable. If people don’t plan on having their mattress for a long time, then the value of getting an Intellibed is lessened.

Firmness/Feel

This Intellibed is very unique in that it felt firm and soft at the same time. It’s very hard to describe, but there is an initial firm feeling and then total pressure relief immediately after.

Intellibed Posture Perfect Lo-Motion

Intellibed is a perfect choice if you want a mattress for a long time, don’t like sleeping hot, and want both comfort and support without compromise.

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Mattress Clarity Score

4.50 / 5.0

To me, I think the mattress is good for any sleeping position. It has great pressure relief for side sleepers and felt firm and supportive for me on my stomach and back. Again, this was a very unique feeling mattress in this regard.

The mattress is also very responsive, maybe even more so than latex. As a result, it had more of a sleeping “on” the mattress feel rather than a sleeping “in” the mattress.

People can check out a visual representation of the firmness and feel in the video below.

Motion Isolation

People can see how well the mattress isolates the motion in the video below.

People can see that the mattress does a pretty good job at isolating motion, but there still is some motion transfer. It’s not quite as good as a high-density memory foam mattress, but it still does a decent job.

My Experience

I ended up sleeping on the Intellibed for just under 3 weeks.  I had previously tried the Purple mattress, exposing me to a similar gel comfort layer that I really liked.  Note: Purple would be most similar to the Gel+ from Intellibed, full comparison coming soon.

I honestly found it a little weird when first moving around the first night, but by night two I had already adjusted to the feeling.  As a side sleeper, I first noticed the pressure relief from the Intelli-Gel.  It’s definitely a novel feeling laying in the bed (especially the first time), but whether people like the feeling or not, there is no doubt that the pressure relief is some of the best I’ve tried.

What’s nice about this mattress as well is that the springs provide great support as well, making the mattress feel good in any sleeping position.  Fine for stomach, side, and back sleepers.

Only down side was the motion transfer – my partner is extremely sensitive to motion, and even though I thought it was minimal (and better than most of the best innerspring mattresses I’ve tried), she said that I ended up waking her up once or twice a night.

On durability – naturally I didn’t get to try out the mattress for 30 years (or any long period of time to gauge it), but it definitely has a sturdy and well-crafted feel.

Overall I enjoyed the sleeping experience, and was sad to move onto the next mattress after this sleep trial (especially because the next one was so bad, just wait for that review coming soon!)

Price/Value

For a Queen, the Posture Perfect Lo Motion is just under $4,000. There may be some sticker shock when people first see the price (especially compared to other mattresses I’ve reviewed), but I would offer an alternative outlook.  The mattress is extremely durable, and if people start thinking about the value they get from it over many years, the price shouldn’t seem that bad.

Overall

Intellibed offers a unique product in the crowded mattress market. The pressure relief was really remarkable and it had a feel unlike any other mattress.  I would encourage people to do independent research into the materials they use, and if they are looking at their next mattress purchase as a long-term investment, then I would certainly give Intellibed a hard look.