Siena made its name on budget-friendly mattresses, and the Siena Essential is the most affordable in its collection. This streamlined mattress is made with just four layers and comes at an impressive value price. I’ve tested hundreds of mattresses, and I put the Siena Essential Mattress through its paces to determine whether you really do get what you pay for.
In this Siena Essential mattress review, I’ll share how this bed performed in multiple categories, from support to comfort to cooling ability. If you’re considering a budget mattress, keep reading. I’ll help you figure out whether the Siena Essential will meet your needs.
Siena Essential
Material
Foam
Trial Period
180 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping minus HI and AK
Firmness
Firm: 7.5/10
Warranty
10-year warranty
Price Range
$149 – $399
Siena Essential
The Siena Essential is a budget-friendly bed that works well for lightweight people. It’s also a good option for guest rooms.
Material
Foam
Warranty
10-year warranty
Firmness
Firm: 7.5/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping minus HI and AK
Trial Period
180 nights
Price Range
$149 – $399
Siena Essential
The Siena Essential is a budget-friendly bed that works well for lightweight people. It’s also a good option for guest rooms.
Material
Foam
Firmness
Firm: 7.5/10
Trial Period
180 nights
Warranty
10-year warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping minus HI and AK
Price Range
$149 – $399
I Recommend The Siena Essential For…
- Lightweight people. With just four layers, this simple memory foam mattress is a great match for petite people. Those who weigh less than 130 lbs should find its all-foam construction comfortably supportive.
- Budget shoppers. The low price tag will appeal to people who are looking for a good mattress at a great price.
- Those looking to furnish a guest room. This inexpensive mattress works well as a secondary bed in a guest room.
I Don’t Recommend The Siena Essential For…
- Heavier people. This pared-down mattress lacks the support heavyweight sleepers need to keep aches and pains at bay.
- Fans of a slow-moving foam feel. The Siena Essential is a memory foam mattress, but it lacks that traditional slow-moving feel. If that’s what you’re after, you may want to consider one of the best memory foam mattresses.
- Hot sleepers. If you sleep hot, all-foam mattresses aren’t generally the best pick. In fact, the Siena Essential didn’t perform well in our cooling tests. Take a look at my list of the best cooling mattresses for some better picks.
How Firm is the Siena Essential Mattress?
The Siena Essential comes in at 7.5/10 on the firmness scale, which is firmer than average. You don’t get much comfort material on top, and I was mostly feeling the supportive base layer. I will say that I wouldn’t mistake firmness for support in this instance. It is still a thinner mattress that wasn’t quite able to handle my extra weight.
Siena Essential Mattress Test Performance: My Overall Rating
I test mattresses across specific categories to get a big-picture take on overall performance. The Siena Essential scored a 3.7/5, with average marks in categories like support, cooling, and durability. Given the low price tag, that isn’t terribly surprising. Keep reading for a breakdown of the Essential’s performance. For a quick overview of each testing category, hover over the icons below.
Siena Essential Performance in Our Tests
Support
While most people focus on comfort, support is really the most important feature in a mattress. Good support helps you maintain a neutral spine, no matter how you sleep. Without good support, you’ll wake up with aches and pains.
With four layers and standing just 8” tall, the Siena Essential is very thin. And because it’s a foam mattress, it doesn’t offer the support of coils. Instead, it relies on a 6.5” support foam layer. But I didn’t find that supportive enough, and I suspect that will be the case for most larger sleepers. However, it could be sufficient for lightweight and some average-weight sleepers.
Edge Support
A mattress with good edge support is important for couples who share the bed — it means they can sleep all the way to the edge without feeling like they’re about to roll off. If you have mobility issues that make getting in and out of bed difficult, solid edge support is key.
I tested edge support in two ways. First, I sat on the side and measured the depth of the sag. The Siena Essential sagged a full 5”, which isn’t great. However, it’s important to keep in mind that I fall into the heavyweight sleeper category, so this isn’t uncommon. Lighter sleepers, such as children, teens, or petite people, shouldn’t find this as problematic. I also test edge support by lying close to the edge. Since body weight is distributed differently when you lie down versus sit down, it wasn’t too bad.
Cooling
All-foam mattresses have a tendency to trap body heat, which can make you feel hot and stuffy at night. That can affect overall sleep quality.
I used a temperature gun to test the Siena Essential after lying on it for five minutes. It warmed from 70.1 to 79.2 degrees Fahrenheit. This isn’t too surprising, given that the mattress is made entirely of foam layers. As is common with this kind of mattress construction, it seemed to be trapping a good deal of my body heat. The gel infusion in the memory foam doesn’t seem to do much to combat heat retention.
Motion Transfer
Motion transfer is one of the categories where the Siena Essential performed really well. A mattress with good motion isolation limits the transfer of movement across the bed. If you share the bed with a restless sleeper, high motion transfer can be really annoying!
All-foam mattresses usually isolate motion well, and the Siena Essential did too. I tested it by putting a glass of water on the bed and pressing into the mattress to see how much the water moved. It was pretty limited. I also tested it with a coworker, who rolled around and got in and out of the bed on the other side. Even though I was aware of their movements, I didn’t feel many of them.
Response
This is another category where the Siena Essential scored well. A mattress with good response is a good match for combination sleepers, because it offers ease of movement so you can comfortably move from one position to the other.
In the Siena Essential, there is a gel-infused memory foam layer up top, so you don’t sink in too far when you lie down. That makes it pretty easy to move around and change positions. On the other hand, if you like the hugged sensation of memory foam, you won’t find that here.
Durability
It’s hard to say how long any mattress will last, so we rely on making educated guesses. The Siena Essential is a value mattress that works well for lighter people. Given its construction and materials, I think the Siena Mattress could last five to seven years if it’s treated properly. But it’s not going to last as long as some of the luxurious mattresses on the market.
Siena Essential Policy Scores
Trial Period
The Siena Essential, like all the mattresses in the Siena collection, has a 180-night sleep trial. That puts it in the middle of the pack compared to competitors — it’s not the longest nor the shortest in the industry. Still, I think 180 days is more than reasonable for testing a mattress from the comfort of your own home.
Like other brands, Siena asks that customers sleep on its mattresses for at least 30 days before scheduling a return. That gives your body time to fully adjust to the new bed. If you decide it’s not meeting your needs after 30 days, you can call Siena directly to arrange a return. The company works with local partners in your area to coordinate the pick-up and donation of your mattress. Then, you get a full refund. One note — if you’re in Hawaii or Alaska, the $250 shipping fee that applies at purchase isn’t part of your refund.
Warranty
Siena has a 10-year warranty on its mattresses, which is pretty standard in the industry. Warranties don’t protect against normal wear or tear, but they do cover defects or flaws in workmanship and materials. If you notice issues and you suspect it’s a warranty issue, you can contact Siena for a repair or a replacement.
Two-Hour Nap Test
Napping on the Siena Essential made it clear that it doesn’t meet my specific sleep needs. I’m a bigger guy who weighs over 270 lbs. I didn’t feel like the mattress was able to properly support my weight and help me maintain the correct spine alignment. While I didn’t wake up with aches and pains after spending two hours on it, I could see this happening if I slept on the mattress for a longer period of time.
Siena Essential – Other Factors To Consider
There are other factors to consider when testing a mattress. Here’s what else I assessed when I looked at the Siena Essential.
Off-gassing
Off-gassing, or the emission of a chemical smell, is pretty common with bed-in-a-box mattresses. The Siena Essential off-gassed as expected, but I let the mattress expand and air out for 48 hours. After that, I didn’t detect any more of that chemical odor.
Noise
I didn’t expect the Siena Essential to be noisy, and it wasn’t. It doesn’t have springs, which is what can eventually cause squeaking, so noise shouldn’t be an issue at any point.
Sex
A good mattress for sex feels responsive and bouncy, which makes it easier for sexual partners to move around. That’s what the Siena Essential offers, so I think it will be a decent match for sex. But it won’t be comparable to a hybrid mattress or one made with responsive latex foam.
Mattress Height
At 8” tall, the Siena Essential is on the thin side. Most mattresses are between 10 and 12” tall, and higher-end options are even taller at 14” or more.
Price
A queen-size Siena Essential costs $299.00 at regular price, which puts it on the very low end of the price spectrum compared to other all-foam mattresses.
Sleeping Position and Weight
Lightweight people should find the Siena Essential is a decent match for back sleeping, and it may be sufficient for average-weight back sleepers as well. But as a bigger guy, I didn’t find the Essential supportive enough while back sleeping.
The same is true when I slept on my side. I felt serious pressure on my shoulders and hips — I pressed so deeply into the support layers that it felt uncomfortably firm. Average-weight side sleepers may have the same experience, but lightweight side sleepers may find it comfortable.
The firmer feel worked better when I tested the mattress on my stomach, but the mattress still lacked the support I needed to keep my hips properly elevated. Average-weight and lightweight stomach sleepers, however, should find this really comfortable. It’s on the firmer end, and it doesn’t have much of a comfort layer, but it will keep the hips lifted and the spine straight.
| Body Weight | Side | Back | Stomach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (under 130lbs) |
good | excellent | excellent |
| Average (130-250lbs) |
unpleasant | good | excellent |
| Heavy (over 250lbs) |
unpleasant | unpleasant | unpleasant |
| Body Weight: Light (under 130lbs) | |
|---|---|
| Side Sleeper | good |
| Back Sleeper | excellent |
| Stomach Sleeper | excellent |
| Body Weight: Average (130-150lbs) | |
| Side Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Back Sleeper | good |
| Stomach Sleeper | excellent |
| Body Weight: Heavy (over 250lbs) | |
| Side Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Back Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Stomach Sleeper | unpleasant |
Heavyweight Tester – 6’6”, 270 lbs
“As a bigger guy, this mattress really isn’t made with me in mind. I felt decent back sleeping, but side and stomach sleeping weren’t the best on the Siena Essential. Larger people like me are probably going to need a much more supportive mattress.” — Marten
Average-weight Tester – 5’3”, 150 lbs
“I felt nice and supported when I slept on my back and stomach, but on my side I developed some aches and pains. It’s just not cushiony enough for side sleepers.” — Elisa
Lightweight Sleepers – Under 130 lbs
Because lightweight people won’t compress the mattress too much, it should offer plenty of support for back and side sleeping. Some lightweight side sleepers might even get the pressure relief when they need, though some people in this category may need the cushioning of a mattress topper.
Siena Essential Construction
Let’s take a look at the four-layer construction of the Siena Essential.
Cover
The Siena Essential has a breathable cover that’s soft to the touch. It’s designed to allow air to flow through the top of the mattress.
Comfort Layers
The 1.5” gel memory foam layer at the top of the mattress gives the mattress its response and some pressure relief.
Support Layers
In the support layer, 6.5” of support foam holds up the body and helps maintain spinal alignment.
How To Try and Buy The Siena Essential Mattress
If you want to try the Siena Essential, you’ll need to order it on the company website. It’s not available in stores, but don’t forget the 180-night sleep trial. That gives you plenty of time to test the mattress at home and see if it meets your needs.
Sizes and Prices of The Siena Essential Mattress
Check out my up-to-date price chart to learn more about the Siena Essential mattress. Please note – prices do not include seasonal discounts.
| Size | Dimensions | Price |
| Twin | 39″ x 75″ | $149.00 |
| Twin XL | 39″ x 80″ | $199.00 |
| Full | 54″ x 75″ | $249.00 |
| Queen | 60” x 80” | $299.00 |
| King | 76″ x 80″ | $399.00 |
| California King | 72″ x 84″ | $399.00 |
Siena Essential
The Siena Essential is a budget-friendly bed that works well for lightweight people. It’s also a good option for guest rooms.
How The Siena Essential Compares
One of the best ways to zero in on a good mattress is to compare it to other models. Let’s see how the Siena Essential compares to other models.
Product
Type
Score
Siena Essential vs. Siena Memory Foam
The Siena Memory Foam is a step up from the Essential in the Siena collection. It has more of a memory foam feel on top, as well as a softer feel. You’ll spend more money on the Memory Foam model, but only by $100.
Because it’s softer, I think the Siena Memory Foam is the better choice for side sleepers and fans of memory foam. The firmer Essential works better for budget shoppers who sleep on their backs.
Read my full Siena memory foam mattress review to learn more.
Siena Essential vs. Siena Premier Hybrid
The Siena Premier Hybrid is the highest-quality model from the brand. You get a few layers of foam and a coil layer, which makes it the most supportive option. Plus, the coils improve breathability and airflow. But it’s also the pricier pick. It has more of a medium-firm feel, and I think it’s a good fit for heavier sleepers and those who run hot.
If you’re on a tighter budget or you’re a lightweight sleeper, the Essential should work well.
Check out my Siena Premier Hybrid mattress review for the full scoop.
Siena Essential vs. Nectar Classic
The Nectar Classic is a popular memory foam mattress. It has more of a medium-firm feel, which makes it a better choice for combination sleepers. Plus, its cooling materials make it a good choice for hot sleepers.
The Essential costs a lot less than the Nectar Classic, and I think it’s the better choice for petite sleepers and anyone looking for the very best deal.
Read my full Nectar mattress review to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Siena Essential Mattress
Is Siena Essential a good mattress?
The Siena Essential could be a good mattress depending on your needs. Lightweight sleepers or shoppers on a budget may find it a great option. It also works well as a secondary bed in a guest room.
Can you flip a Siena Essential mattress?
No. Like many modern mattresses, the Siena Essential has a distinct top and bottom. It’s not designed to be flipped, but you may want to rotate it periodically to promote even wear.
How long will a Siena Essential mattress last?
The Siena Essential is an all-foam mattress that should last between five and seven years.
