The Ladder Connection
What do ladders and memory foam mattresses have in common? How about climbing? You can climb up a ladder to reach a high spot to work. Or you can climb onto a memory foam mattress to sleep.
When it comes to GhostBed and its parent company Nature’s Sleep, the common element is the Werner family. More than a century ago, a Werner redesigned the ladder, and Werner Ladders have been the leading brand ever since.
Then a fifth generation member of the family, Marc Werner, had three neck surgeries and was in constant pain. He didn’t find a mattress and pillow to support his neck in a way that relieved the pain, so in 2001 he decided to invent his own, and Nature’s Sleep was founded.
The Gel Connection
All eleven of the current Nature’s Sleep models feature gel-infused memory foam. Therefore, it is no surprise that when they entered the mattress-in-a-box market, their entry would also have gel memory foam.
Latex at the Top 
GhostBed diverges from the Nature’s Sleep models at the top of the mattress. Like the Casper Mattress, it has a 1½” layer of latex over a layer of memory foam and a polyurethane foam support core (base). But unlike Casper and like Nature’s Sleep, the memory foam is infused with gel. Also the memory foam is ½” higher at 2” than it is in Casper.
Aerated synthetic latex is used in the top layer – aerated for airflow; synthetic because it is hypoallergenic and durable; latex because it is resilient. It should not be too bouncy, since it is labeled as plush. As in Casper, it is Dunlop latex. In processing Talalay latex, the proteins that trigger allergies in some persons are rinsed out.
The latex may be plush so the conformity of the memory foam beneath can be felt. Dr. Swartzburg points out that since latex is more resilient, it keeps pushing back, keeping some pressure on larger body parts, while memory foam’s memory (holding its shape for a while) removes pressure.
Gel Memory Foam
The gel in the memory foam is for both initial cooling and support modification. According to Dr. Swartzburg, how much cooling depends on how much heat it can absorb – the cooler the gel is to start with, the more it can cool. How long it can cool also depends on conducting the heat away from the body of the sleeper. Swirls of liquid gel and continuous sheets of gel can conduct the heat more effectively than separate gel beads in the foam.
As to support, Dr. Swartzburg says beads of gel adversely affect the feel of the memory foam, especially when beads work loose as the foam is flexed during use. The gel infused into the GhostBed’s memory foam is swirls of liquid gel, which will mean better heat dissipation and a more consistent feel than with gel beads.
Cooling
Airflow is a more reliable method for long-term cooling of a mattress. While the gel may initially absorb heat, it cannot continue to do so unless there is a way to dissipate the heat. According to GhostBed, the memory foam has large open cells to foster air passing through the foam. This may be enough for some heat dissipation from the gel. However, perforation (aeration) would be better, especially if coupled with channeling the air to and from the side of the mattress, as in Relief-Mart’s Air Transfer System in its mattresses, such as the Snuggle-Pedic, as shown in this video. As it is, Sleep Like the Dead (SLTD) reports that a very small percentage of GhostBed users complain about heat retention.
Density
The gel memory foam in the GhostBed has a 4-lb. density, the same as the memory foam in the top layer of Tri-Pedic mattresses and the second layer of Casper. It has more support and more conformity than the 3-to-3½-lb. foam found in many boxed memory foam mattresses.
Another difference between the GhostBed and Casper is the base layer/support core. Casper has a 1½” transition layer and a 5” base layer, totaling 6½” of underlying support. GhostBed’s support core is 7½” of 2-lb. polyurethane foam, higher density than the average bed-in-a-box. This gives it more support than, for instance, Helix.
Support
According to Sleep Like the Dead, the GhostBed ranks better for support than most similar mattresses. This seems to come from Marc Werner’s desire for enough support for the back and neck. SLTD noted that the base may contribute to the mattress’s longevity. However, large people who sleep on their sides or stomachs may need more support.
On its FAQs page, in response to the question, “Is there a weight limit for the GhostBed?” GhostBed answered, “When placed on a strong foundation, the GhostBed mattress can support an industry leading 750 lbs. For customers over 300 pounds we strongly recommend purchasing the King GhostBed and the companion King GhostBed Foundation.”
For the record, several manufacturers have models designed especially for very heavy persons. For example: the GrandBed by Tempur-Pedic and the Extended Life Collection by King Koil. Face it, there are limits to mattresses which can be rolled and boxed for shipping.
Sleep Trial and Warranty
The sleep trial for GhostBed is for 101 nights. The warranty is for 20 years, which is longer than for most mattresses on the market today, including the boxed beds.
Conclusion
The GhostBed is one of the better mattress-in-a-box brands in the market. This can be attributed to experience of the parent company, Nature’s Sleep. It is an inch higher than Casper, the model most like it except for the gel, and Yogabed, the next most like it except for the substitute for latex in the top layer. Its sleep trial is one night longer, and its warranty is twice as long. It also has the advantage of better support.
Like the ones most like it, there is only one firmness level for the GhostBed. There are boxed beds with two or three comfort choices or two models, Helix with full customization, and the Snuggle-Pedic Mattress in which the comfort level can be customized after delivery.
