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Developing good sleep habits, also known as sleep hygiene The personal habits and environmental sleeping conditions that affect your ability to get consistent, uninterrupted sleep, such as diet, or using television and other electronic devices in the bedroom. , is key to getting a good night’s rest. Sleep hygiene is defined as the conditions and behaviors that contribute to healthy sleep. Elements that can affect your sleep hygiene include light exposure, noise and clutter in your room, alcohol use before sleep, and the comfort of your bed. You can also shift your habits during the daytime to support better sleep at night. Those changes may include getting enough exercise during the day, limiting naps, and reducing caffeine intake.
The consequences of poor sleep hygiene include insufficient and low-quality sleep, which can lead to physical and mental fatigue, weight gain, and a higher risk for diabetes, as well as exacerbate mental health conditions.
Having a comfortable sleep environment is an important element of good sleep hygiene. This includes making sure your sheets are comfortable and that you’re sleeping on a good quality mattress.
“Choosing the right mattress is an essential component of a good night’s sleep,” explains Vicky Seelall, director of Sleep Medicine at Summit Health. “Some factors to consider include firmness, material type, temperature regulation, motion isolation, and lastly, budget. Be sure to set a budget and look for options in that range, keeping in mind that a mattress is an investment in your well-being and health.”
We know that sorting through all the options can be overwhelming, so our team rigorously tests mattresses in all of these categories to help eliminate some of the guesswork. Read on to discover what our HelpGuide Handbook Team has learned about the Puffy Cloud Mattress and its overall performance.
Our expert opinion
The Puffy Cloud ranks high in categories including pressure relief and motion isolation. Its high scores for pressure relief make it a good option for those who experience pain at pressure points The parts of a sleeper’s body that have the hardest contact with the bed surface, such as the shoulder, hips, ribcage, and tailbone. like the shoulders and hips, and its excellent motion isolation The containment of movement on one area of a mattress so it doesn’t impact other areas. makes it great for couples. However, our testers find that the Puffy Cloud has poor edge support, which can cause the mattress to sink at the edge when lying close to the edge or when sitting at the edge of the bed. Memory foam also has the unfortunate tendency to hold heat, so for those who sleep hot, the Puffy Cloud may not be a good option.
The Puffy Cloud is ideal for light- to average-weight sleepers, as it may not provide enough firmness or support for people over 250 pounds. Higher-weight sleepers may want to consider an option such as the Titan Plus by Brooklyn Bedding, which is designed to support up to 1,000 pounds, has good edge support, and is ideal for back and stomach sleepers.
From our tester
“Even though it’s not a super soft bed, I enjoy how it feels around my hips and shoulders. It’s most definitely on the supportive side, but not at all rigid or allowing tension to build up. Its responsiveness and spine aligning abilities are also solid.”
HelpGuide Handbook’s testing methodology and score breakdown
Our testing methodology includes a five-factor score breakdown that our hands-on product testing team uses to best rate these products. Here’s how the Puffy Cloud mattress fares:
Pressure relief: 5/5
Our testers feel the mattress provides excellent pressure relief and love the support it offers around the hips and shoulders. Despite the high level of support, testers don’t feel the mattress is too rigid, and see no buildup of tension or pressure. However, higher-weight sleepers may not feel the same amount of pressure relief as lighter- to average-weight sleepers and may prefer one of Puffy’s hybrid options for additional support.
Firmness: 6.5/10
The Puffy Cloud is rated as a true medium-firm mattress. This means it provides a considerable amount of support but still offers contouring, making it a good choice for those who prefer some sinkage While some softer mattresses offer good contouring sinkage, sinkage is also a result of wear and tear. Foam materials especially sink over time, resulting in a sagging feeling, which provides less support. in their mattress.
Motion isolation: 3.8/5
Our testers score the Puffy Cloud relatively high in terms of motion isolation. They notice little motion transfer when moving around, which makes the mattress a great choice for people who share a bed. To help with motion isolation, the mattress features a 6-inch base layer made from high-density foam designed to stabilize it and absorb the impact of movement.
Cooling: 3/5
Despite the fact the Puffy Cloud has two layers of proprietary cooling foam, our testers rate it average in terms of its cooling capacity. They do comment, however, that the removable cover provides some cooling relief, just not enough for it to compete with other, more cooling mattresses in this category.
Edge support: 2/5
The Puffy Cloud scores the lowest in terms of edge support. When our testers sit on the edge of the mattress, they feel it sink considerably. When lying down on the edge with their weight more evenly distributed, the support is better, but still not good enough to compete with other memory foam mattresses.
Puffy Cloud Mattress firmness and feel
The Puffy Cloud is a medium-firm mattress, which surprises some of our testers given its name. While they expect the mattress to be on the softer side, they are pleasantly surprised by the level of firmness and support it offers. Despite its firmness, our testers also notice the softness of the cover and the “plush sensation” the first layer of foam provides when lying down. The mattress does provide that classic sinking feeling typical of most memory foam mattresses, which is great for those who want to feel enveloped and well cushioned when they rest.
The memory foam also provides enough contouring to the body to offer significant pressure relief.
The Puffy Cloud mattress is 10 inches tall and consists of three layers. The first 2-inch layer is made from the brand’s trademarked Cooling Cloud Foam, which is designed to responsively sink or expand based on your body movements. The second layer is made from Puffy’s proprietary Climate Comfort foam, which is designed to relieve pressure and assist in temperature regulation. Finally, the 6-inch base layer is designed to provide consistent support and prevent excess sinkage.
It’s important to note that different people will experience the firmness of the Puffy Cloud differently depending on their weight and body shape. Higher-weight people may feel the mattress as softer because they’ll sink deeper into it, and lighter-weight sleepers may experience it as more firm.
Overall, we give the Puffy Cloud a 6.5 out of 10 for firmness.
From our tester
“Even with a firmer feel, I enjoy how this feels around hips and shoulders. It is most definitely on the supportive side, but not at all rigid or allowing tension to build up. The responsiveness and spine alignment are solid for combo sleepers, and the pressure relief really rounds things out.”
Puffy Cloud mattress performance
To help make your shopping experience easier, our team evaluates every mattress and rates them in terms of motion transfer, edge support, cooling capabilities, responsiveness, and more. You’ll want to carefully consider each category based on your preferences and needs to make the best choice.
Starting off with motion transfer, our testers notice the Puffy Cloud is excellent at isolating motion. This means that when someone moves, very little motion is detected in other parts of the mattress, which makes it a great mattress for couples. While this is typical of most memory foam mattresses, the Puffy Cloud scores especially high here, making it stand out in the category.
As for edge support, the Puffy Cloud scores low. When our testers sit on the edge of the mattress, it sinks completely. There is slightly more support when lying down on the edge, but still not enough for it to be comfortable sleeping on. This means that couples who spread out close to the edge while sleeping, as well as those who are heavy or taller, may want to look at other options with better edge support. In our review of the best soft mattresses, we find excellent edge support in the Leesa Sapira Chill mattress, as well as exceptional cooling capabilities.
While the Puffy Cloud is advertised as “cooling” due to its proprietary layers of gel foam, our testers do not find it to be particularly cool. While the Cooling Cloud gel foam layer is designed to draw away body heat, our testers end up ranking it average in terms of its ability to cool the body down. If you’re a hot sleeper and are looking for a mattress that’s designed to keep you cool, explore our guide to the best cooling mattresses.
Responsiveness measures a mattress’s ability to bounce back from pressure. Since most memory foam mattresses are designed to offer a sinking feeling, responsiveness is an important factor to consider here if you have mobility issues or tend to move around a lot while you sleep. Our testers say that while the mattress isn’t technically bouncy, it does return back to position after they’ve moved around. While some parts of the mattress are slower to bounce back where more weight was applied, our testers still score the Puffy Cloud high in this category.
Sleeping position and body weight
Your weight and preferred sleeping position can significantly impact how a mattress feels. Our team evaluates each mattress to determine how it performs for light-, average-, and higher-weight sleepers in a variety of sleeping positions to help give you an idea of how it may feel to you.
The Puffy Cloud is made to support 750 pounds of weight divided evenly on both sides—which breaks down to 375 pounds maximum per side. While our testers note that the weight limit is technically set for higher-weight sleepers, they might benefit from a mattress that provides more support, such as a hybrid mattress or a mattress with springs. Overall, the Puffy Cloud is ideal for light- to average-weight sleepers and supports a combination of sleeping styles.
Our testers find that the Puffy Cloud mattress is great for light-weight side sleepers, as it supports their spine and minimizes pressure. Side sleepers who are average-weight may find they sink into the mattress more than light-weight sleepers, but they’ll still feel supported. However, higher-weight side sleepers are unlikely to receive enough support from the Puffy Cloud and should consider firmer mattress options.
For back sleepers, our average-weight tester finds the Puffy Cloud to lean toward the firmer side. When lying down, they notice there isn’t a lot of “give,” which is typical of memory foam mattresses. This leads them to conclude that lighter-weight sleepers would experience the mattress as even firmer than it actually is. Higher-weight back sleepers likely won’t benefit from the Puffy Cloud either, as it still may not provide enough hip support.
Both light-weight and average-weight people who sleep on their stomachs should be relatively comfortable on the Puffy Cloud. Stomach sleepers need sufficient support to keep the spine in a neutral position A position that allows for the spine to maintain its natural curves at the neck (cervical), middle (thoracic), and lower (lumbar) regions. , and the Puffy Cloud provides enough support for light- and average-weight sleepers to be comfortable. On the other hand, higher-weight stomach sleepers should look for mattresses with more support in the top layer, which means the Puffy Cloud may not be a great option.
Lower weight (less than130 pounds) | Average weight (130–250 pounds) | Higher weight (more than 250 pounds) | |
Back sleepers | Good | Good | Poor |
Side sleepers | Ideal | Good | Poor |
Stomach sleepers | Ideal | Ideal | Poor |
Puffy Cloud mattress pain relief performance
If you’re experiencing back, hip, or shoulder pain (or a combination of all three), the right mattress may help alleviate some of those symptoms. While previous research concludes that firm mattresses are better for back pain, new research suggests a medium-firm mattress might be best.
Since the Puffy Cloud is a medium-firm mattress, it may be a solid option for people dealing with back pain. Its strong base offers ample support, while the multiple foam layers contour to the body and encourage a neutral spine position. A neutral spine position is key in reducing pain, especially in the lower back. However, it’s important to remember that your weight can influence how your mattress feels. Higher-weight people may not feel as supported by the Puffy Cloud as lighter-weight people, and may experience more pressure buildup and pain as a result.
Light- to average-weight sleepers may find the Puffy Cloud contours the hip and shoulder areas nicely, alleviating pressure buildup and pain. This is especially true for side sleepers.
Our overall thoughts about the Puffy Cloud mattress
Overall, we think the Puffy Cloud is a decent mattress for people who share a bed and want a supportive memory foam mattress. While we like how much pressure relief it offers (which is good news for those looking for a mattress that can help reduce pain), we would like it much more if it had stronger edge support, better cooling capabilities, and more responsiveness Good responsiveness means the mattress has a bouncier surface that responds to pressure or the sleeper’s movements, making it easier to move around and switch positions. . The queen size Puffy Cloud is priced at $2,399, which is definitely on the higher end for mattresses in this category, but as of this writing, it is on sale for $1,049.
Ultimately, we think there are better options at better prices, such as the Saatva Classic mattress, which is priced at $2,095 for a queen size (check for sale price). After thorough research, our team scores the Saatva Classic at a 5 out of 5 in terms of edge support and a 4 out of 5 in cooling, two areas where the Puffy Cloud underperforms. Higher-weight sleepers may also want to consider the Saatva Classic since it has innersprings and will offer more responsiveness and overall support.
Our favorite things about the Puffy Cloud mattress
We love the hypoallergenic cover, which is good for people with allergies. We also like that the American Chiropractic Association certified the Puffy Cloud, which lines up with our findings on its excellent pressure relief and support. We also appreciate that it offers great motion isolation, making it a good mattress for couples or those who sleep with pets in the bed.
Our Puffy Cloud mattress complaints
We think the Puffy Cloud could do better in terms of cooling, so if you are a hot sleeper, consider other options with even better cooling materials. Additionally, we do not like that this mattress ranks low in edge support. Couples who like to spread out on the bed or people who need a strong and responsive edge for sitting should consider other options. The Puffy Cloud may not be the best choice for sleepers who weigh more than 250 pounds, as they are likely to need firmer and more responsive support as they rest on their pressure points or change positions through the night. We also think the 101-night sleep trial is shorter than what other brands offer for similar mattresses.
Puffy mattress frequently asked questions
No. It’s not a double sided mattress so it can’t be flipped from one side to the other, but it can be rotated from head to foot to help minimize wear on the mattress.
You can plan a visit to a showroom by using the brand’s store locator to find a store near you. You can also try the mattress for 101 nights if you order the Puffy Cloud online and have it shipped to your home (delivery is free).
We think the Puffy Cloud mattress is a decent choice for people looking for a supportive memory foam mattress. It offers good pressure relief and motion isolation, but other categories like poor edge support and cooling—despite advertising a cooling gel foam layer— diminish its overall performance.
Based on our testing, we think the Puffy Cloud should last five to seven years with good care since it’s made out of high-quality and durable materials.
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