Our middle son is a particularly troubled sleeper and continues to wake up almost every night, even after he turned two and we transitioned him to his “big boy bed.” Most nights of the week, he ends up sleeping in our bed and none of us get the rest that we truly need. When we tried the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Twin Mattress and he slept through the night, it was like a miracle. We never considered that his mattress may be part of what causes him to be so restless while he sleeps. Read on to find out how we rated this bed in its entirety.

Delivery and Setup: Convenient delivery

One of our favorite features of the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress is how easy it is to purchase and setup. The mattress comes right to the door in a large box. We did have to bring it inside and get it to the desired room. We used this mattress in our son’s room, which is near our front door. If you have to move the box to an upstairs level, you will probably want help as it is very heavy. We recommend keeping the mattress in the box until you are in the room where you want to use it, because after it is unpacked and expands it becomes bulky as well as heavy. Zinus recommends unpacking the mattress within 72 hours of receiving it. Fortunately, these directions are printed right on the outside of the box so we saw them right away. When we took the mattress out of the box, it came vacuum-sealed and wrapped in thick plastic. One of our concerns with getting a mattress delivered in a box was that it might get damaged in the shipping process. We were happy to see that Zinus took extra steps to protect the mattress and that it arrived in perfect condition. The mattress expanded noticeably within just a few minutes and continued to expand up to its full size over the next day.

Comfort: A great night’s sleep

We prefer a memory foam mattress over a traditional spring mattress and the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress did not disappoint. It conforms to your body just as advertised without feeling too soft or unsupportive. Our 2-year-old son loves the mattress. He had been sleeping on a traditional spring mattress that was very firm and getting up to come in our bed at least four nights each week. We attributed it to a sleep regression, variations in his schedule, and his history as a difficult sleeper as a baby. But after switching to the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress, he was happy to go back to sleep in his own bed even when he did wake up in the middle of the night. He even started sleeping all the way through the night consistently! This mattress dramatically changed his quality of sleep since he started using it four weeks ago. The biggest endorsement of the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress that we can give is our reclaimed sleep since our 2-year-old is sleeping so well on it each night. When we slept on the mattress, we noticed a big difference between this mattress and the firm traditional mattress. It supports just where we need it to and contours well to our bodies while we sleep. It is also easy to get up from the mattress without disturbing others who are sleeping on it. This was critical for us since we most often found ourselves sleeping on it with our toddler. If you purchased it in a larger size to use for two adults, the same feature would make it easy for you to move around or get up without waking up the other person.

Material: Odor-free sleep

One of the features that sets the Zinus Memory Foam 12-Inch Green Tea Twin Mattress apart from other deliver-to-the-door mattresses is the environmentally-friendly material. The mattress uses memory foam that is CertiPUR-US, meaning that it is certified for both durability and performance, as well as the materials it is made from. Zinus uses BioFoam, which is made with plant-based alternatives to petroleum-based products. Reducing potentially harmful chemicals in our home is important for our family. Green tea extract is used in the mattress material to reduce odors and bacteria growth. The mattress also has natural castor seed oil and ActivCharcoal to also help manage odors and bacteria. Because we are using this mattress for our young son, these additional components make us prefer this mattress over some of its competitors.

Thickness: Great for most beds

The 12-inch thickness of the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Twin Mattress is great on most beds. The memory foam is divided into four layers: a 3-inch memory foam layer, a 2-inch comfort foam layer, a 3 ½-inch high-density foam layer, and a 3 ½-inch high-density base support foam layer. This translates into a very supportive mattress that is plush and soft enough to conform to each sleeper. When we applied pressure with our hands, it felt a little bit firmer than other memory foam mattresses that we have tested, but once stretched out on it, it had a similar feel. Keep in mind that the 12-inch size will not work for the trundle of a daybed if you intend to stow the lower bed after use. If you want to push the trundle back underneath its companion bed, the 12-inch size will likely be too high. Zinus makes a similar product in a 6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch height. We use this mattress on a trundle bed in our son’s room but only because we intended to keep it extended day and night. 

Durability: High-quality materials

The materials used in the construction of the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Twin Mattress were also designed with durability in mind. The two high-density foam layers, which make up more than half of its 12-inch height, provide for airflow through the mattress as well as strong base support to ensure it holds up well over time. During the one-month test period, we did not see any sort of wear or lasting indentations that made us question its durability. Some users said they noticed some wear and loss of support in the mattress after two years or more. The 10-year worry-free, replacement warranty also puts our minds at ease regarding construction or workmanship.

Price: Fantastic!

Memory foam mattresses can be very pricey and you should also expect to pay for the convenience of having them packaged and delivered right to your door. That is why we were so surprised to see the affordable price tag of the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress.  Similar mattresses cost over $500. We did not see any difference between the high-end memory foam mattresses and the more affordable Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Twin Mattress.  We invited our visiting family members to test the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress and the Casper Memory Foam mattress, a similar product that costs around $600 for a 12-inch twin size. When covered with fitted sheets, our family members couldn’t tell the difference between the two mattresses. 

Competition: Traditional or memory foam

Zinus 8-Inch Hybrid Green Tea Foam and Spring Twin Mattress: We previously used the 8-inch hybrid mattress in our son’s room. It’s economical (just over $100) and comfortable enough. But after sleeping on Zinus’ 12-inch memory foam mattress, we wish we had spent just a little bit more in the beginning for a much more comfortable night’s sleep. Unless you are really set on a traditional mattress, we recommend going with Zinus’ slightly more expensive but more comfortable 12-inch memory foam option. Casper Twin Mattress: We also tested the Casper twin mattress. Like the Zinus memory foam mattress, it comes right to your door in secure packaging and expands after unpacking. After sleeping on both for around a month, we didn’t see much difference between the two mattresses except the price tag. The Casper option costs more than twice the Zinus mattress. Casper gives you a 100-night free trial of their product. But, even if you’re not sure about memory foam, we didn’t think a hassle-free return process should cost about $300. Given its environmentally-friendly materials, comfortable design, and great price, we plan to purchase the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Twin Mattress for all of our children’s twin beds.