Zoma Start Mattress Review: Comfortable Foam for Entry-Level Pricing [CNET]

The Zoma mattress brand makes three different mattresses, and the Zoma Start is its entry-level offering. Could it be the budget-friendly bed for you?

Zoma is an online mattress brand that markets itself toward athletes and actually sponsors quite a few of them. Zoma makes three different mattresses: the luxurious Zoma Boost Hybrid, the Zoma Hybrid and the Zoma Start mattress. The beds go with a “good, better, best” model and the Zoma Start is the entry-level mattress. 

The biggest thing that jumps out to me about the Zoma Start is how affordable it is — coming in well below many of its competitors, like the Casper One, Leesa Studio and even competing with the Bear Original on price. Also, like many of its competitors, it is an accommodating three-layer all-foam mattress that I would describe as “basic,” but that is not meant to be a knock against the mattress because lots of shoppers are looking for a mattress exactly like this.

First impressions of the Zoma Start mattress

The first thing I noticed after unboxing the Zoma Start mattress was the look of the cover. Most mattresses we test use stark white fabric for the cover to give it a luxurious look or a beige cover to denote organic materials. The Zoma Start opts for a sleek-looking gray cover with a triangular pattern on the sides. 

The Zoma brand is geared toward younger people who lead an athletic lifestyle, and the design fits. The mattress took a while, about 48 hours, to fully firm up after we unboxed it, and once we started testing it, the bed felt very familiar in a good way. There is a popular mattress category that we describe as “soft or neutral foam,” and it was clear to me from the start that the Zoma Start fit into this category.

Overall, I wasn’t blown away by the Zoma Start mattress but after seeing the price I thought it was a much more compelling pick.

Is the Zoma Start mattress right for you?

For anyone looking for an affordable, generally comfortable and accommodating foam mattress I think the Zoma Start is an excellent choice. It has a classic three-layer, all-foam design that is similar to lots of other popular beds like the Bear Original, Leesa Original, Leesa Studio and Casper One while also being very budget friendly. 

Zoma markets itself toward athletes and hypes a lot of “tech” in the mattress that is supposed to improve athletic performance. Nothing in our testing could really confirm those claims, but the best thing athletes can do is get the best quality sleep and the Zoma Start could provide that for you for a low price.

Zoma Start mattress firmness and feel

Zoma Start feel

The feel of the Zoma Start mattress is generally comfortable and accommodating. This type of mattress feel is what we usually describe as “neutral.” That means the bed doesn’t lean too strongly into the slow to respond, dense, sink-in memory foam sensation or an ultra-responsive, bouncy latex feel. A neutral feel like this strikes a nice balance between being responsive enough to not ever feel like you are “stuck” in the mattress without having too much bounce.

Most people who try out a mattress like the Zoma Start usually think it’s pretty comfortable — although it may not be exactly what everyone wants. I think a mattress feel like this is for someone who doesn’t have a specific preference and for couples who can’t agree on a specialized mattress feel.

Zoma Start firmness and sleeper types

In our testing, we found the Zoma Start to be a flat medium on our firmness scale (4-6 out of 10), which means it will work ok for all sleeping positions: back, stomach, side and combination. 

This firmness profile works especially well for combination sleepers who split time between their back and side and for couples who can’t agree on an especially soft or firm mattress. 

One thing all the Zoma mattresses have in common is this medium firmness profile, so if you want something different you’ll have to check out a different brand.

Zoma Start mattress construction

Like I mentioned earlier, the Zoma Start mattress is a three-layer mattress composed entirely of foam. The bottom layer is dense, responsive support foam. Every single foam mattress we have tested features a support layer like this because without it you would most likely sink all the way down onto your foundation. 

Above the support layer is what Zoma calls “Reactiv” foam, which functions as a responsive transition layer between the primary comfort foam above and the dense support foam below – – and then the main comfort foam is a layer of gel memory foam. 

The top layer of memory foam does have triangle shaped cuts to match the exterior design of the cover. I didn’t notice it impacting the feel of the mattress at all and I think it’s there to make the mattress seem more “high tech.”

And speaking of the cover, Zoma calls the cover “AirCloth” and I do think it is soft and breathable on top of looking sleek. This cover is a key talking point on Zoma’s website regarding the mattress sleeping “cool.” I will cover temperature regulation later in this review but I don’t think this cover puts the Zoma Start mattress in the active cooling category.

Zoma Start mattress performance

Edge support

The edge support of a mattress refers to how well the perimeter of the bed holds up under pressure. This is an important factor for couples because one partner might unintentionally hog the majority of the space on the mattress and force the other to the edge of the bed. 

The edge support on the Zoma Start mattress is just fine — I didn’t notice the edge of the mattress compression very much, and I didn’t feel like I was going to roll off the mattress. 

The edge support is noticeably stronger on the Zoma Hybrid and the Zoma Boost Hybrid thanks to the coil support layer, so if edge support has been a problem for you in the past I might recommend upgrading to one of those options. I don’t think it will negatively impact your sleeping experience.

Motion isolation

Motion isolation is another factor that is important for couples because a bed with poor motion isolation can wake you up if your partner tosses and turns throughout the night.

Because this mattress is built with only foam layers I expected the motion isolation to be very good and I was correct. Mattresses with this design deaden cross mattress motion very well and light sleepers should be happy on the Zoma Start. 

Temperature regulation

Despite what Zoma might say about the breathability of the AirCloth cover and the cooling nature of the gel memory foam layer, I would still describe the Zoma Start as neutral when it comes to temperature, like most mattresses. 

If you are a hot sleeper and want something that will actively cool you down at night, you might want to check out the Zoma Boost Hybrid. Or you can check out the Eight Sleep Pod, which works with virtually any existing mattress.

Zoma Start Mattress Pricing

Size	Measurements (inches)	Price
Twin	38×75	$599
Twin XL	38×80	$649
Full	54×75	$699
Queen	60×80	$749
King	76×80	$849
Cal king	72×84	$849

One of the most appealing things about the Zoma Start mattress is just how affordable it is. A $749 retail price for a queen size is very affordable from any brand that doesn’t sell exclusively on Amazon. This price point is very competitive with other popular mattresses with a similar design, like the Leesa Original, Leesa Studio, Casper One and Bear Original. 

And on top of its already affordable retail price, Zoma will regularly offer discounts. At the time of writing, you could get the Zoma Start mattress for only $561.75 in a queen size.

Pricing is always subject to change so make sure to check out our mattress deals page for the latest — but the Zoma Start mattress will likely be a consistently affordable mattress.

Zoma Start mattress policies

Free shipping

The Zoma Start mattress ships inside a box right to your door at no extra cost in the contiguous United States. Unboxing a mattress is a quick and easy process; we’ve done it literally hundreds of times, and it’s actually fun. 

Just remember what I mentioned earlier about beds not always looking “right” out of the box. If that happens to you just remember it is normal and expected for the bed. 

100-night trial 

Zoma offers the standard in-home sleep trial of 100 nights. So you get roughly 3 months to really test out the bed to see if it’s supportive enough and comfortable enough for you. 

Keep in mind that it can take a month or longer for your body to adjust to a new mattress, no matter how well-suited it is to you. So, if you struggle to get a good night’s sleep in the first week or two, don’t panic. After the first 30 days is when you could start to get concerned.

Return policy

Zoma, despite more brands introducing return fees, still offers free returns on all of its mattresses if you choose to return it within the provided trial period. 

Returning a mattress is usually pretty easy; you just contact the company, and usually a group will come by your house to pick up the mattress. Then it will often get donated or sometimes resold by a third party.

Warranty

All Zoma mattresses are backed by a standard 10-year warranty. If you buy a mattress online, a 10-year warranty is the minimum you should expect.

How does the Zoma Start compare to similar mattresses?

Zoma Start vs. Leesa Studio

The Leesa Studio mattress is the most affordable bed from the Leesa brand and it has a very similar design to the Zoma Start with dense support foam, a transition layer of a more responsive foam and a layer of memory foam on top. The middle layer of the Leesa Studio is less responsive and doesn’t rebound as quickly as the middle layer of the Zoma Start, so the memory foam layer has a more pronounced feel. 

The Leesa Studio doesn’t have a classic, dense memory foam but it will feel much more like memory foam than the Zoma Start. We also think the Leesa Studio is a bit firmer than the Zoma Start, and both beds are very close in price, with Zoma being cheaper by roughly $50. 

Zoma Start vs. Bear Original

The Bear Original is one of our favorite affordable memory foam beds. Like the Zoma Start, it uses three foam layers, with a layer of memory foam as the primary comfort layer, and both beds are very close in price. That is where the similarities end — the Bear Original has a classic, dense memory foam feel, which means you will sink into it and it will conform to your body’s shape. The Bear Original is also much firmer than the Zoma Start, a proper medium-firm on our scale, which means it is ideal for back, stomach and certain combo sleepers who only spend part of the night on their side. 

Final thoughts on the Zoma Start mattress

For anyone looking for a comfy, accommodating and affordable bed I think the Zoma Start could be a great pick. I could really see this being a good option for someone’s first mattress purchase. Maybe you have been sleeping on the same bed through high school and college and it’s really starting to show its age, but you don’t have a ton to spend on something new. 

The Zoma Start is very competitive in price and will be plenty accommodating for the majority of sleepers thanks to its neutral feel and medium firmness profile. 

You might like the Zoma Start mattress if:

• You are shopping on a budget
• You like the idea of a medium firmness profile
• You don’t have a specific mattress feel preference

You might not like the Zoma Start mattress if:

• You prefer a memory foam feel
• You want an especially soft or firm mattress
• You want a hybrid mattress

Other mattresses from Zoma

Zoma Hybrid: The Zoma Hybrid mattress is virtually identical to the Zoma Start — it uses the same layers of comfort foam, it has the same looking “AirCloth” cover, and it even has the same medium firmness profile. The only big difference is that the Zoma Hybrid uses pocketed coils for support instead of dense foam. This will give the Zoma Hybrid a bit more bounce and be more durable and supportive through the lifespan of the mattress. We usually recommend people who are 225 pounds and above opt for a coil mattress for improved durability. The Zoma Hybrid will also cost a few hundred dollars more than the Zoma Start.

Zoma Boost: This mattress is a significant departure from the other two Zoma beds because it features more layers of foam in a pillow-top style design. The coils are also reinforced along the perimeter to improve the edge support and they are reinforced in the center third to provide sleepers more support where they need it most. The cover has a cooling factor which will aid in temperature regulation. It is comparable to other luxurious pillow-top mattresses like the Leesa Sapira Chill and the Nolah Evolution Hybrid.

Zoma Start mattress FAQs