Our team at Sleep Foundation conducts extensive hands-on tests for each mattress to provide you with the most reliable, data-driven recommendations and reviews. Below are key guidelines that inform our testing methodology:
Our testers lie on the surface of each mattress to evaluate factors such as contouring and support. We also use specialized tools to measure performance criteria like pressure relief, heat retention, and motion isolation.
We test each mattress using various sleep positions to observe whether a mattress is better suited for side, back, or stomach sleeping. We roll around the surface and sit on the edges to gauge ease of movement and perimeter support.
We have tested hundreds of mattresses and bring years of experience in the mattress industry to the test lab. Our testing team covers a wide range of sleep preferences, sleep positions, and body types. This helps us represent as many sleeper types as possible in our reviews.
Reversible design with firm (7) and extra firm (9) sides
Good temperature control for hot sleepers
Sturdy support for most back and stomach sleepers
Can feel too firm for many sleepers, especially people under 130 pounds
Returns are assessed a $99 fee0
Brooklyn Bedding has one of the most diverse product lines in the mattress industry. Along with mainstays like the Aurora Luxe and Signature Hybrid, Brooklyn Bedding offers the Plank Firm Mattress, which is designed to meet the needs of people who want a firmer bed.
A special feature of the Plank Firm is its flippable, two-in-one firmness design. One side of the mattress is firm, rating at a 7 on the 10-point firmness scale. The other side is extra firm, rating at a 9 on the firmness scale. This reversible mattress lets you easily choose among these two firmness options.
The Plank Firm is made with foam and quilted fabric, and, given its firmness, tends to appeal primarily to back and stomach sleepers, as well as sleepers on the heavier side. As an added feature, you can choose to have a panel with cooling fabric sewn into the cover.
To help you size up the Plank Firm Mattress, we go into detail about how this mattress performed during our in-house testing. We also review its construction and cover what you need to know about shipping, warranties, and returns.
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Please select all options
Sleep on Firm Side if:
Sleep on Extra Firm if:
You change positions during the night. The firm side can accommodate all sleep positions.
You and your sleep partner have different weights or position preferences. Most weight groups are likely to find the firm side more comfortable.
You want more pressure relief. The firm side offers slight contouring, which can lead to fewer pressure points.
You want more motion isolation. The slightly softer feel absorbs more motion, reducing the vibrations felt across the surface of the bed.
You favor an exceptionally firm feel. The extra firm side is one of the firmest sleep surfaces on the market.
You tend to sleep hot. The extra firm side allows significant airflow to keep the mattress surface cooler.
Testing Team Takeaways
To test the Plank Mattress, we had three people on our testing team each take the bed home with them for one week. Here are their initial observations.
Brad Nehring
Senior Product Analyst
Side sleeper
215 lbs.
Sleeps with a weighted blanket
The Plank definitely lives up to its name. I’m a bigger guy, so I appreciate the extra support, but I also like a little cushioning while I sleep. The firm side felt great. Extra firm, not so much. Thankfully, the mattress is pretty light and easy to flip if you want to change things up.
Jackson Lindeke
Executive Product Director
Back and Side Sleeper
180 lbs.
Showers before bed
The Plank firm is one of the firmest mattresses I’ve ever slept on. The flippable design provided some variation in firmness – enough that I noticed a difference in my comfort level when back sleeping. The less firm side was my preference, and my mid-section felt very supported.
Logan Foley
Editorial Director
Side
140 lbs.
Has too many dogs in the bed
Have to agree with Brad and Jackson — Plank is the perfect name for this bed. There is no way I could sleep on my side comfortably on either side of this bed, but the extra two inches of foam on the “softer” side helped significantly for back sleeping. Even so, this bed was too firm for me.
Sleeping Style and Body Weight
Plank Firm – Firm side
Sleeper Type
Under 130 lbs
130-230 lbs
Above 230 lbs
Side Sleepers
Under 130 lbs
5.5/10
130-230 lbs
7.5/10
Above 230 lbs
7.5/10
Back Sleepers
Under 130 lbs
6/10
130-230 lbs
8/10
Above 230 lbs
8/10
Stomach Sleepers
Under 130 lbs
5.5/10
130-230 lbs
7.5/10
Above 230 lbs
7.5/10
Plank Firm – Extra Firm side
Sleeper Type
Under 130 lbs
130-230 lbs
Above 230 lbs
Side Sleepers
Under 130 lbs
4/10
130-230 lbs
5.5/10
Above 230 lbs
7.5/10
Back Sleepers
Under 130 lbs
4.5/10
130-230 lbs
6/10
Above 230 lbs
8/10
Stomach Sleepers
Under 130 lbs
5/10
130-230 lbs
6.5/10
Above 230 lbs
8.5/10
Side Sleepers
The Plank Firm Mattress works best for side sleepers over 230 pounds. It tends to feel too firm for most other side sleepers.
This is because both sides lack the contouring necessary to cushion the hips and shoulders of most side sleepers. Without the weight to sink into the bed a bit, you’ll be able to feel the pressure on your hips and shoulders as you lay on your side.
But for people over 230 pounds, the mattress can offer just enough cushioning while limiting excess sinkage.
Back Sleepers
Many back sleepers appreciate the feel of the Plank Firm Mattress. Having a firmer sleep surface supports the midsection and ensures spinal alignment for back sleepers.
In our testing, back sleepers under 230 pounds preferred the firm (7) side of the Plank Firm. With its light cushioning, it didn’t cause excess pressure on the body. For some of these sleepers, especially those under 130 pounds, the extra firm (9) side was too hard and felt uncomfortable.
Back sleepers over 230 pounds on our testing team got roughly similar levels of solid support from both sides. In our testing, it seemed that personal comfort preferences – rather than overall support levels – were the deciding factor for these back sleepers about which side to use.
Stomach Sleepers
Both sides of the Plank Firm Mattress can work well for stomach sleepers. In our testing, stomach sleepers under 230 pounds said they tended to prefer the firm (7) side, while those over 230 pounds leaned toward the extra firm (9) side.
As a general rule, stomach sleepers do better with a firmer surface that keeps them from feeling swallowed by the mattress. A firm mattress also helps limit sinkage that can pull the abdomen out of alignment with the rest of the spine. Given its reversible design with notable firmness on either side, the Plank Firm is particularly well-suited to the needs of stomach sleepers.
In addition to the hands-on feedback from our team, we conduct a number of quantitative tests in our Test Lab. The below ratings are based on the experience of our testers.
Motion Isolation
7/10
Plank Firm – Extra Firm side:7 / 10
Plank Firm – Firm side:7.5 / 10
The Plank doesn’t exactly isolate movement, but it doesn’t produce a lot of motion transfer either. You may notice some ripples when your sleep partner changes positions or gets up during the night, but not the same level of transfer you’d find with a coil mattress. Unless you’re an exceptionally light sleeper, I wouldn’t worry about disturbing your sleep partner or vice versa. – Brad
Both sides of the Plank Firm Mattress use firm foams that absorb less motion than softer foams. This means that some vibrations may be felt across the surface of the bed. However, the foam isn’t bouncy on either side, so these vibrations are not pronounced.
In our testing, it was rare for sleepers to be awoken by the movement of a bed partner. However, people who sleep very lightly may be better off with a mattress that offers more contouring and motion isolation.
Pressure Relief
6/10
Plank Firm – Extra Firm side:4.5 / 10
Plank Firm – Firm side:6 / 10
As with any firm mattress, pressure relief is not one of the strengths of the Plank. That being said, many people like myself prefer a firm mattress and find it comfortable nonetheless – Jackson
The Plank Firm is crafted to provide a stable, even plane. As a result, it offers minimal pressure point relief, especially for side sleepers. The firm (7) side offers a bit more cushioning and relief than the extra firm side (9).
While it lacks deep contouring and pressure relief, the sturdy mattress surface can provide effective support to many sleepers over 230 pounds and to people who sleep on their back or stomach.
Temperature Control
7.5/10
Plank Firm – Extra Firm side:7.5 / 10
Plank Firm – Firm side:7 / 10
The Plank Firm kept this hot sleeper from sinking too deeply, and I was kept cool throughout the night. If you sleep very hot there’s an optional cooling top panel available, so they have you covered. – Jackson
The Plank Firm’s harder surface and optional cooling top panel promote a cooler night’s sleep than many all-foam mattresses. Because of the mattress firmness, sleepers do not sink deeply into the bed. This allows air to flow around the body so that heat can dissipate.
While both sides sleep relatively cool, the extra firm side has the edge since it traps virtually no heat around the skin. For either model, an optional cooling panel is available that is designed to further enhance temperature regulation.
Edge Support
7.5/10
Plank Firm – Extra Firm side:7.5 / 10
Plank Firm – Firm side:7 / 10
Edge support is one area where the Plank really shines. Each side of the mattress feels stable and doesn’t sink too much when you get in and out of bed. This is all the more impressive because foam beds tend to be the weakest mattress type when it comes to perimeter support. – Brad
Because it is designed to have very little give, the Plank Firm maintains much more edge support than most all-foam mattresses. The edges of the extra firm (9) side are especially sturdy, allowing you to easily sit or sleep near the perimeter of the mattress.
Ease of Movement
8/10
Plank Firm – Extra Firm side:8 / 10
Plank Firm – Firm side:7.5 / 10
The thin comfort layers on both sides of the Plank make it incredibly easy to move around on, especially for an all-foam mattress. Plus the foam in this bed is quite dense, so it takes little to no extra effort to switch positions or get in and out of bed. – Logan
Our testing team found virtually no risk of feeling “trapped in the bed” when sleeping on either side of the Plank Firm Mattress. There was very little resistance when turning over or switching sleeping positions. This stands in stark contrast to many all-foam mattresses that hug the body and restrict movement.
Off-Gassing
6/10
You get a whiff of that “fresh-out-of-the-box” scent initially, as with many foam beds. But once the bed had a chance to fully expand, I could barely notice the smell. – Logan
Most new mattresses, including the Plank Firm, initially emit a “new mattress smell.” All-foam models are especially prone to off-gassing odors because foam production creates more volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are not harmful, but their odor can be unpleasant.
In our test lab, we detected a noticeable smell after unboxing the Plank Firm. However, we found that it quickly went away in our well-ventilated space. If you give the mattress some time to air out, it’s unlikely that the smell will linger for more than a few hours or at most a day or two.
Plank Mattress Review Breakdown
The Plank Mattress is a flippable all-foam model. Each mattress comes with two firmness options built-in. One side is firm, rating around 7, while the other side is extra firm, rating at 9.
The firm side of the mattress starts with a comfort layer of .75-inches of 1.5 pounds per cubic foot (PCF) quilting foam. This foam is medium-density, meaning it conforms moderately and is more breathable than most higher-density polyfoams.
Next, a 2-inch thick transition layer of 3.5 TitanFlex foam gives deep compression support while preventing the sleeper from sinking in against the firmer core. This TitanFlex foam is engineered to contour to the sleeper’s body while providing responsiveness similar to latex.
The extra firm side of the mattress uses a 1.5-inch layer of exceptionally firm 1.5 PCF quilting foam. Its exceptionally firm feel creates an even plane with little to no give.
Both sides of the mattress are supported by a 7-inch 1.8 PCF polyfoam core, giving the mattress more durability and even support.
The Plank Mattress uses a four-way stretch knit cotton cover. An optional cooling panel is also available for an additional charge. This panel consists of phase change molecule (PCM) fabric that’s cool to the touch to help the sleeper maintain a more even temperature during the night.
Firmness
Firm – 7 Extra Firm – 9
Mattress Type
Foam
Construction
The Plank Mattress is an all-foam model constructed of four distinct layers. Each side of the mattress uses a layer of quilting foam. The firm side also includes an extra layer of polyfoam. A layer of polyfoam serves as the mattress’s core.
Cover Material:
Stretch Knit Cotton Cover
Optional PCM Fabric Top Panel
The Plank Mattress comes in around the average price for an all-foam model. While there are less expensive models on the market, the Plank Mattress’s firm feel stands out from the crowd. This makes it a good value for sleepers looking for a sturdy, even sleep surface. The Plank Mattress is available in the six standard mattress sizes, and Brooklyn Bedding also produces custom sizes. An optional cooling panel is available at an additional cost.
The Plank Mattress is sold through the Plank website and Amazon.
Orders through the Plank website ship within the United States and Canada.
Shipping
Orders within the contiguous United States ship for free. Shipments to Alaska and Hawaii incur an additional transportation fee of $125 per mattress. Shipping fees to Canada cost $250 per mattress.
Orders within the United States use FedEx Ground, while orders to Canada ship via UPS. Most orders take 1-3 business days to process. Customers will receive a tracking number. Once an order ships, it generally takes 3-5 days to arrive.
Mattresses are compressed in plastic then packed in a box for shipment. The customer is responsible for moving the packaged mattress to the room of their choice, unpacking it, and setting it up.
Additional Services
White Glove delivery and old mattress removal are not currently available with the Plank Mattress.
Sleep Trial
The Plank Mattress comes with a 120-night sleep trial. The customer is required to try the mattress for 30 nights before it becomes eligible for return. This trial offer is only valid once per customer per calendar year.
Customers can contact customer service to arrange to return their mattress for a full refund of the purchase price. Usually, Brooklyn Bedding asks that you donate the unwanted mattress locally.
Warranty
Mattresses purchased through Brooklyn Bedding come with a 10-year warranty. This warranty covers indentations over 1-inch deep, defects in the foam, and sagging. Only the original purchaser is eligible for warranty coverage, and the mattress must be in sanitary condition, free from abuse, and have been used with a proper foundation. The mattress also cannot have been left compressed for 60 days or longer. Owner will be required to provide proof of purchase.
During the warranty period, Brooklyn Bedding will repair or replace mattresses it determines to have an eligible defect.
Additional terms and conditions apply.
Still have questions?
Our product experts have extensive experience testing just about every sleep product on the market. Send an email to [email protected] or call us at (877) 672-8966 with your questions and we'll help you find exactly what you're looking for.
