Is the Glacier Apex Hybrid mattress the key to sleep cool this summer? I slept on it for a week to find out
I've slept on a soft model of a Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze mattress for the past two years, which promises to feel 10 degrees cooler than the average mattress. Despite paying a premium price point, I still wake up with night sweats since memory foam is prone to trapping heat.
Type: HybridMaterials: Memory foam, other foams, coilsBrand-rated firmness (1-10): 4-5Height: 14'Trial period: 365 nightsWarranty: LifetimePrice: From $1,099 at Glacier
The Glacier Apex Hybrid is a cooling mattress that costs a fraction of the price of the much more expensive Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze. As the Glacier brand's most premium model, it's still highly affordable compared with many cooling mattresses. A queen, for instance, is priced at $2,798 at MSRP and is usually on sale for around $1,399 depending on the discount available.
While the steep savings are naturally appealing, I was curious as to whether its hybrid build, which includes coils that promote airflow and copper to help regulate temperature, would outperform my all-foam mattress. It also has twice as many cooling fibers as the Glacier Original Hybrid.
Overall, I was also eager to see if the Glacier Apex Hybrid would live up to its many promises, including low motion transfer, excellent pressure relief and targeted lumbar zone support (which helps promote healthy spinal alignment). The latter feature is a tough sell in softer beds, which tend to be less supportive.
These selling points are what we'd expect to find in this year's best mattresses that we've tested, but are they too good to be true at such a reasonable price point? Here's an in-depth look at my first week sleeping on the Glacier Apex Hybrid mattress and whether it lives up to the hype…
Glacier is one of a handful of brands with very generous year-round mattress sales. While you can often snag 20% off most mattresses during non-holiday periods, Glacier beds are regularly 50% off or more. At the time of writing this article, a summer sale includes a whopping up to 65% off.
While the best time to buy a mattress is often during major sales and holidays, you can scoop up a great deal on Glacier Apex Hybrid year-round. Better yet, it comes with an impressive 365-night trial period that allows risk-free returns for one year if you're ultimately unhappy with your mattress, plus a lifetime warranty that covers any defects in materials or craftsmanship.
Although you'll probably want to replace your Glacier Apex Hybrid around the 10-year mark, since most mattresses last seven-to-10 years with proper care, the lifetime warranty and generous trial period offer peace of mind. After all, a new mattress is a major investment both financially and mentally (adjusting to a new bed can be a serious commitment).
A lifetime warranty and lengthy trial period are indicative of a quality product, but the skeptic in me questions why Glacier beds are always half off or more. Is it really as great as it seems? Read on for a full breakdown of how this mattress performed after one week of sleeping on it.
Glacier Apex Hybrid mattress: was $2,198 now from $1,099 at GlacierAt full MSRP a Glacier Apex Hybrid in a queen size is $2,798, but a regular 50% off Glacier mattress sale takes that down to $1,399. If you want to buy at the best price, we recommend waiting for major sales events such as President's Day, 4th of July and Black Friday. Mattress purchase comes with a 365-night sleep trial and lifetime warranty.
Like many of the best mattresses in a box, the Glacier Apex Hybrid comes vacuum-compressed, rolled and sealed in a box for easy transport and delivery.
Mattresses in a box tend to be cheaper than traditional mattresses that arrive flat, but you can also add white glove delivery and old mattress removal to your purchase for an extra $225. Personally, I don't find this fee worth it, but if you struggle with mobility it could be a handy extra add on.
As long as you have two people to move the mattress in a box to your room of choice, it's relatively simple to transport. My husband was able to move the mattress up a flight of stairs by himself.
Keep in mind that while transporting the mattress on your own isn't impossible, it's very heavy. Luckily, it also comes with convenient handles that make it easier to lift the mattress.
Glacier offers free delivery and returns and ships mattresses within 3-5 business days. While most mattresses in a box can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours to fully expand after being compressed, the Glacier Apex Hybrid sprung into its fully expanded form in just 30 to 45 minutes. In fact, it inflated immediately after cutting into the wrapping with a pair of scissors.
Less than an hour later, it was ready to sleep on. There was a minimal off-gassing smell upon releasing the Glacier Apex Hybrid from its box, but it dissipated within a few hours. I also didn't find it as overpowering as other mattresses I've tried. This was a bonus for my husband, who is sensitive to smells and has moderate allergies.
I went from sleeping on the Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze (the brand makes some of the best luxury mattresses on the market) to trying the Glacier Apex Hybrid. I love the Luxe Breeze for its incredible contouring support and medium-soft feel, but the foam material still gets quite hot overnight. It also doesn't help that I share a bed with my husband, who is a fellow hot sleeper.
Height: 5'8'Weight: 170-180lbsSleep style: Side and stomachSleep issues: Lower back pain, occasional hip pain, hot sleeperShare a bed: Yes
I knew the Glacier Apex Hybrid would have big shoes to fill in terms of the comfort and pressure relief offered by my old bed. This mattress is billed as having medium-plush firmness, and my initial thoughts were that the Glacier Apex Hybrid was incredibly soft. I'd rate it a 3 on our firmness scale.
I was shocked that a medium-plush mattress could feel so much more plush than my soft Tempur-Pedic. I even worried about potential neck pain or poor posture while sleeping.
Yet at 14" tall, the Glacier Apex Hybrid offered great support overnight. Its seven layers have two rows of thicker individually-encased coils that mostly kept our spines in neutral alignment.
The Euro-top took a little while to get used to, but both my husband and I got some of the best sleep we've gotten in a long time on the Glacier Apex Hybrid. This was also during a heat spell where temperatures soared into the 90s.
My husband and I agreed that between its cooling cover, graphite- and copper-infused memory foam layers that draw heat away from the body, and ventilated gel foam layer, the mattress did a good job of cooling compared with the Luxe Breeze.
While my husband, who is a 6'1' back sleeper, felt like his hips were sinking into the Glacier Apex Hybrid, I felt a good balance of contouring and plushness ideal for a combination sleeper such as myself who predominately sleeps on the side and occasionally the stomach.
The mattress is more supportive for side sleeping, though, so if you're a tried-and-true stomach sleeper, you may want to seek out a bed with a medium-firm to firm feel for better hip support and lift.
Shoulders are often some of the most sensitive joints, which is why side sleepers tend to benefit from sleeping on a slightly softer bed with cradling and gentle pressure relief on the shoulders.
One downside to the Glacier Apex Hybrid was its lack of motion isolation. Hybrid mattresses tend to transfer movement more than all-foam beds where slow-moving memory foam absorbs much of the motion transfer.
This wasn't a surprise to me given my history of reviewing mattresses, but it wasn't pleasant to jolt awake at every movement or change of sleeping position.
The extra layer of upholstery from the Euro pillowtop also made it more difficult, though not impossible, to change sleeping positions. The reduced responsiveness (or bounce) wasn't a deal breaker, but rather required a bit more effort from me to move around on the bed.
On the flipside, I found the edge support excellent. As someone who often curls up at the very perimeter of the bed, the reinforced edges prevented that dreaded about-to-roll-off-the-bed feeling. If you have mobility issues, you should find the sides of the Glacier Apex Hybrid very stable.
Most sleep experts agree it takes a minimum of 30 nights to get used to sleeping on a new mattress, so my preliminary week-long review is just a snapshot of my full review to come.
For now, I find myself pleasantly surprised by the great support and pressure relief offered by the Glacier Apex Hybrid. Don't be fooled by its soft and plush feel. After a week of sleeping on this bed, neither my husband nor myself experienced any neck, back or joint pain (even though my husband says his hips still somewhat sink into the bed when laying on his back).
The cooling is also good, though not the best I've ever experienced. While it stays cooler than the Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze I've slept on for the past two years, the bed still warms up while we're sleeping.
We didn't feel this so much on our first night testing the mattress, but noticed throughout the week that the cooling capabilities didn't feel consistent. However, we battled a long heatwave, so I'm curious how the cooling holds up over a month-long period.
While I admit the plush build feels heavenly and we sleep well on the Glacier Apex Hybrid, this bed is much softer than my husband and I prefer. It may also be too soft for people with heavier builds, stomach sleepers or anyone who generally loves a firm bed. If you fall into any of those categories, the Glacier Original Hybrid has a medium-firm feel that may be more supportive.
Would I recommend Glacier Apex Hybrid? If you're a light or average weight side or back sleeper looking for an affordable mattress with good cooling technology, sturdy edge support and targeted pressure relief, then chances are you'll love this bed. But if you're a sensitive sleeper who bed shares, you may want to look for a mattress with better motion isolation.
I'll be back with my full review soon after sleeping on it for over three weeks, so stay tuned!
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In our reviewer's words, the Beckham pillow delivers "hotel-luxury sleep within a budget" (read our full Beckham Hotel Collection Down Alternative Pillow review for more details). You can now save up to 25% on a pack of queen pillows dropping the MSRP from $79.99 to $59.99. Downstoria Feather Down Pillow: queen pack from $89.99 from $48.99 at AmazonThe comfort and support of real down and feathers is unmatched. With a three-layered design consisting of a down and feather fill encased in a smooth-to-touch cotton-blend cover with anti-pilling properties, the Downstoria Feather Down Pillow might just be budget-luxury pick you were looking for. You can now find a queen pack at 46% off which drops the MSRP from $89.99 to $48.99. Brooklinen Marlow Pillow: queen pack from $130 from $88.40 at BrooklinenGrab this chance to get the popular Brooklinen Marlow pillow at 20% off when buying a standard pack. Unlike the down-alternative options here, the Marlow is made from cooling-infused contouring memory foam and polyester fiber. It also stands out with three-loft options which you can zip up or down to suit your preferences— meaning it could suit any sleeping position. A pack of queen pillows is now $88.40 (was $130). Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Pillow: was $89 now $67 at AmazonSoft, squishy and low loft, the lead tester in our Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud pillow review found this pillow ideal for stomach and back sleeping. It also has a secret feature — it can be rolled and taken on-the-go, for any students planning regular trips back home. We did spot this pillow for slightly cheaper during Prime Day but at the current price of $67, we think this luxury-feeling pillow is worth the money. Granted, world-first, top-rated smart beds probably aren't in your college budget. But that doesn't mean you should rule fancy tech out of your sleep routine. There are plenty of more affordable sleep gadgets to help your recovery this semester. If our sleep tech tester, Eve Davies, could wind back a couple of years, here's what she'd be taking with her to college... Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock: was $99.99 now $53.99 at AmazonThe Hatch Restore 3 is our current favorite sunrise alarm clock. But it comes at the premium price of $169 (before you sign up for a monthly subscription fee). So with a tighter budget in mind, we recommend the Dreamegg sunrise alarm clock, which you can bag for $53.99 at Amazon now after a 46% discount. Garnished with a chic cotton cover, it is very much a dupe of Hatch and doubles as a sound machine and night light too. Jabees Peace Pillow Speaker: $35.99 at JabeesThere's no getting around the fact dorm rooms can be noisy and while sometimes it'll likely be you up partying, on other nights you'll want to drown out the noise to sleep peacefully — this is when the Jabees Peace Pillow Speaker will be your best friend. You place this bone conduction speaker under your pillow and can chose from a library of natural sleep sounds or connect it to your mobile via Bluetooth. It's $35.99 at Jabees now and you can get 10% off if you sign up to the brand's emails. MUSICOZY Bluetooth Sleep Headphones: was $39.99 now from $22.79 at AmazonA little more high-tech than your standard eye mask, the MUSICOZY Bluetooth Sleep Headphones combine a total blackout effect with in-built speakers to create a cozy cocoon. Pair it with your favorite pink noise for sleep playlist and you'll be able to block out even that roommate who has apparently never heard of 'bedtime'. The current sale is even better than usual from MUSICOZY, with this black model now only $22.79, but you can often pick up a pair for under $30. Bob and Brad eye massager: was $99.99 now $59.99 at AmazonYou're likely going to be spending a lot of time looking at a screen as you wade through college assignments this year and that can put immense strain on your eyes. In turn, they can feel irritated when it comes to sleeping at night. This is where the Bob and Brad eye massager provides relief. Best used as part of your nighttime routine, it has a cooling gel mask you put in the freezer before fitting to the mask for it to deliver soothing, cooling compression to alleviate tired or irritated eyes. There's 40% off at Amazon right now, cutting the mask down to $59.99 from $99.99. Hooga red book light: was $14.99 now $12.99 at AmazonBe you catching up on class reading or enjoying some chick lit before bed, this red light clip is a saviour for your sleep. The red light promotes melatonin production while you read, helping you feel sleepy and drift off fast. Plus you won't have to move to turn any light off — bliss. After 13% off at Amazon, you can snap up this light clip for just $12.99 now (was $14.99). It's a marginal saving, but $2 is $2. And this handy gadget is certainly worth it. Tech aside, there are many other products our team relied on to help them sleep at college. Sleep writer Ruth Jones relied on a comfortable sleep mask, while sleep editor Lauren Jefferies says "earplugs saved me." With the benefit of hindsight, here's what we'd be packing if we were heading back to school this year... Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs: was $27.95 now $20.95 at AmazonYes, sleep headphones and speakers are great for blocking out noise, but if you just want peace and quiet to sleep, these Loop Quiet 2 earplugs will be your best friend at college. They helped Lauren sleep next to a nightclub, so it's save to say they'll be able to block out noisy dorm mates too. There's 25% off at Amazon now, cutting the cost of these reusable, comfortable silicone earplugs to $20.95 (was $27.95) — we think that's a wise investment. They're better for your wallet and the planet than single-use foam buds. Muse Apothecary Pillow Ritual Pillow Spray: was $9.98 now $7.98 at AmazonWe've tested pillow mists from Muse Apothecary and found just a small spritz delivers powerful, long-lasting scent. A touch of this lavender scented spray on your pillow creates a soothing aroma to help ease you into sleep, from just $7.98 at Amazon. If you're not a fan of floral scents, a member of our team swears by the rich Warm Cedar Peace spray from Muse Apothecary, now from $14.98 at Amazon. Umisleep Pure Mulberry Sleep Mask: was $19.99 now $14.99 at AmazonLight signals to our circadian rhythms when its time to wake up, while a lack of light indicates it's time to go to sleep. An eye mask allows you to block out all the light sources that might be keeping you up, from your roommates laptop at 3am to the early morning sunlight creeping through your dorm room blinds. This mask from Umisleep is made from 100% silk so it feels gentle on the face and it comes with its own travel pouch. Breathe Right Extra Strength Nasal Strips: was $19.99 now $14.99 at AmazonWe're sure you don't snore, honestly, but at least if you pack a few nasal strips you can prove to your roommate it's not you making all that noise. Holding the nostrils open to improve airflow, we found Breathe Right Nasal strips effective at stopping snoring and helping us sleep with a cold (for when you catch the freshman flu.) And in the sale you can pick up a pack of 44 for just $14.99. Keeping your dorm bed clean extends its lifespan and can even help you sleep better — less of the itching, sneezing and watery eyes that can result from dirty bedding. For many freshmen, this is the first time being completely in charge of their own laundry so we want to keep it as simple as possible. The laundry products below are easy to use, even for a novice. And while they might not make the most exciting 'good luck at college' gifts, they're probably the most useful. All Free & Clear Mighty Pacs Laundry Detergent 56 Count: was $20.99 now $15.97 at AmazonFor any freshman doing their own laundry for the first time, these laundry detergent capsules from All take the stress out of cleaning your sheets. Simply drop a capsule in the drum, add your sheets, choose your setting, sit back and relax. Plus, with no scent and no dye, the Free & Clear Mighty Pacs are suitable for sensitive skin. JPHYLL Mattress Vacuum: was $299.99 now $39.99 at AmazonBe you in a dorm or at home, regularly vacuuming your mattress is key to keeping it dust and bed bug-free, and a reliable mattress vacuum makes easy work of this chore. Granted, you won't want to splash too much cash on specialized cleaning gadgets, but we simply couldn't leave out this JPHYLL mattress vacuum after seeing 87% off — that's not a typo! This limited time deal means you can get this $299.99 vacuum for $39.99 before heading back to school. Amazon users rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars and docket it a "must have". Shout Active Enzyme Laundry Stain Remover Spray 22oz: was $4.04 now $3.36 at AmazonListen, we always recommend using your bed for nothing but sleep (it helps your brain associate being in bed with drifting off) but we know space is hard to come by in a dorm and your mattress will sometimes have to double-up as a table / workspace / meeting area. When this inevitably results in spills and mess, a stain remover like this spray from Shout Active can be used to treat marks before they become a permanent addition to your sheets. Utopia Bedding Premium Waterproof Mattress Encasement: twin was $18.99 now $17.99 at AmazonWe've recommend some of our favorite mattress protectors above, but an encasement adds an extra layer of protection to your bed. Covering all six sides of the mattress with a zippered closing, the Utopia Bedding Premium Mattress Encasement can help guard your mattress against mites and pests, as well as spills and stains. Available in a range of sizes and depths to suit any mattress, a 10-inch twin XL currently isn't on sale but at just $28.99 MSRP, it's a budget-friendly buy. Science shows good sleep is the foundation of solid academic performance and brain function. A 2019 study involving 100 students conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found better quality, longer duration, and greater consistency of sleep correlated with better grades. The authors note: "Sleep measures accounted for nearly 25% of the variance in academic performance." What's more, board-certified physician, certified sleep specialist, pediatrician Angela Holliday-Bell says good sleep "helps your brain store what you've learned, keeps your focus sharp, and makes it easier to solve problems or think clearly during tests." Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell is a board-certified physician, certified sleep specialist, pediatrician and founder of the Solution is Sleep LLC. She specializes in helping people utilize the power of sleep to improve employee wellness and optimize performance. Her expertise also includes providing infant and toddler sleep training and managing behavioral insomnia in kids. Dr. Holliday-Bell recognises it can be "difficult to prioritize sleep while still enjoying a social life and excelling academically in college". But here are her top tips for getting the best rest possible at college: Dr. Holliday-Bell final nugget of advice? "The key is finding balance," she says. "Making time for rest helps you show up more focused, efficient, and present in both academics and social life." You dorm likely comes equipped with the basics for a good night's sleep, with a bed frame and mattress typically included as standard. Dorm beds are normally twin XL, twin or full size but make sure to double check the dimensions before you make any purchases. A new mattress isn't a necessity for a dorm room but dorm beds don't have a reputation for comfort. If you have the money, a new mattress can help you enjoy better sleep throughout your college career. Alternatively, consider a mattress topper. These are, on average, less expensive than a mattress and can enhance the comfort of your bed. Now, the bedding. A mattress protector is a must — you need something between you and the dorm mattress, plus it keeps your bed clean. We also recommend investing in a pillow, choosing the right pillow loft for your sleep. A set of sheets is also a requirement. Opt for easy cleaning materials, while breathable sheets are a good choice if you're moving to a warmer climate. If you can, get two pairs, so you always have a clean set ready to go. Finally, opt for an all-seasons comforter, blanket or duvet. You probably won't have room for a spare, so choose something that's good for every weather.
Tom's Guide
26-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
Is the Glacier Apex Hybrid mattress the key to sleep cool this summer? I slept on it for a week to find out
As a lifelong hot sleeper, I struggle with staying cool at night. In addition to using fans and breathable bedding and pajamas, sleeping on the best cooling mattress is an absolute must for me. I've slept on a soft model of a Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze mattress for the past two years, which promises to feel 10 degrees cooler than the average mattress. Despite paying a premium price point, I still wake up with night sweats since memory foam is prone to trapping heat. Type: HybridMaterials: Memory foam, other foams, coilsBrand-rated firmness (1-10): 4-5Height: 14'Trial period: 365 nightsWarranty: LifetimePrice: From $1,099 at Glacier The Glacier Apex Hybrid is a cooling mattress that costs a fraction of the price of the much more expensive Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze. As the Glacier brand's most premium model, it's still highly affordable compared with many cooling mattresses. A queen, for instance, is priced at $2,798 at MSRP and is usually on sale for around $1,399 depending on the discount available. While the steep savings are naturally appealing, I was curious as to whether its hybrid build, which includes coils that promote airflow and copper to help regulate temperature, would outperform my all-foam mattress. It also has twice as many cooling fibers as the Glacier Original Hybrid. Overall, I was also eager to see if the Glacier Apex Hybrid would live up to its many promises, including low motion transfer, excellent pressure relief and targeted lumbar zone support (which helps promote healthy spinal alignment). The latter feature is a tough sell in softer beds, which tend to be less supportive. These selling points are what we'd expect to find in this year's best mattresses that we've tested, but are they too good to be true at such a reasonable price point? Here's an in-depth look at my first week sleeping on the Glacier Apex Hybrid mattress and whether it lives up to the hype… Glacier is one of a handful of brands with very generous year-round mattress sales. While you can often snag 20% off most mattresses during non-holiday periods, Glacier beds are regularly 50% off or more. At the time of writing this article, a summer sale includes a whopping up to 65% off. While the best time to buy a mattress is often during major sales and holidays, you can scoop up a great deal on Glacier Apex Hybrid year-round. Better yet, it comes with an impressive 365-night trial period that allows risk-free returns for one year if you're ultimately unhappy with your mattress, plus a lifetime warranty that covers any defects in materials or craftsmanship. Although you'll probably want to replace your Glacier Apex Hybrid around the 10-year mark, since most mattresses last seven-to-10 years with proper care, the lifetime warranty and generous trial period offer peace of mind. After all, a new mattress is a major investment both financially and mentally (adjusting to a new bed can be a serious commitment). A lifetime warranty and lengthy trial period are indicative of a quality product, but the skeptic in me questions why Glacier beds are always half off or more. Is it really as great as it seems? Read on for a full breakdown of how this mattress performed after one week of sleeping on it. Glacier Apex Hybrid mattress: was $2,198 now from $1,099 at GlacierAt full MSRP a Glacier Apex Hybrid in a queen size is $2,798, but a regular 50% off Glacier mattress sale takes that down to $1,399. If you want to buy at the best price, we recommend waiting for major sales events such as President's Day, 4th of July and Black Friday. Mattress purchase comes with a 365-night sleep trial and lifetime warranty. Like many of the best mattresses in a box, the Glacier Apex Hybrid comes vacuum-compressed, rolled and sealed in a box for easy transport and delivery. Mattresses in a box tend to be cheaper than traditional mattresses that arrive flat, but you can also add white glove delivery and old mattress removal to your purchase for an extra $225. Personally, I don't find this fee worth it, but if you struggle with mobility it could be a handy extra add on. As long as you have two people to move the mattress in a box to your room of choice, it's relatively simple to transport. My husband was able to move the mattress up a flight of stairs by himself. Keep in mind that while transporting the mattress on your own isn't impossible, it's very heavy. Luckily, it also comes with convenient handles that make it easier to lift the mattress. Glacier offers free delivery and returns and ships mattresses within 3-5 business days. While most mattresses in a box can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours to fully expand after being compressed, the Glacier Apex Hybrid sprung into its fully expanded form in just 30 to 45 minutes. In fact, it inflated immediately after cutting into the wrapping with a pair of scissors. Less than an hour later, it was ready to sleep on. There was a minimal off-gassing smell upon releasing the Glacier Apex Hybrid from its box, but it dissipated within a few hours. I also didn't find it as overpowering as other mattresses I've tried. This was a bonus for my husband, who is sensitive to smells and has moderate allergies. I went from sleeping on the Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze (the brand makes some of the best luxury mattresses on the market) to trying the Glacier Apex Hybrid. I love the Luxe Breeze for its incredible contouring support and medium-soft feel, but the foam material still gets quite hot overnight. It also doesn't help that I share a bed with my husband, who is a fellow hot sleeper. Height: 5'8'Weight: 170-180lbsSleep style: Side and stomachSleep issues: Lower back pain, occasional hip pain, hot sleeperShare a bed: Yes I knew the Glacier Apex Hybrid would have big shoes to fill in terms of the comfort and pressure relief offered by my old bed. This mattress is billed as having medium-plush firmness, and my initial thoughts were that the Glacier Apex Hybrid was incredibly soft. I'd rate it a 3 on our firmness scale. I was shocked that a medium-plush mattress could feel so much more plush than my soft Tempur-Pedic. I even worried about potential neck pain or poor posture while sleeping. Yet at 14" tall, the Glacier Apex Hybrid offered great support overnight. Its seven layers have two rows of thicker individually-encased coils that mostly kept our spines in neutral alignment. The Euro-top took a little while to get used to, but both my husband and I got some of the best sleep we've gotten in a long time on the Glacier Apex Hybrid. This was also during a heat spell where temperatures soared into the 90s. My husband and I agreed that between its cooling cover, graphite- and copper-infused memory foam layers that draw heat away from the body, and ventilated gel foam layer, the mattress did a good job of cooling compared with the Luxe Breeze. While my husband, who is a 6'1' back sleeper, felt like his hips were sinking into the Glacier Apex Hybrid, I felt a good balance of contouring and plushness ideal for a combination sleeper such as myself who predominately sleeps on the side and occasionally the stomach. The mattress is more supportive for side sleeping, though, so if you're a tried-and-true stomach sleeper, you may want to seek out a bed with a medium-firm to firm feel for better hip support and lift. Shoulders are often some of the most sensitive joints, which is why side sleepers tend to benefit from sleeping on a slightly softer bed with cradling and gentle pressure relief on the shoulders. One downside to the Glacier Apex Hybrid was its lack of motion isolation. Hybrid mattresses tend to transfer movement more than all-foam beds where slow-moving memory foam absorbs much of the motion transfer. This wasn't a surprise to me given my history of reviewing mattresses, but it wasn't pleasant to jolt awake at every movement or change of sleeping position. The extra layer of upholstery from the Euro pillowtop also made it more difficult, though not impossible, to change sleeping positions. The reduced responsiveness (or bounce) wasn't a deal breaker, but rather required a bit more effort from me to move around on the bed. On the flipside, I found the edge support excellent. As someone who often curls up at the very perimeter of the bed, the reinforced edges prevented that dreaded about-to-roll-off-the-bed feeling. If you have mobility issues, you should find the sides of the Glacier Apex Hybrid very stable. Most sleep experts agree it takes a minimum of 30 nights to get used to sleeping on a new mattress, so my preliminary week-long review is just a snapshot of my full review to come. For now, I find myself pleasantly surprised by the great support and pressure relief offered by the Glacier Apex Hybrid. Don't be fooled by its soft and plush feel. After a week of sleeping on this bed, neither my husband nor myself experienced any neck, back or joint pain (even though my husband says his hips still somewhat sink into the bed when laying on his back). The cooling is also good, though not the best I've ever experienced. While it stays cooler than the Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze I've slept on for the past two years, the bed still warms up while we're sleeping. We didn't feel this so much on our first night testing the mattress, but noticed throughout the week that the cooling capabilities didn't feel consistent. However, we battled a long heatwave, so I'm curious how the cooling holds up over a month-long period. While I admit the plush build feels heavenly and we sleep well on the Glacier Apex Hybrid, this bed is much softer than my husband and I prefer. It may also be too soft for people with heavier builds, stomach sleepers or anyone who generally loves a firm bed. If you fall into any of those categories, the Glacier Original Hybrid has a medium-firm feel that may be more supportive. Would I recommend Glacier Apex Hybrid? If you're a light or average weight side or back sleeper looking for an affordable mattress with good cooling technology, sturdy edge support and targeted pressure relief, then chances are you'll love this bed. But if you're a sensitive sleeper who bed shares, you may want to look for a mattress with better motion isolation. I'll be back with my full review soon after sleeping on it for over three weeks, so stay tuned!
