Brooklyn Bedding Propel Mattress Review – Great For Side Sleepers?

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Brooklyn Bedding is known for its value pricing, and they offer a large selection of mattresses. The brand’s Propel mattress is a flippable hybrid mattress with two firmness levels in one. Plus, it has some impressive cooling features.

Could this be the cooling mattress of your dreams? Find out in our unbiased Brooklyn Bedding Propel mattress review! We’ll cover everything you need to know about this mattress, including its pros and cons, firmness and feel, construction, performance, and much more. Let’s get started!

Propel Dual-Sided Hybrid

propel mattress

The Propel mattress comes from Brooklyn Bedding. It is a very comfortable mattress that should be a good fit for side sleepers and athletes.

Clarity Score 4.2/5

Material

Hybrid

Trial Period

120 nights

Shipping Method

Free shipping minus HI and AK

Firmness

Multiple firmness options

Warranty

10-year warranty

Price Range

$798 - $2099

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Couples
This bed has great motion isolation so you will not feel your partner tossing and turning at night.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.7/5

Propel Dual-Sided Hybrid

propel mattress

The Propel mattress comes from Brooklyn Bedding. It is a very comfortable mattress that should be a good fit for side sleepers and athletes.

Clarity Score 4.2/5

Material

Hybrid

Warranty

10-year warranty

Firmness

Multiple firmness options

Shipping Method

Free shipping minus HI and AK

Trial Period

120 nights

Price Range

$798 - $2099

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Couples
This bed has great motion isolation so you will not feel your partner tossing and turning at night.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.7/5
propel mattress

Propel Dual-Sided Hybrid

The Propel mattress comes from Brooklyn Bedding. It is a very comfortable mattress that should be a good fit for side sleepers and athletes.

Clarity Score 4.2/5

Material

Hybrid

Firmness

Multiple firmness options

Trial Period

120 nights

Warranty

10-year warranty

Shipping Method

Free shipping minus HI and AK

Price Range

$798 - $2099

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Hot Sleepers
If you often overheat while you sleep, this mattress should help you stay cool.
Couples
This bed has great motion isolation so you will not feel your partner tossing and turning at night.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.7/5

Brooklyn Bedding Propel Mattress Overview

As we noted above, Brooklyn Bedding is known for producing a broad range of mattress models that are offered at affordable prices. The brand has its own factory and makes all of its mattresses in the USA. This allows it to cut out a lot of middlemen and pass on savings to its customers. They offer numerous models, including the Plank mattress and Brooklyn Bedding Aurora mattress.

Brooklyn Bedding’s Propel mattress was designed with athletes in mind and features a complex construction that incorporates materials meant to assist with cooling and promote restorative sleep. Regardless of whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, this bed has several appealing properties. Here’s a quick look at who’s most likely to enjoy sleeping on the Propel and who might want to take their search elsewhere.

Overall Rating

Our team of Certified Sleep Science Coaches personally test each mattress in categories such as materials, comfort, cooling, and support. Hover over the icons to learn more about these different topics, or scroll down for a more detailed analysis on each one.

Mattress Performance Ratings

Poor
Average
Excellent

1
2
3
4
5
4.2
Overall Rating
4
Support
4
Edge Support
4.5
Cooling
4
Motion Transfer
4
Durability
5
Trial Period
4
Warranty

Who Might Like The Propel?

  • People who want a flippable mattress
  • People who want one of the best soft mattresses
  • Those who want one of the best mattresses for athletes
  • Hot sleepers who are looking for a mattress that sleeps cool

Who Might Not Like The Propel?

  • Folks who prefer especially firm mattress
  • Stomach sleepers, who won’t get enough support
  • People who want to feel like they’re sleeping on top of their mattress (instead of sinking into it)
  • Fans of a traditional innerspring feel

Brooklyn Bedding Propel Video Review

Take the Propel mattress for a virtual test drive (or, er, sleep) with our in-depth video review! Our reviewer, Joe, details each layer of this bed’s construction and shares his experiences with sleeping in every position on the Propel.

Brooklyn Bedding Propel Firmness And Feel

Whenever a mattress catches your eye, it’s helpful to assess its firmness and feel right out of the gate. These factors tell you a lot about whether a particular bed might be a good match for your sleep position(s) and other sleep preferences. So let’s kick off the in-depth portion of this review with a look at the Propel’s firmness and feel!

How Firm Is The Propel?

Because the Propel is flippable, it has two firmness levels in one. On the soft side, this mattress feels like a 5.5/10. The industry standard for average firmness is 6.5/10, so this suggests it feels much softer than most beds. That’s thanks to the thick, soft comfort layer on top of this mattress.

On the firm side, the mattress comes in at 7/10. This is only a half point firmer than medium-firm, so it may not provide enough support for stomach sleepers. That said, take note that firmness is a bit subjective. Depending on your body weight and personal preferences, you might find that this mattress feels a touch firmer or softer.

Choose The Soft Side If:Choose The Firm Side If:
– You’re a lightweight back or side sleeper

 

– You’re an average weight side sleeper

– You’re a back sleeper

 

– You’re a lightweight stomach sleeper

Sleeping On The Propel

On the soft side, the Propel mattress feels especially slow-moving. When resting on your side, you should sink into the comfort layers and feel some nice pressure relief along your shoulders and hips. Because this side is so soft, however, it may not work well for back and stomach sleepers.

Propel back sleeping

The firm side works better for back sleepers because it provides a good balance of comfort and support. Side sleepers may also get the pressure relief and body contouring they need. Stomach sleepers, though, likely won’t get enough support on this mattress. It’s possible that stomach sleepers could feel their hips sink into the top comfort layer, which can lead to lower back pain over time. If this is your preferred sleeping position, check out our list of the best mattresses for stomach sleepers.

What Does The Propel Feel Like?

The Propel has a balanced foam feel that is simultaneously soft and responsive. You’ll sink into the soft foam to enjoy body contouring and pressure relief, but the responsive coils underneath the foam layers mean you shouldn’t feel stuck. It’s pretty easy to move around on top of this bed.

Average Weight Sleepers – 130lbs – 230lbs

Average-weight back sleepers who enjoy the feeling of body contouring and pressure relief will probably like the Propel, especially on the firm side. No matter which side they sleep on, average-weight side sleepers should feel incredibly comfortable and pressure-free on this bed. Average-weight stomach sleepers probably won’t get enough spinal support and will want to look for a firmer mattress.

Heavyweight Sleepers – Over 230lbs

On the Propel’s firm side, heavyweight back sleepers should obtain adequate spinal support and pressure relief. However, folks who weigh more than 300lbs might need a more supportive mattress. Heavyweight side sleepers should enjoy fantastic pressure relief on the firm side of the bed, but the soft side probably won’t provide enough support.

The Propel is definitely too soft for heavyweight stomach sleepers, who are unlikely to obtain adequate spinal support. Those who need one of the best mattresses for heavy people should take a look at our Titan mattress review.

Lightweight Sleepers – Under 130lbs

Lightweight back and side sleepers should feel right at home on either side of this mattress. Lightweight stomach sleepers might get the support they need on the firm side, but it’s still not an ideal pick. Most likely, stomach sleepers will need a firm mattress.

Brooklyn Bedding Propel Mattress Construction

Alright, so now you have a sense of what it’s like to sleep on top of the Propel. That’s a great start! To understand this mattress even better, let’s take a look inside of it. We’ll review each layer of this bed’s construction and share how different materials affect performance and feel.

Cover

The Brooklyn Bedding Propel’s cover is soft to the touch and contains Upcycle technology, which might assist with blood circulation and promote muscular recovery. The cover is also made with Phase Change Material, which helps the surface of the mattress stay cool.

Comfort Layers

The first comfort layer on the Propel is made from 1.5” of CopperFlex foam, a very responsive foam that offers great pressure relief and some body contouring. The use of copper also gives this layer antimicrobial properties.

propel construction

Underneath the CopperFlex foam, there are 2” of Energex foam, a hyper-elastic material that offers responsive pressure relief. Finally, there’s a 1” layer of swirl gel memory foam, which offers additional body contouring; meanwhile, the gel infusion helps dissipate heat.

Support Layers

The Propel’s support layer contains 6” of individually-encased Ascension coils, which are highly supportive, durable, and breathable. Underneath the coils, there’s a 1” base layer of high-density foam, which lends support and structure to the mattress overall.

When you flip the mattress over to the firm side, you’ll rest on the high-density base foam and feel more of the supportive coils underneath.

Mattress Height

The Propel mattress is 11.5” tall.

RELATED: Best Mattress For The Money

Brooklyn Bedding Propel Mattress Size Options And Price

To see the most up-to-date size and pricing information for the Brooklyn Bedding Propel mattress, take a gander at the chart below!

SizeDimensionsPrice
Twin38" x 75"$798.00
Twin XL38" x 80"$1249.00
Full53" x 75"$1699.00
Queen60" x 80"$1799.00
King76" x 80"$2099.00
California King72" x 84"$2099.00
Split California KingTwo 36" x 84" pieces$

If you want the best deal, make sure to check out the Brooklyn Bedding mattress coupons. Also, if you want something more affordable, take a look at the Dreamfoam Essential mattress.

Brooklyn Bedding Propel Mattress Performance

Before you make up your mind about the Propel mattress, there are still a few important factors to consider. We ran this bed through a gamut of tests with regard to temperature regulation, motion transfer, edge support, and more. Let’s see how it performed!

Sleeping Hot Or Cold

The Propel mattress is designed to sleep cool, and it’s got the construction to prove it. Several design features assist with cooling, including the Phase Change Material cover, the gel infusion in the bottom comfort layer, and the coils, which allow for plenty of airflow through the center of the bed. You shouldn’t be sleeping hot on this mattress. For more cooling options, take a look at our best cooling mattresses.

Motion Transfer

The Propel does a great job of minimizing motion transfer, which means this could be a stellar mattress for couples. The 4.5”-thick comfort layers absorb a lot of movement and minimize disturbances across the surface of the mattress.

Edge Support

Given how soft the Propel’s top layers are, it’s probably not surprising that the edges of this mattress compressed quite a bit when we sat and laid down near the edge. Even so, we didn’t feel like we were going to topple off the bed. In fact, we felt pretty secure. Overall, the Propel offers surprisingly decent edge support.

propel edge support

Durability

The Propel is made with high-quality foams and very sturdy coils, which means it should be a long-lasting mattress that won’t sag for quite some time. This should be a good long-term investment.

Off-Gassing

The foams in the Propel are CertiPUR-US certified, which means they’re free of many harmful chemicals and low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This also means the mattress shouldn’t produce much noticeable off-gassing. Any off-gassing that does occur should dissipate within 48 hours.

Noise

At the time of our review, we didn’t observe any notable noise from the Propel. That said, because this mattress contains coils, it’s possible they could start to squeak a bit over time.

Sex

When people seek out a mattress for sex, they’re usually concerned about their ability to switch positions easily. Because the Propel has such thick comfort layers, it might not be the absolute best option out there. But given that this mattress is fairly responsive, it should be a decent match. Partners shouldn’t feel trapped in this bed.

Company Policies

Thinking about buying the Propel? Here’s a look at the company policies that you’re likely to encounter.

Warranty Info

The Propel comes with a 10-year warranty.

Sleep Trial

Brooklyn Bedding offers a 120-night sleep trial for the Propel.

Return Policy

The Propel comes with free shipping and returns. If the mattress isn’t working for you, Brooklyn Bedding might send you a topper, help you find the right frame or foundation, or exchange the Propel for another model. If none of this works, you will get a full refund.

Common Propel Mattress Complaints

Because the Propel is on the softer side, stomach sleepers who are looking for plenty of support tend not to sing this mattress’s praises. Similarly, heavyweight folks who weigh more than 300lbs might find that this bed doesn’t feel supportive enough overall.

How Does The Brooklyn Bedding Propel Compare To Other Mattresses?

Comparison shopping is a great idea; it helps you get a feel for the many mattresses on offer and lets you know that you’ve made the right choice when you decide to purchase a bed. To make things easier for you, we’ve put together some comparisons below! We’ve pitted the Brooklyn Bedding Propel against two of its competitors: the Avocado Green mattress and the Bear Pro. Let’s see how they stack up!

Brooklyn Bedding Propel Vs Avocado Green Mattress

Both the Propel and the Avocado are hybrid mattresses, but there are still some key differences in their constructions. The Propel features a complex construction that layers three foam comfort layers over individually encased coils. The Avocado boasts an eco-friendly construction that features an organic cotton cover, wool and natural latex comfort layers, and pocketed coils.

Avocado Mattress - Construction

These beds also differ when it comes to firmness. We ranked the Propel at 5.5/10 on the soft side and 7/10 on the firm side. On the other hand, the Avocado comes in at 6.5/10 (right around medium-firm).

The Propel and the Avocado also have different feels. The Propel has very soft, plush comfort layers that offer body contouring and pressure relief; this combines with the responsive coils to create a balanced feel. Meanwhile, the Avocado is very bouncy and responsive with a touch of softness on top. It’s easier to move around on top of the Avocado.

Finally, these beds differ dramatically when it comes to price. A queen-sized Avocado mattress costs much more than the Brooklyn Bedding Propel, especially if you add on the pillow top.

Who Should Get The Propel?

  • People who want a softer mattress
  • Side sleepers
  • People who want a flippable mattress

Who Should Get The Avocado?

  • People who want an eco-friendly mattress
  • Folks who prefer a bouncy mattress
  • People who want an extra-durable mattress

Learn more about the Avocado in our in-depth Avocado mattress review.

Brooklyn Bedding Propel Vs Bear Pro Mattress

The Propel and the Bear Pro have one big difference right off the bat: The Propel is a hybrid mattress, while the Bear Pro is all-foam. The Propel layers three soft foam layers over coils, while the Bear Pro layers three comfort foams over a high-density support foam. The foams in both mattresses are CertiPUR-US certified, which means they’re more eco-friendly than conventional mattress foams.

Bear Pro - Construction

The Bear Pro has a classic medium-firm feel, while the Propel has two firmness options in one. Both of these mattresses offer a balanced feel. The Propel offers softness and pressure relief up top, which is balanced out by the supportive coils below. Similarly, the Bear Pro has a bit of a memory foam feel on top, but the firmer support foam makes this bed fairly responsive.

When it comes to price, these beds are pretty similar. The Bear Pro costs a little bit more than the Propel, but you can always save some money with our Mattress Clarity coupons.

Who Should Get The Propel?

Who Should Get The Bear Pro?

  • Combination sleepers
  • People who want a medium-firm mattress that balances comfort and support

Read our other Brooklyn Bedding comparisons to see how the brand stacks up against more competitors.

FAQs

Still have questions about the Brooklyn Bedding Propel mattress? We’ve put together answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about this bed!

Which Brooklyn Bedding mattress is best?

Brooklyn Bedding is known for making quality mattresses at value prices, and this holds true for virtually all of their models. None of these mattresses is inherently better than all the others; it comes down to your preferred sleep position(s) and other sleep needs. For example, Brooklyn Bedding’s Propel mattress is a great option for athletes, hot sleepers, side sleepers, and back sleepers who enjoy body contouring.

Can you flip the Brooklyn Bedding Propel mattress?

Yes! This bed is flippable. The Brooklyn Bedding Propel has a soft side that feels more plush than your average mattress. On the firm side, you'll feel more lumbar support.

What if I don’t like my Propel mattress?

To initiate the return process, contact Brooklyn Bedding’s customer service. In most cases, the brand will ask you to donate the mattress. Once you’ve donated or returned the bed, call customer service to expedite your refund.

Marten Carlson

Marten is the Lead Reviewer at Mattress Clarity. He is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and covers the mattress industry as well as sleep science news. He is specifically interested in the connection between sleep and overall health. Marten has written for media publications like Consequence of Sound and received a master’s degree in Film Studies from Emory University. He comes from Franklin, Indiana, and spends all the time he can writing, directing, and acting in films.