In the hot and humid climate of Florida, where I live, it’s tough to keep your bed cool, let alone your mattress under a layer of sheets. It’s the same for hot sleepers, regardless of location — even in chilly places. Your body warms the bed and it can make things uncomfortable. So, what do you do in these cases? One answer, according to Serta, is to sleep upon its glorious and aptly-named Arctic mattress, which comes in four distinct models, so you can access, the cool, custom sleep support that perfectly fits your preferences and needs. It provides “all-night cooling” thanks to a unique three-part Reactex® system. The multi-tier system pulls heat away from your body and down into the bottom layers of the mattress. The mattress is supposed to help you sleep cool and comfortable all night long, but does it really work?
We spent some time sleeping on the Arctic and its intelligently designed cooling system to find out. Read on to learn our thoughts!
Related Guides
The Serta Arctic and Arctic Premier
Yes, the Arctic mattress and its Reactex® system work well. It will help keep you and your partner cool throughout the night. Serta says it offers “15X better cooling power”*. We’ll get into the design in more detail below, of course. If you’re a hot sleeper, or just like your bed to stay cool this is an excellent mattress for you. You can check it out yourself, or continue for more on our thoughts and experiences.
Features
The Serta Arctic is engineered to provide all-night cooling thanks to the exclusive Reactex® system. Each layer pulls heat deeper into the mattress and away from your body, helping to keep you cool and comfortable. The mattress is cool-to-the-touch, but you can feel the real cooling magic when you lie down.
What’s more, here are just some of the top-notch features that the Serta Arctic provides:
Cooling
It goes without saying but the Arctic’s cooling power is unmatched! Serta’s new Reactex® System is designed to be the most heat-absorbing layer they’ve ever created for all-night cooling. It’s also supported by additional layers of memory foam which offer even more heat-wicking properties.
Custom Fit
The CustomFit™ HD Memory Foam conforms to your body for comfortable support all night long. It’s a premium, high-density foam that envelops your body almost as soon as you lay down. It’s still firm enough to provide plenty of back and body support, as well!
Pressure Relief
Sitting all day for work has my back in shambles, even with an ergonomic chair. The Arctic’s EverCool® Fuze Gel Memory Foam cradles and helps cool you while providing a substantial, pressure-relieving embrace. It’s extremely comfortable.
Edge Support
If you’re like my wife and me, as a couple, you fill up a lot of the bed space, and then at some point during the night, your children show up — or maybe even your pets. On a normal mattress, the edges give way, when the whole bed is full, losing a bit of support. The Serta® Foam Core provides durable support for any sleep position with consistent support from edge to edge – a total win for couples! It also feels amazing all night.
Premium Design
The Serta Arctic is one of the brand’s most premium mattresses they’ve ever offered. Not just in design, but also the materials and composition. The company offers not only a 120-day in-home trial — so you can return the mattress if you’re not happy — but also a 10-year limited warranty. They stand by their product.
CertiPUR
The foam is CertiPUR-US® certified polyurethane for product safety and compliance. It’s made via environmentally sustainable conditions and practices.
- Low emission (VOCs) for safe indoor air quality
- No prohibited phthalates or ozone depleters (no CFCs)
- No mercury, lead, or heavy metals
- No formaldehyde or PBDEs
Design
There are 4 models in the Arctic collection so you can choose the feel that’s right for you. The foam models have a more energy absorbing feel and are offered in plush and firm. The hybrid models, offered in medium and plush, have a more responsive feel. All models in the collection include the Reactex® cooling technology, so you’ll sleep comfortably no matter which model you choose.
The model we reviewed was the Arctic Premier in Firm Foam (King size). It held true to its name keeping my wife and me, as well as our little ones, cool. That’s tough to do in the Florida heat, even this late in the year — it’s still hot here. What’s worse, our master bedroom is one of the furthest rooms in the house so the AC isn’t effective in there, and we have large, glass doors that let in even more heat. With our old bed, we were tossing and turning all night, but that’s changed thanks to the Serta Arctic. Trying to get to sleep when it’s crazy hot is miserable. This mattress certainly alleviates that problem.
From top to bottom, the Serta Arctic Premier looks a little something like this inside:
- CustomFit™ HD Memory Foam
- Peak Support™ Ultra HD Memory Foam
- Serta® Balanced Support Foam
- Serta® Foam Core
Pros and Cons
It doesn’t matter where you live, sure, we live in a hot and humid climate, but the Arctic would be fantastic anywhere. It’s not icy-cold — if that’s what you were expecting — but that’s not what you’d want to feel while laying down anyway. What it does is wick away the heat from your body so it’s not building up below you. The bed surface still stays a little warm underneath you, but the heat dissipates much faster after you get up, rollover, or move. That keeps the mattress suitably cool and comfortable, even under a layer of sheets and blankets.
What’s more, even the firm foam design offers plenty of support for your body, whether you’re a back, side, or stomach sleeper. The top layers adhere to your body, giving just enough of a plush feel for added comfort, while still supporting the parts that matter.
You will need a frame or box spring, which you can purchase through Serta, or separately. If you already have one you can use that, of course. Serta does have some quite stunning frames, if you’d like to replace yours or upgrade.
Regarding the cons, the Arctic is a premium mattress so the price might be a bit high for some. Depending on the size and model you choose the price ranges from $3,099 (Twin Arctic) to $4,699 (Cali King Arctic Premier). You can fine-tune the cost a little by choosing the model you want. It’s also important to reiterate there’s a 120-day in-home trial. You can try out the bed for up to 120-days and if you’re not satisfied by the end of that period you can return it for a full refund.
Value
Look, there’s no wool over our eyes. The Arctic mattress is a costly option for some customers, and that’s true whether you’re grabbing a Twin XL, Queen, King, or California King. What’s more, it can seem daunting choosing between the different models — though we recommend the firm foam! That said, this review is meant to help you glean the features, comfort, and design, allowing you to decide if it’s worth the value for you and your family.
As of right now, the Arctic mattress has an average rating of 4.9 stars out of 120+ total reviews, that’s impressive! People love it, just like we did.
The good news is that Serta offers a lot of support if you’re on the fence about the value of this mattress. The 120-day in-home trial, the 10-year limited warranty, and a financier to help you offset the cost — it’s through Affirm. You can choose between 3, 6, and 12-month loans, with 0% APR for the 3 and 6-month options. Also, you can pre-qualify and check your eligibility without affecting your credit.
Final Verdict: The Arctic Premier is every bit worth its value because you just cannot put a price on quality sleep. The cooling materials used inside the bed are also soft, supportive, and provide a firm yet cozy feel. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Serta Arctic offers all night cooling for your best night’s sleep.
*15x benefit exists while the phase change material is active. Results based on the difference in heat absorbed by Serta Arctic and Serta Perfect Sleeper Luminous Sleep mattresses while the phase change material is active.
