Amerisleep AS3 Mattress Review

Looking for the mattress that can please almost any sleeper? Amerisleep’s answer is the AS3 mattress, the average firmness mattress in their line – as well as their most popular model.

Is the AS3 the mattress you are looking for? Continue reading for my full review below and see if the AS3 is the right addition to your bedroom.

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How does the AS3 Compare?

The Amerisleep AS3 is the average firmness option in the Amerisleep line, and the most popular. The AS3 features construction aspects that are common in the Amerisleep line, such as Celliant covers, Bio-Pur foams, and SMT technology.

Amerisleep has 5 models total, the others being AS1, AS2, AS4, and AS5. The AS3 (formerly known as the Liberty) has a plush yet supportive feel, and could work for any type of sleeper – especially people that sleep in multiple positions throughout the night.

Construction

The Amerisleep AS3 is an all foam mattress made of 3 different layers, totalling 12 inches in height. The AS3 is designed to have a medium firmness and sits in the middle of the Amerisleep line. The combination of the memory foam comfort layer and the poly foam below should provide a good mix of pressure relief and support.

Cover – The cover for the AS3 is the same as all of the other mattresses in the Amerisleep line. It is made of a soft blend of polyester, Celliant and spandex, creating a stretchy material that snaps back into place quickly, so you won’t have to worry about it bunching up when changing positions on the mattress.

I found the cover slightly cool to the touch thanks in part to the Celliant blended into the material. I should note that there have been some studies that show Celliant to have positive effects on muscle recovery. I don’t personally have the expertise to speak on the science behind the recovery benefits of Celliant, but you may want to do some research of your own if you are interested.

Close up of the Amerisleep AS3 mattress

Comfort – The comfort layer of the AS3 is a 3 inch layer of memory foam (4 lb density), which has a pretty slow response to pressure. This layer will allow the sleeper to sink into the mattress a bit for pressure relief and provide some contouring to the body. Memory foam can at times have a reputation for trapping body heat, but Amerisleep uses a foam with an open cell structure, which will help dissipate that heat to help with cooling. I should also point out that Amerisleep’s proprietary foam uses plant-based materials, which reduces the amount of petroleum used in the construction of the mattress.

Transition – Below the comfort layer is a 2 inch layer of poly foam with a 1.65 lb density. This foam is a bit firmer and not only acts as a transition layer between the soft memory foam above and the firm base below, but to provide some bounce to the mattress so the sleeper won’t feel stuck when trying to adjust their position. I should also point out that this layer has a convoluted design (like an egg crate) to create some airspace in the mattress for temperature regulation and cooling.

Base – The foundation of the mattress consists of a 7 inch layer of high density poly foam (1.8 lb density). This layer is firm to support the comfort and transition layers above as well as provide deep compression support to the sleeper on top of the mattress. The base not only provides the AS3 with its shape but also gives the mattress some durability.

Showing the layers of the Amerisleep AS3 mattress

Firmness

The initial feeling when I pressed into the AS3 was of the memory foam comfort layer on top. The memory foam is a soft material that allowed me to easily press into the mattress and I could feel it contour to my hand. When I applied more pressure I began to interact with the firmer transition layer beneath and could feel a bit more bounce as the poly foam responds to pressure quicker than the memory foam.

Pressing into the Amerisleep AS3 mattress

Everyone feels the firmness of a mattress a bit differently because of different sizes and weight distributions. Rather than giving just my opinion on the overall firmness level of the AS3, I brought in three other people to give their opinion as well. This will give you a better sense of the firmness range you can expect from the mattress.

Showing the firmness ratings from four testers

As I mentioned before the AS3 is designed to provide a solid mix of support and pressure relief, combining for a medium firmness level. A score of 6.5/10 on the firmness scale is generally considered to be medium firmness and the testers scores averaged at a 7/10. A firmness in this range means that you should be pretty comfortable on this mattress in multiple positions.

I personally gave the Amerisleep AS3 a 7/10 on the firmness scale as I found it in the medium range with maybe a slight hedge to the firmer side. The 3 inches of memory foam in the comfort layer provides good pressure relief and the poly foam layer below begins to provide some support while smoothly transitioning to the base, giving the mattress a good medium feel.

Click here for an overview of all the mattresses in the Amerisleep line.

Pressure Map

Instead of just describing the feeling of the AS3 I wanted to give a visual representation of where you may feel pressure points while lying on a the mattress. To do this I placed a pressure map on top of the AS3 and lied on my back, side, and stomach. On the image below pressure will be represented from blue (low pressure) to red (high pressure).

Pressure map of the Amerisleep AS3 mattress

To start this test I lied down on my back with my weight pretty evenly distributed. As you can see in the results above the map shows low pressure across my entire body. The feeling I had when first lying on the mattress was a classic memory foam feel of initial firmness followed by sinking into the mattress. In this position I could feel the foam layers begin to fill in the space beneath my lower back, which is good if you are a back sleeper. Even though I was sinking in a bit the transition layer helped keep me from having a stuck feeling on the AS3 when I adjusted my position.

When I rolled onto my side I didn’t feel too much pressure at my hips or shoulders, which are often two problem areas for side sleepers. The image above does show some slight increase in pressure in this position, which is to be expected due to a higher weight concentration over a lower surface area. I should point out that on a mattress with medium firmness, such as this, size and sleeping preference can lead to a much different feeling. If you are a bit heavier and sleep strictly on your side you may want to look at one of Amerisleeps softer options (AS4 or AS5).

I moved to my stomach and my weight was once again evenly distributed, leading to low pressure across my entire body. Stomach sleepers tend to prefer firmer mattresses as they keep their hips from sinking in and their backs in a better position. I found that the AS3 did a pretty good job of keeping my spine aligned properly in this position, but if you are a strict stomach sleeper you may prefer to take a look at the AS1 or AS2, which are Amerisleeps firmer options.

Motion Transfer

If you are going to share your bed with a partner, you will want to know what it will feel like when the other person gets into and out of bed or tosses and turns during the night. This next test is my way of showing the intensity of motion that is detectable from one side of the mattress to the other.

For this test I dropped a 10 lb steel ball from heights of 4 inches, 8 inches, and 12 inches and measured the disturbance on the other side of the mattress. This should be pretty intuitive: the bigger the lines, the bigger the disturbance.

Motion transfer results for ball dropped from 4 inches, 8 inches, and 12 inches

The 4 inch drop showed a small disturbance across the surface of the mattress. I compare this drop to someone adjusting their position on the other side of the bed and the result above is pretty good when compared to other mattresses that I have tested.

The 8 and 12 inch drops show larger levels of motion transfer, but that is to be expected from higher drops. I use these drops to simulate someone climbing or jumping into bed on the other side of the mattress and would say these are pretty average results when compared to other foam mattresses.

Sinkage Test

To better understand how someone might sink into a mattress, I use four balls of varying sizes and densities (a 6 lb medicine ball, a 10 lb steel ball, a 50 lb medicine ball, and a 100 lb medicine ball) and place them on the mattress to measure how much they compress the surface.

These different sizes, weights, and densities help to imitate different body parts or different sized people to show how far into a mattress you may sink.

Mattress sinkage with 6 lb, 10 lb, 50 lb, and 100 lb balls

• 6 lb medicine ball: 1.5 inches of sinkage.
• 10 lb steel ball: 2.5 inches of sinkage.
• 50 lb medicine ball: 4.5 inches of sinkage.
• 100 lb medicine ball: 6 inches of sinkage.

Edge Support

If you’re going to share your bed with a partner and need to use the entire surface area of the mattress then edge support is something you are going to want to take a look at. Oftentimes mattresses with soft comfort layers can have trouble supporting weight near the side, so I was interested to see how the AS3 would perform.

Edge support while lying near the edge of the Amerisleep AS3 mattress

The image above shows how the mattress contoured to my body while I lied on my back near the side of the mattress. I felt a little bit of compression through the comfort layer on top, but that is to be expected out of softer foam.

Edge support while lying on my side near the edge of the Amerisleep AS3 mattress

When I rolled onto my side near the edge of the AS3 I found that the mattress did a good job holding up under added pressure to the side. I did compress the top of the mattress when I hung off the side of the bed a little, but I never felt insecure in my position on the mattress.

Support while sitting on the edge of the mattress

By sitting up on the side of the bed I concentrated more weight over a smaller portion of the edge of the mattress. In this position I again saw some compression through the comfort layer, but found that the poly foam layers did a good job of supporting my weight. Overall I would say the AS3 performed well on the edge support portion of the review.

Basic Information

Corner view of the Amerisleep AS3 mattress

• Sleep Trial: There is a 100 night trial period for this mattress.
• Warranty: Amerisleep offers a 20 year warranty.
• Shipping: The mattress ships free to the contiguous United States and will arrive compressed in a box.

Size and Pricing Information

If you’re convinced the Amerisleep AS3 is for you, click here to save $200 off!

Is the AS3 right for you?

Front view of the Amerisleep AS3 mattress

Now that we’ve taken a deep dive into the AS3 it’s time to discuss who it would be a good fit for.

• Memory Foam Without Feeling Stuck – The comfort layer of the AS3 is 3 inches of memory foam, which will provide the classic feeling of sinking into the mattress and contouring to your body. However, below the comfort layer is 2 inches of poly foam that provides some bounce to the mattress so you can change positions without any added effort.
• Sleep in Multiple Positions – The AS3 is the medium firmness level of the Amerisleep line, meaning it should provide a solid mix of support and pressure relief. The medium feel of the AS3 means you should be comfortable regardless of position as you roll around during the night.
• Sleeps Cool – Memory foam can at times have a reputation for trapping too much body heat, but Amerisleep uses a material with an open cell structure to help with cooling. Along with this, the breathable cover and convoluted transition layer combine to provide more airflow through the mattress for improved temperature regulation.

Click here to save $200 on the Amerisleep AS3 mattress.

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Logan Block

Logan is the director of content at Sleepopolis and the main mattress man around these parts. He's a big fan of sleeping in many sleeping positions and weightlifting.

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