The MOLECULE 2 is the most expensive of any of the company’s products. Is this mattress worth the money? I will go through its feature set to see if its zoned support, heat dissipation and temperature control make for a luxury experience. We’ll even compare it to its baby brother from the same company, the MOLECULE 1.
I will provide a full review of the MOLECULE 2 along with a summary version for readers who are short on time. Feel free to bookmark the page if you need to click here for the summary!
The MOLECULE 2 features a zoned transition layer to help with different pressure zones in the body, and each of its foam layers are constructed from an interesting mix of materials. Sleepers who love the classic memory foam feel may have a winner.
The MOLECULE 2 features a zoned transition layer to help with different pressure zones in the body, and each of its foam layers are constructed from an interesting mix of materials. Sleepers who love the classic memory foam feel may have a winner.
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
365 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
365 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Trial Period
365 nights
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
Brand Snapshot
Molecule markets its MOLECULE 2 as a mattress that will help with sleep recovery. The MOLECULE 2 features a zoned transition layer to help with different pressure zones in the body, and each of its foam layers are constructed from an interesting mix of materials. The company also sells a full inventory of sleep accessories. There are even products for your pets. If you like the brand, the team wants to make sure you don’t look anywhere else.
Molecule also has a Sports & Science Team featuring many top athletes from different sports. Super Bowl winning quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Tom Brady are among the endorsements, but how much does this mean for the way the MOLECULE 2 actually feels? The company claims the MOLECULE 2 helps with recovery, which most athletes would likely benefit from. Rest assured-the performance of the MOLECULE 2 is what this review is all about.
I start by digging right into the MOLECULE 2 to see what’s under the covers.
What is the MOLECULE 2 Mattress Made of?
The MOLECULE 2 is an all-foam mattress with only three layers underneath its polyester cover. This means that every layer is essential in creating the luxury feel that the company sells. I will pull back each layer one by one below and describe what I find there!
Cover – When I first touch the MOLECULE 2, I come to a fairly standard polyester cover that provides an airy coolness initially. This material is fairly common in mattresses, so there is nothing special to report here.
Comfort – Right below the cover, you’ll find 2” of memory foam, which gives the MOLECULE 2 a classic feel of contouring around the body. If you are looking for a bed that fits your body like a glove, you will be very happy with the MOLECULE 2. The slow response to pressure helps with this effect as well. The memory foam is open cell, which helps it be a bit more breathable than classic memory foam, which can be known to trap body heat.
Transition – Just under the layer of memory foam comes 3” of zoned poly foam. Poly foam is firmer than memory foam, so this layer provides cradling support rather than letting the sleeper sink more into the mattress. Zoning provides different levels of firmness in the same layer-more pressure relief at the shoulders and firmer support at the hips, which helps to align the spine for side sleepers. The MOLECULE 2 has five hexagon-shaped zones in total for a very personalized response in each area of the body.
Support – After the zoned support layer of poly foam, you’ll land on the firmest high density poly foam layer in the bed, which supports for the sleeper and the softer layers above it. The MOLECULE 2 has 7” of this support, so it definitely stops any sinkage into the mattress.
Thoughts: The Molecule MOLECULE 2 is initially soft and cool to the touch, inspiring confidence for the marketing of this bed as a luxury item. However, the bed gives up the firmer support levels that strict stomach sleepers may need. Zoned support in the transition layer adds to its appeal, however, and may widen the sleeper types who can expect a good night’s sleep from the MOLECULE 2.
Now that we know the materials in the MOLECULE 2, it is time to take a look at how this mattress actually feels.
How Does the MOLECULE 2 Feel?
Firmness level is essential in the feel of a bed, which is why I test for it first. However, firmness is subjective. I run my test alongside colleagues of different body types, shapes, and sizes. I average the firmness scores they give, and this average score is what you see below. The firmness scale ranges between 1 and 10 with 1 as the softest and 6.5 as the industry standard for medium firmness.
I gave the MOLECULE 2 a 6/10. In order to build a mattress with a plush luxury feel, the MOLECULE 2 does give up some support in certain areas, such as the hips when lying on the stomach. This is not always a bad thing, as sleepers will likely find some great pressure relief in the shoulders and hips in the side position. This pressure relief is usually essential for keeping spinal alignment on the side.
Combo-stomach sleepers and strict stomach sleepers may need something a bit firmer than the MOLECULE 2, however. The soft feel of the MOLECULE 2 allows for a bit too much sinkage in the hips when I am on my stomach, a positioning that can lead to uncomfortable back bowing over time. Sleepers who need more support here might consider the MOLECULE 1, which is a firmer mattress overall.
The MOLECULE 2 features a zoned transition layer to help with different pressure zones in the body, and each of its foam layers are constructed from an interesting mix of materials. Sleepers who love the classic memory foam feel may have a winner.
The MOLECULE 2 features a zoned transition layer to help with different pressure zones in the body, and each of its foam layers are constructed from an interesting mix of materials. Sleepers who love the classic memory foam feel may have a winner.
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
365 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
365 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Trial Period
365 nights
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
Testing the MOLECULE 2
After I run the Firmness test, I also test for Pressure Relief, Bounce, and Motion Transfer. These tests give insight as to the various situations that sleepers may find themselves in throughout the night. I start with Pressure Relief and move into the others below.
Pressure Relief
I stretch out on a pressure map that I roll out on top of the MOLECULE 2 for my Pressure Relief test. The map uses blue, green, yellow, or red to represent the different levels of pressure between my body and the MOLECULE 2 over time. Areas of high pressure on the map usually coincide with pressure buildup during the night, which leads to discomfort, aches, and pains.
Blue equals no/low pressure. I would love to see this everywhere. Green and yellow mean medium pressure, with light green representing more pressure than dark green. Red is moving into high pressure that is likely very uncomfortable over the course of a night.
Back – I saw all blue on the MOLECULE 2 when lying on my back. This is what I expect to see, because my body weight is pretty evenly distributed when lying on my back. I felt good spinal alignment, so strict back sleepers should have no problem with the MOLECULE 2.
Side – After switching into the side position, I saw a bit of green in the shoulder and hip areas. However, the green that I saw was not a cause for alarm for side sleepers. My shoulders were able to sink quite well into the MOLECULE 2’s memory foam comfort layer, and I felt good spinal alignment because of it.
Stomach – The MOLECULE 2 pressure map test was all blue when I was on my stomach as well. However, strict stomach sleepers need a bit more than all blue to stay comfortable during the night. My hips sank a bit too much into the soft MOLECULE 2 for me to recommend it to strict stomach sleepers. If the hips sink too far, the back may bow into a position that does not keep the spine aligned. Even the zoned support was not enough here. The support for the hips is firmer than support in the shoulders, but the MOLECULE 2 is still a soft mattress overall.
Bounce
After I test for Pressure Relief, my Bounce test is next. A mattress with the right amount of bounce keeps a sleeper from feeling stuck in the mattress and improves overall sleeping mobility. To conduct this test, I bounce a densely packed 10 pound steel ball directly on the MOLECULE 2 and observe its feedback. Does the ball feel stuck in the mattress, or does it bounce back? Let’s see.
The MOLECULE 2 is not an extremely bouncy mattress, which may affect the mobility of some sleepers when moving around in bed. Combo sleepers won’t necessarily feel stuck in the mattress when switching positions, but that classic bouncy feel from innerspring mattresses is not here with the MOLECULE 2.
Motion Transfer
My Bounce and Motion Transfer tests use the same steel ball. For the Motion Transfer test, I drop the ball from heights of 4”, 8”, and 12” and measure any transfer of motion across the mattress with a seismometer. Ideally, what I want to see is complete motion isolation. This means that a partner moving across the mattress wouldn’t bother you much as you sleep.
The MOLECULE 2 isolates motion quite well across the mattress, a feature that couples should love. If one partner is a combo sleeper shifting positions or a restless sleeper jumping out of bed all night, the other partner won’t feel too much of the movement.
Related: How to choose a mattress
The MOLECULE 2 vs
Its value counterpart, the MOLECULE 1! Molecule offers a lower-priced version of the MOLECULE 2. Both have some of the same basic construction features, but there are some differences to consider before making a purchase decision.
MOLECULE 1
- The MOLECULE 1 features three pressure zones with diamond-shapes for pressure relief and hexagons for more personalized support in its transition layer. The MOLECULE 2 has five all hexagon-shaped individual support zones (head, shoulders, lumbar, hips, and lower body). Sleepers get more pressure relief in the shoulders and hips and more support in the head, lumbar, and lower body regions.
- The MOLECULE 2 price range ($1,099-$1,949) is higher than the MOLECULE 1 ($599-$999). However, you can use the code SLEEPOPOLIS on both beds to save $200 on a purchase!
The MOLECULE 2 features a zoned transition layer to help with different pressure zones in the body, and each of its foam layers are constructed from an interesting mix of materials. Sleepers who love the classic memory foam feel may have a winner.
The MOLECULE 2 features a zoned transition layer to help with different pressure zones in the body, and each of its foam layers are constructed from an interesting mix of materials. Sleepers who love the classic memory foam feel may have a winner.
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
365 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
365 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
MOLECULE 2 AirTEC Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Trial Period
365 nights
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
Should You Buy the MOLECULE 2 Mattress?
Before we end this review, I would love to give you the shortened version of the MOLECULE 2 feature set pros and cons. Only you can say if the MOLECULE 2 is the mattress for you, but this summary should hopefully bring some perspective to the points made earlier.
Pros
- Strict side sleepers should find a lot to love in the MOLECULE 2. The pressure relief in the shoulder and hip areas keep the spine aligned well and keep the joints there from feeling jammed up.
- Sleepers who love the classic memory foam feel may have a winner in the MOLECULE 2. The mattress lets you sink into the comfort layer a bit and feel a comfortable contouring around the body.
- The MOLECULE 2 has good motion isolation, so sleepers with restless partners won’t feel so much movement. Couples should enjoy this feature.
Cons
- The softer memory foam feel of the MOLECULE 2 gives up a bit of bounciness. The layers are not necessarily difficult to move around in, but sleepers who want bounce-back in the mattress may want to look elsewhere.
- The MOLECULE 2 mattress ($1,099-$1,949) is substantially more expensive than the MOLECULE 1 ($599-$999). The small differences in the feature sets may not justify that much of a price increase, however.
Company Policies
- Trial – 100 Nights
- Warranty – Lifetime
- Shipping – Free + Compressed
How Much Does the MOLECULE 2 Cost?
| Size | Dimensions | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | 39″ x 75″ x 12.5″ | $999 |
| Twin XL | 39″ x 80″ x 12.5″ | $999 |
| Full | 54″ x 75″ x 12.5″ | $1,099 |
| Queen | 60″ x 80″ x 12.5″ | $1,299 |
| King | 76″ x 80″ x 12.5″ | $1,599 |
| California King | 72″ x 84″ x 12.5″ | $1,599 |
Still deciding? Take a look at our mattress performance rating for the MOLECULE 2 mattress below.
MOLECULE 2 Mattress
The MOLECULE 2 features a zoned transition layer to help with different pressure zones in the body, and each of its foam layers are constructed from an interesting mix of materials. Sleepers who love the classic memory foam feel may have a winner.
Product In-Stock: InStock
3.9
