In the era of the tiny house and millennial minimalism, finding maximum value in a budget mattress is no simple feat! But the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress makes it look easy, with an affordable price tag and an array of interesting fabrications, including green tea-infused memory foam and an ActivCharcoal complex. So… what’s all this tech about? Well that’s what we’re here to find out.
Below, I’m going to analyze every aspect of this mattress, from how it’s built, to how it feels, to how it performs on my series of rigorous tests. By the end, you’ll know without a doubt if it’s the bed for you!
So, without further ado, let’s dive into my full Zinus Memory Foam mattress review. Short on time? Feel free to skip to my review summary.
Disclaimer: The Green Tea Memory Foam is a “pressure relief” product that comes in four different thickness levels: 6”, 8”, 10”, and 12”. This review will focus on the 12” model of the Green Tea, which is the thickest model Zinus sells.
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well.
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
100 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Warranty
10-year warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
10-year warranty
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
100 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Trial Period
100 nights
Warranty
10-year warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Mattress Review
Is the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam a Good Mattress for You?
Let’s get started with some of the basics about the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress and who it might be good for. Depending on your body weight, height, and preferred sleeping position, the bed may or may not work for you. While I can’t make that decision for you, you can look at some of my recommendations below to get there on your own.
Who I recommend the Zinus Memory Foam mattress for
- Shoppers on a budget should definitely consider the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress. The price point of the Zinus mattress is much more affordable than some of its competitors.
- The soft profile of the mattress could make it a good fit for strict side sleepers, who usually need to sink into a mattress to avoid creating pressure points at the hips and shoulders.
- Sleepers in need of pain/pressure relief might benefit from the soft memory foam structure, which offers lots of sinkage around pressure-filled joints.
Who I don’t recommend the Zinus Memory Foam mattress for
- Hot sleepers may want to head in a different direction. Memory foam has a tendency to trap body heat and the Zinus Green Tea is no exception.
- I don’t think this mattress is great for combination sleepers. There is hardly any bounce on this bed, leaving sleepers stuck in the mattress when swapping positions.
- Most stomach sleepers are going to need something firmer than this bed for support.
- Heavier folks are not going to be supported by this soft build and should take a look at one of our best mattresses for heavy people instead.
How Firm is the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress?
It’s important to understand that firmness isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario — your size, weight, shape, and other factors all determine your ideal level of firmness. So your preferences might not be the same as mine. For reference, I’m 5’10”, weigh 190 pounds, and prefer to sleep on my stomach. To represent the variance that different people might feel, I test a bed with colleagues of different body shapes, types, and sizes. The number you see below is the average of our responses.
I gave the Zinus a firmness ranking of 5 out of 10, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest. The “midpoint” is 6.5, which is the industry standard for medium-firm — making this bed softer than average.
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well.
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
100 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Warranty
10-year warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
10-year warranty
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
100 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Trial Period
100 nights
Warranty
10-year warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress Performance
Aside from a mattress’s firmness, there are a few more factors to consider when searching for a new mattress. To really determine whether a bed is a good fit for you, it’s important to consider how it performs in different sleeping positions, how it relieves pain and pressure, and how it might feel to couples sharing the bed. So let’s get to testing!
Testing the Zinus Memory Foam Mattress in Different Sleeping Positions
Different sleeping positions and weights require different amounts of support. Generally, light sleepers don’t require the same amount of support as heavy sleepers. Read on below to see how the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress performs for sleepers of different weights.
Is the Zinus a Good Mattress for Light Sleepers (Under 130 pounds)?
- Light Back Sleepers – I think this 12-inch model would be an exceptional option for these folks. Light back sleepers should feel plenty of comfort and pressure relief, but still get enough support to maintain a healthy spinal alignment.
- Light Side Sleepers – Light side sleepers should feel a release of pressure as the memory foam allows their body to sink, potentially even letting out a sigh of relief. This bed is designed to relieve pressure and that is exactly what it will do for these sleepers!
- Light Stomach Sleepers – This bed is not going to be a good option for light stomach sleepers. These sleepers will feel the mattress sink too much beneath their hips, causing them to form a “U shape” at their back — a big no no.
Is the Zinus a Good Mattress for Average Weight Sleepers (130 – 250 pounds)?
- Average Weight Back Sleepers – I think average weight back sleepers might want to look for something a tad firmer. When I lay on my back with my body weight evenly distributed, I could feel myself sinking into the mattress. Some back sleepers may prefer to feel more on top of the mattress than enveloped by it, which is why I would steer these folks to a firmer build.
- Average Weight Side Sleepers – Average weight side sleepers should experience great contouring and pressure relief on this bed, while still maintaining a healthy spinal alignment, making it a great choice for them.
- Average Weight Stomach Sleepers – I don’t necessarily recommend this mattress to stomach sleepers, who need a firmer mattress to prevent sinkage at the hips.
Is the Zinus a Good Mattress for Heavy Sleepers (over 250 pounds)?
- Heavy Back Sleepers – Heavy sleepers might want to look into a firmer option with less foam — like one of our best innerspring mattresses. Typically an all foam mattress is not going to have enough support for heavier weights, and the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress is no exception.
- Heavy Side Sleepers – See above.
- Heavy Stomach Sleepers – See above.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Pain Relief Performance
A mattress with good pressure relief can help alleviate pain at the shoulders, hips, and lower back. To get an idea of how well the Zinus relieves pressure, I used my handy pressure map.
Putting the pressure map on top of the mattress and laying on top showed me where pressure was relieved and where it wasn’t. For reference, blue and green indicate areas of low pressure, while yellow and red indicate areas of high pressure.
Back Pain – The pressure map shows nearly all blue on the Zinus around my back when I’m on my back and side. Personally, I felt my lower back tension vanish as the Zinus’s memory foam conformed to my lumbar region. The opposite is true when I was lying on my stomach. The same sinkage occurred, but my hips felt enveloped by the bed — this tells me it would worsen back pain.
Shoulder Pain – You can say goodbye to shoulder pain on the Zinus Memory Foam mattress. Its soft layers relieve shoulder pressure, especially for side sleepers. These sleepers tend to put lots of weight into their shoulders when lying down, and the Zinus absorbs it all. I highly recommend sleepers with shoulder pain check out this mattress.
Hip Pain – My hips sank into the mattress quite substantially, so I have to conclude that the Zinus is likely not a good choice for strict stomach sleepers with hip pain. The sinkage at the hips creates unhealthy posture that can exacerbate pain. However, back and side sleepers with hip pain should find relief on the Zinus.
Zinus Memory Foam Performance for Couples
When sharing the bed with a partner, you’ll want to keep a few more things in mind while shopping for a new mattress. Features you’ll want to consider include motion transfer, performance during sex, cooling, and edge support.
Motion Transfer
Motion transfer refers to the amount of noticeable disturbance from one end of the mattress to the other. How well a mattress does with motion transfer can be really important for couples, especially if your bedmate is a restless sleeper.
To test out the Zinus Green Tea mattress’s motion transfer, I dropped a 10-pound steel ball onto the mattress from three different heights. A 4 inch drop simulated tossing and turning in the bed, an 8 inch drop simulated getting out of bed, and a 12 inch drop simulated how it would feel if a bedmate, or pet, were to make a quick movement/jump. For reference, the bigger the lines, the bigger the disturbance.
The Zinus had some really good motion isolation. The thick, soft memory foam comfort layer dulls a lot of the motion on the mattress. We can probably thank the foam’s naturally slow response to pressure for that! This is definitely a thumbs up for all of the couples out there.
Sex
While the Zinus has great motion transfer, it does not have much bounce or responsiveness. This is not uncommon for an all-foam mattress, but does make this a poor bed for sex. That is not to say that activity in the bedroom would be impossible, it just may come with an extra challenge when trying to move around without getting stuck in the bed.
Cooling
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, memory foam mattresses tend to trap heat more than other builds. The bed does all that it can to create a classic memory foam feel without overheating the sleeper — but sometimes just putting in the effort doesn’t cut it. The ActivCharcoal and green tea extract help, but they don’t necessarily make the Zinus a “cool” mattress. I still felt warm lying on this bed and would not recommend it to extra hot sleepers.
Edge Support
It doesn’t come as much of a shock to note that the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress lacks solid edge support. With its all-foam construction, the mattress sags when weight is placed on the edge of the bed. Couples should keep this in mind as it makes the usable area of the bed smaller.
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well.
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
100 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Warranty
10-year warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
10-year warranty
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
100 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Trial Period
100 nights
Warranty
10-year warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
What is the Zinus Mattress Made of?
The 12 inch Zinus mattress is built with four layers of memory foam, poly foam, and high-density poly foam. This combination of materials is intended to create a gentle structure, full of deep sinkage and body-contouring. But is the bed as pressure-relieving as this design would have us believe it is? Let’s dive into the layers to find out!
Cover – The Zinus starts off with a relatively standard polyester cover. It’s very thin, so it should help with the overall breathability of the bed.
Comfort Layer – After the thin cover, the Zinus moves straight into 3 inches of memory foam. The material has a slow response to pressure, which allows for plenty of sinkage and body-contouring. Its slow response to pressure provides good pressure relief, but the thin cover doesn’t provide much of a barrier to stop memory foam’s tendency to sleep hot. To counter this, the Zinus infuses green tea and ActivCharcoal into the foam to absorb moisture and neutralize odor.
Transition Layer – After the soft memory foam, 2 inches of firmer poly foam helps to keep the sleeper from sinking right into the firm support base of the Zinus. This layer of poly foam is not as firm as the layers below, so it still allows some contouring (but not nearly as much as the comfort layer).
Support Layer – Underneath the transition layer, the first layer of 3.5 inch high-density poly foam begins to provide foundational support.
Base Layer – Finally, the second layer of high-density poly foam gives shape to the Zinus and supports the first layer. Using HD poly foam is a fairly standard thing for bed-in-a-box mattresses, and the Zinus seemingly takes the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude here.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Unboxing and Off-Gassing
The Zinus Memory Foam is a bed-in-a-box mattress, which means it will arrive compressed and will have to be unboxed at home. As with all bed-in-a-box mattresses, you’ll need to wait at least 24 hours for this bed to fully decompress.
Like many new mattresses, the Zinus will likely emit a smell when it is first unboxed — this is known as off-gassing. Although this smell is not harmful, it does come with an unpleasant “new mattress” smell. If you experience off-gassing, I recommend leaving the mattress in a well-ventilated room and within a few hours the smell should be completely gone!
My Final Thoughts about the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
After learning about everything from construction to firmness, it’s now time to answer the all-important question: Is the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam the best mattress for you? To help you decide, check out my final thoughts!
My favorite things about the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the 3 inches of memory foam in the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well, which is great for couples (especially those sharing the bed with restless sleepers). The Zinus is also one of the Best Mattresses on Amazon, and it’s one of my favorite budget picks!
My Zinus mattress complaints
After you sink into that memory foam, the Zinus doesn’t have much bounceback. If you need a bouncy mattress, you may want to look at one of Zinus’s hybrid mattresses. The softer profile of the Zinus means that strict stomach sleepers probably won’t get the support they need at the hips for good spinal alignment. Memory foam tends to sleep hot, and the Zinus follows this trend because it puts a lot of memory foam right next to the sleeper. I like Logan’s socks in this picture.
How Much Does the Zinus Cost?
This bed may appeal to shoppers on a budget, as it is on the lower side of all-foam mattress prices. Check out the full pricing of the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam below, and don’t forget to click on one of the coupons in this article for the latest discount!
Prices listed below will be before discount or offer for each size.
| Size | Dimensions | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | 39” x 75” x 12” | $399.99 |
| Full | 54” x 75” x 12” | $321.57 |
| Queen | 60” x 80” x 12” | $266.56 |
| King | 76” x 80” x 12” | $485.51 |
| California King | 72” x 84” 12” | $454.91 |
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well.
The soft profile of the Zinus provides strict side sleepers with plenty of pressure relief in the hips and shoulders. If you love to sink into your mattress and prefer a classic memory foam feel, the Zinus should be right up your alley. The Zinus also isolates motion very well.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
100 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Warranty
10-year warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
10-year warranty
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
100 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Soft: 5/10
Trial Period
100 nights
Warranty
10-year warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress Policies and FAQs
Does the Zinus come with a mattress warranty?
Yes! The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress comes with a worry-free 10 year limited warranty.
What is the Zinus Memory Foam mattress made of?
The Zinus memory foam mattress is built with four layers of memory foam, poly foam, and high-density poly foam. It also comes with a standard polyester cover.
Does the Zinus Memory Foam mattress come with a sleep trial?
The Zinus memory foam mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial. This gives consumers over three full months to try out the mattress.
Where can I buy the Zinus mattress?
Head over to everyone’s favorite website, Amazon, to purchase your brand new Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress. Twin, full, queen, king, and California king sizes are all available.
Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Vs
It’s always a good idea to compare a bed to some of its competition. A few all-foam budget mattresses challengers of Zinus are the Tuft & Needle and the Nectar. These are both well-known brands in the value mattress market with similar features. However, there are some differences you should know about to make a more informed buying decision.
Zinus vs Tuft & Needle
- The Tuft & Needle is an all-foam bed-in-a-box, just like the Zinus.
- Instead of memory foam, the Tuft & Needle uses a proprietary alternative that sleeps cooler and has a quicker response to pressure.
- As a result, the Tuft & Needle has a firmer profile than the Zinus. Overall, I can recommend this bed for back sleepers.
- The Tuft & Needle is more expensive than the Zinus.
- Check out my full Tuft & Needle review here!
The Tuft & Needle is a surprisingly supportive all-foam mattress that back sleepers will enjoy. It’s pretty breathable, which helps it sleep cool, and comes in at an affordable price, making it ideal for budget shoppers.
The Tuft & Needle is a surprisingly supportive all-foam mattress that back sleepers will enjoy. It’s pretty breathable, which helps it sleep cool, and comes in at an affordable price, making it ideal for budget shoppers.
Tuft & Needle Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
100 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping minus HI and AK
Firmness
Medium-firm: 7/10
Warranty
10-year limited warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
Tuft & Needle Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
10-year limited warranty
Firmness
Medium-firm: 7/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping minus HI and AK
Trial Period
100 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
Tuft & Needle Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Medium-firm: 7/10
Trial Period
100 nights
Warranty
10-year limited warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping minus HI and AK
Price Range
$$$$$
Zinus vs Nectar
- Like the Zinus, the Nectar is an all-foam mattress that features memory foam.
- Overall, the Nectar has a very similar build to the Zinus — 3 inches of memory foam, a transition layer, and 6 inches of high density poly foam.
- Like the Zinus, the Nectar allows the sleeper to sink deep into its comfort layer.
- The good motion isolation in the Nectar makes it an attractive choice for couples.
- The Nectar is going to be a bit more expensive than the Zinus.
- Check out my full Nectar mattress review here!
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types: Financing options are available for this mattress. The original Nectar mattress is a pressure-relieving, yet supportive, bed. It’s made with a thick layer of gel memory foam, which allows the sleeper to really sink into its surface.
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types: Financing options are available for this mattress. The original Nectar mattress is a pressure-relieving, yet supportive, bed. It’s made with a thick layer of gel memory foam, which allows the sleeper to really sink into its surface.
We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types: Financing options are available for this mattress.Nectar Mattress
Material
Foam
Trial Period
365 nights
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Price Range
$$$$$
Joint Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from joint pain.
Hip Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from hip pain.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.
Financing Options
Nectar Mattress
Material
Foam
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Trial Period
365 nights
Price Range
$$$$$
Joint Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from joint pain.
Hip Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from hip pain.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.
Financing Options
Nectar Mattress
Material
Foam
Firmness
Soft: 6/10
Trial Period
365 nights
Warranty
Lifetime warranty
Shipping Method
Free shipping
Price Range
$$$$$
Joint Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from joint pain.
Hip Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from hip pain.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.
Financing Options
Our Review Process
Our Sleepopolis reviewers personally test each mattress. We start by unboxing the mattress to figure out how difficult (or easy) it is to get the mattress from the box to the bed. Then, we spend time laying on the bed in different positions, taking time to assess it on our backs, stomachs, and sides. Next, we perform our Sleepopolis tests, using specialized tools to measure qualities like motion transfer, bounce, and pressure relief. Our last step is to open up the mattress and take a look at each layer. These steps allow us to give our final verdict on the mattress. Jump back to our mattress picks.
Take a look at how the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam performed on my star rating chart below!
Zinus Memory Foam Mattress
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Materials
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Comfort
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Support
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Value
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Cooling
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Edge Support
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Sex
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Smell
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Company
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Refunds
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Trial
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Warranty
