Simmons Beautyrest Black Raquel Luxury Firm Mattress Review

This mattress review is broken up into two parts:

1.  A comfort review from a Sleep City sleep expert.
2.  A detailed interior breakdown which will explain where each component is located in the mattress and what each component does for your body.

Sleep City Expert | Beautyrest Black Raquel Luxury Firm Mattress Review 

Firmness Feel & Support

The mattress cover on the Raquel Luxury Firm Mattress is the first thing that I notice; it is intricately woven and incredibly soft. The clean white top looks very crisp and modern as it contrasts starkly against the slate grey color of the sides of the mattress. Overall, the aesthetic is very serene and clean, it has a very fresh feel.

As I sit on the edge of the mattress, releasing my weight onto the side of the bed I immediately notice that the edge of the bed is well-supported. It feels firm, but not hard or abrupt. Perched on the edge of the bed I feel that it holds my weight while remaining soft and supportive. I am not sinking into the edge of the mattress, and it feels like it is holding its shape. As I regain a standing position I take notice that I’m barely standing upright before the memory foam has regained its shape. This shows me that the mattress has a quick response time, less than 5 seconds. Mattresses with a quick response time usually have minimal issues with motion transfer, so I won’t have to worry about waking my partner in the middle of the night.

As I lie back down on the mattress and relax I take note of feeling well-supported; but, not enveloped. A plush mattress can sometimes feel as though it is enveloping your body. The Raquel Luxury Firm is supportive, without wrapping around me. I still feel that there is deep contouring though. The mattress seems to conform to the curvatures of my body, meaning that even my lower back feels well-supported, even though my hips rest deeper in the mattress that the rest of my body does. I particularly like that there are no gaps between my body and the mattress, my spine feels well-aligned and supported. I have experienced a mattress too firm for my taste that didn’t contour into my lower back, and it was not a comfortable experience. The Raquel Luxury Firm provides a deeply supportive and well-contoured feel, so every inch of me feels well supported. As someone who likes sleeping on my back, this mattress seems like a good fit. I feel the deep contouring, but my hips don’t sink in too far as to throw my spine out of alignment.

As I rotate to relax on my side I immediately notice the deep contouring effect. My hips sink into the mattress and are cradled in soft support, while my upper body is supported but a side sleeper pillow really helps to keep things well-aligned. As I rotate again to lay on my stomach my upper body doesn’t seem to sink into the mattress as much, again it feels supportive, yet soft and comfortable.

Overall, the Beautyrest Black Raquel Luxury Firm Mattress is incredibly comfortable and very luxurious feeling. On the Comfort Scale, it rates a 40, so this middle-of-the-road comfort level is a great choice for people who sleep in all different positions.

Interior Breakdown of the Raquel Luxury Firm Mattress

The Simmons Beautyrest Black Raquel Luxury Firm mattress is most comparable to the Simmons Beautyrest Black Mariela Luxury Firm Pillowtop. The only difference between the two is the Raquel Luxury Firm has Contour Support Nanocoils.

THE SLEEP SURFACE

Black High Definition Luxury Cover

The mattress cover is crafted with the Black High Definition Luxury Cover, which is a high definition knit fabric designed for phenomenal breathability and a luxuriously soft feel. It really is just incredibly soft.

THE COMFORT LAYER

SurfaceCool Plus Fiber

Directly beneath the cover SurfaceCool Plus Fiber is vertically integrated into the sleep surface. This innovative material is designed to keep you cool and comfortable. You might notice that all the materials used in the manufacturing of these mattresses work together to keep you cool and comfortable during the night. The SufaceCool Plus fibers are made of Tencel fibers and are vertically oriented to create airflow channels for maximum breathability. Tencel is a natural fiber that is derived from wood pulp and is designed to dissipate body heat so you can sleep comfortably thru the night. For additional temperature control, check out our Tencel Sheets in our linens section.

AirFeel Foam

This soft foam has an open cell structure to allow a high rate of air flow throughout the mattress. This promotes breathability, keeping you cool and comfortable while you sleep.

THE CONTOUR LAYER

Dynamic Response Memory Foam

The next layer is constructed with Dynamic Response Memory Foam. This ventilated memory foam is often used in Simmons firmer models, as it provides a more supportive firm feel. Because this Simmons exclusive foam is molded pour foam instead of continuous pour foam, it creates a comfortably firm feeling. The foam is molded with airflow channels throughout promoting a deep contouring back support while increasing airflow simultaneously. Because this is firmer foam it provides this mattress with conforming back support and pressure relief. Along with its supportive properties, this foam is also ventilated for proper airflow throughout the mattress.

Contour Support Nanocoils

The newest innovation in the Special Edition Beautyrest Black lineup is a layer of Contour Support Nanocoils. The additional layer of Nanocoils gives the mattress a highly comfortable feel with pressure relief and enhanced support. While trying the mattress in a store you can feel a significant difference between the mattresses with and without Nanocoils. The Nanocoils provide wonderful support, while still maintaining an incredibly comfortable sleep surface. This is possible because the Nanocoils are designed to provide individualized back support, as the contour to fit your every curve.

Advanced Pocketed Coil Layer

The Supportive base of the Simmons Beautyrest Black Raquel Luxury Firm mattress is formed from the Advanced Pocketed Coil layer. Since Simmons invented the pocketed coil in 1925 there has been no shortage of copycats and innovations, ultimately this drove the market forward paving the way for some truly remarkable innovation. The Advanced Pocketed Coil is not available in any other Simmons line and is used exclusively for the Simmons Beautyrest Black line. The top-of-the-line Advanced Pocketed Coil is the only one manufactured with high carbon steel coils. The coils are triple strand wrapped, creating a stronger and longer lasting coil. These coils are designed to be more durable and hold-up better over time, even under strenuous use. The design prevents motion transfer, meaning that you’ll sleep through the night if your partner gets up for that glass of water in the middle of the night. Because the coils conform to fit your individual curves, when you change sleeping positions only the coils supporting you shift, meaning the rest of the bed remains still and undisturbed.