Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress Review

In this Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress review I’m going to analyse this very popular mattress.

I have constructed this review based on my own in-depth knowledge of how mattresses tend to behave based on their qualities to give you a better idea of how this mattress is likely to feel and perform before you buy it.

My Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress Review

If you’re in a rush then here’s my elevator summary of the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea mattress.

Otherwise, feel free to check out the rest of this review for a super-detailed analysis of this mattress.

Quick Summary

The Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea mattress offers a medium-firm feel, good support, and contoured pressure relief that makes it a great buy for all sleeping positions for sleepers in the 130 lbs – 200 lbs weight range.

I would recommend buying the 12 inch thickness over all of the thinner thickness options because it offers superior support.

The only exception I would make is if you’re planning on using an adjustable bed base with your Zinus mattress because a thinner version has less chance of experiencing fold marks.

Also, do NOT remove the mattress cover!

Because this may damage the integrity of the mattress.

Who is This Mattress Best For?

• Back sleepers in the 130 lbs – 200 lbs weight range.

• Front sleepers in the 130 lbs – 200 lbs weight range.

• Side sleepers in the 130 lbs – 200 lbs weight range.

• Couples because the memory foam should limit the feeling of your bed partner moving around at night.

Who Should Avoid this Mattress?

• Sleepers of all positions over 250 lbs may find the support insufficient.

• Side sleepers under 130 lbs may or may not find this mattress to be too firm.

• Heavier weighted side sleepers who hug the edge of the bed might feel like they are falling out due to the questionable edge support.

• Combo sleepers over 200 lbs may find this mattress too difficult to move around in due to the extra ‘give’ that memory foam confers.

• If you tend to sleep hot then this mattress may cause you to feel too warm because it potentially lacks cooling properties.

Mattress Structure

The exact structure of the mattress differs slightly depending on the thickness that you order, which also influences how firm the mattress will feel (more on firmness in the next section).

All options come with a knitted jacquard cover for increasing softness and comfort – beneath which sits a layer of memory foam that’s designed to contour to your exact body shape to relieve pressure on key areas like your hips and shoulders.

But then things start to change.

Because the second foam layer of the 6 inch mattress is made from high density support foam, whilst all of the other mattress thicknesses use Zinus’ proprietary Comfort Foam® which is designed to provide the bridge between comfort and support.

And the final layer of each mattress is made from high density base support foam which provides enough support to keep your spine in its correct alignment to guard against back pain.

Here’s a layer-by-layer breakdown of each mattress relative to the different thicknesses.

Performance Analysis

I’m now going to provide my thoughts on how I think that the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress performs in the following key areas.

Firmness

I’ve labelled the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress as having a medium-firm level of firmness.

This means that the mattress will be perfect for you if you sleep on your front or your back and you weigh between 130 lbs and 200 lbs because the slight bias towards ‘firm’ (as opposed to ‘soft’) means that the increased surface tension can help to keep your hips in their natural alignment to guard against back pain.

However, the firmness starts to decrease ever so slightly as you begin to choose a thinner version of the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress due to the corresponding decrease in memory foam thickness.

I would put the 6 inch option into the medium level of firmness – making it better for lighter weighted sleepers because there’s less chance of you crashing into the support layers below like a sleeper over 250 lbs might.

Support

Having a mattress with enough support is critical because it’s what keeps your spine in its correct alignment to guard against back pain.

The 12″ thickness option has the best level of support because it has a 7″ high density foam layer making up the base – which is up to 3″ more than the other thickness options.

So if you’re around the 200 lbs range then you’ll definitely want to go for the 12″ option to ensure that you’re getting enough support.

I would also go for the 12″ thickness selection if you sleep on your front because this sleeping position often quickly leads to back pain when the mattress sags too much as a result of too little support and/or firmness.

Comfort

Memory foam topped mattresses are typically some of the most comfortable because the foam moulds to your exact body shape by absorbing your body heat.

The fact that the lower support layers are made from high density memory foam means that you shouldn’t have any comfort issues relating to the support if you weigh less than 200 lbs.

If you weigh significantly more than 200 lbs then you might want to consider a hybrid memory foam mattress with a spring core because these types of beds are typically better at supporting greater body weights whilst retaining comfort.

I highly recommend the Mlily Fusion 2000 or the Mlily Theatre of Dreams hybrid mattresses if you’re on the heavier side because they have exceptional support.

Moving Around

Pure memory foam mattresses aren’t as good as latex and traditional innerspring mattress when it comes to moving around easily in the bed.

This is because the foam typically has much more give to it than the other types of materials used to make mattresses.

This means that if you’re a combo sleeper over 200 lbs that moves around a lot during the night, then you might be better going for a firmer hybrid or innerspring mattress instead of the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress since it’s made entirely of memory foam.

Couples

If you hate being woken up by your bed partner moving around during the night then I think that the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea mattress is a good option for you.

Because memory foam is typically much better at absorbing the shock waves associated with movement than innerspring and even hybrid mattresses.

I’m sure that you know how annoying it is to feel your spring mattress shake and make an irritating squeaking sound each time your partner turns over!

I suggest going for the 12″ option because a thicker mattress means more shock wave absorption and a better night’s rest for you both.

Edge Support

One of the biggest problems with memory foam mattresses is their poor edge support.

And I can’t see any evidence of the edges of the Zinus Memory Foam mattress being reinforced with edge support foam to combat this.

So if you’re the sort of side sleeper that tends to hug the edge of the bed then I don’t think the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress is right for you because you’ll constantly be battling that horrible feeling of falling out of the bed all the time.

Allergies

There’s a possibility that opening the mattress cover may compromise the integrity of the mattress which may release particles that might not help your allergies if you have them.

Don’t open the mattress cover.

Temperature Regulation

Generally speaking, memory foam mattresses tend to sleep hot when compared to hybrid and innerspring beds.

I don’t exactly know what the patented Comfort Foam® layer contains, but there doesn’t appear to be much emphasis on adding cooling gel, gel beads, or foam that’s designed to increase air flow help you sleep cool.

So I would say that if you’re a naturally hot sleeper then the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress might not be the best choice for you.

And I would instead consider Zinus’ 12 Inch Gel-Infused Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress as an alternative because it’s been engineered more specifically to help you sleep cool.

Keeping You Dry

I don’t think that this mattress has any specific moisture wicking properties to help you stay dry if you sweat too much at night.

And given that memory foam tends to warm you up, I would once again suggest that you consider an alternative if you tend to sleep hot and need to stay cool and dry at night.

Odor

Compressed memory foam mattresses are known for ‘off gassing’ – where a chemical smell is emitted due to particles escaping as the mattress expands.

In most cases, the smell should go away in a few days or weeks – keep the room well ventilated in the meantime.

Sleeping Position and Weight Analysis

If a mattress doesn’t suit your dominant sleeping position relative to your body weight then you can expect discomfort.

Here’s how comfortable the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress might be for the most common sleeping positions and body weight ranges based on my own personal opinion.

Back Sleepers

If you sleep on your back and weigh between 130 lbs and 200 lbs then the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea mattress should be ideal for you.

Because it will have enough surface tension and underlying support to keep your hips in the correct position and guard against back pain.

I suspect that if you weigh between 200 lbs and 250 lbs, you will also be ok with the 12 inch version of this mattress if you sleep on your back – but I would definitely consider a hybrid or innerspring mattress if you weigh more than 250 lbs.

If you weigh less than 130 lbs then you should be ok if you sleep on your back – although it may feel a little firm.

However, I would caution against buying the thinner versions of this mattress if you weigh 200 lbs or more because you may sink too far into the mattress.

Front Sleepers

If you are a front sleeper in the 130 lbs – 200 lbs range then you should be ok with the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea mattress.

And whilst you may find the mattress a little firm if you weigh less than 130 lbs – but still acceptable to sleep on – I would express caution if you weigh more than 200 lbs because this could lead to back pain.

And I would definitely consider an alternative with greater support if you weigh more than 250 lbs.

Side Sleepers

If you weigh between 130 lbs and 200 lbs and you sleep mostly on your side then you’ll probably be fine with the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea mattress because the foam will provide enough pressure relief on your shoulders and hips to help you sleep comfortably.

If you weigh less than 130 lbs then it may feel a little bit too firm in those areas.

Combo Sleepers

If you tend to switch positions a lot during the night and you weigh more than 200 lbs then the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea mattress might not be ideal for you because memory foam tends to have more ‘give’ than latex-hybrid and innerspring mattresses.

This can lead to feeling like you’re ‘stuck’ in the memory foam as you try to move around.

Can You Return This Mattress?

Yes.

If you buy the mattress directly from Zinus then you have up to 100 days to try this mattress with the option to return it if you don’t like it.

Is This Mattress Easy to Set Up?

Yes.

The mattress will arrive in a neatly compressed box that you can carry to your room with relative ease.

From there, you should lay the mattress on your bed frame, carefully cut away the packaging, and let the mattress expand to its full size (this may take up to 72 hours).

I would also open the windows to allow the off-gassing smell to dissipate.

You should unpack your mattress within 1 week of delivery to ensure that the mattress isn’t compressed for too long – which may hinder its ability to expand to its full volume.

Which Base Types Are Compatible With This Mattress?

The Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress should work with most base types including:

• Adjustable base (thinner mattress thicknesses work better with adjustable bases because they are less likely to experience fold marks).

• Platform.

• Slatted.

• Bunkie board.

• Box spring.

Pros

• Wide range of sizes available.

• Available in a range of thicknesses.

• 10 year pro rated warranty.

• Memory foam provides individualised comfort and pressure relief by contouring to your exact body shape.

• Mattress arrives in a neat and portable box for easy carry and assembly.

• Slight bias towards firmness to help guard against back pain when sleeping on your back.

• Good at reducing the impact of your bed partner moving around at night.

• Shouldn’t require a deep pocket fitted sheet since the mattress is less than 14 inches thick (unless you use a mattress topper that causes the total thickness to exceed this amount).

• 100 night sleep trial when you buy through zinus.com.

Cons

• You should NOT remove the mattress cover because this may damage the integrity of the mattress structure.

• Tends to sleep hot – no cooling gel, gel beads, or enhanced airflow to keep you cool.

• Highly likely to produce a strong smell for a few days after opening your mattress.

• Questionable edge support.

• You can’t flip this mattress because of its unilateral design – although rotating it is recommended to extend the lifespan.

Final Ratings

Here are my final ratings out of 5 for the Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea mattress.

Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea Mattress Conclusion

In my opinion?

What lets the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress down is its lack of cooling properties.

So I would certainly consider buying the gel-infused version of the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress if you tend to sleep hot and I’d pair it with a set of cooling bed sheets too.

On the positive side, the medium-firm feel, good support, and pressure relieving qualities of the memory foam make this a potentially very comfortable mattress if you are a front, back, or side sleeper in the 130 lbs – 200 lbs weight range.

And I would recommend buying the 12 inch thickness over all of the other mattress thicknesses options because of the greater support – unless you are specifically using this mattress with an adjustable bed, in which case a thinner mattress will have less chance of experiencing fold lines.

If you have slept on the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress yourself and/or disagree/agree with my thoughts in this review please let me know in the comments section at the end of this post. 🙂

What Are the Alternatives?

I’ve already made some specific suggestions for alternatives to the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress throughout this post – both within and outside the Zinus brand.

But if you’re still sat there confused or not totally sold on the Zinus Memory Foam Green Tea mattress then click the button below.

And you can select from a range of popular bed-in-box mattress alternatives for a range of different sleeping positions, body weights, and specific requirements such as guarding against allergies.

Dan

Dan is the founder and head content creator at Bedroom Style Reviews.

He has been working as a professional online product reviewer since 2015 and was inspired to start this website when he ended up sleeping on a memory foam mattress that was too soft and gave him backache.

Through in-depth research and analysis, Dan’s goal with this website is to help others avoid such pitfalls by creating the best online resource for helping you find your ideal mattress, bedding, and bedroom furniture.

Dan is a qualified NVQ Level 2 Fitness Instructor with 6 years’ experience helping clients improve their health through diet, exercise, and proper sleep hygiene.

He also holds several college and university-level qualifications in health sciences, psychology, mathematics, art, and digital media creation – which helps him to publish well researched and informative product reviews as well as articles on sleep, health, wellbeing, and home decor.

Dan also has direct personal experience with insomnia, anxiety, misophonia (hypersensitivity to sounds), and pain from both acute and long-standing sporting injuries – he enjoys writing insightful articles around these subjects to help fellow sufferers of such conditions.

Learn more about Dan here.