Essentia Grateful Eight Mattress Review (2024)
Published: November 19, 2024
Sam Kulathilaka
Sleep Content Specialist
Our Rankings
Edge support and
motion isolation are factored into our overall mattress ratings. These scores are shown in green (scores of 5.0+), yellow (3.0–4.9), or red (2.9 and below).
Firmness,
bounce, and cooling features are a matter of personal preference and aren’t part of our rating system, so these scores are shown in grey.
5.1 /10
7.8 /10
7.7 /10
4.7 /10
4.0 /10
Product Details
Essentia Grateful Eight stands 8″ tall and has a medium feel. Medium mattresses may be suitable if you’re under 130 lb and a side sleeper, but they may not provide enough support if you’re a heavier sleeper and/or sleep on your back or stomach. It has very good edge support, good motion isolation, and average bounce.
The mattress features an organic construction. The top cover is made of organic cotton and is removable and machine washable. However, this cover is not covered by the mattress’s 20-year warranty; instead, it’s covered by a separate 1-year warranty.
Essentia Grateful Eight consists of 4 layers of latex, all of which are GOLS-certified. However, the FTC has barred this company in the past for making multiple unsupported claims when advertising its mattresses as VOC free. This is something to consider if these factors are important in your purchase decision.
Although weight specifications are not available on Essentia’s website, this mattress was incredibly heavy and difficult for us to handle even before it was unboxed and expanded. After being unboxed, the mattress required three people to move due to its excessive sagging.
Purchasing Essentia Grateful Eight from Costco requires a Costco membership, and is subject to Costco’s standard return policy. Costco also doesn’t offer an at-home sleep trial, but mattresses purchased from Essentia directly come with a 120-night sleep trial. The mattress is covered by a 20-year limited warranty. However, if you want to return your mattress, you’ll need to pay a nominal 9% fee if your return is approved—$242 for a queen size.
On third-party consumer trust sites like Trustpilot, customers have complained about difficulties with making returns and warranty claims, as well as long delays in delivery and processing returns. We experienced the same delays when ordering the mattress for this review. It took a full month to arrive, with limited updates from the manufacturer.
Consider Octave Horizon instead. It combines features similar to the Essentia mattress such as aerated latex, at a much more competitive price of $1,499 for a queen size. It also combines advanced sleep technologies, such as antimicrobial CopperGel™ memory foam, ecoLuxe® cooling gel foam, and a machine-washable cover woven with cooling nanofibres, ensuring a fresh and clean sleep surface.
Designed for ergonomic comfort, its five-zoned support system targets key pressure points like your shoulders, hips, and lower back, promoting proper spinal alignment and overall comfort. With a 365-night sleep trial, a 15-year warranty, and a free bedding bundle included, the Octave Horizon delivers premium features and incredible value, making it a smarter choice for those seeking a high-quality mattress at a lower price point.
Ideal For: Side Sleepers
Buy your next mattress from a company that has 5,200+ five-star reviews from happy shoppers.
Read Octave Horizon Review
You May Prefer:
Octave Horizon
9.4 /10
Made in
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Winner!
Our Pick for Best Sleep Mattress 2024
Essentia Mattress Sizes & Prices
Want a queen-size mattress that provides more value for your dollar? Consider Octave Horizon instead.
Read Octave Horizon Review
Delivery, Sleep Trial & Returns
Essentia offers free shipping to most regions within Canada, though you’ll have to pay for shipping to the Territories and remote regions. Essentia uses FedEx to deliver their mattresses in Canada and in the contiguous United States. For $249, you can opt in for their “Home Delivery” service, which includes scheduled delivery, mattress setup, and mattress removal for your old mattress if you choose.
Essentia’s mattresses are made to order. Once your order is placed, it will take 2–3 business days to process your order, plus 15 business days to produce the mattress. Including dispatch and delivery time, your mattress should arrive in 10–20 business days.
In our experience, it took a full month to receive the mattress we ordered. Communication from Essentia was sparse during this time, and we only received information when we contacted them directly to ask for updates. We expect this would be frustrating for other customers, considering the price paid for a queen-size mattress.
Essentia is heavier than many other mattresses we’ve unboxed previously. Paired with the fact that it arrived in a larger-than-average box, we found this mattress very difficult to move. This difficulty continued after unboxing—because the mattress is so floppy, it required three people to move.
Essentia gives you 120 nights to try the Grateful Eight mattress. This is slightly longer than the industry average of 100 nights (but is still one-third the trial length of competing mattresses like Octave Horizon). The company offers free return service, including pickups. Your refund depends on the condition of the mattress. If it’s approved, a “nominal return fee” of 9% of the listed retail price will be deducted from your refund. For a queen-size mattress, this means you’ll pay a return fee of $242.
You will not receive the same sleep trial if you purchase your mattress from Costco, as you will be subject to Costco’s return policy instead. Costco only provides a return pickup service for mattresses purchased online. The company’s standard return policy applies, meaning your return has to be approved if you want your money back.
The Essentia Grateful Eight mattress is covered by the manufacturer’s 20-year limited warranty, with a separate 1-year warranty for the mattress cover. This also applies to Essentia mattresses purchased from Costco. The warranty offers full coverage for the first 10 years and prorated coverage for the next 10 years, covering manufacturing defects only.
Customers on third-party review sites such as Trustpilot have mentioned issues with warranty claims and returning Essentia mattresses, citing difficulty with their customer service and long delays in receiving their refunds.
Get an industry-leading 365-night sleep trial and free returns with Octave Horizon.
Read Octave Horizon Review
Essentia Mattress Construction
Essentia Grateful Eight stands 8″ high and has 4 distinct interior layers. The foams used in this mattress are not CertiPUR-US® certified, but the textiles are GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified.
- Layer 1: The top layer is 2″ of organic latex foam. This layer adds some plushness when you lie down and most closely conforms to your body’s shape. It’s also perforated to promote airflow.
- Layer 2: The second layer is 2″ of organic latex foam, which makes up the mattress’s “support core.” This layer adds support and spinal alignment for your back.
- Layer 3: The third layer is 2″ of organic latex which uses a proprietary formula. This layer is meant to relieve pressure points. However, Essentia doesn’t explain what this formula is or what it does, so it’s not clear how the layer provides added benefits.
- Layer 4: The fourth layer is 2″ of perforated organic latex, which adds plushness and breathability to the mattress.
The mattress cover, which is only covered by a 1-year warranty separate from the 20-year mattress warranty, is made of GOTS-certified organic cotton. It’s removable and machine-washable. Under the top cover, there’s also an organic cotton liner, which the company says prevents wear and tear. Essentia also claims that its proprietary latex foam formula protects your mattress from mould, but they don’t explain how.
Want a mattress that contains latex and promotes a good night’s sleep? Consider Octave Horizon instead.
Read Octave Horizon Review
MattressReviews.ca commissions licensed third-party engineers and uses public data to rate mattresses on over 40 criteria.
This allows us to accurately rate and compare the performance of the mattresses reviewed on this website. Engineer independence and operating standards help ensure their results remain unbiased, valid, and reliable. Each mattress was evaluated using the same strict mattress testing methodology to protect the overall integrity of the results. The full report has been given the official stamp of approval from an APEGA-certified engineer operating under a strict ethical code of conduct.
Mattress testing conducted outside of this professional standard poses a greater risk of validity errors or reviewer bias.
5.1 /10
Firmness
In third-party engineer testing (commissioned by us), Essentia Grateful Eight deflected 3.8 inches when laid on, giving it a firmness score of 5.1/10. This puts it in the medium category, which matches how it’s advertised on its website. This firmness level is suitable if you’re a side sleeper weighing under 130 lb, but back and stomach sleepers might find that this mattress doesn’t have enough support.
(Octave Horizon’s 6.0/10 firmness score places the mattress in the medium-firm category, hitting the perfect balance between comfort and support for a good night’s sleep.)
7.8 /10
Edge Support
Essentia Grateful Eight had a deflection of 4.4 inches from a seated position, resulting in a score of 7.8/10 for edge support. This is an excellent score. You’ll be able to sit on the edge of this mattress with no issues. You also won’t need to worry about falling off the bed if you sleep closer to the edge.
7.7 /10
Motion Isolation
Motion isolation is essential for getting a good night’s rest. Essentia Grateful Eight scored 7.7/10 for motion isolation, which is an excellent score. You shouldn’t notice most of your partner’s movements while you’re sleeping on this mattress.
4.7 /10
Bounce
Bounce in a mattress is a matter of personal preference. High bounce can make it easier to change positions, while low bounce provides a stable surface for restful sleep, which is good for light sleepers. Essentia Grateful Eight earned a bounce score of 4.7/10, which is slightly below average for a foam mattress. You shouldn’t have any difficulty changing positions or getting up in the morning.
(If you wake up often during the night, you’ll want a more consistent sleep surface that still provides enough bounce to change positions easily. Try Octave Horizon with its lower bounce score of 3.8/10.)
4.0 /10
Cooling Features
Essentia Grateful Eight is advertised as a “temperature neutral” mattress rather than a cooling mattress, meaning that it doesn’t actively cool but allows for natural airflow. This mattress earns points for its:
- Organic cotton cover and cotton liner, which are breathable and move heat away from the body
- Layers of latex foam, which have an open cell structure and allow for breathability
- Perforations in some of the foam layers to improve airflow
If you’re looking for a foam mattress with more advanced cooling features such as cooling nanofibres, PolarMAX® phase change material, CopperGel™ infused memory foam and cooling gel foam so that you can have a cooler and more refreshing sleep, consider Octave Horizon.
Read Octave Horizon Review
Company Background
Essentia was founded in 2006 in Montreal, Canada. While their mattresses are made in Canada, Essentia sells their products worldwide, including to locations in the UK, Australia, US, and Singapore. They also have showrooms in Toronto, ON, and in Laval, QC.
Essentia has a history of making unsupported claims about their mattresses. The FTC barred them from making unsubstantiated claims about their mattresses after the company claimed their mattresses are made without VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds,) among other concerns. The FTC cited tests that showed these claims were provably not true.
Essentia has a non-accredited profile with the Better Business Bureau. While the company is rated “A+”, it also has no customer reviews. Essentia is also rated “Average” on Trustpilot. Customer reviews on other third-party websites complain of mattress odour and off-gassing, issues with returns and warranty claims, issues with customer service, and back pain after using the mattress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Essentia mattresses good?
Essentia Grateful Eight performed well in third-party engineer testing (commissioned by us), with good scores for edge support and motion isolation. However, many customer reviews say it causes back pain, and it lacks features we’d expect to see in a mattress that costs $2,699 for a queen size.
We think you should check out Octave Horizon instead. Horizon combines an innovative five-zone support system with aerated latex and advanced cooling features such as cooling nanofibres and premium foams to provide a refreshing and supportive sleep surface. At $1,499 for a queen size, Horizon comes with a 365-night sleep trial, a 15-year warranty, full refunds with free return pickup, and a free bedding bundle with your purchase.
Are Essentia mattresses really organic?
Yes, Essentia’s mattresses are organic. The company’s manufacturing facility is Global Organic Latex Standard and Global Organic Textile Standard certified. Its organic components are sourced from “100% certified organic farms.” The GOLS-certified mattresses are made with more than 95% certified organic latex.
However, the company has previously made unsupported claims about its mattress construction. The FTC barred them from stating their mattresses were VOC-free or made from 100% natural materials without scientific evidence.
What was the Essentia mattress lawsuit about?
The Essentia mattress lawsuit in 2013 focused on unsubstantiated advertising claims made by the company. The FTC barred Essentia from marketing its mattresses as free from VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), odourless, made from 100% natural materials, and chemical-free. The FTC ruled that these claims lacked scientific backing.
How much are Essentia mattresses?
Essentia Grateful Eight has a price range of $1,699–$3,499, and is available from twin to king size. The queen-size version costs $2,699.
Where are Essentia mattresses made?
Essentia mattresses are made at their factory in Montreal, Canada.
Who owns the Essentia mattress company?
Essentia is a privately owned company that was founded by current CEO Jack Dell’Accio.
What is the Essentia mattress warranty?
Essentia Grateful Eight has a 20-year limited warranty. The warranty provides full coverage for the first 10 years and prorated coverage for the following 10 years, covering manufacturing defects only. Foam deterioration is not covered unless there is an indentation greater than 3/4″ unrelated to a sag in the foundation. The mattress cover is not included in the 20-year warranty and has a separate 1-year warranty.
What Essentia mattress alternatives should I consider?
We think you’ll find better value in Octave Horizon. It has aerated latex foam, an innovative 5-zone system for full-body support, and advanced cooling features like a cooling nanofibre cover plus premium cooling foams. With a 365-night sleep trial, 15-year warranty, Octave Horizon offers a rejuvenating sleep experience at just $1,499 for a queen size.
Your mattress purchase also comes with a free bedding bundle that includes a mattress protector, pillow(s), sheets, and pillow protector(s). Essentia doesn’t come with a free bundle, making this just one more way Octave provides greater value at a lower price point.
You May Prefer:
Octave Horizon
9.4 /10
Made in
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Winner!
Our Pick for Best Sleep Mattress 2024
An organic latex mattress
To spend under $2,700 on a foam mattress
