Canadian brand Silk & Snow came on the bed-in-a-box scene in 2017, with the aim of making high-quality mattresses affordable and accessible for all. Their original Silk & Snow bed is a 10-inch all-foam model, featuring slow-moving memory foam that offers gentle sinkage and deep pressure relief. As well as this memory foam delight, the company sells two other mattresses – the Silk & Snow Hybrid and the Silk & Snow Organic, with the original Silk & Snow being their cheapest and most affordable offering.
To see if the Silk & Snow’s flagship model meets your needs, we’ve reviewed it for important qualities like firmness, responsiveness, motion isolation, and cooling. Read on for more.
Who We Recommend The Silk & Snow For:
- Lightweight sleepers – Do you weigh under 130 pounds and are looking for a good-value memory foam mattress? You’re in luck, as the medium-firm Silk & Snow offers a great balance of support and pressure relief for lighter individuals in all sleeping positions.
- Side sleepers – Most side sleepers should appreciate the gentle contouring and deep pressure relief offered by this bed’s memory foam comfort layer. However, side sleepers weighing over 300 pounds may prefer a firmer mattress to prevent excessive sinkage.
- Memory foam fans – The slow-moving memory foam on the Silk & Snow will appeal to those who love the deep sinkage and ‘in the bed’ feel of traditional memory foam.
Who We Don’t Recommend The Silk & Snow For:
- Average and heavy-weight stomach sleepers – Lightweight stomach sleepers should feel pleasantly supported on this mattress, but anyone weighing over 130 pounds will likely experience too much sinkage at the hips. Instead, we recommend a firmer mattress for these sleepers.
- Combination sleepers – This bed’s slow-moving memory foam makes it a little difficult to change positions during the night. Rather, combination sleepers are better suited to more quick-responding beds that foster easier repositioning.
- Heavyweight sleepers – While side sleepers weighing from 230 to 300 pounds could feel comfortable on this bed, in general, we don’t recommend it for heavier sleepers.
First Impressions: Firmness & Feel
Firmness Scale: 6.5/10
Please remember that firmness is a subjective characteristic and your shape will dictate how you experience a bed. A heavier person whose weight can more easily push through softer comfort and support layers may experience a bed as softer than a lightweight person. The way you are shaped could also play a role here. Consider your weight, shape, and size when evaluating firmness scores.
Mattress firmness is one of the most important factors when buying a new bed, impacting how soft or hard a bed feels, and the best firmness level for you depends on your weight and sleeping position. We rate mattress firmness on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being most soft and 10 being most firm.
The Silk & Snow is a 6.5 out of 10, which makes it a medium-firm mattress. Most beds fall in that medium range as it offers more versatility to accommodate a broader range of people and sleep styles.
How Does It Feel?
The Silk & Snow mattress is delivered compressed in a box and may take up to 72 hours to reach full size once unpacked. However, you don’t have to wait that long to jump in – you can sleep on it straight away.
Press your hand into the mattress and you’ll feel the incredibly slow-moving memory foam, which has almost zero bounce. Lie down on the bed, and you’ll gently sink into the foam, feeling like you’re sleeping ‘in’ the bed, rather than ‘on top’ of it.
What We Like About the Silk & Snow
- Motion isolation – This all-foam mattress had very little motion transfer, which means you shouldn’t be disturbed by a partner tossing and turning or getting in and out of bed.
- Removable cover -The Silk & Snow’s cover zips off and can be machine-washed, which is super handy if you tend to be a bit accident-prone when drinking coffee or wine in bed.
- Great pressure relief – Our tests revealed very little pressure in all sleeping positions, thanks to the gentle cushioning provided by this mattress’ memory foam layer. This means most sleepers shouldn't feel any pain or tension while sleeping.
Our Silk & Snow Complaints
- Almost no bounce – The Silk & Snow’s incredibly slow-moving memory foam is great for body contouring but offers very little responsiveness. This may be an issue for combination sleepers, people with mobility issues, or those who like a bit of bounce during sex.
- Lack of edge support – We found the edge support on this mattress to be lacking, so you’re likely to feel the sides of the mattress collapsing under your weight when sitting on the edge of the bed or sleeping close to the perimeter.
- No white glove delivery – White glove delivery is only offered to Toronto residents, which may be an issue for those who live alone and need additional help setting up their new bed.
Testing the Silk & Snow Mattress: How it Performed
To help you make an informed choice, we test each mattress thoroughly in order to rate important things like edge support, motion isolation, pressure relief, cooling, and responsiveness. Tests can be as simple as placing an item on the bed to assess motion transfer and lying on the mattress in different positions to assess overall support and comfort.
Sleeping Positions for Different Body Types
The Silk & Snow is designed to support up to 300 pounds per individual, which equals 600 pounds total for couples. This weight limit could explain why the Silk & Snow mattress didn’t perform well for heavier individuals, which we go into detail about below.
| Weight | Side Sleepers | Back Sleepers | Stomach Sleepers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight Sleepers (-130 lbs) | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ |
| Average-Weight Sleepers (130-230 lbs) | ★★★ | ★★☆ | ☆☆☆ |
| Heavyweight Sleepers (+230 lbs) | ★★☆ | ☆☆☆ | ☆☆☆ |
Side Sleepers
- Lightweight Sleepers – Side sleepers weighing under 130 pounds should sink far enough into the comfort layer to get good pressure relief at the shoulders and hip, while still feeling supported.
- Average-Weight Sleepers – Average-weight side sleepers should get a lot of comfort and pressure relief from the plushness of this mattress’ memory foam comfort layer.
- Heavyweight Sleepers – Side sleepers weighing between 230 to 300 pounds should experience great cushioning. However, any heavier and you’ll likely sink too far, hitting the support layer and causing discomfort.
Back Sleepers
- Lightweight Sleepers – This mattress is a great choice for lightweight back sleepers, who should experience good lumbar support, as well as comfortable cushioning.
- Average-Weight Sleepers – Back sleepers weighing between 130 to 230 pounds should get pretty good support on this mattress, though we found our lumbar area sinking a little too far into the comfort layer, which could cause lower back issues over time.
- Heavyweight Sleepers – Back sleepers weighing over 230 pounds are unlikely to get the support they need from the Silk & Snow and may feel their lower back resting on the support layer, misaligning their spine.
Stomach Sleepers
- Lightweight Sleepers – Lightweight sleepers tend to experience mattresses as firmer, which is why this model should work for lighter stomach sleepers, whose hips should remain elevated to avoid lower back pain.
- Average-Weight Sleepers – We don’t recommend this mattress for average-weight stomach sleepers, who won’t get the support necessary to keep the hips elevated.
- Heavyweight Sleepers – This mattress isn’t suitable for heavier stomach sleepers, who need a lot more support to keep their hips elevated and their spine in alignment.
Pressure Relief & Pain
The Silk and Snow performed well for pressure relief, delivering minimal pressure in all sleeping positions. This means the memory foam layer is doing a great job of cushioning sensitive joints.
This mattress particularly suits side sleepers, who tend to require more pressure relief at the hips and shoulders. That being said, this bed is not recommended for side sleepers weighing over 300 pounds, who’ll need a bit more support to prevent their hips from digging into the base layer.
Back Pain – For those with back pain, optimal spine support is key. We think this bed could be good for lightweight sleepers since they’ll get more support out of it. However, average and heavier people with back pain may not get enough support if they sleep on their back or stomach.
Hip Pain – Most side sleepers with hip pain should experience very little pressure in this area, thanks to the plush memory foam on this mattress. While we didn’t experience much pressure at the hips when stomach sleeping, we still don’t recommend the Silk & Snow for average to heavy-weight front sleepers, who may start feeling more pressure over time as the foam softens.
Shoulder Pain – We found that the Silk & Snow offered good pressure relief at the shoulders when sleeping on our sides, which is great news for those with sensitive shoulders.
Support
You need good support from your mattress to help your spine stay in its correct – and healthy – alignment. This will help prevent any aches and pains or related health issues over time.
The Silk & Snow’s support system comes from a transition layer of performance foam and a support layer of premium foam. We found this bed provided good support for lightweight sleepers in all positions, average-weight side sleepers, and most average-weight back sleepers, who should feel their weight evenly distributed across the bed. However, heavyweight people will likely require something more robust than the Silk & Snow.
Motion Transfer
The Silk & Snow’s slow-moving memory foam offers fantastic motion isolation, which means that any movement a partner or pet makes should stay on their side of the bed, leaving you undisturbed and sleeping soundly. This is to be expected from an all-foam bed like the Silk & Snow.
Temperature Regulation / Cooling
While all-foam beds excel at cushioning and pressure relief, they can also carry more heat. Silk & Snow has helped combat this by using a breathable cover, as well as open-cell, gel-infused memory foam in the comfort layer. The open-cell design helps air circulate throughout the foam, while the gel draws heat away from the body.
Although this bed sleeps cooler than a traditional memory foam model, we still think it sleeps too warm for exceptionally hot sleepers or those living in warmer climates.
Performance for Couples
Unfortunately, the Silk & Snow doesn’t have great edge support, which will affect couples who like to spread out and sleep closer to the perimeter. The slow-moving memory foam makes it harder to switch positions, which is something to consider for those who like a bit of responsiveness during sex.
However, what it lacks in edge support and bounce, it makes up for in motion isolation. We found this mattress to have minimal motion transfer, which is great news for light sleepers who share their bed with restless partners. In this case, we’d only recommend this mattress for couples who need good motion isolation and plan to get a bigger size so that edge support won’t be a big issue.
Preference-based Features
Removable Cover
Even if you use a mattress protector, you’ll still need to clean your mattress cover at some point. Some mattresses don’t feature removable covers, which means they can only be spot-cleaned, but the Silk & Snow’s cover is fully removable and machine-washable for easy convenience.
Hybrid Version Available
If you’re looking for the same affordability as the original Silk & Snow but want the responsiveness of coils and zoned lumbar support, then you should check out the Silk & Snow Hybrid. The good news is it doesn’t cost that much more than the original.
Construction: What’s Inside Silk & Snow?
The Silk & Snow is a 10-inch tall all-foam mattress, featuring an antimicrobial cover made from polyester and spandex, which helps to inhibit the growth of any nasty bacteria. The stretchy cover can be zipped off and fully removed for machine washing, which is great news for those who love a leisurely breakfast in bed and are worried about any spills or stains. Breathable fabric is used to help avoid overheating and excess sweating.
- Below the cover is the comfort layer, made from 2 inches of 4-pound luxury, high-density memory foam that’s designed to feel plush, offering great sinkage and pressure relief at the joints. This foam is infused with gel to help draw heat away from the body, keeping you cool. It’s also made with an open-cell design, allowing more airflow and breathability than traditional memory foam.
- The transition layer is constructed with 2 inches of 1.8-pound performance foam, offering support and motion isolation – perfect for those who share a bed and don’t want to feel disturbed by their partner or pet’s movements.
- The support layer is made up of 6 inches of 1.8-pound premium foam. This offers further support for the sleeper, as well as the rest of the bed, providing a durable foundation to keep everything in its place and hopefully keep you sleeping more easily for years to come.
Unboxing & Off-Gassing
Like many foam mattresses, the Silk & Snow had an unpleasant off-gassing odor once unboxed, which is the smell that occurs when chemical byproducts escape after being vacuum-packed. However, the foams in this bed are CertiPUR-US® certified so you needn’t worry – any bad smell is harmless, although we found it took 48 hours for the odor to dissipate. We recommend leaving the mattress in a ventilated room after unboxing it.
Certifications
- Eco-Friendly Certifications – The foams in this bed are CertiPUR-US® certified. CertiPUR-US® is a third-party program that ensures the foams meet rigorous health and safety standards. This means they don’t contain harmful substances like ozone depleters, PBDEs, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and phthalates. They should also have low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.
Coupons, Trials, Warranties, and Shipping
- Shipping – Shipping is free for addresses in the contiguous U.S. and Canadian provinces. Those living in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Canadian territories will incur a shipping fee, which is calculated at checkout.
- White Glove Delivery – White glove delivery is only offered to customers living in Toronto and costs 75 dollars plus tax. This includes the setup of your new mattress and the removal of your old one.
- Trial – The Silk & Snow comes with a 100-night trial.
- Warranty – This mattress has a 15-year warranty.
- Return Policy – Returns are free and a full refund will be given (less any shipping fees) if returned within the 100-night trial. Silk & Snow asks that you try the bed for at least 30 nights.
Sizes & Prices
| Size | Dimensions (inches) | Price (w/o discount) |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | 38” x 75” x 14” | $600 |
| Twin XL | 38” x 80” x 10” | $625 |
| Full | 54” x 75” x 10” | $725 |
| Queen | 60” x 80” x 10” | $800 |
| King | 76” x 80” x 10” | $900 |
| Cali King | 72” x 84” x 10” | $900 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Silk & Snow a firm mattress?
We placed the Silk & Snow mattress at 6.5 out of 10 on our firmness scale, which is considered medium-firm. This medium feel should suit a wide range of sleepers, but we particularly recommend the mattress for lightweight individuals.
Where is the Silk & Snow made?
The Silk & Snow is made in Canada. Silk & Snow is a Canadian company, with all manufacturing facilities located within the country.
How thick is the Silk & Snow?
The original Silk & Snow mattress is 10 inches thick.
How long does it take for a Silk & Snow mattress to expand?
Once released from its box, the Silk & Snow can take up to 72 hours to fully expand. Thankfully, you don’t have to wait that long to sleep on it – you can take a nap as soon as you like, which won’t affect the mattress’ final shape.
Silk & Snow vs Other Brands
Silk & Snow vs Nectar
- 10-inch profile
- All-foam mattress
- 100-night trial
- 12-inch profile
- All-foam mattress
- 365-night trial
Who We Recommend the Silk & Snow For
- Canadian shoppers
- Lightweight people
- Side sleepers
Who We Recommend the Nectar For
- Combination sleepers
- Light to average-weight sleepers
- Couples
Read our Nectar mattress review if you think the Nectar is right for you
Silk & Snow vs Cocoon Chill
- 6.5/10 firmness
- Lacking in edge support
- 10-inch profile
- 6/10 firmness
- Exceptional edge support
- 10-inch profile
Who We Recommend the Silk & Snow For
- Shoppers who prefer a removable cover
- Side sleepers
- Lightweight sleepers
Who We Recommend the Cocoon Chill For
- Hot sleepers
- Couples
- Average-weight sleepers
Read our Cocoon Chill mattress review if you think the Cocoon Chill is right for you
Silk & Snow vs Other Silk & Snow Models
Silk & Snow vs Silk & Snow Organic
- All-foam mattress
- Memory foam
- 10-inch profile
- Hybrid mattress
- Latex foam
- 12-inch profile
Who We Recommend the Silk & Snow For
- Side sleepers
- Memory foam lovers
- Those on a smaller budget
Who We Recommend the Silk & Snow Organic For
- Eco-conscious shoppers
- Back sleepers
- Those who like a bed with bounce
Silk & Snow vs Silk & Snow Hybrid
- 6.5/10 firmness
- Removable cover
- 10-inch profile
- 7.5/10 firmness
- Non-removable quilted cover
- 12-inch profile
Who We Recommend the Silk & Snow For
- Those requiring deep pressure relief
- Side sleepers
- Lightweight sleepers
Who We Recommend the Silk & Snow Hybrid For
- Stomach sleepers
- Fans of a responsive mattress
- Back sleepers
Overall Summary
The Silk & Snow is a great value high-quality all-foam mattress that suits most light to average-weight sleepers, providing good spinal support and gentle body contouring.
Side Sleepers
This mattress performs well for most side sleepers, who will appreciate the great pressure relief provided by the memory foam layer, which should pleasantly cushion the shoulder and hips. However, we think heavier side sleepers weighing over 300 pounds will sink too far, creating uncomfortable pressure in those sensitive areas.
Back Sleepers
Back sleepers under 130 pounds should find great support on the Silk & Snow, while some average-weight people (between 130 to 230 pounds) could also feel well-supported. However, we think average-weight sleepers who prefer firm support while back sleeping could be slightly uncomfortable. Heavyweight back sleepers will need a firmer mattress.
Stomach Sleepers
Lightweight stomach sleepers will find their hips sufficiently elevated on this mattress, but sleepers any heavier than 130 pounds will experience sagging in this area, which will take the spine out of alignment, causing aches and pains over time. We’d advise a firmer mattress for average and heavyweight stomach sleepers.
Combination Sleepers
While this mattress should suit lightweight sleepers in all positions, it’s not the easiest bed to change positions on due to its slow-moving memory foam. This is why we’ve given it a 2 out of 5 rating for combination sleepers.
Couples
Light sleepers who share with a restless partner will appreciate the great motion isolation this mattress offers. However, edge support is lacking, which will affect couples who like to spread out. There’s also very little bounce, which may be an issue for sexually-active couples. If you tend to overheat when bed-sharing, you might also prefer a stronger cooling mattress.
Heavy Sleepers
With its 10-inch profile, the Silk & Snow isn’t the thickest mattress out there, and heavier people tend to find thicker mattresses provide better support. That being said, side sleepers weighing between 230 and 300 pounds may feel comfy, but side sleepers over 300 pounds and stomach or back sleepers over 230 pounds would be better off on a firmer model.
Lightweight Sleepers
The Silk & Snow’s medium-firmness coupled with its contouring memory foam is a fantastic choice for petite people weighing under 130 pounds. They should find themselves experiencing comfortable cushioning, great pressure relief, and good support, whether they’re sleeping on their front, back, or side.
Average Weight Sleepers
This mattress is great for average-weight side sleepers, who should get the right balance of support and pressure relief. Back sleepers could also feel decent support, but you might feel your lower back sinking too far into the comfort layer. We didn’t find this mattress supportive enough for average-weight front sleepers.
Overall Value
We think the Silk & Snow mattress should last between five and seven years. This is a decent amount of time but not as long of a lifespan as other options. While it’s made with high-quality materials, it doesn’t feel as durable as a hybrid would, although that’s also reflected in the price point.
Our Verdict
The Silk & Snow is a great pick for lightweight sleepers who love memory foam, as they should feel comfortably cushioned and supported in all sleeping positions. We don’t recommend this mattress for most heavyweight sleepers because they will likely find themselves bottoming out, which will affect their spine health in the long term.
This is a high-quality bed at an affordable price point, made by a Canadian company that values local craftsmen and supply chain transparency. Therefore, we think also think it’s a good choice for those who like to know exactly where their bed was made.
Lisa Bowman
Lisa is a content writer for Sleep Advisor, which combines two of her greatest passions – writing and sleeping. She can also be found writing about fitness, sustainability and vegan food.
Her life revolves around her two rescue dogs (who she shares her bed with) and if she’s not running around after them, she’s likely doing yoga, buying new plants, or enjoying a sunset rum at the beach.
Writing for Sleep Advisor has made her realise she needs a new mattress, stat.
