Malouf Mattress Guide: Neve, Ice Cloud & Polaris

Malouf makes three mattresses we carry, and the short version is this: the Neve is an all-foam, medium-firm bed and the entry point of the line; the Polaris Hybrid is a medium-firm coil-and-foam hybrid with cooling built into the cover; and the Ice Cloud Hybrid is the plush, most heavily cooled option, with a 13-inch profile and four separate cooling features. If you sleep hot and like a soft surface, start with the Ice Cloud. If you want bounce and edge support at a medium-firm feel, the Polaris. If you want memory-foam contouring without the hybrid price, the Neve.

Below is what actually separates them, in plain terms, plus how Malouf's cooling features work and what else the brand makes.

Who Malouf is, and what they build

Malouf is best known in showrooms for sleep accessories — pillows, mattress protectors, sheet sets and adjustable bases — and that reputation sometimes surprises people who assume the company doesn't make mattresses. It does. The mattress line is small and deliberately so: a few models covering the main feel categories rather than a sprawling catalog of near-identical beds.

All three Malouf mattresses we stock share the same foundation of specs. Each is CertiPUR-US certified, each carries a 10-year limited warranty, each is compatible with adjustable bases as well as standard frames, and each arrives compressed in a box. The Neve and Polaris listings note that the mattress needs roughly 24 to 72 hours to fully decompress after unboxing — normal for any boxed mattress, and worth planning around if you're retiring your old bed the same day.

The three Malouf mattresses compared

Neve Mattress — all-foam, medium-firm

The Neve is Malouf's entry point: a 10-inch all-foam mattress built around CoolSync gel memory foam, which is memory foam infused with liquid gel beads to keep surface temperature in check while it contours. There are no coils, which means two things. First, motion isolation is excellent — if your partner gets up at 5 a.m., you are less likely to feel it. Second, you get the sinking, body-cradling feel that people either love about memory foam or specifically avoid.

Malouf positions the Neve for side sleepers and anyone who wants pressure relief at the shoulders and hips without stepping up to a hybrid. It comes in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Split King and Cal King.

Polaris Hybrid — medium-firm, coils plus foam

The Polaris Hybrid is the middle of the lineup and, for most shoppers, the safest guess if they can't test all three. It pairs individually encased steel coils with memory foam layers, topped by a HyperChill cover that feels cool to the touch when you first lie down. Individually wrapped coils move independently, so you get more support and more responsiveness than an all-foam bed while still limiting motion transfer across the mattress.

It also has a foam encasement around the perimeter — edge support, in showroom language. That matters more than people expect: it's what keeps the edge of the bed from collapsing when you sit on it to put your shoes on, and it's what makes the full width of a Queen genuinely usable for two people. Malouf lists the Polaris as a medium-firm suited to back and side sleepers, in the same seven sizes as the Neve.

Ice Cloud Hybrid — plush, and the coolest of the three

The Ice Cloud Hybrid is the premium model: a 13-inch ultra-plush hybrid that stacks four cooling features rather than one. Malouf's claim for it is that it sleeps 7 degrees cooler. Like the Polaris, it uses encased coils and a foam encasement for edge support, but the comfort layers are considerably softer and deeper.

This is the one for a hot sleeper who doesn't want to give up a plush feel — historically a hard combination, because soft foam traps heat. One practical note: the Ice Cloud is offered in Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, Split King and Cal King. There is no standard Twin, so it's not an option for a child's room or a smaller guest bed.

Malouf's cooling technologies, decoded

Malouf uses four named cooling features across the line, and the names tell you less than the mechanism does:

• HyperChill cover — a cool-to-the-touch fabric. This is surface-level and immediate: it pulls heat from your skin when you first get in. On the Polaris and Ice Cloud.
• CoolSync gel memory foam — memory foam with liquid gel beads mixed in, which conducts heat away from the body better than standard memory foam. On all three mattresses.
• OmniPhase — a phase change material, meaning it absorbs and releases heat as it shifts between states, working to hold temperature steady through the night rather than just at the start. Ice Cloud only.
• ActivAir memory foam — a breathable, quick-response foam that lets air move through rather than trapping it. Ice Cloud only.

The practical read: the Neve addresses heat at one layer, the Polaris at two, the Ice Cloud at four. If running hot is the problem you're trying to solve, that ordering is the whole decision.

How to choose between them

Start with firmness, not features. A mattress that's the wrong firmness won't become right because it's cool. Side sleepers generally want more give at the shoulder and hip, which points to the Neve or the Ice Cloud. Back sleepers usually want a flatter, more supportive surface, which points to the Polaris. Combination sleepers tend to do better on a hybrid, because coils make it easier to change position than deep foam does.

Then weigh heat. If you wake up warm, step up from Neve to Polaris to Ice Cloud.

Then consider the pair of you. If one of you is a light sleeper and the other moves constantly, all-foam (Neve) isolates motion best. If you both need the full width of the bed, the hybrids' foam encasement gives you more usable surface.

If you're on an adjustable base, all three are compatible — the adjustable bases we carry include Malouf's own, and Split King is available in every Malouf mattress we carry, which is the size you need to run two bases side by side under one bed.

What else Malouf makes

The accessories are, fairly, what the brand is known for: zoned pillows in several fill types, five-sided and full-encasement mattress protectors, gel memory foam and down-alternative toppers, cotton, bamboo rayon and TENCEL sheet sets, platform bed frames and upholstered headboards, and three adjustable base models. If you're buying a Malouf mattress, the protector is the one accessory worth adding at the same time — most mattress warranties, Malouf's included, exclude damage from stains, and a protector is the cheapest insurance on a 10-year warranty you'll find.

Frequently asked questions

Are Malouf mattresses good?

They're well-built for their price positions, and the specs are honest — CertiPUR-US certification, encased coils and real foam encasement on the hybrids rather than a foam rail. The line is narrow, though. If you need a very firm bed or a true latex mattress, Malouf isn't where you'll find it, and we'd point you to another brand on the floor.

Which Malouf mattress is best for hot sleepers?

The Ice Cloud Hybrid. It's the only one with OmniPhase phase change material and ActivAir foam on top of the HyperChill cover and CoolSync gel foam that the others use.

Do Malouf mattresses work on an adjustable base?

Yes — all three are listed as compatible with adjustable bases as well as standard frames and platform beds. Split King is available across the line for couples who want two independently adjusting sides.

How long does a Malouf mattress take to expand?

Roughly 24 to 72 hours after unboxing, per Malouf's product information. You can sleep on it before it's fully expanded, but give it the full window before judging the firmness.

What warranty do Malouf mattresses come with?

A 10-year limited warranty on all three models. As with most mattress warranties, it covers manufacturing defects rather than normal softening or stain damage — which is the argument for a protector.

Try all three in Glendale

Fifteen minutes on a mattress tells you more than any spec sheet, and the difference between the plush Ice Cloud and the medium-firm Polaris is something you feel immediately. All three Malouf models are on the floor at our Glendale showroom, and you're welcome to lie on them for as long as you need to — bring your own pillow if you want an honest read.

Every mattress we sell comes with a 120-night sleep trial, so the decision isn't final the day you make it, and we offer free delivery and setup across the Los Angeles area. We'll also price match for 90 days and offer 0% APR financing if you'd rather spread the cost out. Browse the full Malouf collection online, or come see us in Glendale.