Restonit Borealis Gel Mattress Review: The $585 Canadian Mattress We Recommend Most for Shipping

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We sell mattresses that cost $150 and mattresses that cost $3,000. The Borealis Gel at $585 is not the cheapest or the most expensive thing in our catalogue. But it is the one we recommend most often for a specific situation: the customer who needs a good mattress shipped to their door anywhere in Canada.

We have had this mattress on the floor of our Brantford showroom for over a year. Customers lie on it, compare it to our Restonic lineup and our other Restonit models, and most of them reach the same conclusion we have. It is solid. Not spectacular. Not cheap-feeling. Solid.

Here is our honest review after selling dozens of these across the country.

Quick Specs

8 min read

Who This Mattress Is For

We are going to be upfront. The Borealis Gel is not for everyone, and knowing who it suits best will save you from buyer's remorse.

Good Fit

• Budget-conscious buyers who still want quality. At $585 for a queen, you are paying about a third of what comparable gel foam mattresses cost from direct-to-consumer brands like Casper and Endy (which also operates 4 retail showrooms across Canada). The Borealis Gel is not trying to be a luxury product. It is trying to be a very good product at a fair price.
• Out-of-province buyers. If you live in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, or anywhere outside Southern Ontario, this is one of the most practical mattresses we can ship to you. It arrives rolled in a single box that one person can carry inside.
• Adjustable bed owners. All-foam mattresses flex on adjustable bases without any issues. If you are buying a SleepBeat or Affordable adjustable base, the Borealis Gel is the most cost-effective mattress to pair with it.
• Guest rooms and rental properties. It is comfortable enough for regular use but priced low enough that you are not investing $1,000+ in a room that gets used ten times a year.
• First apartment or starter home. If you are furnishing a new place and need to stretch your budget across multiple rooms, a $585 mattress on a Level Platform Bed at $385 gives you a complete queen sleep setup for under $1,000.

Not the Best Fit

• Heavier sleepers over 230 lbs. All-foam mattresses compress more under heavier body weight. If you weigh over 230 pounds, the support layer may bottom out over time. A hybrid with pocketed coils like the Glacier Peyto at $1,045 or the Pocket Care Premium at $845 provides better long-term support for larger frames.
• Hot sleepers who need maximum cooling. The gel infusion helps, but an all-foam mattress will always sleep warmer than a hybrid with a coil layer that promotes airflow. If you wake up sweating, look at the FROST Ice Gel at $1,525 or the Glacier Peyto.
• Couples who need strong edge support. Memory foam compresses at the edges, which means the usable sleep surface feels slightly smaller than a hybrid. If you and your partner both sleep near the edge, you will notice this.
• People who dislike the memory foam feel. Gel memory foam still has that slow, conforming, hugging sensation. If you prefer a responsive, bouncy feel where you sleep "on" the mattress rather than "in" it, this is not your mattress. Try a hybrid or a latex option instead.

What Is Inside the Borealis Gel

The Borealis Gel is an all-foam mattress, meaning there are no springs or coils inside. It uses layered foam construction:

Top layer: Gel-infused memory foam. This is the comfort layer. The gel beads are mixed into the memory foam during manufacturing, not applied as a surface coating. Gel-infused foam dissipates heat more effectively than standard memory foam because the gel absorbs body heat and distributes it across a wider area rather than concentrating it under your body.

Research published in the Journal of Thermal Biology has shown that gel-infused foams can reduce surface temperature by 1 to 3 degrees Celsius compared to standard memory foam, depending on the gel concentration and foam density. That difference is noticeable to most sleepers.

Base layer: High-density support foam. This is the foundation that prevents you from sinking through to the bed frame. Higher density foam lasts longer because it resists compression over time. Budget mattresses under $300 often use low-density base foam that develops body impressions within a year or two. The Borealis Gel uses a denser base that holds up better.

Cover: Knit fabric. The cover is soft, breathable, and removable for washing. It is not a luxury quilted cover with stitched panels, but it does the job without adding unnecessary bulk or heat retention.

How the Borealis Gel Actually Sleeps

We have had customers of different sizes and sleep preferences try this mattress in our Brantford showroom. Here is what the consistent feedback looks like.

Side Sleepers

This is where the Borealis Gel performs best. The gel memory foam conforms well to shoulders and hips, which are the primary pressure points for side sleepers. The medium-firm feel provides enough give to prevent pressure buildup without letting you sink so deep that your spine goes out of alignment. Most side sleepers under 200 lbs report comfortable support.

Back Sleepers

Good support for the lumbar curve. The foam contours to the natural arch of your lower back, which helps maintain spinal alignment. Back sleepers who prefer a firmer surface may find it slightly soft, but for most it sits in a comfortable middle ground.

Stomach Sleepers

This is where the Borealis Gel is less ideal. Stomach sleepers need a firmer surface to keep their hips from sinking, which can hyperextend the lower back. At a 6 out of 10 firmness, the Borealis Gel allows more hip sinkage than a dedicated firm mattress. If you sleep primarily on your stomach, consider the Restonit Exquisite at $840, which is firmer, or the Sleep In High Density Firm at $690.

Combination Sleepers

Memory foam is slower to respond than hybrid or latex mattresses. If you change positions frequently during the night, you may notice a slight delay as the foam adjusts to your new position. It is not dramatic, but it is more noticeable than on a responsive hybrid like the Glacier Peyto.

Adjustable Base Pairing

The Borealis Gel is one of our go-to recommendations for adjustable bed pairings because:

1. All-foam mattresses flex easily. No coils to resist bending. The mattress conforms to whatever angle you set the base to.
2. Lightweight. Foam mattresses weigh less than hybrids, which puts less strain on the adjustable base motors, especially on wall-hugging models where the base slides forward under load.
3. Price stacking. At $585, it keeps the total cost of a base + mattress combination reasonable.

Here are the most popular pairings:

The SleepBeat + Borealis Gel at $1,580 total is our single most popular combination for customers outside Ontario. It is a complete queen-size adjustable sleep system for under $1,600, shipped in two boxes.

Borealis Gel vs. Glacier Peyto: The Internal Comparison

This is the question we get asked most. We carry both, and the Glacier Peyto review covers that mattress in detail. Here is the head-to-head.

The Glacier Peyto is objectively the better mattress. It has more complex construction, better airflow, and stronger edge support. But it costs $460 more. If your budget allows $1,045 for a queen mattress, buy the Glacier Peyto. If your budget is $600 or less, the Borealis Gel is the right choice and you will not be disappointed.

How It Compares to Online Mattress Brands

At $585, the Borealis Gel competes with the rolled-and-shipped mattresses from Canadian online brands. Here is how it stacks up.

vs. Endy ($895-$1,195): The Endy is a comparable all-foam construction at a significantly higher price. Endy's marketing budget is larger, but the actual foam construction is similar. The Borealis Gel offers comparable gel memory foam comfort at roughly 40-50% less.

vs. Douglas ($799-$1,199): Douglas uses a gel foam + latex hybrid construction, which gives it slightly more responsiveness than the Borealis Gel. The Douglas is a good mattress, but at $799+ for a queen, you are paying $214 more. Whether that premium is worth the latex layer depends on how much you value bounce vs. contouring.

vs. Amazon gel foam mattresses ($200-$400): This is where you get what you pay for. The ultra-budget gel foam mattresses on Amazon use lower-density foams that develop body impressions faster. A $250 mattress that sags after 18 months is not a bargain. The Borealis Gel uses denser foam that holds its shape longer, which is why we are comfortable putting our name behind it.

Unboxing and Setup

The Borealis Gel arrives in a single cardboard box, rolled and compressed in plastic. Here is the process:

1. Position the box in the bedroom. Do not open it in the hallway or living room. The mattress expands quickly once unrolled and becomes difficult to manoeuvre through doorways.
2. Cut the outer plastic wrap and unroll the mattress on your bed frame or platform.
3. Cut the inner vacuum seal. The mattress will immediately start expanding. You will hear it hissing as air fills the foam cells.
4. Wait. The mattress reaches about 90% of full height within 4 to 6 hours. Full expansion to its rated thickness takes 24 to 48 hours. The off-gassing smell (a faint chemical odour common to all new foam products) dissipates within 24 to 72 hours. Opening a window helps.

You can sleep on it the same day you unbox it. It will feel slightly firmer than its final comfort level for the first night or two, which is normal. The foam continues to soften and expand over the first week.

Off-Gassing: What to Expect

All memory foam mattresses have some off-gassing when first unboxed. This is the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that were trapped during the compression and packaging process. The Canadian General Standards Board sets limits on VOC emissions for consumer products. The smell is not harmful at the levels present in CertiPUR-US certified foams, but it is noticeable.

In our experience, the Borealis Gel's off-gassing is milder than many competitors. Most customers report the smell is gone within 48 hours. Ventilating the room speeds up the process.

How Long Will It Last

This is the honest part. A $585 all-foam mattress will not last as long as a $1,045 hybrid or a $1,395 Restonic with a coil system. Foam compresses over time, and all-foam mattresses develop body impressions faster than hybrids because there is no coil system to maintain structural support underneath.

Our realistic estimate: 5 to 7 years of comfortable use for an average-weight sleeper using the mattress nightly. Heavier sleepers may see comfort decline sooner, around 4 to 5 years. Using a mattress protector and rotating the mattress head-to-foot every three months extends its lifespan.

For comparison, a hybrid like the Glacier Peyto typically lasts 7 to 10 years, and a traditional Restonic with a pocketed coil system can last 10+ years with proper care.

Shop: All Mattresses at Mattress Miracle

Sources

• Lan, L., et al. "Effects of Thermal Environment on Sleep Quality." Journal of Thermal Biology, Elsevier.
• Verhaert, V., et al. "Ergonomic Analysis of Mattress Materials." Applied Ergonomics, Elsevier.
• Sleep Foundation. "Memory Foam vs. Hybrid Mattresses." sleepfoundation.org
• Canadian General Standards Board. "VOC Emission Standards for Consumer Products." tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Related Reading

• Restonit Glacier Peyto Review
• Queen Adjustable Bed Under $2,000 Canada
• Canadian Made Bed Frame Alberta
• Low Profile Bed Frame Canada
• Restonit FROST Ice Gel Mattress Review: Is the $1,525 Cooling Mattress Worth It?