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If you’re looking for extra support and don’t love the feel of a plush mattress, the Plank Firm by Brooklyn Bedding might be the right mattress option for you. Brooklyn Bedding makes several mattress models catering to a wide range of sleepers. The Plank is the brand’s firmest mattress, designed specifically for sleepers looking for firm support without sacrificing pressure relief.
“Firm mattresses may be beneficial for people with several health conditions, such as spinal issues and certain sleep disorders like sleep apnea,” says Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, neuroscientist and head sleep expert at Wesper, a sleep disorder diagnostics company.
For extra-firm support, the Plank Firm is a standout option. Brooklyn Bedding claims it’s the flattest, firmest bed on the market—all while providing exceptional pressure relief.
For more information on our top mattress picks, see our reviews of the best mattress.
Read on to find out what our Reviews Team thought of the Plank Firm after sleeping and resting on the mattress for several weeks.
The Plank Firm is a firm mattress with a convenient, flippable design. One side is firm, while the other offers an ultra-firm sleep surface. Brooklyn Bedding describes the ultra-firm side as close to sleeping on the floor as you can get—but with added pressure relief to help cushion your joints and prevent discomfort around the hips and shoulders.
For even more pressure relief and a slightly different surface feel, the company also sells the Plank Firm Luxe, a hybrid mattress offering greater responsiveness due to the addition of encased coils. The Luxe is also flippable.
Our Reviews Team personally tested the Plank Firm to discover whether the flippable, firm surface offered enough support and cushion for most sleepers. “I didn’t sink into the mattress at all, but it offers a slight give,” said one of our testers.
Our testers agreed that the Plank Firm has a feel true to its name, offering a decent combination of support, pressure relief, and bounce for a comfortable night’s sleep.
Our Reviews Team liked the supportive feel of the mattress, especially for stomach sleeping. We also appreciated the flippable design and breathable, moisture-wicking cover.
While evidence shows a medium-firm mattress is best for those with back pain, the mattress feel can differ depending on your weight and body type. For higher-weight sleepers, the Plank Firm may offer the right amount of firmness and support that a softer mattress can’t provide.
“My spine felt neutral, but it might depend on your body type. The mattress never feels like it’s dipping, so I could easily sit up and roll over.”
Who may love it
Who may want to avoid it
The Plank Firm has a 4.7-star rating out of 5, with more than 1,500 reviews on the Brooklyn Bedding website.
“I have back pain, and I need a firm mattress to help with my pain. I have bought other mattresses that were supposed to be firm, but only seemed to be medium firmness. This new Plank mattress is truly an actual firm mattress! I am very happy ! I have already recommended it to 2 relatives who also have back pain. This was a great purchase!”
— Diann J., verified buyer on 3/1/2024
“After sleeping in this bed my lower back pain has reduced. The reason I said this is because I sit a lot, so the pain would resurface but the new bed has been keeping the pain in check and I’ve been able to go about my regular daily routine and have been sleeping better each night. If you have lower back pain, get a firm bed. Do yourself a favor and buy a better, more expensive bed than those 100 to 200 dollar beds, since in the long run it will save you money on the headache of trying to figure out what is causing your back pain issue and having to keep getting new beds since the cheap ones keep failing.”
— Chong V, verified buyer on 2/5/2024
Rohrscheib explains that a too-soft mattress can impact neck and head positioning, which, in addition to increasing the risk of airway obstruction and worsening sleep apnea symptoms, can lead to neck and back pain. A firm mattress may help address these issues.
Adequate support helps keep the spine in a neutral position, which is typically considered best for those with back pain, according to research. For higher-weight sleepers, a firmer mattress may deliver the perfect firmness level for comfort and pain relief.
You can find more top-rated models to help with back pain in our guide to the best mattresses for back pain.
Those with chronic shoulder and hip pain may discover the Plank Firm doesn’t provide adequate pressure relief on the joints, especially in a side sleeping position. If this describes you, you may have more luck with one of the models featured in our guide to the best mattress for hip pain or the best mattress for shoulder pain.
The Plank Firm can support up to 900 pounds, making it a good mattress option for most couples.
While it performed all right in terms of motion isolation, the mattress won’t completely dampen movement, which may impact your sleep quality if you share a bed with someone else, according to research.
That said, it does offer better-than-average responsiveness for an all-foam bed, which helps with movement—beneficial for switching positions while sleeping and having sex.
Find more couples-specific mattress picks in our guide to the best mattresses for couples.
Our testing confirmed the Plank Firm is a good option for older adults who need extra spinal support due to attributes such as firmness level and pressure relief that may help with chronic back pain. The surface is also quite responsive, which helps with ease of movement.
Brooklyn Bedding doesn’t offer in-home delivery, so those worried about moving around and installing their new mattress may want to consider other options, including those in our guide to the best mattresses for seniors.
Plank is a Brooklyn Bedding company, and its hours tend to be inconsistent, according to our mystery shopping. Its website states you can reach customer service by:
Brooklyn Bedding accepts Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover, Amazon Pay, Shop Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. Financing is available through Affirm.
The company currently offers 30% off for military members, first responders, medical providers, students, and educators. The discount code can’t be combined with other promotional codes.
Our Reviews Team has dedicated more than 1,000 hours to researching the mattress industry, consulting at least 10 health care professionals, and testing roughly 40 brands and 130 unique mattress models for quality and comfort. We’ve also interviewed 16 older adults who recently purchased a mattress and surveyed more than 3,200 recent mattress customers to understand their experiences shopping for a new bed.
Each mattress undergoes a rigorous 36-page testing procedure to score its different characteristics, including firmness, support, and other aspects most shoppers consider. We choose the best mattresses based on the scores of the relevant criteria.
For this Plank mattress review, that includes functional support, edge support, and cooling.
To learn more about our testing and scoring methods, review our sleep methodology.
| Cost (queen) | $1,332 | $1,532 |
| Mattress height (inches) | 10.25 | 13.25 |
| Firmness | Firm and ultra-firm | Firm and ultra-firm |
| Materials | Foam | Hybrid |
Our Reviews Team was impressed with the Plank Firm’s support, responsiveness, and construction and recommends it to average-weight and higher-weight stomach sleepers. Due to its responsive, bouncy feel, the Plank mattress is also a good fit for most combination sleepers.
For those looking for a slightly softer surface feel, the Plank Firm Luxe is a hybrid alternative from Brooklyn Bedding with a similar flippable design and a slightly plusher top.
We wouldn’t recommend the Plank Firm for side sleepers because it doesn’t offer enough pressure relief in a side sleeping position.
According to the brand, you don’t need to rotate your Plank Firm mattress, but you can flip it if you decide you want a firmer (or less firm) feel.
Brooklyn Bedding says the ultra-firm side of the Plank Firm measures between 9.5 and 10 on the firmness scale.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
