When you first receive this mattress it does have a strong smell to it which after being out of the plastic and with a fan blowing on it, the smell did go away. This is normal for the kind of material this is. We also received this mattress during the winter so it was cold and even though we ordered the plush felt very stiff. You will want to let it warm up to room temperature. We also placed a 4 inch mattress topper on top of this mattress which we had previously on our other mattress. It did take a few nights to break in the mattress but we absolutely love this mattress!! If you are on the fence of getting the firm or the plush, definitely order the plush. We are hoping this hybrid mattress will last much longer than the previous mattresses we have owned. I am about 122 lb and my husband 206 and we both feel very comfortable with the plush option.