Wow, this is a fabulous mattress. The mattress cover is super soft and is quilt-stitched on both sides.  It zips on and off easily to wash when needed.
There is a tag on the end that tells you which side is up (Toddler or Infant), and when you push down on the mattress, you can clearly tell that the Infant side is firmer than the Toddler side. 
One thing I've noticed since my toddler started using this mattress is that he's stirring less at night.  I believe it's because his previous mattress had a waterproof/washable cover, but it made a lot of noise whenever he shifted, which probably caused wake-ups.  This mattress is so much quieter.
It came vacuum sealed and rolled up in a box, so it was easy to handle, and even watching it grow to size was pretty fun.