I tested the Bear hybrid mattress, a cooling model, during swelting temperatures.
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Bear Hybrid Mattress Review: I Haven’t Sweat Through My Sheets in a Month
Updated Oct. 03, 2024
I’m a hot sleeper, and I mean a hot sleeper. My husband calls me “the living furnace” for a reason. My body pumps out so much heat during my REM cycle that I’m sure everyone within a three-mile radius can feel it. I sweat through my pajamas. I sweat through my sheets. At my worst (looking at you, humid summer nights), I even sweat through my coveted Sleep Number True Temp blanket. I never thought I’d meet a cooling mattress that could actually cut through all that heat, especially on my tight budget, but I’ve found the solution with the Bear hybrid mattress.
After tossing and turning on my old memory foam mattress for six sad years, it was time to get a new mattress. I’m a stomach and side sleeper, depending on my mood. On the flip side, my partner is a back sleeper. All things considered, nailing down an option was daunting. Then, I heard about the Bear Pro hybrid mattress. With a medium-firm feel, cooling gel and at such an agreeable price point, I just had to try it. Could I finally have found the best mattress for me? Here’s my take after spending just over 30 nights on my Bear hybrid mattress.
What is the Bear Pro Hybrid mattress?
Bear is a mattress brand that specializes in affordable, cooling and comfortable mattresses. It uses a range of modern technologies to address a number of sleep issues, from back pain to hot sleepers. The Bear Pro Hybrid mattress is the brand’s mid-tier mode. It rings up at a higher price point than their original Bear memory foam mattress but costs less than its luxe Bear Elite model.
For extra-spendy sleepers, the Star Hybrid model is a good pick with its hand-quilted cover, HydroCool technology and Celliant fiber that’s always cool to the touch. Each model is available in the standard bed measurements, including California king and a “split king” size (two twin XLs placed side by side). You can also choose to splurge on additional mattress toppers and other add-ons, should you like.
EMILY WAY/RD.COM
I Tried It
Bear Pro Hybrid Mattress
If you want an affordable mattress that has a responsive feel and allows for a cool sleep, try this model.
Bear Pro Hybrid Mattress featuresÂ
Bear touts its Bear Pro hybrid mattress as the best choice for those who enjoy a responsive feel, tend to sleep hot and want the best bang for their buck. The mattress itself is 10 inches tall and comes with a breathable quilt cover and handles on the side for easy transport. Under the cover, there’s a layer of cooling gel memory foam, then dynamic foam and finally a number of full, individually encased coils for additional support.
On the website, Bear lists the firmness as “medium-firm,” giving it a seven out of 10 firmness rating. Thanks to its balance of support and softness, the brand likens the feel to a “contouring hug.” While not an organic mattress, the mattress itself is also Greenguard Gold Certified, Certi-PUR US Certified and fiberglass-free.
How I tested it
When the Bear Pro hybrid mattress arrived, I was very surprised to see it in a large yet compact box on my doorstep. As it’s rather heavy, it took both my husband and me to carry it upstairs to the bedroom. Once carried up, we took it out of the box. The mattress was shrink-wrapped in a plastic cover and rolled up like a Swiss Roll. We followed the instructions by unrolling it and then carefully cutting the wrapping, similar to other bed-in-a-box purchases.
Once air touched it, it began inflating almost immediately. Unlike our previous mattress, there wasn’t much of an unpleasant off-gassing smell—something I attribute to it being a non-toxic mattress. While you can sleep on it immediately, Beaar recommends waiting 24 to 48 hours for it to fully inflate. We slept on it after about 24 hours since it seemed mostly expanded by then.
My mattress arrived with a mattress protector, a set of sheets and pillowcases and two of the brand’s Cirrus Cloud pillows. This was part of a promotion, though the brand often runs similar sales throughout the year. While I will never turn up my nose at free accessories, I definitely prefer bringing my own cooling sheets and side sleeper pillow. That said, the mattress protector is top-notch and an ideal add-on if you don’t already have one handy!
Sleeping
At the time of this review, I had spent over 30 nights (or over 240 hours) sleeping on my Bear hybrid mattress. Initially, I was a little surprised by the feel of this mattress. While it touts itself as “medium-firm,” I’d say it’s much closer to the “firm” side of things—something I wasn’t thrilled with at first. However, my first night on the Bear Pro hybrid mattress completely changed my tune.
I’m a side and stomach sleeper while my husband is a back and side sleeper. This normally means that at least one of us is unhappy with the firmness of our mattress. With our old mattress, both of us frequently woke up with back and hip pain. However, the Bear mattress surprised us. It’s supportive, thanks to the coils and firmness, yet also offers enough “give” to cradle the body. It’s actually much, much more comfortable than any other “firm” mattress I’ve tried in the past. Now, I’m a true believer in the importance of a little firmness on a mattress for side sleepers!
Movement transfer
One area where the Bear mattress impressed my husband was how well it muted my movements throughout the night. I’m a big-time tosser and turner, often flopping around like a fish throughout the night. This frequently wakes up my husband. Ever since we started sleeping on the Bear Pro, my husband has reported zero incidents of waking up due to my creative REM dance moves. Whether that’s due to limited motion transfer or simply me sleeping more restfully, it’s definitely improved his morning mood!
Cooling
Speaking of tossing and turning, my main gripe with nighttime is my aforementioned transformation into a human furnace. I received my Bear Pro right at the end of summer into early fall, meaning that I’ve tried it in a range of temperatures already. Even on sweltering nights, I have yet to wake up drenched in sweat—a big win for me, especially for a budget mattress.
While I’m sure that adding the optional cooling topper would have helped even more with heat build-up, the cooling gel layer and air-infused coils really do a great job of moving heat out and away from my body at night. If I find that I need additional cooling action in the future, I’m not against splurging on a bed cooling system to further assist the Bear Pro’s cooling capabilities.
ProsÂ
- No overheating
- Supports a variety of sleeping positions
- Strong edge support
- Affordable price
- Pillow top upgrade available
- Greenguard Gold Certified
- Free shipping
- 120-night trial
- Limited lifetime warranty
ConsÂ
- Only one firmness level (and it may be too firm for some sleepers)
Why you should trust us
As a shopping editor, I’ve covered everything from bed cooling systems to vacuums for pet owners. I’m practiced in locating the best products at prices that readers can afford. My expertise lies in product testing and exploring viral products on TikTok and Instagram.
FAQ
Does Bear Hybrid need a box spring?
Bear actually recommends against using a box spring, as traditional coil box springs don’t evenly distribute the mattress’s weight. The brand offers its own foundation instead, but you can rest your mattress on any durable slatted frame.
Are you supposed to flip a bear mattress?
Bear mattresses are built one-sided, so flipping isn’t required or advised. However, Bear mentions that rotating the mattress 180 degrees every six months can help keep it firmer over its lifetime.
How long do Bear mattresses last?
As with most mattresses, Bear mattresses last five to 10 years, with the average age being around seven years. This is, of course, assuming that they’re well taken care of. Bear also offers a limited lifetime warranty on all mattresses that covers manufacturing defects. Like most lifetime warranty products, this doesn’t cover issues stemming from misuse.
What other reviewers had to say
The Bear hybrid mattress is the ideal balance of firmness and supple-soft cushioning, making it a quality pick for different types of sleepers. On the website, many reviewers praise the mattress for its support and flexibility for a variety of sleeping positions.
“Honestly, this bed is exactly what we needed,” says verified buyer, Samantha P. “We needed a firm mattress because we’re mostly stomach sleepers and a solid Cali king because my partner is 6’7′. Both of us love it several months in! I don’t care about edge firmness or anything like that, so I can’t comment on that. I did a lot of research on mattresses before purchasing, and if you want a simple firm mattress, absolutely go for this one.”
Samantha S., another reviewer, agrees. “Was fun to watch the mattresses puff up when unpacked. Such an upgrade from the standard mattresses we had and slept great immediately—no ‘getting used to the new bed’ break-in period. Bear customer service was fantastic as well.”
Final verdictÂ
When I asked my husband about his take on our new Bear Pro hybrid mattress, his immediate response was, “I love it!” He notes that, unlike our old memory foam mattress, which felt far too soft and squishy, the Bear mattress cradles his back and prevents any achy flare-ups. He also mentioned that my sleep flopping has significantly improved—he doesn’t feel me tossing and turning next to him all night. Even when I do, the mattress prevents those reverberations from disrupting his own dream time.
I completely agree with his assessment. While I wasn’t sure about the firmness at first, my recent string of restful sleep won me over. No more tossing and turning every single night, and—even better—no more night sweats. Overall, I find it amazing that two very different types of sleepers enjoy the same mattress equally. It’s like the Goldilocks of mattresses: just right!
Are there other mattresses out there with a better cooling system? Probably. But for the price (and considering my impressive 30-day streak of sweat-free nights), I can’t recommend the Bear Pro hybrid mattress enough.
Where to buy the Bear Pro Hybrid MattressÂ
EMILY WAY/RD.COM
I Tried It
Bear Pro Hybrid Mattress
This mattress features a cooling gel layer and air-infused coils to move heat away from the body.
You can buy the Bear Pro hybrid mattress directly on the Bear website, Walmart or Wayfair. The king size typically retails for around $1,690, though Bear often hosts discounts or sales. At the time of publication, Bear is offering two pillows and a four-piece sheet and pillowcase set for free with any mattress purchase, so now is the time to snag your new sleep set!
Originally Published: October 03, 2024
