Bear vs Nectar Mattress

First up, it’s important to note Bear made a change to its flagship mattress in mid 2019. The mattress is largely the same, but Bear made it slightly firmer this go-around. If you watched one of our Bear videos from 2018, you probably noticed how we said Bear is quite soft. That’s no longer the case. It’s actually on the firmer side of the spectrum now (cue the next section).

Bear Is (Slightly) Softer Than Nectar

Both Bear and Nectar have a memory foam feel (we discuss this in detail below), but they differ slightly. The Bear mattress is a tad softer than Nectar—even though it’s still north of a true “medium” on our firmness scale.

The top layer on Bear is 2″ of graphite gel memory foam to help draw heat away from the surface. Nectar is a little firmer and takes a few more seconds before its top layers starts to compress and wrap your body. In other terms, you sink down into the Bear mattress a little (emphasis on just a little) more than you do with Nectar. Overall, we think Bear comes in around a medium to medium-firm on the firmness scale, while Nectar lands perhaps a little closer to a medium-firm.

Now, it’s important to note there’s no winner or loser when it comes to feel and firmness. Some people prefer a soft, memory foam feel (like Layla or Puffy Lux) and others prefer a firmer foam feel (like Nectar and Bear). It really comes down to personal preference. However, as you will find out in the next section, firmness does play a role when it comes to your primary sleeping position.

Let’s Talk About Side Sleepers

Generally speaking, primary side sleepers will want a mattress that is on the softer end of the spectrum and back and stomach sleepers will want a firmer mattress. Soft mattresses tend to provide more pressure relief, while firmer mattresses tend to provide more support. That’s not always the case, but it’s a fine rule of thumb.

Overall, we think Bear is just a tad softer than Nectar and therefore just a tad more ideal for side sleepers. You will get pressure relief with both beds, but not nearly as much as with a bed that’s specifically designed for side sleepers, especially if you’re petite.

That’s not to say Nectar is bad for side sleepers. We actually think Nectar accommodates all sleeper types, but if you pressed us hard, we’d recommend primary side sleepers go with Bear first in this comparison. Even still, there are better beds than both of them for strict side sleepers. Here’s our list of the Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers.

Special Celliant Cover

One of the big standout features of the Bear mattress that the company likes to heavily promote is its Celliant cover. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Celliant, it’s actually a FDA recognized wellness material.

This particular material is used in several different industries. However, in terms of the bedding industry, it’s supposed to help turn your body’s natural energy intro infrared light. This infrared light is then supposed to enhance tissue oxygen levels and improve athletic performance, sleep quality, and overall well-being (per the company’s website). You can see the specifics about Celliant on BearMattress.com.

We don’t really have the expertise to test out Bear’s claims, so we can’t sit here and tell you we absolutely felt like it aided in our recovery. With that being said, it definitely doesn’t hurt to have on your mattress, especially for individuals who live a very active lifestyle. In fact, we included Bear Hybrid on our list of the Best Mattresses For Athletes.

Bear Is (Actually) More Affordable

The MSRP of a queen size Nectar and Bear is around $900 and $800, respectively. However, the MSRP doesn’t mean much in Bear’s case since Bear regularly offers discounts. You can usually expect to take an additional $100-$150 off your mattress purchase. Check the green discount box at the top of your screen to see what they’re currently offering.

Nectar sometimes offers discounts in the $100 range but at the very least they do typically throw in two free pillows with each mattress purchase. Check the table at the top of this post to see if this particular promotion is live right now.

If the prices above are out of your budget, fear not, we’ve got you covered. Check out our list of the Best Mattresses Under $500.

Nectar Is Slightly Firmer Than Bear

As we alluded to above, the Nectar mattress is a bit firmer than the Bear mattress. As you lay down on the bed, it feels super firm at first, but after a few seconds, you start to sink down and the top layers start to conform to your body’s shape. Still, you don’t sink in as much as you do on a Bear mattress. In other words, you sleep more on top of the bed rather than in it, slightly more so than you would on a Bear. Again, this may or may not be preferable depending on what level of firmness you like.

And, keep in mind that memory foam is one of those materials that changes its firmness level based on the room temperature (i.e. it’s softer in warmer rooms). This will hold true for both beds.

Two Great Options For Back/Stomach Sleeping

While we give Bear the (ever so slight) edge for side sleepers, we considered them tied when it comes to back and stomach sleepers. Overall, the beds just provides a nice amount of support, particular under your trunk and hips. As we stated above, you sleep more on top of the Nectar mattress (and Bear), meaning when you’re on your back or stomach, your hips should stay in proper alignment with the rest of of your body.

For the record, most of this applies to medium size individuals (i.e. between 150 lbs and 250 lbs). If you’re outside that window the beds will feel different. For instance, a petite individuals will argue that both beds are quite firm.

Nectar Mattress vs Bear Review: Verdict

You made it to the end of the comparison. Thanks for staying with us the entire way. You hopefully now understand where these two beds differ and where they’re similar. With that said, there’s still a good chance you’re struggling to decide which bed to go with. In our eyes, the decision between Nectar and Bear comes down to three primary factors.

Firmness & Sleeper Type — If you’re a primary side sleeper, there are better options out there than both of them, but between the two Bear gets the edge. Both should do just fine for back, stomach, and combo sleepers, so long as you’re aware that you will get resistance will most memory foam beds—Nectar and Bear included.

Budget — If price is your chief concern, Bear is most likely going to be the more affordable option after you apply a coupon code (check table at top of post).

Your Lifestyle — If you’re a serious athlete, you may want to consider the advantages that the Celliant cover on the Bear mattress provides.

That’s it for this post, but feel free to check out one of our other mattress comparisons. Thanks for choosing The Slumber Yard.