The flagship Nectar memory foam mattress is one of the best-selling budget beds online. It’s been around for a while and it’s loved for its dependability and comfort. The Nectar Premier mattresses is the latest bed-in-a-box from Nectar –– it was meant to replace the brand’s premium Nectar Lush mattress.

When you’re shopping for a mattress and you’ve found a brand you like, narrowing down your pick between models can be difficult. That’s what we’re here for! If you’ve had your eye on Nectar, this one’s for you. This Nectar bed review will break down the benefits and the differences between these two mattresses:

  • The flagship Nectar mattress and a thick, premium memory foam mattress model. The Nectar bed is a best-seller for a good reason — it’s firm, comfortable, and comes with a forever warranty. 
  • The Nectar Premier has a few extra perks that make it stand out. It’s softer than the flagship mattress which makes it great for pressure relief, though it is more expensive.
Nectar mattress VS. Nectar Lush mattress
$399 – $1,598Price Range$1,099 – $1,799
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  • If you want a memory foam mattress
  • People that need a comfy foam bed
  • All sleep styles
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  • Memory foam lovers
  • If you’re prone to returning things (365-night trial period)
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Nectar vs. Nectar Premier Mattress Comparison Overview

If you’re already somewhat familiar with Nectar, you know the company makes great mattresses. But you might wonder which Nectar mattress to choose in Nectar vs. Nectar Premier. Both mattresses have a lot of fans, so we’ve summarized all the important things to know so you can make the right choice for you.

  • Price — The Nectar Premier costs about $500 more than the original Nectar mattress.
  • Memory foam feelBoth the flagship Nectar and Premier beds have what we call a dense memory foam feel. As you lay down, you’ll feel the top memory foam layers on both beds conform to your body’s shape. If you’re not a fan of memory foam, we’d recommend taking a look at our reviews of the Casper, Leesa, or GhostBed mattresses.
  • Ideal sleeper types — The flagship Nectar mattress is a little firmer than Nectar Premier, making it better for back and stomach sleepers. The pressure relief of the Nectar Premier makes it good for any person, including side sleepers. 

Now, let’s jump into the major differences between two of Nectar’s popular beds.

Nectar Construction and Design

The standard Nectar mattress has three foam layers that total 12″ thick:

  • Standard foam base support — As the name implies, this 7″ layer serves as the bed’s foundation.
  • Soft support foam — The proprietary material is basically a 2″ layer of memory foam that acts as a transition layer from the support foam below.
  • Gel memory foam — A top layer of 3″ gel memory foam.
  • Cooling cover — This soft cover provides a cooling sensation upon direct contact.
A peek inside the flagship Nectar mattress.

Nectar Premier and Premier Copper, however, look slightly different.

Like the Nectar mattress, the Premier and Premier Copper are made entirely of foam. However, they are thicker, and the Copper model incorporates special cooling material. The Premier model is 13” while Premier Copper is 14”. Here’s a quick rundown of the layers starting from the bottom:

  • Support layer — 7” support layer that provides a bulk of the bed’s support. The Copper model has a slightly thicker support layer.
  • Transition layer — Dynamic Support Foam makes up this layer. This material is a transition layer, neutralizing the harsh feel of the support foam below. 
  • Comfort layer — This layer is “Smart Layer With ActiveCool HD,” which incorporates a phase change material to help regulate temperature. It’s 3” thick on the base Nectar Premier mattress and a little thicker on the Copper model.
  • Cover — The cover on Nectar Premier and Nectar Premier Copper both have cooling covers, but the Copper contains head conducting fibers to help draw heat from your body.

Nectar vs. Nectar Premier Feel and Firmness

Although both mattresses have a memory foam feel, they’re slightly different. The main difference boils down to firmness. In short, we think the standard Nectar mattress is a couple of notches firmer than the Nectar Premier and Premier Copper. Nectar is rated around a medium-firm, while the Premier models are around a medium.

If you prefer firm beds over soft ones, you’ll most likely be happier with the standard Nectar mattress.

Nectar Mattress vs. Nectar Premier Sleeper Analysis

How a mattress feels to you will depend on your weight and which sleeping position you like.

  • Side sleepers

    In most cases, side sleepers typically like softer beds that provide more pressure relief for their hips and shoulders. In the case of these beds, the Nectar Premier models are the more ideal choices for side sleepers because they’re more pressure relieving.

  • Back and stomach sleepers

    Both beds should work for all sleeping positions. However, given its firmness profile, the standard Nectar mattress skews a little more toward back and stomach sleepers than it does side sleepers. The bed overall provides a good amount of support under your lower back and trunk. Therefore we’d have to give the edge to the flagship Nectar mattress when it comes to people who spend the majority of the night on their back or stomach.

  • Combo sleepers

    With Nectar, you will get a little of that stuck-in-the-mud sensation memory foam is known for. Combo sleepers might find it requires a little extra effort to switch from their back to their stomach or vice versa, but either bed should work fine.

Body Type Analysis

  • Petite Body Types

    Both of these mattresses fair pretty well when it comes to petite body types. Even though the flagship is slightly firmer than the Nectar Premier, it’s still only a medium firm. Sleepers under 150 pounds will be comfortable on either Nectar Premier or Nectar.

  • Average Body Types

    Average body types are lucky in the sense that they can sleep on most mattresses. The original Nectar mattress and the Premier are no exception. People who weigh in between 150 to 230 pounds will also be well off on either Nectar or Nectar Premier.

  • Heavy Body Types

    Unfortunately, we don’t think either option is ideal for heavier people over 230 pounds because they are both made with all foam. Though, if you twisted our arms, Nectar Premier is technically more ideal because of its thicker construction.

Nectar Premier vs. Nectar Mattress Pricing

The flagship Nectar bed is considerably more affordable than the Nectar Premier mattress:

SizeNectar MSRPNectar Premier MSRP
Twin$599$1,297
Twin XL$669$1,347
Full$799$1,697
Queen$899$1,797
King/Cal King$1,199$2,097

You should know that Nectar regularly runs sales and promotions. The prices we listed above are not what you’ll likely pay. In most cases, you can expect to receive at least $200 off your purchase. Plus, the company usually almost always throws in two free pillows with each purchase. Check the Nectar website for current pricing and promotions.

Is Nectar a Good Mattress for Couples?

When it comes to sleeping with a partner, your bed needs to be up to the challenge. It’s more than just both liking memory foam, factors like edge support, motion isolation, and temperature regulation are important.

Edge support

Both the Nectar bed and Nectar Premier have good edge support. For sleepers who need the entire sleeping surface, edge support is essential. The last thing you want is to feel like you’re going to fall off the edge of the bed when you’re sleeping.

Motion isolation

If your partner flops around at night and wakes you up at night, motion isolation might be something on your mind. Both the original Nectar bed and the Nectar Premier mattress passed all of our tests for motion isolation, meaning that one person moving around in the bed shouldn’t disturb the other person.

Temperature regulation

We think that the flagship Nectar mattress is temperature neutral. Traditionally, memory foam is known to sleep warmer or trap heat to your body. However, the gel memory foam in the Nectar mattress means the bed shouldn’t heat you up or cool you down. 

Unlike the base model, the Nectar Premier mattress is a little more effective at keeping you cool. Though with that said, we wouldn’t call it the coolest sleeping mattress we’ve ever tested. But if you’re a hot sleeper stuck between the two, the Nextar Premier wins in this category.

Nectar vs. Nectar Premier Mattress Comparison Verdict

Hopefully, you have a much better understanding of not only the areas in which these two beds overlap and where they differ. We threw a lot at you, let’s review the high points:

  • The Nectar Premier mattress was introduced to provide a higher-end mattress product for customers looking for other options from the manufacturer. 
  • The original Nectar mattress has a firmer feel than the Premier mattresses. 
  • The Nextar Premier bed doesn’t sleep cool, per say, but it’s more effective at keeping you cool than the original Nectar mattress. 

If you’re still not sure of which bed is the best pick for you, ask yourself the questions below:

  • What is your budget for a new mattress? If you answered by saying around $1,000, the standard Nectar mattress is the answer.
  • What is your firmness preference? Do you like soft or firm beds more? If you answered firm, the flagship mattress is the way to go. If soft was your answer, one of the Premier beds is the way to go. 
  • Are you a hot sleeper? We recommend the Nectar Premier Copper because it is the best at keeping your temperature more regulated and comfortable during the night.

You can always check out more of our mattress comparisons or our mattress finder quiz if you’re still undecided.

Other Nectar Products

  • How We Test The Mattresses

    The Slumber Yard has been around since the beginning of the bed-in-a-box craze. Our team has personally tested over 175 mattresses so far, and we keep more than 150 beds in our office so we can compare them (and take afternoon naps).

    When testing mattresses, we evaluate the following factors:

    • Construction: We cut mattresses open to see what’s inside and how it’s made.
    • Feel: We check if it has a stuck-in-the-mud memory foam feel, or if it’s more of a neutral foam or a plush pillow top, etc.
    • Firmness: We have our own firmness scale and evaluate how that may vary depending on your body and sleeper type.
    • Pressure relief: We test what’s the sweet spot for different body and sleeper types.
    • Support: and how that changes by body/sleeper type
    • Edge Support: This is important for couples who share a bed. Would you roll-out of the bed or can you sleep confidently close to the edges?
    • Motion Isolation: We use the water glass test to see how the bed fares with motion transfer. This is another important factor for couples that don’t want to wake up one another when they move.
    • Temperature Regulation: We use a temperature gun to evaluate if the bed warms up, stays neutral or actively cools while you are sleeping.
    • Noise: This could be an issue in beds with coils or innerspring.
    • Off-Gassing: Some beds could have a smell for a few weeks after unpacking, and we try to warn you about it.
    • Company policies: We also take into account policies such as shipping, returns, trial period and warranty.
    • Value: We look at a bed’s price in the context of what it offers in terms of features and quality of materials and construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Nectar mattress is the best?

That depends on your sleeping position and how thick you want your mattress to be. Not to mention how much money you want to spend. Their flagship model is the most affordable, and it’s best for back or stomach sleepers. The Premier models are best for side sleepers or people who want more cooling relief.

Is Nectar Premier worth it?

Honestly, the Copper model is expensive if you don’t need the extra cooling abilities it offers. Otherwise, we’d go with the base Nectar Premier model. Though, if a standard foam mattress is all you need, the original Nectar should be just fine for those under 230 pounds.

How long do Nectar mattresses last?

You should expect your Nectar bed to last 6 to 8 years, which is pretty standard. The dense layers of foam in the Nectar mattresses do give them the advantage of above-average durability.

Which Nectar mattress is best for side sleepers?

Side sleepers will likely get more pressure relief from the Nectar Premier mattresses because they are a bit softer than the flagship model. That said, side sleepers can still sleep comfortably on the flagship Nectar mattress.

What’s wrong with the Nectar mattress?

Overall, we like the Nectar mattresses. That said, we do have to mention that both the flagship mattresses and the Nectar Premier are not ideal for heavy people. They are all-foam mattresses, so heavy people might sink too far and end up with back pain.

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Why Trust Us

Get the kind of sleep you’ve only dreamed of with some help from our team of mattress experts. We personally test more than 175 of the best sleep solutions from over 60 leading brands on-site, so you can be sure you’re getting unbiased reviews, fair comparisons, and personalized recommendations.


The Review Team

  • Dillon Payne

    Combo Sleeper

  • JD

    JD Christison

    Combo Sleeper

  • kenzie

    McKenzie Dillon

    Combo Sleeper

  • Owen Poole

    Side Sleeper