Who Is It Best For?
Budget shoppers
People that like memory foam
Who Won’t Love It?
Heavyset individuals
People that want a plush mattress

Bear Mattress Review

Looking for a memory foam mattress that offers more than just a good value? You’ve come to the right place. The Bear mattress is a very underrated mattress in the bed-in-a-box game, and we think it should be more popular. Not only is it comfortable and affordable, but it comes with a special cover infused with a material that the FDA has officially recognized as a medical device.

We think Bear mattresses are worth the money — especially compared to similar beds on the market. There are a ton of boxes that these beds check: they’re priced affordably, are incredibly comfortable, and have a special sleep-promoting cover. 

Keep reading our Bear mattress review to learn more!

  • Honest Bear Mattress Video Review

    In this section, we take a good hard look at the updated flagship Bear Mattress. We will discuss everything from design and pricing to sleeping positions and temperature regulation. Here’s our video review of Bear Mattress:

    In this section, we take a good hard look at the updated flagship Bear Mattress. We will discuss everything from design and pricing to sleeping positions and temperature regulation. Here’s our video review of Bear Mattress:

How Does the Bear Original Mattress Feel?

The Bear mattress does incorporate memory foam and has that contouring hugging feel it provides, but we don’t think it’s overwhelming. You won’t necessarily get that “stuck” feeling in a Bear mattress that you might on a TempurPedic when you try to switch positions. We think it’s really comfortable. 

  • Firmness

    As we mentioned, Bear made some slight tweaks to the mattress in 2019. Past versions were on the soft side of the spectrum. However, it’s a bit firmer and more accommodating this go-around. We’d put the new model around a medium to medium-firm on the firmness scale.

  • Pressure Relief

    Thanks to Bear’s graphite-gel memory foam top layer, there’s adequate pressure relief with this bed — particularly for average-sized and heavier individuals. Though, it may not be pressure-relieving enough for some side sleepers, especially if you’re on the petite side.

  • Temperature

    Typically, we rate beds as either cool, neutral or warm. With that said, we’d rate the Bear Original mattress as just temperature neutral. We know they use cooling graphite gel in their memory foam, but we just didn’t feel like it actively kept us cool. However, we don’t feel like it will heat up either (petite and moderately-sized people).
    If you’re a heavy individual, though, you may find that it tends to warm up due to the fact you’ll sink in more and the mattress will contour and sort of hug around you, so keep that in mind.

Bear Original Mattress Construction

The Bear Original mattress is an all-foam bed that totals 10″ thick. As you can see in the graphic below, it’s made with three different types of foam.

bear mattress review construction and layers inside foam bed
The new 2019 Bear is a 3-layer all-foam mattress
Base layer
Transition layer
Top layer
  • It starts with a thick layer of dense support foam on the bottom, which acts as the base for the bed.

  • In the middle is a layer of softer response foam and acts as the transition between the support foam and the top layer.

  • Topping the bed is graphite-gel memory foam, and it provides pressure relief and contouring support for the sleeper. It’s also supposed to regulate temperature better than traditional memory foam, which has a reputation for retaining body heat.

Celliant Mattress Cover

Wrapping these foam layers is a Celliant woven cover. For those who don’t know, Celliant is an FDA-recognized wellness material that is clinically proven to promote increased blood flow, among other things. In Bear’s words, though, they state that Celliant “redirects the body’s natural energy as infrared light, which results in faster recovery and increased energy and performance.” As such, the company likes to market this mattress to athletes and people with active lifestyles.

bear mattress review celliant cover for athletes
Close up on Bear’s Celliant cover

We don’t have any hard data on this ourselves to either validate or invalidate that claim. We just think if you don’t have to pay more for it, why not have it there. We see the Celliant cover as a nice perk, especially for athletes and anyone that works out regularly. But it probably shouldn’t be the only reason why you buy this mattress. There’s plenty more info about Celliant on Bear’s website.

What Does the Original Bear Mattress Cost?

The Bear Original bed is not a budget bed by any means, but it’s also not as expensive as the typical mattress in a box. It’s priced pretty affordably, all things considered. Here, see for yourself:

SizePrice (MSRP)
Twin$695
Twin XL$695
Full$895
Queen$995
King / Cal King$1,095

Bear Original Mattress Review Sleeper Type Analysis

  • Side Sleeper

    In our Bear Original mattress review we found the bed to be between a medium and medium-firm, so we wouldn’t say it’s the best option for side sleepers. The only exception would be if you are a combination sleeper who, every once in a while, sleeps on their side.

  • Back And Stomach Sleepers

    We think it’s ideal for sleeping on your back or stomach. It’s one of those beds you sleep on top of versus in if that makes any sense. Think about it this way, when you’re on your back or stomach, you want something on the firmer side, so your spine doesn’t sag into the mattress. Otherwise, you might wake up with a backache. So we certainly don’t think back or stomach sleepers will have this issue with Bear Original.

    It reminds us a little of Yogabed in that from the outset, it’s best for back and stomach sleepers, but eventually, it should soften to accommodate plenty of side sleepers as well.

  • Combo Sleepers

    Bear Original should also work just fine for most combo sleepers. Like we’ve said, it provides some pressure relief for side sleepers and plenty of support for sleeping on your back or stomach. However, combo sleepers should remember that memory foam can be a little difficult to switch positions. Like we said earlier, Bear Original isn’t as bad as other memory foam mattresses, but you’ll still experience a little opposition if you try to switch from your back to your stomach.

Body Type Analysis

Heavy Sleepers

Bear Original is not the best option for plus-size people (250 lb+). It’s a 10″ all-foam bed and, generally, mattresses with coils will be better for heavier folks, so we just can’t recommend Bear for heavier folks. Coils provide bi-directional support (i.e., they compress but also push back) and are more durable and supportive than foam. These types of sleepers sink into the mattress more, and we worry about the long-term support, especially if you’re a back or stomach sleeper.

bear hybrid mattress review construction
Heavy people will want to explore the Bear mattress with coils

Bear’s coil mattress, on the other hand, is extra supportive and highly comfortable. It will also prove to be more durable than an all-foam mattress, and the price point isn’t outlandish either.

Petite To Average Individuals

If you’re a back or stomach sleeper, we think Bear Original is going to be great for you whether you’re petite or under 230 lb. Bear Original isn’t great for side sleeping for petite individuals because it might feel too firm, but know that it’ll get softer over time.

Is Bear Mattress Good For Couples?

In writing our Bear Mattress reviews, we discovered Bear Original and Bear Pro are indeed good for couples!

Motion Transfer

Couples who share a bed will want a mattress that limits motion pretty well. In short, one person shouldn’t be bothered by the other person’s movements. If the mattress allows for too much cross-bed motion, someone’s likely to be jostled awake. We’re glad to report, though, that the Original Bear mattress performs fairly well in this department. The mattress does a good job of deadening any movement.

Edge Support

Edge support is especially important for partners who share a smaller size mattress. It’s common for one person to roll over in the middle of the night and hog the center of the bed, pushing the other person towards the edge. In this instance, it’s essential that the bed’s perimeter is still supportive and doesn’t make the displaced partner feel like they’re about to fall off the side of the mattress.

Given that Bear Original has an updated, firmer design, it performs much better in the edge support department. Previously, it wasn’t so good, but now it’s on par with (if not better than) the rest of the all-foam beds out there.

Bear Original Mattress Review Verdict

If you ask us, we like the Bear Original Mattress a lot. Our team member Jeff actually slept on the coil Bear Mattress model for a while. But ultimately, we see the flagship Bear Original being best for back, stomach, and combo sleepers that really like the feel of memory foam. It’s also a great choice for athletes, runners, and weightlifters, due to that Celliant technology woven inside the bed’s cover.

Overall Rating

4.1 out of 5
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  • Bear Pro Mattress Review

    In this section we pick apart Bear Pro to see if it’s the right mattress for you.

    In this section we pick apart Bear Pro to see if it’s the right mattress for you.

How Does the Bear Pro Mattress Feel?

While the original Bear Mattress has a memory foam feel, Bear Pro feels like a neutral foam bed that’s incredibly comfortable. The memory foam is plenty pressure alleviating but also responds quickly. It’s the best of both worlds. And the copper-infused foam on top (red foam) is a fluffy, airy foam that’s somewhat addictive to lay on.

You can think of Bear Pro as the premium version of the Bear Mattress Original. In fact, Bear has consistently cut prices of their flagship model to where it competes with a lot of budget-tier memory foam beds. As such, it makes sense that they would offer a premium foam bed, a bit like what Casper did with the Casper Wave mattress.

We would place Bear Pro at a similar firmness rating to the original bed (i.e., between a medium and medium-firm).

Temperature Regulation

We don’t have any concerns regarding temperature with Bear Pro. And we say that for two reasons. First, it’s a firmer bed, and firmer mattresses generally are efficient at regulating your sleeping temperature. Second, Bear uses an open-cell foam on top and gel memory foam, both of which are in part supposed to help dissipate heat.

Bear Pro Mattress Construction

The mattress has the same general design as the flagship model. However, Bear Pro is 12″ thick and adds another comfort foam.

bear pro mattress review construction

You can see the full design on Bear’s website, but the gist of what you need to know is the bed has a support core, transition layer, responsive memory foam layer, and a copper-infused comfort layer on top. Here’s a look inside the mattress.

Mattress Celliant Cover

The bed also has Bear’s famous Celliant cover, which we are big fans of. If you missed the section above about Celliant, the short story is that it can help with everything from circulation to restful sleep. Sounds too good to be true, I know, but we think there’s something to it.

Bear Pro Reviews Body and Sleeper Type Analysis

Even though this is a 12″ bed, we still contend that heavier folks will want to go with Bear’s coil bed. That’s not to say that Bear Pro will not be durable—in fact, we think quite the opposite—but in general, people over 250 lbs. are better suited, long term, on a coil mattress. With that said, this bed will be accommodating enough for heavier individuals to get by.

And although we rated this bed between a medium and medium-firm, it offers so much pressure relief that we think it will work for all sleeping positions.

Will Couples Like The Bear Pro Mattress?

We see this as a fantastic mattress for couples. For starters, it has a very agreeable firmness level and overall feel. On top of that, the edge support is better than your typical all-foam bed, and it’s good at deadening movement. Bear doesn’t offer split models, but we think this is the type of mattress that couples can find common ground on.

What Does the Bear Pro Mattress Cost?

Bear Pro is priced above the original bed but below their coil mattress. We actually don’t hate the price point. We think the bed is priced reasonably considering how comfortable the mattress is. The MSRP of the queen-size bed is around $1,295 before any discounts, though Bear is known to run promotions from time to time. You can check Bear’s website for any deals on Bear Pro right now.

Comparing Different Bear Mattress Models

Here’s a quick overview of our Bear Mattress reviews. Just click the link to go to the labeled review. You can also learn more about the beds on BearMattress.com.

  • Bear Mattress — The company’s flagship bed. It’s 10″ thick, has a memory foam feel, and sells for around $995 for the queen.
  • Bear Pro — The company’s upgraded foam mattress. It’s 12″ thick and feels like a comfy, soft foam bed.
  • Bear Hybrid — This is a 14″ coil mattress that’s surprisingly affordable. It’s also supportive, durable, and really comfy.

Other Bear Products

Bear Company Policies

When it comes to online mattresses, people are often too fixated on the actual bed, which we totally understand. However, the company’s policies (shipping, returns, trial period, and warranty) are also quite important. These are the highlights for Bear mattresses:

  • Risk-free trial period: 365 nights
  • Warranty: Lifetime
  • Shipping: Free
  • Returns: Free
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for the bed to decompress?

It might take the mattress 48 hours to inflate fully. This is typical. Most memory foam beds take a day or two to expand entirely.

Do Bear mattresses off-gas?

They will off-gas right when it comes out of the box. Understandably, the bed has been rolled up inside of a cardboard box and will need about 24-48 hours to fully off gas. But, the smell will go away.

Are Bear mattresses any good?

Bear Mattresses are a great choice for those under 250 lbs. seeking a foam mattress with added performance technology. We also primarily think it’s best for back, stomach, and combination sleepers.

How long will a Bear mattress last?

Like the average memory foam mattress, you should expect to get at least eight to 10 years out of your Bear mattress.