Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Learn more about our product testing
The DreamCloud is a superb firm, hybrid mattress that impressed our testers with its support, cooling abilities, and comfy feel. Read More
The Leesa Sapira hybrid mattress offers excellent motion transfer, cooling, and support for all sleeping positions. Read More
With excellent motion isolation, cooling performance, and edge support, the Zoma Boost hybrid mattress is a luxurious upgrade that’s worth the price. Read More
Helix surveys their customers to pair them up with the perfect mattress. The Helix midnight is a medium-firm mattress ideal for side sleepers. You may need a hand getting it into your bedroom, however. Read More
Hybrid mattresses combine the advantages of foam and innerspring mattresses into one package. The best hybrid mattress has enough surface cushion for pressure-relieving comfort and a supportive core for a little bit of bounce. Of course, as with any mattress, some hybrids are better than others.
After an extensive series of lab tests, the Dreamcloud (available at DreamCloud) emerged as the best hybrid mattress you can buy. It’s everything a hybrid mattress should be, with an excellent balance of cushion and support. For those looking for an upmarket option, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid (Available at Leesa) is our upgrade pick. It offers some of the best motion isolation, cooling performance, and comfort.
The DreamCloud hybrid mattress is a good choice regardless of your preferred sleeping position.
We think everyone will love the Leesa Hybrid, and that it's worth every penny.
Good motion isolation
Great edge support
Keeps cool
Too soft for some
Too thick for some fitted sheets
Great for side-sleepers
Supportive core helps align back and hips while resting
May be too hot for some sleepers
Strong chemical smell after unwrapping
Impressive edge support
Excellent pressure point relief
Good motion isolation
Too soft for some
Good edge support
Effectively diffuses heat
Great for side sleepers
Average motion isolation
Strong off-gassing smell
Average pressure relief
Effective cooling
Comfortable
Effective motion dampening
Poor edge support
Mediocre pressure relief
Comfortable
Cool
Noticeable motion transfer
Potential durability concerns
Diffuses heat
Isolates motion
Poor edge support
Too soft for some sleepers
Cool
Comfortable
Eco-conscious
Too firm for side sleepers
inconsistent motion isolation
There's a fee for returns
We tests mattresses for a range of criteria, from heat retention to edge support, at our labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
We subject mattresses to a series of standardized tests in our state-of-the-art labs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our testing gathers data related to the following attributes:
To test motion transfer, we place a phone with an accelerometer mobile app on the bed while someone drops a heavy boxing bag on the opposite side. The higher the number, the more motion passes through the mattress. The more motion transfer, the more likely you’ll be disturbed by movement from a partner or a pet in the night.
We also gauge a mattress’s bounciness by dropping a bowling ball onto the center of the bed from about waist height and observing its rebound, noting how much air, if any, it gets.
We test edge support with a heavy boxing bag. We lay it parallel to the side of the mattress and gently roll it toward the edge. As we move it, we measure how far it can hang over the edge of the bed before reaching the tipping point where it rolls off. The further it goes without the mattress giving in, the higher the score.
Without the metal cage that makes innerspring mattresses so supportive, it’s imperative to test the edge support of mattresses-in-a-box.
If a mattress cannot quickly disperse body heat, you could be in for everything from low-quality sleep to night sweats. Hybrid mattresses typically vent heat better than foam because the springs allow for greater airflow through the bed.
We test heat retention using heated silicone bags and temperature sensors. As the warm bags sit on the mattress for several hours, we monitor the temperature to determine whether heat is being dispersed appropriately.
We use a barbell in lab tests to assess how well a mattress does (or doesn't) curve up under pressure.
Everyone’s needs are different, but our lab testing can give you a place to start understanding a mattress’s level of support. To measure support, we attach pressure sensors to a weighted barbell to represent the human form. This test helps us objectively measure pressure at different points, like the shoulders and hips, which take more weight and pressure than the legs.
Foam mattresses (including hybrids) aren’t known for smelling like daisies, especially after they first arrive. That new mattress smell can be caused by chemicals trapped in the mattress during the manufacturing and packaging process. We note the smell of the mattress upon opening it and again after giving them 24 hours to off-gas.
Let’s face it: Mattresses are expensive, especially foam hybrids. A good mattress can last you a decade, but that also means that a wrong choice could be a pain in the neck (literally) for a long time. Here are some things to consider as you choose a hybrid mattress.
Hybrid mattresses consist of a base layer of coils topped with one or more layers of foam. This blends the benefits of spring and foam mattresses while minimizing the downsides of each. You get less heat retention than foam and better support on pressure points than innerspring.
The upper foam portion of your hybrid mattress cradles and cushions you from the springs beneath. Hybrids may use memory foam (for a sink-in sensation), firmer polyurethane foam, latex (which often sleeps cooler), or a blend.
Spring coils usually form the supportive foundation layer of a hybrid bed. Most hybrid mattresses use “pocket springs,” individually-wrapped coils intended to help the mattress adjust to pressure and provide targeted support and compression.
Hybrid mattresses are great for all sleeping positions. Stomach, back, and side sleepers alike can benefit from hybrid mattresses of varying firmness. Hot sleepers who want to minimize heat retention can benefit from a hybrid’s airflow, and couples looking for minimal motion transfer should also find them appealing.
Generally, the big issue across hybrid mattresses is price. They’re typically more expensive than comparable foam or innerspring mattresses. Still, the cost is accounted for in the superior support and durability. Hybrid mattresses also offer less motion isolation than foam mattresses; this is because the inner springs provide a more bouncy surface.
Aside from covering all things sleep, James moonlights as an educational theatre practitioner, amateur home chef, and weekend hiker.
Lindsey writes about sleep, lifestyle, and more for Reviewed. In her waking hours, she likes to spend time outside, read, cook, and bake. She holds a master’s in journalism from Boston University and bachelors' degrees in English Literature and Anthropology from the University of Utah.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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