Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress review − is it better than the basic?

The Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress combines the plush comfort of memory foam with the airflow and support of an innerspring. When it comes to cooling, this bed is a cut above the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress, and that's reflected in the price: the hybrid is several hundred dollars more expensive in every size than the standard memory foam model.

I decided to put the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress to the test and work out whether its performance matches its price. Over the course of a summer, I scored the mattress for comfort, support (especially around the edges), breathability, and motion isolation. I'm pleased to report that the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress performed well across the board, though the edge support still leaves something to be desired.

As an H&G expert tester, I'm part of the search to find the world's best mattress. While I doubt that the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress will knock our reigning champion off its top spot any time soon, I think this high-tech hybrid has a lot to offer light sleepers and anyone who suffers from chronic pain.

Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress review

I struggled to unwrap this box mattress. As soon as I started to cut through the plastic, the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress began to expand and became rather difficult to move around. In particular, it was hard to maneuver the mattress onto my four-poster. If I were testing this mattress again, I'd make sure to place it on the bed frame before I cut the plastic. On top of that, it took a few hours for the smell of the mattress off-gassing to dissipate. To speed up the process, I cracked open a window and switched on my air purifier to clear things up.

Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress Specifications

Who would the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress suit?

• Front and back sleepers: technically, the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress supports all sleep positions, but I'd say it's most suitable for back and stomach sleepers. The surface of the mattress is firm enough to maintain proper spinal alignment and stop you from sinking into the mattress. On a firmness scale of 1 to 10, Nectar rates their Premier Hybrid Mattress around a 6 or 6.5, but I'd say it's more like a 7.
• Anyone who suffers from chronic pain: the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress is topped with two inches of gel memory foam to bear your weight and relieve some pressure from your joints.
• Light sleepers: the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress boasts excellent motion isolation, so it's suitable for light sleepers and anyone who shares a bed with their pet or partner.

What's it like to sleep on the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress?

• Comfort: this hybrid mattress feels firm, but it's topped with memory foam, so you sink into it. It took me a few weeks to get used to the feeling of being 'hugged' by my mattress, but I've learned to love it. There's just enough give to cushion my joints, but not so much give that it throws my spine out of alignment. I started testing the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress at the end of last year, and I'm still sleeping comfortably on it.
• Support: I had a family member come to stay during the testing period. She suffers from a bad back, so I suggested she spend the night on the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress. The next morning, she got out of bed feeling a lot better: the innersprings had lent much-needed support to her lumbar region, while the memory foam had taken the pressure off her neck and shoulders. Of course, the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress couldn't cure her back pain, but it went a long way to make her feel better.
• Cooling properties: this hybrid mattress was noticeably more breathable than Nectar's memory foam models. Every time the coils compressed and depressed beneath my body weight, they pushed hot air down and out of the bed. Still, I wouldn't go as far as to say that the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress is one of the best cooling mattresses we've tested. That title belongs to the Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt Mattress, which kept our expert tester cool and dry during not one, but two Atlanta heatwaves.

• Motion isolation: your average hybrid mattress has too much bounce to offer much in the way of motion isolation. The Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress is the exception to the rule. To measure the motion isolation of the mattress, I filled a glass with water and set it in the middle of the mattress. Then, I asked my friend to climb onto the bed and walk around the mattress. The closer she came to the glass, the more it started to move, but she never spilled a drop of water. For a hybrid mattress, that's about as good as motion isolation gets. I'd happily recommend the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress for light sleepers and anyone who shares a bed with their pet or partner.
• Edge support: to be fair, the edge support on the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress is a marked improvement upon the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress. I could perch on the edge of the bed to apply lotion or tie my shoes without slipping straight off the sides, though I wouldn't want to sleep on the very edge of the mattress. If you're looking for a hybrid mattress with excellent edge support, I suggest the WinkBeds Luxury Hybrid Mattress, instead.
• Sleep trial: the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress comes with a 365-night mattress sleep trial. That gives you a whole year to sample the mattress through all four seasons, paying close attention to thermoregulation, before you need to commit to your purchase.
• Warranty: the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress comes with a lifetime mattress warranty that protects against defects in construction, materials, and quality. If you find a fault in your Nectar mattress, then Nectar promises to either repair or replace your bed.

How does the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress rate online?

The Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress boasts a 4.4 average star rating from 1,715 verified customer reviews. There's an option to filter for reviews from shoppers who share your sleep style to give you a more accurate picture of what it might be like to sleep on this mattress.

Happy customers praise the comfort and support of the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress. Numerous shoppers claim that their Nectar bed is saving them a trip to the chiropractor. One recent customer claims: 'my fiancé has degenerative disc disease, coupled with numerous back problems, and even he is happy with our new mattress.' There are a smattering of more mixed reviews, most of which concern the firmness of the mattress. Some people think that the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress feels too firm, while others think it feels too soft. Plenty of shoppers agree with me that the mattress takes a while to break in, though the edge support still leaves something to be desired.

Should I buy the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress?

The Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress goes for $1,799 in a Queen size. Given its performance, that feels reasonable to me, though you could always get it for less in the mattress sales.

I've been sleeping really well on the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress. It feels more supportive and luxurious than my old mattress and, edge support aside, I'm seriously impressed with its performance. Plus, the delivery system is so convenient. Nectar offers to remove your old mattress, free of charge, which saves you a job. If you pay a little extra for white glove delivery, someone will come in and unbox your mattress for you in the room of your choice.

How we test mattresses

We put a lot of thought into how we test mattresses. Our experts sleep on beds for months, if not years, to monitor their performance over time. We assess each mattress against the same criteria: comfort; support; cooling properties; motion isolation; edge support; and weight bearing capacity.

Some of our tests are subjective. The best way to measure the comfort and support of a mattress is to sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning. Other tests are more scientific. We use weights and water glasses to measure the motion isolation of a mattress and we scour the specifications to learn more about the materials inside. We also consider the practical aspects of buying a bed, from delivery details to mattress sleep trials.

Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to give you the fullest possible picture of what it might be like to sleep on this mattress. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the product to help you determine value for money.