Nectar vs Layla – which mattress brand is best on test?

Nectar and Layla are two of America's best-selling box mattress brands, renowned for their quick, convenient delivery and budget-friendly product range. To help you choose between the two brands, I'm setting Nectar vs Layla head to head.

For the sake of a fair fight, I'm picking a similar mattress from each store: the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress and the Layla Hybrid Mattress. Which is the best mattress for you depends on a number of factors, including how you tend to lie on the bed and whether you run hot or cold.

Here at Homes & Gardens, we assess each mattress against the same criteria: pressure relief; thermoregulation; motion isolation; and edge support. If any of these terms are new to you, feel free to cross-reference against my mattress jargon buster.

Nectar vs Layla − which mattress brand is best on test?

Before we begin, I'd like to introduce our two testers. Millie Hurst, our former Head of Solved, sampled the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress. Aleenah Ansari, one of our freelance mattress testers, tried the Layla Hybrid Mattress.

Nectar vs Layla – Head to head

Nectar vs Layla – Pressure relief

WINNER: Layla

The Layla Hybrid Mattress is dual-sided: also known as a flippable mattress. One side feels Firm, and the other is more of a medium: all you need to do is lift and flip to find your ideal mattress firmness. As a general rule, side sleepers prefer a softer surface to cushion their joints, while back and stomach sleepers appreciate firmer support to keep their spine aligned.

That's not to say the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress is uncomfortable: it just isn't quite as versatile. '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,' says Millie. 'Now, over a year later, I wouldn't want to sleep on anything else. There's just enough give to cushion my joints, but not so much give that it throws my spine out of alignment.'

Nectar vs Layla – Thermoregulation

WINNER: Layla

It's a close contest. These hybrid mattresses are founded on stainless steel springs, which push air through the bed as they compress and decompress beneath your body weight, and topped with pressure-relieving memory foam.

What separates the Layla Hybrid Mattress is the use of gel memory foam. Gel beads are better than foam at absorbing thermal energy, which makes the Layla Hybrid Mattress slightly cooler to the touch than your average hybrid.

Still, I wouldn't say that either the Layla Hybrid Mattress or the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress rank amongst the best cooling mattresses. If you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, I recommend you explore other options. The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress would offer superior cooling at a similar price point.

Nectar vs Layla – Motion isolation

WINNER: It's a tie

'Your average average hybrid mattress has a bit of bounce, which makes it easier to get into and out of bed, but makes for a bit of motion transfer,' Aleenah explains. 'That's why I was so impressed with the motion isolation on the Layla Hybrid Mattress. When my partner got out of bed in the morning or in the middle of the night, I couldn't feel it over on my side.'

To measure the motion transfer through the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress, Millie conducted a test: '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 as good as it gets. I'd happily recommend this mattress for couples and light sleepers.'

Nectar vs Layla – Edge support

WINNER: Layla

The Layla Hybrid Mattress boasts reinforced edges, thanks to a double-lining of supportive steel coils around the sides. Aleenah says: 'I could comfortably sit on the side of the bed to apply lotion or tie my shoes without worrying that I'd start to slip. I did create a big dip in the mattress, though.'

Millie notes that the edge support on the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress is a marked improvement on the Nectar Memory Foam, but acknowledges: 'that's a low bar to clear. I could perch on the edge of the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress to apply lotion or tie my shoes without slipping straight off the sides, but I wouldn't want to sleep on the very edge of the mattress.'

I asked Aleenah and Millie which mattress they recommend for optimal edge support. Both came back with the same answer: the WinkBeds Luxury Hybrid Mattress.

Nectar vs Layla – Practical points

WINNER: Nectar

Both Nectar and Layla are box mattress brands. Their mattresses arrive vacuum-packed, delivered to your door. When you cut the plastic, you might notice a chemical sort of smell. That's the mattress off-gassing, emitting VOCs into your bedroom. The smell shouldn't be dangerous, but it is unpleasant. The best way to speed up the process to crack open a window and close the bedroom door, leaving your box mattress to off-gas for a full 24 hours before you try to sleep on it.

Where Nectar offers a limited lifetime mattress warranty, Layla only offers a 10-year warranty that protects against split seams and loss of shape beyond one inch. Still, it's important to put those figures into context: even the best hybrid mattress is unlikely to last more than a decade.

Where Layla offers a 120-night mattress sleep trial, Nectar offers 365 nights: that gives you a whole year to get used to the look and feel of your mattress before you commit to your purchase.

Nectar vs Layla – Which should I buy?

As the victor of three out of five categories, the Layla Hybrid Mattress wins the great debate of Nectar vs Leesa. The flippable firmness is a great feature for guest bedrooms, where you never know who will come to stay and how they'll get their best sleep. The Layla Hybrid Mattress is around $400 more expensive than the Nectar Premier Hybrid, but I'd say the performance matches the price.

If you're buying on a budget, and you just want the best affordable mattress, then the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress might be more suitable for you. You'll save $400 to spend on sheets, pillows, and everything else you need for a good night's sleep, and you still get excellent motion isolation, a lifetime warranty, and a longer sleep trial.

How we test mattresses

As the resident Sleep Editor here at Homes & Gardens, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best mattress. Together, we represent a wide range of ages, sleep styles, and body types, and we live all over the country in all sorts of climates. We test mattresses for a minimum of 30 nights before we write our initial reviews to get the best indication of long-term performance. To learn more about how we test mattresses, consult our expert guide.

We assess each mattress against the same criteria: pressure relief; thermoregulation; motion isolation; and edge support. To assess pressure relief, we lie on the mattress and move between our stomachs, backs, and sides, considering how comfortable and supported we feel in each position. To assess thermoregulation, we switch off our HVAC to sleep through all weathers, making note of any night where we wake up in a sweat.

To assess motion isolation, we fill a glass with water and set it in the middle of the mattress. Then, we place a weight on the mattress, moving incrementally closer to the glass. The more the glass moves and the more water spills, the worse the motion isolation, and the less suitable the mattress might be for couples and light sleepers. To assess edge support, we sit on the side of the mattress and measure how far we sink. The further we fall, the worse the edge support, and the harder it might be to get into and out of bed.

Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to get a better idea of long-term performance. We also consider the practical side of mattress shopping: the details of delivery; the length of the sleep trial; and the extent of the mattress warranty. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the mattress to help you determine value for money.