So, you’re looking for a memory foam mattress that’s soft enough to contour your body, firm enough to provide much-needed relief, and cool enough to keep you from overheating? We found one that could deliver all three!
You may have heard about the Bear Original mattress and how it accommodates a wide range of sleepers. But if you’re not up to speed, it’s one of the best-performing all-foam mattresses making waves on the bed market. This mattress is also one of the best-valued, as it offers many convenient and comfortable features in one product.
In this review, we’ll take a detailed look at the Bear mattress by testing it for ourselves and seeing if our results align with what we’ve been advertised. This mattress is recommended for active people, but how does it perform in providing a restful night?
For those of you who prefer a more visual experience, here is a video review from Sleep Advisor’s YouTube channel. To get a comprehensive overview of DreamCloud’s Bear Mattress, you may still want to check out our article below.
Overview: The Bear Original Bear Mattress Forbes
Bear Original is an all-foam mattress that provides comfort and relief for active people. It has vital properties, such as the gel-infused memory foam on the top layer, which cushions the body’s key pressure points while keeping it relaxed. It not only makes the sleeper feel comfortable but also has Bear’s open-cell response properties that increase airflow throughout it. The state-of-the-art Celliant fabric covers the mattress, making it powerful enough to prevent the body from overheating.
The Bear Original is a bed in a box product that offers medium-firm comfort. Medium-firm mattresses, regardless of type and construction, are preferred by most sleepers, although what makes this one unique is its slightly bouncy feel. The Bear mattress is one of the popular offerings from its namesake company, established in 2014 with the primary purpose of creating bed apparatus geared toward athletes, first responders, frontliners, and other individuals who maintain a proactive sense of living.
Who are the ideal users of the Bear Original?
- Those who are looking for an all-foam mattress at a valuable price
- Those who prefer sleeping on memory foam but don’t like the ever-sinking feeling associated with it
- Those who sleep hot, especially after a full day of work or intensive activity
- Back sleepers who prefer a mattress that is firm, supportive, and can alleviate pressure points
- Couples who share the same bed with one who tends to get restless at night and the other who doesn’t want to be disturbed
Who should not use the Bear Original?
- For those who want a more bouncier bed, all-foam mattresses (including the Bear Original) are known for being not too springy.
- People who appreciate beds with stable edges support may be interested in these beds.
- Side sleepers of light weight may find this mattress too firm for them.
- This may be too soft for average-weight stomach sleepers.
- Heavyweights who prefer sleeping flat, whether it’s on the back or the stomach
How Does the Bear Original Feel?
Is it going to give you the relief that you need from your aches and pains? How much will it sink your body? Is it as cool as the makers behind it claim to be? To answer these pressing questions, we tested the Bear mattress based on its firmness, pressure relief performance, and cooling capabilities.
Firmness
We use a scale of 1-10 to rank mattresses. One is super soft, five are medium and ten are extremely firm. Based on what we found while testing the Bear Original, we can confidently say that its comfort level is between medium and firm. 7 to be exact.
The Bear company has advertised its namesake mattress to be medium-firm, so at least they were accurate in providing that information. Considering the use of memory foam, which has gained notoriety for its sinking feel on the body, the overall construction still somehow manages to be sturdy and stable. Bear Original features a thick layer high-density foam as the foundation. This material is solid and not as flexible as spring coils.
This mattress has more benefits by having the material underneath the memory foam. The top layer may be pliable enough to shape the sleeper’s silhouette, but, thankfully, it’s countered by a more rigid foundation underneath, creating what appears to be a perfect balance. While we have experienced many issues with memory foam mattresses, this one was not. The Bear made us feel like we were sleeping ‘on’ the surface rather than ‘into’ it.
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Pressure relief
The Bear Original combines the softness and strength of high-density foam with the flexibility of memory foam to create a balanced mattress. It can provide sufficient pressure relief for most sleepers. No pressure buildup was observed in the heat map tests, regardless of what type of sleep position.
While we admire its remarkable pain relief capabilities, we should mention that they’re only limited to a group of people. Average-weighted people, in particular, may find the Bear mattress to be much more suited to their needs. The experience of heavyweights and light-weights may differ. Some may feel firmer when they lie on their sides while others may feel uncomfortable. Bear Mattress Forbes
Temperature
As previously mentioned, the Bear mattress has open-cell foam, gel infusion, and Celliant fabric, all combined to keep the body cool enough that it doesn’t overheat. Although all-foam mattresses are not known for having the best insulation, this mattress performed admirably in maintaining the temperature at least to a neutral level. It is not too hot nor too cold.
While we can’t promise the Bear Original to have the same cooling properties as any innerspring or hybrid mattress, its three insulating features are enough to soothe a person, especially after a day filled with long, arduous tasks. They’re also enough to keep the couple from getting too heated – two bodies are prone to heat up faster on the mattress than one. The Bear mattress is a great option for couples looking for an all-foam cooling bed at a reasonable price.
Analyse of Sleep and Body Type
How effective will the Bear mattress bring much-needed comfort to the light, average, and heavy sleepers?
The Bear Original is tested in various sleeping positions
The Back
The Bear Original has proven yet again in providing the best back relief for most sleepers. Lightweight individuals will find enough comfort with this mattress, with a healthy balance of conformity and support to keep them relaxed while laying flat. It will be appreciated by those of average weight, as they get the best-optimized support and comfort.
The Bear might not be a good choice for heavyweight sleepers. They shouldn’t expect the all-foam mattress to conform to their bodies like their lighter- or average-weight counterparts. It usually ends up in sinkage, which doesn’t sound nice especially if you move often. We also noticed on the heatmap that the pressure points were higher then the rest.
Stomach
The Bear offers remarkable benefits for stomach sleepers. Some may get a collectively positive experience while sleeping flat on the stomach, while others may find the surface too soft to provide pressure relief on the hips and keep their spine in alignment.
Both light- and average-weighted persons feel the same way when sleeping in this position. At first, they may find the Bear to have the appropriate support on the stomach. The mattress is all foam, so sinkage and softness may be inevitable. For heavyweight individuals, sleeping on the Bear with their stomachs laid flat on the surface will not bring them the benefits they crave. They often feel like they are sinking and have more pressure points than if they were sleeping on their backs. Bear Mattress Forbes
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Sides
Similar to laying flat on the stomach, how the Bear feels on the person while sleeping on either side will depend on personal circumstances. Some lightweights may find the surface too firm for their liking, while others may receive the pressure relief they need on the shoulders and hips. Average sleepers, meanwhile, would likely say the same thing.
Heavyweights will not appreciate how the Bear feels while sleeping on the side as much as they want. According to a few of our testers, while they experienced the support and comfort from the mattress, the firmness, sinkage, and high-pressure point outweigh the pros.
Combination sleeping positions
We found that the Bear Original works well with people who sleep in multiple positions, regardless of their body weight. Based on our observations, it was adept enough to deliver comfort and relief to the testers even when they slept in altered postures. There is a chance that some people may experience slight difficulty in moving around because the mattress has a layer of memory foam at its top.
Mattress Performance
The testing doesn’t end there. We also tested the Bear Original for motion transfer and ease of movement. For couples wondering if the mattress will serve them benefits, you should check this one out!
Motion Transfer
The perfect mattress must have motion isolation to help you sleep and not be disturbed by movements. The Bear’s all foam layers absorb and dampen vibrations. This makes it a superior choice to innerspring mattresses.
Mobility made easy
Considering the types of foam used, the Bear doesn’t conform to the body as much as the softer ones, yet is unable to deliver the floating feeling as the other beds do. For average and light sleepers, the ease of movement is 50/50. In the case of the heavy ones, however, they’ll most likely have challenges in maneuvering on the surface.
Edge Support
Edge support is a measure of how strong the bed’s perimeter is in supporting multiple bodies. Strong edge support is good for couples and groups. We found the Bear to have adequate stability around the edges, although not as strong as the innerspring models.
Sex
All-foam and memory foam mattresses are not recommended for sexual activity. In the case of the Bear, however, we observed that it didn’t conform as much as other foam beds and that it’s more responsive to quick changes of movement. Therefore, we conclude that it performs well even during sex.
Unboxing and Off Gassing
Because it is a bed-in-a-box mattress, expect the Bear to have an off-gassing and decompression period after you cut open the wrapped packaging. All-foam mattresses are known for their strong and sometimes unpleasant odors. These are caused by volatile organic compound (VOC). Bear Mattress Forbes
The Bear is no different, but since the foam materials used are GreenGuard Gold and CertiPUR-US-certified, the off-gassing smells go away much faster compared to other all-foam beds.
Construction
Bear Original mattress measures 10 inches thick. It is made up of three layers of unique foam, each one being a different type.
Top comfort layer – This is the first of three layers. It’s a graphite gel memory foam which provides pressure relief and contouring to the body’s silhouette. It has a thickness 2 inches and is packed with open-cell cooling capabilities to regulate the sleeper’s temperature. This is something that traditional memory foam often lacks.
Transitional middle layer – Below the memory foam comfort layer is a transitional response foam that’s also 2″ thick. It is both soft and firm, helping to prevent the body from sinking. You will feel more like you’re sleeping on top than the mattress.
Foundation layer – This is the thick, high-density foam that holds the Bear together. With a height of 6″, it serves as a firm and stable foundation for the sleeper’s body to rest on.
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The three layers of the Bear Original are wrapped in a Celliant fabric mattress cover. Celliant is an FDA-regulated fiber material formulated to help speed up the individual’s recovery period while they rest, with design elements to improve blood circulation. It’s soft and provides enough airflow to prevent the body from overheating. The Bear mattress is marketed as a mattress for athletes, high-energy professionals and others who are active.
Pricing and Available Sizes
The Bear mattress comes in all sizes and is available at a variety of prices. It’s not a very budget-friendly model by all means, nor a highly expensive one either. Below is a complete list of sizes available and the prices for each.
| SIZE OF MATTRESS | PRICE (BEFORE DISCOUNT) |
| Twin | $748 |
| Twin XL | $811 |
| Full | $873 |
| Queen | $998 |
| King | $1,248 |
| Cal King | $1,248 |
| Split King | $1,622 |
Final verdict on the Bear Original Mattress
We are confident that the Bear Original delivers comfort, relief and peace of mind after undergoing a series of tests. It’s a solid choice for those who prefer sleeping on a memory foam surface, but also like to move as swiftly as possible. It is designed with recovery in mind and has many features that will appeal to active people who are looking for a mattress they can provide what they need.
While we can admire how well it performs on most sleepers, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that it may not be fully suitable for heavyweight sleepers. Many mattresses will have limitations. The Bear Original mattress has a lot of great features and a very affordable price. This is why you should buy it! Bear Mattress Forbes
FAQ Bear Mattress Forbes
Where can I purchase the Bear Original?
You can buy the Original mattress online at Bear’s official online store at bearmattress.com, as well as find its limited sizes through their Amazon store. If you want to test out the Bear mattress for yourself, you may check out their showrooms in any of the following US states/territories where they have locations:
- New Jersey (Bernardsville & Hoboken).
- New York (New York City metropolitan area)
- Florida (Miami)
- Washington, DC (metropolitan area)
Bear offers free shipping on all mattresses. How does Bear ship to me?
Bear offers free shipping on all models, even the Bear Original. This applies to Canada and the US mainland. Residents in Alaska, Hawai’i, and Puerto Rico will still need to pay additional transportation costs. The Bear mattress comes compressed in a box within 2-7 business days from your first purchase.
Is there any way for me to return the Bear mattress?
The Bear Original mattress is covered by a 120-night risk-free trial period. If in any way you’re not satisfied with the mattress’s overall performance, you may call Bear’s customer service hotline to ask for a full refund and return within the given period. The team will then pick up the mattress from your household free of charge.
Is the Bear covered by a warranty?
The Bear comes with a lifetime warranty, which only applies to mattresses purchased through authorized sellers, including the website. It covers workmanship and material defects, such as 1.5″-deep indentations and splits and cracks in the foam foundation, as well as some additional terms and conditions. Bear Mattress Forbes
