Bear is a well-known brand for offering high-quality mattresses. The most famous of these models is the Original Mattress. This particular kind of foam bed is best known for its stellar performance, with enough responsiveness, pressure relief, and cooling properties to keep sleepers cozy and cool throughout the night.
The Bear Original is a great option for those who need to be soothed. Many other premium foam beds in the market offer sleepers a diverse range of features and accommodations, some having a few more that the Bear can’t always provide.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at the top-selling mattresses from Casper, Purple, Leesa, and Nectar. We’ll see what makes each of them stand out, and discover what else they have in common with Bear, which we’ll provide you with an overview very shortly.
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 Mattress Bear Original Mattress Review
The Bear Original mattress is a premium all-foam mattress packed with specially-designed features and functions to provide efficient comfort and quick recovery. Priced at $748 (Queen-size), it is geared toward active individuals such as athletes, first responders, and frontliners. It contains a top comfort layer of graphite-gel memory foam equipped to cushion the body’s pressure points and contour the silhouette. Bear Original Mattress Review
The Bear’s cooling properties are also due to the mattress’s open cell foam technology and its medically tested Celliant cover. This makes it a rare memory foam mattress that has this unique advantage.
Benefits and disadvantages
We were able to evaluate the Bear mattress’s firmness and overall performance in our previous article. Based on our observations, it ranks 7 out of 10 in our comfort level ranking, making it a medium-firm bed. When it came to analysing through a series of performance tests, there were a couple of fascinating things that we found:
- The pressure relief was adequate for most sleepers. We found that the memory foam was stacked on top the high-density foundation. This meant that it held most pressure points well, particularly at the back.
- Since we’re talking about an all-foam mattress here, you should expect it to have fantastic motion isolation abilities.
- The Bear’s overall design allows for easy movement and conforms well to their bodies.
It’s important to note its many benefits but it also has some limitations, especially for heavy-weight sleepers. The Bear Original is not as suitable for heavy individuals – they may gain the comfort and support that it delivers, but they’ll find it a bit uncomfortable in the long run.
Who Should Use the Bear Original?
- People who like to sleep on memory foam, but don’t enjoy the sinking sensation.
- Athletes, first responders, and other active individuals
- Couples looking for a best-value mattress with the best edge support and motion transfer
- Average and light back sleepers looking for a valuable bed with a feeling that’s similar to an innerspring model
Bear Mattress vs. Casper (Casper Original)
Casper is a bed-in-a-box brand that offers a wide range of high-quality mattress models, each designed for many different personal circumstances, at affordable prices. Established in 2014, Casper is one of the first direct-to-consumer mattress companies to popularize bed-in-a-box delivery as we know it today.
Its flagship mattress, the Casper Original, is one of its most popular products. Standing at 12″, the Casper advertises a medium-firm comfort level that most sleepers will enjoy. The queen-sized variant of the Casper Original costs $1,295, which is much pricier than the Bear mattress at $998. The Casper company offers a 10-year warranty on its namesake bestseller and a 100-night sleep trial period.
Similarities
Both Casper and Bear mattresses have outstanding cooling capabilities from the beginning. The only difference is how they execute it to make it happen: Casper utilizes its signature AirScape technology on the top polyurethane layer to allow airflow, while Bear’s combination of open-cell foam, graphite-gel infusion, and Celliant bed cover, on the other hand, helps neutralize the body’s temperature while it’s asleep. Despite being foam beds, both work well in cooling the sleeper.
Both the Bear and Casper have enough features that they are suitable for those under 230 pounds. Each also has a memory foam layer built to conform their figure, relieve pressure points, and keep their spine in alignment.
Differences
The Casper has a dedicated zoned support layer of memory foam. The second layer of the mattress consists two layers: a soft top and bottom panel to cushion the shoulders and lower extremities, and a thicker middle one to support the hips, waist and lower back. This provides additional comfort and relief.
The Casper, as previously mentioned, has a medium-firm comfort level. However, between it and the Bear Original, it’s much softer in comparison. Although there are some drawbacks, such as difficulty in moving, the Casper is much more comfortable for side-sleepers.
Who Should Use the Casper Original?
- Those looking for a high-quality foam bed with most of Bear’s features plus extra cushioning on the back, hips, and shoulders
- Sleepers who love the sinking sensation when they lay down on the bed
- Couples or individuals looking for a mattress with exceptional motion isolation
Bear Mattress vs. Purple (Purple Mattress)
Purple is a company that specializes in the development of innovative technologies to improve sleep quality. You may know them best for their groundbreaking purple gel-grid polymer. Initially used as cushioning material to make wheelchairs more comfortable, this recent discovery has revolutionized the sleep and mattress industry in more ways than one. Bear Original Mattress Review
Purple Mattress, measuring 9.5 inches thick, is a testament to the company’s commitment to all types of sleepers. It has a foundational base of four inches and a transitional layer of polyfoam measuring 3.5 inches. The transitional layer, unlike other similar mattresses like the Bear, is thicker. This allows the body to conform to its surface without sinking, unlike other similar mattresses. The Purple’s firmness is at the same level as the Bear Original but steeper in price at $1,399 (Queen-size).
Similarities
The Purple bed and its signature grid layer may be different than the Bear, but it delivers spotlessly in accommodating back sleepers with the best-optimized comfort they deserve. The polymer grid is gel-infused; as the person lies down on the Purple, the gel in the grid activates, and it instantly adjusts to the person’s weight and sleeping position.
The Purple Mattress has exceptional cooling abilities that match the Bear Original. Both beds share the same firmness – if we could rank the Purple’s comfort level, we could confidently rank it at 7 out of 10.
Differences
The Purple’s overall feel is so different that you can immediately tell when you first lay down on it. While the Bear has the traditional memory foam feel, the Purple Mattress has a unique surface that, upon activation, becomes very flexible and responsive to the body’s ever-changing movements, giving it an elevated advantage over the rest. The Purple Mattress is easier to navigate than that of the Bear.
We can appreciate the endless possibilities of the Purple mattress, but it is hard to overlook the steep price tag. The Bear mattress is around $300 more expensive than the Purple.
Who Should Use the Purple Mattress?
- Those who prefer sleeping on top of the mattress’s surface
- For heavyweight sleepers, a foam mattress that supports their weight is a must.
- Those who usually sleep flat on the back (shoulder and stomach sleepers can also try this)
Bear Mattress vs. Leesa (Leesa Original)
Leesa was among the first direct-to-consumer modern companies to popularize the bed-in a box delivery system. It offers a wide range of models, from all-foam to hybrid. The company’s bestselling Sapira hybrid beds and Legend hybrid beds have received high praise, but the Leesa Original is still a fan favorite product offering. It costs $1,199 (Queen size) and is their most affordable option.
The Leesa Original mattress is made up of a layer of memory foam and a layer of special polyfoam. Its firmness may be a bit softer than Bear’s in comparison, but it manages to strike a balance between contouring and responsiveness. It’s easy to see why their flagship mattress is still in high demand today, thanks to Leesa’s outstanding customer service hotline.
Similarities
The Leesa is around 10 inches in total height, which happens to be the same as Bear’s mattress. They share more than height similarities. One of those is how they addressed the pressing issue of overheating, a recurring concern with all-foam mattresses. The Leesa utilizes the specialty top layer to help cool down the sleeper.
The Bear and this bed also share a common trait: responsiveness. Memory foam mattresses have gained a bad rep over the years for their slow responses, but both the Leesa and Bear are exempted.
There are differences
While the Leesa and Bear have memory foam and are responsive, we shouldn’t completely gloss over how each places this material. The Bear Original’s memory foam is used as a top comfort layer. The Leesa is placed in the middle of the mattress as a transitional layer.
The top layer of the Leesa mattress’s top is made not only of polyfoam, but also includes a mixture of memory foam. The Leesa mattress is much more comfortable than Bear’s. It’s also slightly bouncier. Bear Original Mattress Review
Who should use the Leesa Original?
- For those who are looking for a more responsive foam mattress
- Sleepers who enjoy laying on high-quality beds that provide extra cushioning
- Leesa is a socially conscious individual. She has initiated initiatives to donate and give beds to children who are in dire need of quality sleep.
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Bear Mattress vs. Nectar (Nectar Memory Foam)
Nectar is one of America’s most popular direct-to-consumer brands, stealing the hearts of a diverse range of sleepers. Their flagship mattress is the most popular and sought-after product of the company. It provides solid pressure relief and motion transfer.
As we further checked what else this mattress could do, we noticed many of its traits are closely similar to the Bear Original. Although we may have saved the closest competitor, we still appreciate what we found. We’ll be going through every detail very soon.
Similarities
Let’s start with the price. A queen-sized Nectar mattress is only $799. If you compare this price tag to the Bear mattress, you’ll notice the smaller difference between the two. The Nectar is only $50 more expensive than our old beds. This means both this mattress and the Bear are among the most affordable premium foam beds available on the market.
Although the firmness of the Nectar is similar to Bear’s, it is slightly more rigid than Bear’s. The construction is also identical: it is stacked by a high-density foundation base, a transitional polyfoam in the middle, and a gel-infused memory foam surface to top it off. The combination gives the bed a lot of responsiveness, making it easy to move around.
Given how it’s made, the Nectar should be a perfect match for sleepers below 230 lbs. It should also be a great choice for couples, as it has the same excellent motion transfer abilities.
There are differences
We could go on and on about how the Nectar and Bear mattresses are identically similar to each other. But since they’re two different bed models, we should point out the differences as well. Among the most notable is the thickness of the comfort layer. The Nectar mattress’s memory foam portion is an inch thicker than Bear’s and as a result, it’s more ideal for persons who often sleep on the side.
Who should use the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress
- Those who want a medium-firm mattress that can also accommodate side sleepers
- People suffering from hip and joint pains are looking for exceptional pressure relief in a bed.
- Couples or individuals who don’t want to be easily disturbed by varying movements
Final Thoughts Bear Original Mattress Review
Now that we’re nearing the end of the review of Bear vs. Casper, Purple, Leesa, and Nectar, we must talk briefly about their limits. While we can stop by and admire all the benefits they bring to sleepers anywhere, we still need to remind ourselves that not all of them are perfect.
Given the nature of all-foam mattresses, don’t expect many of them to have great edge support. They aren’t designed to accommodate heavy people, stomach sleepers and side sleepers.
With all of that out of the way, we’d like to share some important tips to keep in mind in searching for the right bed:
- Check if the mattress’s materials and construction are good enough to support you on the stomach, shoulders, and hips as much as the back
- Inspect the bed’s surface and responsiveness – if you prefer to sleep into it and do not want to move too much, the comfort level should be softer; if you change positions often, the firmer surface may be your best pick
- Does the perfect mattress have cooling abilities? Is it able to provide great edge support? Does it have the buoyancy you’re craving? These are just some of the other important questions to keep in mind
Whether the Bear Original mattress is your best choice, or you have something else in mind, all that matters is for you to find the right bed that gives you the quality sleep you deserve. Bear Original Mattress Review