Bear Mattress Blog Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review 2024: A luxury cooling mattress for people with lower back pain

Tom's Guide delivers a professional review of the Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress, showcasing its standout features as a premium option for back pain relief and active lifestyles. With a 14-inch hybrid design, copper-infused memory foam, and reinforced lumbar support, the mattress provides exceptional comfort and durability. The Celliant-infused cover further enhances recovery and sleep quality, making it a strong choice for those seeking rejuvenation. Through rigorous testing, the review highlights the Bear Elite Hybrid's superior performance in cooling, motion isolation, and overall support, positioning it as a top-tier option for versatile sleepers. Here’s the excerpt below and Read the article. Standing at 14" tall and made from premium-grade non-toxic materials, the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress is the brand's most luxurious model yet. It comes in three firmness levels (soft, medium, and firm), with standout features including a cooling cover to prevent overheating, and a lumbar support section to reduce lower back pain. We slept on the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress in a medium firm queen size for over three weeks, testing it in all key areas: support, comfort, motion isolation, temperature regulation, edge support, and pressure relief.  Bear Mattress is one of the most popular bed brands in America so we were keen to see how its flagship offering, the Bear Elite Hybrid, stacks up against our tried and tested recommendations for this year's best mattresses for all sleepers. Here's what we discovered during our review process... Bear Mattress rates its medium Elite Hybrid as a 6 out of 10 on its firmness scale, and we're inclined to agree. There's minimal sinkage, which our lead tester found most comfortable for back and stomach sleeping. It'll also suit side sleepers who don't need ample cushioning, although we'd recommend going softer if you'd like your mattress to have more give (or firmer if you need even less sinkage).  We’re happy to report that the Bear Elite Hybrid does a great job with temperature regulation, creating a breathable environment throughout the night. (We tested it in Texas in July, with the air conditioner set at 77 degrees F.)  Our test model included the upgraded Celliant-infused cover, which had a mild cooling sensation and a softness that put our reviewer to sleep in seconds. The standard cover includes phase change materials (PCM), which also help with cooling. Couples should be satisfied with the Bear Elite Hybrid’s motion isolation, as it aced our real-world and objective tests. It’s unlikely your partner will wake you when they change positions or get in and out of bed. The edge support along the sides of the mattress is superb, but less so at the foot of the bed and the corners. This makes us wonder if the reinforced coils encompass the entire perimeter of the mattress. Though it teeters between the upper mid-range and premium price categories after regular mattress sales, we think the cost is reasonable. Read below for our complete Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review and why we now rate it as one of the best hybrid mattresses of 2024. Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review: Design A 14" hybrid mattress with five layers  Cooling cover upgrade adds Celliant fibers for recovery Made without fiberglass and with non-toxic materials The Bear Elite Hybrid is a five-layer mattress that's 14 inches tall with two handles on each side for easy maneuvering when rotating or moving it. At the base is a high-density support foam layer to maintain the structural integrity of the mattress over time. Above that is a layer of individually encased coils for airflow, support, and motion isolation. The coils along the perimeter are reinforced for edge support, while the center features higher-gauge coils for maximum lumbar support.  The upper foam layers consist of transitional foam for ergonomic support and contouring, and copper-infused memory foam to aid with cooling. (Copper also has antimicrobial properties, but you'll still want to know how to clean your mattress properly.) However, it’s the cover that might make the biggest impact on the comfort and cooling capabilities of the Bear Elite Hybrid. It comes standard with a hand-quilted cover made from phase change materials that remove body heat from the surface. Customers have the option of adding a Celliant-infused cover, which aids in faster recovery and higher sleep quality by absorbing your body heat and transforming it into 'waves of energy,' according to the brand. Not only are the foams used in this mattress CertiPUR-US certified, but the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress as a whole is GreenGuard Gold certified, ensuring low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and adherence to strict guidelines for air quality and overall health. It's also made without fiberglass. Read more: What is a non-toxic mattress? Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review: Support & comfort Comes in three firmness levels; we tested medium (6/10) Supportive for stomach and back sleeping May not have enough give for some side sleepers Our reviewer, who is 5’5” and weighs 175lbs, tested a queen-size Bear Elite Hybrid mattress in medium with a Celliant-infused cover. During her three weeks of testing, our reviewer slept wonderfully and found it exceptionally comfortable (she’s tested over 20 mattresses in the past few years).  The mattress comes in soft, medium, or firm, with Bear rating the different firmness levels as 5, 6, and 7 out of 10, respectively. Our reviewer described her medium Bear Elite Hybrid Mattress as a 'soft medium,' but otherwise agreed with the brand's assessment of 6 out of 10.  To objectively test the Bear Elite Hybrid's pressure relief, we placed a 15lb dumbbell in the center of the mattress, where it sank about half an inch. (Because the top cover is quilted, it appears as if the dumbbell sank further, but it did not.) Upon lying on the mattress, our reviewer noticed how soft the top layer was, yet she didn’t sink into the surface. It didn’t contour around her but softly nestled against her, which helped her fall asleep quickly.  Back and stomach sleeping was most comfortable for our lead tester, as her spine remained aligned and she felt considerable pressure relief in her hips. (The mattress has firmer coils in the center of the mattress.) She was also able to sleep on her side, although the mattress didn't sink as much as she would have liked in that position. But remember that firmness and comfort are subjective. We had a secondary tester, who is 5'7" and 135 lbs., sleep on their side on the Elite Hybrid and they said it was comfortable. Those who prefer to exclusively sleep on their sides might want to go for the soft Bear Elite Hybrid as it’ll have a bit more give. You can also check out our guide to the best mattresses for side sleepers.  Score: 4 out of 5 Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review: Performance Minimal motion transfer Great temperature regulation Strong edge support along the sides Our lead reviewer tested a queen-size medium Bear Elite Hybrid mattress with a Celliant-infused cover for three weeks. Keeping in mind our mattress methodology, our reviewer evaluated temperature regulation, edge support, motion isolation, and setup based on objective tests, her real-world experiences, and feedback from other sleepers. Here's how we got on... Motion isolation Many things can disrupt a person’s sleep, including someone getting in and out of bed or changing positions. That won’t be a concern for folks who invest in a mattress with high-quality motion isolation, like the Bear Elite Hybrid. To test its motion isolation, our lead reviewer had another person get in and out of the bed and move between their stomach, back, and side. She did not feel their movements.  To further test the Bear Elite Hybrid's motion isolation capabilities, she placed an empty wine glass in the middle of the mattress and then dropped a 15lb weight from 4, 10, and 25" away.  The wine glass stood solidly when dropped at 10 and 25", though it wobbled and fell when the weight was dropped 4" away. This may have been due to the mattress cover being quilted, so it doesn’t offer a flat, stable surface for this type of test. Keeping this in mind, we’d say that the motion isolation of the Bear Elite Hybrid is solid and makes it a good choice for couples and anyone else who shares a bed. Score: 4.5 out of 5 Temperature regulation Our reviewer tested the mattress for three weeks in July when her air conditioner was set at 77 degrees F. She slept with the fan on under microfiber sheets and a lightweight comforter.  Despite testing the mattress in the warmest room in her house, the Bear Elite Hybrid did a great job of maintaining a comfortable temperature for sleeping. Our lead tester was able to fall asleep easily and did not wake up at any point during the night due to being warm or sweating.  The quilted cover, which is infused with phase change materials (PCM), absorbs body heat and feels slightly cool to the touch. Our test model featured the upgraded Celliant-infused cover for additional temperature regulation. Combined with the airflow of the coils, the Bear Elite Hybrid succeeded in keeping our reviewer’s body heat from building up. We'd recommend it to hot sleepers seeking an effective cooling mattress. Score: 4.5 out of 5 Edge support The Bear Elite Hybrid mattress has reinforced coils along the perimeter to provide additional support for those getting in and out of bed or sitting on the edge to dress. To test the efficacy of this design, our reviewer placed a 15lb dumbbell on the sides and foot of the bed, as well as the corners.  The dumbbell did not roll off and seemed to only sink half an inch when placed on the sides and about an inch on the corners and the foot of the bed.  It's undeterminable through the Bear website if the coils are reinforced along all the edges of the mattress, or only along the sides (as our reviewer believes is the case). When she sat on the s