TOPIC:

I'm looking for some good hybrid or innerspring mattresses made with zip-open quilted covers allowing access to the comfort layers underneath.

I prefer foam comfort layers but am not opposed to seeing some smaller amounts of latex and/or memory foam in the mix.

I believe the Nest Alexander Hybrid is one model that fits my criteria. Are there others? The Nest looks pretty good but some say it's quite soft and I think the 16-gauge pocket coils may have something to do with that. I've been sleeping on 15 gauge pocket coils which are presumably firmer, and I like that level of support.

I wouldn't mind seeing what else is out there with these features.

Hi DanielNJ!

I'm looking for some good hybrid or innerspring mattresses made with zip-open quilted covers allowing access to the comfort layers underneath.

I believe the Nest Alexander Hybrid is one model that fits my criteria. Are there others? The Nest looks pretty good but some say it's quite soft and I think the 16-gauge pocket coils may have something to do with that. I've been sleeping on 15 gauge pocket coils which are presumably firmer, and I like that level of support.

There are other variables besides the coil gauge that define the level of firmness you may experience on a particular hybrid mattress. You can't tell how firm the mattress would feel just based on the coil gauge because the number of coils (or the coil density), the height of the coil, the diameter of the coil, the shape of the coil, and the number of turns in each coil, and some of the other coil specs that can differentiate one coil from another can also make a significant difference in the firmness and response of the innerspring ... It may be worth the time to check with NestBedding and explain your concerns. There is no one better qualified than them to make suggestions based on the "averages" of other customers that may be similar to you. The more accurate and detailed the information you provide them the better you will help them to help you make the best possible choices out of the options they have available.

There is an entire thread on the Nest Alexander Hybrid mattress here, which you may find useful. It includes everything from expert opinions on the foam density to consumer experiences with the mattress itself.

You may also find this thread on All Latex vs Latex Hybrid mattresses informative, including a few other Trusted Member recommendations who offer hybrid mattresses.

I wouldn't mind seeing what else is out there with these features.

There are thousands of mattresses that would fit your criteria and many of them offered by our Trusted members. You can peruse through their offerings and narrow your options based on your Mattress buying personal value equation and focus on the things that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn't turn out as well as you hoped for)

While I or any expert or moderator of the site can’t make specific recommendations for you on other hybrid models, we can certainly offer guidance on your finalists. The first "rule" of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best "match" for someone else in terms of "comfort" or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or how a mattress will "feel" to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or "theory at a distance" that can possibly be more accurate than their own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or if they can't test a mattress in person then their own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here ).

As I mentioned, many of our TMU Mattress Trusted Member offer hybrid options, so it may be worth your time to peruse the directory if you’re wanting to compare hybrids.


Please keep me posted on your mattress shopping journey!

Phoenix

Phoenix wrote:

There are thousands of mattresses that would fit your criteria and many of them offered by our Trusted members.

A link to some examples was what I was looking for. If there are truly thousands with zip covers I could only find three -- Nest, Bedgear and some offerings from SterlingSleep.com, but that's not a bed-in-a-box seller with an acceptable return policy so I ruled it out. I did see some zip-cover offerings from latex-focused dealers on your trusted member list but I didn't want latex so I ruled them out too.

I gave up on the zip-cover requirement and limited my search to the hybrids from internet sellers. It's hard to make a comfort-based decision when you can't try them in person but we're not comfortable with the idea of going into mattress stores during the pandemic.

I narrowed it down to the hybrids from Nest or Bear. I have to be honest and tell you one reason we decided against the Nest was due to the month-old expired discount coupon found on this site that didn't work. As you know I posted a request about that in the pinned discount/bonus thread but I had already purchased the Bear by the time you replied. The new link you did eventually post was exactly the same discount that Nest was offering to the general public for the 4th of July (and not as good as the expired Memorial Day discount you originally had up there) so there would have been no benefit anyway.

In any case, my spouse looked at videos of people lying and rolling around on both brands and thought she liked the way the Bear supported the people better. They seem to be supported more on top of the mattress instead of sinking in, and it appeared to have more bounce so that's the one we decided on.

Funny thing, I think both of those brands come out of the same factory in Wisconsin right? The Symbol mattress factory seems to be the contractor for a lot of the bed-in-a-box brands. I found a news article from the local media there indicating they make mattresses for at least 25 internet companies because the Symbol plant, which looks huge, has the machine that compresses them for packing into those 4-foot boxes. Obviously each internet company has its own design & specs but I find it interesting that so many apparently come off the same assembly line. I wonder if the product designs could even be a collaboration between the factory's designers and the companies that contact them to do the work in some cases?

Phoenix wrote:

Please keep me posted on your mattress shopping journey!

Thanks for the belated reply. I will try to remember to follow up later on how we like the Bear hybrid.

DanielNJ - I hope the Bear Hybrid mattress works out well in meeting your objectives and look forward to your impressions about it! I'd like to address your thought about Nest Bedding's mattresses, which are mostly being manufactured in Phoenix AZ (their Certified Organic Hybrid Latex model is an exception being built in collaboration with OMI in California.) According to this article Nest Bedding and Brooklyn Bedding merged in January of 2017 to produce a vertically integrated company. Their factory and joint Factory Showroom can be seen on the Nest Bedding site.

- Bill

Bill, oh yes I stand corrected. Nest and the rest of Brooklyn's brands are made in Phoenix. I knew that but mixed them up with Bear, Wink and the rest that are made in Wisconsin. It does seem that a couple of main factories are the source of many of the brands in any case. I find the business rather fascinating.

I agree... there's nothing quite like the mattress industry! There are so many partnerships, buyouts, mergers, etc. I'm always discovering something I wasn't previously aware of. It also makes TMU's existence so beneficial by helping consumers make some sense of it all.

That's true but it would be an even better resource if there were a section showing who really makes what. For example someone who likes the quality but not the price of Brooklyn and Nest might be interested in knowing Allswell comes from the same plant (I think). Or if we could see that Symbol really is making some of the better rated bed-in-a-box brands then maybe we'd be encouraged to seek out some of Symbol's own mattresses at brick-&-mortar stores knowing that their manufacturing standards are pretty good.

I had never even heard of Symbol before I stumbled across it through some web browsing and was surprised to see a statistic showing them to be 12th largest in the country. As much information as there is on this site, there are still some areas of opacity about the business that deserve to be unveiled here.

While I agree that having such a resource would be helpful, there are so many frequent changes in the industry that compiling a reference and keeping it up to date would be a very time consuming endeavor and likely require a staff of researchers.

One thing to keep in mind regarding common manufacturing is that a given company can manufacture many different quality and price tiers to meet desired requirements. As an OEM manufacturer you can be contracted to make products for another company that may be much less expensive and more value oriented product than your own, or possibly more upscale product for another. It would be incorrect to assume that just because they may share a manufacturing plant that the products are all of similar quality or pricing tier.

Sweet wrote:

DanielNJ - I hope the Bear Hybrid mattress works out well in meeting your objectives and look forward to your impressions about it!

Well after one night I can already tell I'm not going to keep the Bear hybrid. Two hours after falling asleep on the first night I woke up with a numb arm and my fingers tingling, and by morning my head felt numb.

My wife actually likes the mattress but it's way too soft for me. Unfortunately we have to keep it for at least 30 days but it's totally obvious I'm not going to acclimate, it's not even in the right ballpark. My concerns about buying a bed on the internet without the ability to test and compare models in person first appear to have been well founded.

Anyway, it seems like I need a model with a firmer base and less-thick plush comfort layer. Look for me sleeping on the couch until my 30 day mandatory trial period is up.

DanielNJ - Sorry that the Bear Hybrid didn't meet your preferences. I've been there myself... no matter how much time you spend researching a mattress you can't really know whether it will be a good match until you actually sleep on it. It can take some time for your body to adjust to a new mattress with a different level of support and feel as well as for mattress break in, but I know you don't want to hear that and understand if you know it's completely wrong after only a night.

Hopefully you'll have the time and opportunity during the next month to look into some other choices which will better suit you and your better half (just assuming that! ) It is definitely helpful to be able to check them out initially in person if possible, but even so liking any mattress after a 20 minute test isn't the same as sleeping on it for the entire night. I've bought several that I was convinced would be awesome and anxiously awaited their delivery only to be disappointed in the end. Hopefully you'll have better luck with your next choice, I agree that the return process is not much fun.