Bear Mattress Review: Is It The Best for Athletes?

Is the Bear Mattress for You?

Who’s Going to Love the Bear Mattress

• Back and stomach sleepers
• Combination sleepers
• People with active lifestyles

Who Should Steer Clear of the Bear Mattress

• Heavyweight sleepers—Check out the Bear Hybrid instead; it works better for heavy people.
• Hot sleepers—Check out the Helix Midnight Luxe instead; it works better for those who sleep hot.
• Couples—Check out the Nectar mattress instead; it works better for those who sleep with a partner.

Curious to see how the Bear mattress performs in real life? Join our editor, Loren, as she walks you what to expect from the original Bear mattress and offers her expert recommendations. 

Bear Mattress Firmness

On our 1–10 firmness scale, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest, the Bear mattress is a 7/10. We classify this as a medium-firm mattress on the firmer end of the spectrum. This firmness works best for back and stomach sleepers because of its ability to keep you elevated on the mattress surface.

What Does the Bear Original Feel Like? 

The memory foam layers offer pressure relief and balanced support and create a stable and even surface. Because the Bear is a firmer mattress, you won’t feel like you are sinking into the mattress, but stay on top without the traditional hugging feeling of memory foam. 

What Sleeping Position Is the Bear Mattress Best For?

Body Type:	Back Sleepers	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers
Lightweight < 130 lbs:	5	5	2
Average-weight 130–230 lbs:	5	4	3
Heavyweight > 230 lbs:	3	2	3

1 = Very poor     2 = Not good    3 = Fair     4 = Good     5 = Excellent

Back Sleepers

The Bear is a great mattress for back sleepers who are lightweight or average-weight. The relatively firm surface keeps their spines aligned and prevents excessive sinkage. Heavyweight back sleepers, on the other hand, may have some spinal alignment issues due to the lack of coil support.

Side Sleepers

When we rolled out our pressure map on the Bear mattress, we found great results for side sleepers, which is surprising given how firm it is.

Because of the firmness of the Bear, side sleepers may find their shoulders and hips are tight. This may not be the best mattress for side sleepers who are lightweight or average-weight because it will not contour around their pressure points; they may need to look for a softer option, but it depends on your comfort preferences.

Heavyweight side sleepers will find that the Bear is the optimal firmness level, and the comfort layer relieves pressure for them as well. However, it may not be supportive enough to provide the spine alignment they need.

Stomach Sleepers 

The firmer polyfoam layers should keep lightweight and average-weight stomach sleeper’s spines aligned by lifting their hips in line with their shoulders. On the other hand, heavyweight sleepers may find the Bear mattress to be too soft, even with a firmer feel and supportive core. Instead, they should check out the best mattresses for stomach sleepers.

Combination Sleepers 

The firmer nature of the Bear will provide the support that lightweight and average-weight combination sleepers need to stay on top of the mattress and keep their spine aligned. However, if you’re a heavyweight sleeper, you’ll find better options for your body type on our list of the best mattresses for combination sleepers.

Is The Bear Mattress Cooling? 

Memory foam vs. hybrid mattresses regulate temperature differently because memory foam can sometimes trap heat within the mattress. The cooling graphite-gel memory foam in the Bear is designed to remove unwanted body heat and increase cooling as you sleep. This works well for hot sleepers who really want a foam mattress.

However, if you constantly wake up with wet sheets from night sweat, we recommend a mattress that provides more airflow: like one of the beds on our best cooling mattresses list.

Edge Support 

Edge support refers to how supportive the perimeter of the mattress is. This is important for seniors and people with mobility issues, as well as couples who want some space from their sleeping partner.

The Bear has average edge support, which isn’t a surprise since traditional memory foam mattresses are more susceptible to sinkage over time. Lightweight sleepers will get more out of Bear’s average edge support as opposed to average-weight and heavyweight sleepers.

Responsiveness

Though memory foam mattresses typically aren’t very responsive, Bear’s transition layer is distinctly buoyant—even bouncy. That’s why combination sleepers should have such an easy time changing positions on the Bear mattress.

Motion Isolation: Is it good for those who share a bed?

Memory foam mattresses are usually good mattresses for couples looking for motion isolation. Motion is absorbed by the different foam layers, preventing you and your partner from disturbing one another throughout the night. However, because Bear is so firm and responsive, it doesn’t do the greatest job at keeping motion transfer at bay. If you are a light sleeper and wake easily, this is something to be aware of.

Noise

All-foam mattresses are typically silent because they don’t use loud or creaky springs in their construction. So, if you’re worried about the noise while having sex or moving around the mattress as your partner sleeps, you shouldn’t have any issues on the Bear mattress.

Pain Relief

The Bear takes the best part of a foam mattress—its ability to contour to your body—and amps everything up by using three different levels of foam. The result is great spinal alignment, decreased back pain, and reduced strain on pressure points no matter what position you sleep in. If your current mattress is causing you pain, the Bear could be a good option, or see our picks for the best mattress for back pain.

Sex

To see if a mattress is good for sex, consider whether or not it’s responsive. Bear is very responsive for a foam mattress, earning a 5/5 in our ease of movement category, meaning it’s a great mattress for sex, even though it’s an all-foam bed.

Off-Gassing

The Bear Mattress uses CertiPUR-US foams that have little to no smell. If anything, it may give off a very slight odor when you first unpack the mattress—similar to a new pair of sneakers—that will dissipate within a couple of days.

Durability

The Bear has average durability for a foam mattress, meaning it should last you up to about seven years with proper care. Heavier sleepers may find that it lasts even less than that. To get your mattress to its longest lifespan, we recommend putting it on the appropriate bed frame, rotating it every few months, and using a mattress protector.

The Bear mattress is a three-layer all-foam mattress that is 10″ thick. It has five key elements that are meant to work especially for athletes who need to recover after a workout or competition. Additionally, it has three different foam layers that provide cooling, bounce, comfort, contouring, pressure relief, and core support.

Breathable Celliant Cover

The brand claims that Celliant fibers woven into the cover help your body recover faster. How? The cover absorbs body heat, turns it into infrared light, and redirects that light back into your body, which encourages blood flow. The Bear mattress should be great if you’ve had a hard workout or long hike and need a little extra care for your bones and tissues.

Graphite-Gel Memory Foam

The top layer of foam is injected with graphite gel, which helps absorb heat. Memory foam has always taken a bad rap for sleeping too hot, but the gel will help keep you cool.

Transition Foam

The second layer of foam is a transition layer. Working with the gel memory foam layer above, it helps relieve pressure while also easing the mattress into the support layer below. You won’t sink right down to the dense support foam layer with this transition layer in between.

High-Density Support Foam

The bottom layer is made from high-density foam. As the support layer, it’s designed for strength and durability.

Mattress Size	Price	Dimensions	Height	Weight
Twin	$695	39” x 75”	10”	50 lbs
Twin XL	$695	39” x 80”	10”	50 lbs
Full	$895	54” x 75”	10”	60 lbs
Queen	$995	60” x 80”	10”	70 lbs
King	$1,095	76” x 80”	10”	90 lbs
California King	$1,095	72” x 84”	10”	90 lbs

The Bear Original Mattress is one of our top picks for Best Mattresses Under $1,000! For the best price on your new mattress, see our Bear Mattress Coupons.

Shipping & Unboxing

Bear ships its boxed mattresses to the lower 48 states within four to seven business days. The new mattress will arrive compressed and rolled into a box. The company doesn’t offer the removal of your old mattress.

After the original Bear arrives, you’ll have to set it up yourself. Bear suggests you use the buddy system to do it. Take it out of the box, unroll it, and place it on top of your foundation. Then wait for it to expand to its full size.

It took us a little over a minute to unbox the Bear mattress. Even though the mattress is made of all foam layers, it was pretty heavy.

Warranty

Bear mattresses come with a lifetime warranty. The Celliant-technology mattress cover with the special fibers is under warranty for one year.

If the mattress itself is deemed defective during the first 10 years of use by the original owner, Bear will pay for the repair or replacement of the mattress, though they won’t pay for handling or shipping.

Bear will repair sags or indentations that are greater than 1″ and that weren’t caused by using the wrong foundation. They’ll also deal with any flaw in design or production that caused the memory foam to crack or split, as long as the crack had nothing to do with normal wear and tear. 

Because Bear recommends you use the mattress on a flat foundation, they will only honor the warranty if you use one. For more details, read our breakdown of the Bear mattress warranty.

Trial Period & Returns

Bear offers you a 120-night sleep trial period to experience the mattress. If you want to send the mattress back before the 120 days expire, Bear will send someone out to pick it up and give you a full refund.

Because sleeping on memory foam is so different for people used to an innerspring or hybrid mattress, Bear asks all customers to use the bed for at least 30 days to adjust to the feel before deciding on a return.

• Too firm: A few customers complained about their Bear mattress being too firm. The Bear is a 7/10 on the firmness scale, so it’s a pretty firm mattress. Typically, back and stomach sleepers and heavyweight people prefer a firmer mattress. If you don’t fall into this category, you should probably search for something softer.
• Not for side sleepers: A few side sleepers who purchased the Bear mattress found it to be uncomfortable. This is probably because side sleepers typically prefer a softer bed that cradles their hips and shoulders. Though Bear has great pressure relief, side sleepers should only jump in if they like firmer beds.

Bear Mattress vs. Bear Hybrid Mattress

Bear Mattress is Best For:	Bear Hybrid Mattress is Best For:
People with Active Lifestyles	Couples
Combination Sleepers	People Seeking Enhanced Motion Isolation
Back & Stomach Sleepers	People Looking for a Firmer Mattress

The Bear Hybrid is Bear’s only mattress model with coils. It has five layers, including four foam layers and a base layer of pocketed coils (i.e. coils that are individually wrapped for enhanced motion isolation and more targeted support). 

We think it has a firmness level of about 6/10, but surprisingly, that doesn’t translate into the best pressure relief. We expect better results from our pressure map test on beds under 7/10, but we noticed pressure build near our testers’ shoulders and hips. For reference, the Bear Pro also has a 6/10 firmness level, but it performed much better during our pressure tests. 

With those results in mind, we don’t recommend the Bear Hybrid to the average side sleeper, but it’s an excellent mattress for stomach sleepers under 230 lbs and back sleepers of all body types (lightweight < 130 lbs, average-weight 130–230 lbs, and heavyweight > 230 lbs).

To learn more, see our full Bear Hybrid Mattress Review.

Bear Mattress vs. Bear Pro Mattress

Bear Mattress is Best For:	Bear Pro Mattress is Best For:
People with Active Lifestyles	Memory Foam Lovers
Combination Sleepers	Side Sleepers
Back & Stomach Sleepers	Reduced Motion Transfer

The Bear Pro is essentially an upgraded version of the Bear Original—it has an all-foam construction with an extra foam layer up top. We give it a 6/10 firmness rating, meaning it balances the comfort of soft foams with the support and stability of the firmer, denser base foam. 

During our pressure map test, the Pro had similar results to the Original mattress—good pressure relief for our lightweight and average-weight testers, but some pressure build-up for our heavyweight tester. 

With more cushioning foam layers, it’s better than the Hybrid or Original mattresses for side sleeping. It’s also a good match for back sleeping and stomach sleeping, although heavyweight folks may want to check out our list of best mattresses for heavy people.

During our motion transfer test, the Bear Pro performed better than the Original, but not as well as we’d expect for a memory foam mattress. Also, while it has a cool-to-the-touch cover and cooling copper and gel-infused foams, it’s still probably not going to regulate temperature as well as the Bear Hybrid.

To learn more, see our full Bear Pro Mattress Review.

Comparing Bear to the Competition

Bear Mattress vs. Nectar Mattress

Bear Mattress is Best For:	Nectar Mattress is Best For:
People with Active Lifestyles	Hot Sleepers
Combination Sleepers	People Seeking Limited Motion Transfer
Back & Stomach Sleepers	Average-weight Back and Side Sleepers

To learn more, see our full Bear vs. Nectar Mattress Comparison.

Bear Mattress vs. Purple Mattress

Bear Mattress is Best For:	Purple Mattress is Best For:
People with Active Lifestyles	Hot Sleepers
Combination Sleepers	Side Sleepers
Back & Stomach Sleepers	People with Back Pain

To learn more, see our full Bear vs. Purple Mattress Comparison.

Bear Mattress vs. Casper Mattress

Bear Mattress is Best For:	Casper Mattress is Best For:
People with Active Lifestyles	Couples
Combination Sleepers	Sleepers Who Toss and Turn
Back & Stomach Sleepers	Light to Average-weight Sleepers

To learn more, see our full Bear vs. Casper Mattress Comparison.

Made with recovery, pressure relief, and comfort in mind, the Bear mattress is ideal for back and stomach sleepers under 230 lbs, as well as heavyweight side sleepers. As a bonus, it’s affordable, especially considering its high-tech additions. The biggest drawbacks are its lack of motion isolation and temperature control.

The Nerd’s Scores for the Bear Mattress

Performance Factor	Out of 5
Motion Isolation	2
Pressure Relief	5
Ease of Movement	5
Edge Support	3.75
Temperature Control	2
Durability	2.5

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