There’s a lot to consider when shopping for a new bed. Find out whether the Leesa or Bear memory foam mattress has what you want in our Bear vs. Leesa comparison.
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Leesa vs. Bear Mattress Comparison
Comparing Bear & Leesa Mattresses
The Leesa Original mattress is a memory foam bed with a contouring surface that gently hugs the body’s curves. The Bear is a slightly firmer memory foam mattress engineered to speed recovery and help athletes sleep better. The Leesa’s softer, more enveloping surface tends to work better for side sleepers, lightweight people, and anyone with joint pain. Athletes, hot sleepers, and stomach sleepers are likely to prefer the feel of the flagship Bear mattress.
In our Leesa vs. Bear mattress comparison, we outline what you need to know to decide which of these leading online mattresses has what you need in a bed.
Differences
- Pressure relief: The Leesa’s softer top layer more generously cushions pressure points, making it better than the Bear for most side sleepers and people with joint pain. If you are looking for optimal pressure relief, see the best mattresses for side sleepers.
- Heat retention: The Bear mattress boasts more advanced cooling technology that keeps sleepers cooler than the Leesa. If you run hot or live somewhere warm, Bear is likely to help you sleep more soundly.
- Suitable sleeping positions: While back sleepers are likely to enjoy either bed, the Leesa’s softer feel is a better fit for most side sleepers and the Bear’s firmer surface for stomach sleepers.
- Body sizes supported: Heavier sleepers find superior support on the Bear’s firmer top layer, while lightweight sleepers tend to prefer the Leesa’s softer surface.
Similarities
- Construction: Both are memory foam mattresses with a 2” comfort layer, 2” transition layer, and 6” polyfoam base layer.
- Limit motion transfer: Thanks to each bed’s all-foam construction, both help sensitive sleepers sleep well by absorbing motion from the other side of the bed—such as when a partner gets into bed or moves around to get comfy.
- Spinal alignment: Both mattresses have memory foam layers that contour to the body’s unique curves. This feature supports a healthy spine, which can ease back pain.
Leesa
Who Should Buy this Mattress?
- Side sleepers
- Memory foam aficionados
- People who share the bed
Score
4.9
/
5.0
Firmness
6
Trial period
100 days
Reason to buy
Great for most everyone! Excellent all-around mattress.
Who is the Leesa Mattress Best For
- Side sleepers: The Leesa has a soft top layer designed to easily compress at the hips and shoulders, avoiding excess pressure at these sensitive areas.
- Memory foam aficionados: The Leesa has a memory foam feel, which means you can expect to sink in a bit and be cradled by pressure-relieving foam.
- People who share the bed: Leesa isolations motion transfer so people can sleep together with fewer interruptions. Additionally, its medium-firm feel is a good fit for most people, which increases the likelihood that both partners enjoy the Leesa.
Not Best For…
- People who wake up hot: Because the Leesa has very few cooling innovations, it can trap body heat along the surface. While it’s a comfortable mattress for most people, anyone who sleeps hot may be better suited by a different bed.
- Traditional innerspring lovers: While the Leesa’s surface is easy to move around on, it does not have the springy feel of an innerspring mattress.
- Heavyweight people: The Leesa’s surface is a touch soft for heavier bodies, and its support system isn’t as durable as we prefer for people who weigh more than 230 lbs.
Read our full Leesa mattress review to learn more!
The Original Bear Mattress
Who Should Buy this Mattress?
- Athletes and active folks
- Hot sleepers who like the all-foam feel
- People with back pain
Who is the Bear Mattress Best For
- Athletes: Bear designed this bed to support deep sleep and expedite healing for active folks. Celliant technology may boost bloodflow while cooling innovations support deep, restorative sleep. If you are looking to maximize your sleep, see the best mattresses for athletes.
- Hot sleepers who like all-foam beds: The Bear is exceptionally cool for an all-foam mattress. Its Celliant cover promotes ample airflow, while the top layer of memory foam has cooling gel and graphite to remove heat from where you sleep.
- People with back pain: The Bear has the contouring support of firm memory foam, which is an excellent material for proper spinal alignment in stomach and back sleepers. A healthy spine means fewer aches and pains. Check out the best mattress for back pain for our recommendations.
Not Best For…
- Side sleepers: The Bear’s surface contains slow-response memory foam that’s firmer than the comfort layer of most beds. Side sleepers typically prefer a softer surface to cushion their shoulders and hips.
- People who like a cloud-like feel: The Bear does not have a plush top layer like most beds. If you want a cushiony surface, either opt for another mattress or buy a mattress pad for a touch of softness.
- Heavy stomach sleepers: While we like the Bear’s durability and support for plus-size back and side sleepers, it may cave in a bit at the hips of stomach sleepers who weigh more than 230 lbs.
Read our Bear mattress review to learn more.
Deciding Between Bear & Leesa
Firmness / Feel
Mattresses are rated on a firmness scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most firm and 1 being the softest. Softer firmness levels are better for side sleepers who need their shoulders and hips cradled, while firmer mattresses are better for stomach and back sleepers in need of hip and back support. Because beds feel softer the more that you weigh, lighter people tend to prefer softer beds and heavier folks firmer mattresses.
The Bear mattress is a 7/10 on the firmness scale, making it one of the firmer medium-firm mattresses. The Leesa falls at a 6/10, so it’s one of the softer medium-firm beds. The Bear’s firmer surface has a touch of contouring, a level of balance that is excellent for both stomach and back sleepers. The Leesa’s softer feel and more generous contouring are a good fit for side sleepers and back sleepers.
Expect to sink more into the Leesa, which can make it harder to move around than on the Bear’s more supportive surface. Combination sleepers who toss and turn a lot may find themselves waking up less often on the Bear. However, combination sleepers should consider which positions in which they spend the most time. Of the two beds, the Leesa does a slightly better job at keeping sleepers of every sleeping position comfortable.
Average-weight people experience top-notch support on either the Bear or the Leesa. However, the Leesa better conforms to the bodies of lightweight people: those who weigh less than 130 pounds. The Bear’s firmer feel and more durable top layer provide sufficient support for heavier folks, while the Leesa is typically too soft for people who weigh more than 230 pounds.
Motion Isolation
When we shift positions or get in and out of bed, that motion can travel across the surface, disturbing those who sleep with us. That is why most couples prefer beds with superb motion isolation abilities—typically most all-foam beds and hybrid mattresses with thick comfort layers.
Both the Leesa and Bear demonstrate an outstanding level of motion isolation, with neither one outperforming the other in this category. As such, they’re both good mattresses for couples, even when one person is an ultra-sensitive sleeper.
Edge Support
Edge support is more important for some people than others. Sturdy edges help elderly people get into and out of bed safely. They also provide more sleeping space for people who like to hug the edge as they sleep—think those who share the bed with a bed hog. Additionally, you might sit along the edge to put on your shoes or read a bedtime story to your kids.
If any of the above applies to you, you should shop for a bed that has reliable and comfortable edges. Both mattresses have edges suitable for sleeping along or sitting on briefly to get ready. However, if you like to sit on the edges to read or need extra support for getting into bed, the firmer Bear has a slight advantage.
Pressure Relief
Pressure relief is a mattress’s ability to evenly distribute weight so that areas like the shoulders and hips don’t experience excess pressure and pain. A bed with a softer surface usually provides better give at these sensitive areas, and the softer Leesa delivers better cushioning than the Bear to side sleepers of every body size.
Spine Alignment
When a mattress keeps your spine properly aligned as you sleep, you’re less likely to wake up with new aches and pains. The best mattress for a healthy spine depends on how much you weigh and what position you sleep in.
The Bear mattress’s top layer of medium-firm memory foam does a great job at limiting hip sinkage for stomach sleepers who weigh under 230 lbs. It also supports the spine’s natural curve when back sleeping for people of all body weights.
The Leesa is also outstanding at keeping back sleeper’s spines supported. It’s too soft for healthy alignment in stomach sleepers who weigh more than 130 lbs, but it’s excellent for side sleepers of every body size.
There is no overall winner, but we recommend the Bear as a mattress for stomach sleepers, the Leesa for side sleepers, and either mattress for back sleepers.
Durability
All-foam beds like the Bear and Leesa typically last around seven to 10 years. At this point, most sleepers begin to notice softening or body indentations that hinder a good night’s sleep. Because both of these beds are 10” tall beds made from memory foam and polyfoam, we expect them to have a similar lifespan. However, the slightly firmer foams of the Bear give it a slight edge in longevity.
Temperature
The Bear mattress is better at keeping sleepers cool due to the graphite and gel found in the memory foam top layer. Both beds utilize open-cell foams for airflow and breathable mattress covers, but most hot sleepers find the Bear more comfortable than the Leesa.
However, if you struggle to stay cool, you might consider a bed with innerspring coils. Leesa and Bear each have hybrid models featured in our best cooling mattresses for hot sleepers list.
The Leesa Original mattress’s top layer is a soft polyfoam with excellent responsiveness, so you enjoy a plush hug without feeling stuck. The transitional layer of contouring memory foam provides exceptional pressure relief while limiting excess sinkage. The dense base layer supports the overall mattress and absorbs motion so you and your partner can sleep soundly.
Bear Mattress Construction
The Bear mattress features three layers of foam topped by a Celliant fiber cover designed to expedite tissue healing through enhanced blood flow. The top layer of graphite-infused memory foam absorbs heat and moves it away from your body to keep you cool. This memory foam is firmer than most top layers, achieving outstanding spinal support with a touch of pressure relief. The transition foam is responsive, so you can easily move around.
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Sizing & Price Comparisons
| Mattress Size | Leesa | Bear |
| Twin | $799 | $695 |
| Twin XL | $849 | $695 |
| Full | $999 | $895 |
| Queen | $1,099 | $995 |
| King | $1,299 | $1,095 |
| Cal King | $1,299 | $1,095 |
See our Bear Mattress Coupons and Leesa Mattress Coupons for the best price on a new mattress.
Shipping and Returns for Leesa & Bear
Leesa
Leesa is a bed-in-a-box mattress brand that ships its mattresses for free to customers in the U.S., including those in Alaska and Hawaii. Once you place your order, you can expect to receive your new mattress within three to 10 business days. For white glove delivery—new mattress setup and old mattress removal—Leesa charges $150.
Your Leesa mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial period. For 100 nights, you can test out the mattress and see if it’s right for you. If you decide you do not want the bed during the sleep trial, you may return it for a full refund. There is a $100 fee to return mattresses from Alaska or Hawaii. Also, Leesa requires a 30-day waiting period after the date of delivery before you can initiate a return.
The Leesa mattress has a 10-year warranty covering physical flaws in the mattress or indentations greater than 1”.
Bear
Bear mattresses ship for free across the continental 48 states. Bear mattresses typically arrive in two to seven business days compressed into a box smaller than the full bed size. Bear does not currently offer white glove delivery.
New Bear mattresses come with a 100-night sleep trial with a 30-day adjustment period. After you’ve had your new bed for 30 days, you may return it during the trial period if you decide that it’s not the best mattress for you.
The Bear comes with a similar 10-year mattress warranty as the Leesa.
Bear Hybrid
The Bear Hybrid mattress is Bear’s take on luxury. The tufted pillow top brings cloud-like comfort, while the coils create the most responsive and coolest Bear mattress.
See Bear Hybrid Mattress Review to learn more.
Bear Pro Mattress
The Bear Pro is a more advanced and slightly softer version of the Bear Original mattress. Opt for the Pro for enhanced cooling and pressure relief.
Read our full Bear Pro Mattress Review to learn more.
More Leesa Mattresses
Leesa Hybrid
The Leesa hybrid combines supportive coils with premium foam for a contouring and cool sleeping experience. It is the most responsive Leesa bed that’s great for combination sleepers who frequently reposition.
See our full Leesa Hybrid Mattress Review to learn more.
Leesa Legend
The Leesa Legend is an upgraded take on the hybrid mattress. Considered a luxury hybrid mattress, it features two sets of coils for added support, topped with cradling foam and an organic cotton cover.
Read our full Leesa Legend Mattress Review to learn more.
Leesa Studio
The Studio by Leesa is Leesa’s entry-level memory foam mattress. Its medium-firm feel provides excellent pressure relief and spinal support are great for back sleepers and shoppers on a budget.
See our Leesa Studio mattress review to learn more.
Haven’t made a decision yet? Check out these other comparisons:
Our Bear vs. Leesa Final Review
The Bear mattress is our pick for athletes, hot sleepers, stomach sleepers, and heavier folks. The Leesa tends to be better for side sleepers, people with pain at their hips or shoulders, and anyone who likes a hugging foam feel. Both are excellent for couples and back sleepers and have risk-free home trial periods.
