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Mattresses are often an investment. You can expect to pay $1,000+ for many of the top name brands out there. But for those that are on a budget but still want a trendy bed-in-a-box, Nectar may be just what you’re looking for.
Nectar has great commercials, a great trial period, a great warranty and a great price point.
If any one of those things feels compelling to you, you should give Nectar a try.
The medium firm, gel memory foam mattress does a good job isolating movement, relieving pressure on hips and shoulders and responding when you shift position.
Though it is one of the few companies that manufactures its bed parts and builds them up overseas, they house them to Washington state for free shipment around the U.S.
Nectar puts foam layers of different types into their mattress cores. The combination gives the sort of support that will prevent you from getting lost inside the mattress (sinking) but still contour to the parts of your body that need some give (hips, shoulders, etc.) while you’re sleeping. Side sleepers rejoice.
They also pay close attention to how well heat dissipates from the bed. The cover is made of tencel which stabilizes temperatures, getting rid of the heat when necessary. It’s breathable. So are multiple levels of the foam underneath.
Overall, the Nectar will cover a range of mattress sins and woes that need covering (heat, support, contouring, stability) at a price that no one should turn their nose at.
Here are some features of the Nectar mattress:
Well priced and No Frills: Nectar is pretty standard when it comes to features, but that doesn't mean it's not worth considering.
Type
The Nectar is a medium firm, gel foam mattress.
Cooling
Nectar paid a lot of attention to how well heat dissipates from the mattress they were trying to build.
Your body is 98.6 degrees. Room temperature varies, but your body is still going to transmit that heat to the bed. Traditional foam mattresses, which didn’t necessarily support the body so much as attempt to swallow, would often make you feel like you were baking in your own heat.
But technology, including gel-infused foams, better latex materials and breathable fabrics have alleviated a lot of this worry. The Nectar uses all of those things to make their mattress into a fairly cool ride.
Firmness
The Nectar is a medium firm mattress. That means it hits a sweet spot. You feel supported but should deal with soreness or pain from hips or shoulders digging into the mattress. It contours to the body but you won’t sink into it.
The one area where it kind of falters is keeping your spine aligned when you sleep on your side. It isn’t perfect in that regard. You should consider that if you wake up with back pain or soreness.
Edge support
The Nectar gets high marks for edge support. They tried to build it so the firmness level didn’t fall off as you get closer to the edge. It scores higher in this area, more like an innerspring mattress than a foam mattress.
Motion transfer
In testing, the Nectar mattress does show slight movement transferring to one bed partner when the other is getting out of bed or adjusting their sleep position. It’s not significant enough to wake anyone up, but you do notice it.
The Nectar is made up of four foam layers inside of a quilted, fabric cover made of Tencel that encourages air flow and resists bed bugs.
The first layer is a quilted gel memory foam that also allows air to flow through it, taking heat away, and contouring to your body. Because it is quilted, it gives the bed a lift, some loft, and makes it more comfortable. Notice that the top already has foam sewn into it.
The second layer is another gel memory foam layer, this one meant to evenly distribute weight and relieving pressure on the hips, back, thighs and shoulders. It does a good job responding to movement recovering its shape after a shift in sleep position. It is also medical-grade foam.
The third layer is made of adaptive hi-core memory foam. That layer works to support the body. You won’t get lost inside the foam thanks to this layer. It’s engineered to reduce pressure on the hips, thighs, shoulders and back. Not for nothing, but the materials used in the third layer an expensive add. It seems like Nectar felt it was a necessary one. It gives structure to this mattress.
The fourth layer is a base that gives a stable foundation for everything else. It’s dense and thick, but is molded with open channels that still allow air in and through the mattress. That’s another cooling feature.
Nectar Layers: There are a handful or cooling and comfort elements built into each of them mattresses.
Here is a breakdown of the Nectar specifications:
Weight
74 pounds for a queen size
Thickness
11 inches
Trial
Nectar gives you a full year—365 days—to try out their mattress. That’s among the best trial periods in the industry.
Most mattresses need time to break in, 30 days in most cases. Nectar wants you to give it at least that long before you decide whether to return it. If you don’t like it, all you have to do is call Nectar and they’ll arrange to fetch it from you.
You will receive a full refund within the first year of getting your Nectar if you decide it’s not for you. It is free to return a Nectar no matter where you live.
Warranty
The Nectar warranty, a lifetime one, runs as long as you own and use the mattress and draw breath. Nectar claims that the mattress will outlive you, which is a fun thing to say.
However, their Forever Warranty backs up that assertion.
It sounds better if you read it: “If you bought Nectar, own Nectar, use Nectar and Nectar breaks from normal use anytime during your use, we will replace Nectar at no charge. Doesn’t matter if it’s 100 years from now. We design Nectar to outlast heavy long term use, just like quality products should.”
Delivery & Setup
The Nectar mattress comes compressed and rolled in a cylinder case (30” x 40” for a queen size). If the mattress is already in the U.S., after being manufactured overseas, it will take 2-5 business days to reach you.
Shipping is free in the contiguous U.S. You’ll pay a fee to get one to Hawaii or Alaska, but returns are free for everyone.
Nectar offers white glove service for $149. Someone will set up your mattress and take away your old mattress. The setup is easy if you want to bring in a friend to help take it out of the case, unwrap it, throw it on the foundation and wait for it to re-inflate.
Keep in mind, because Nectar is such an economical choice, demand is high. It’s a good idea to manage your expectations for delivery times. It may take longer than the website says it will.
Delivered to your doorstep: Nectar comes with a "Forever Guarantee" as long as you're the original owner. Forever is a long time.
Customer service
I like when companies go above and beyond, even in small ways. Of course, you can reach Nectar in all the usual ways of for an online, mattress-in-a-box vendor—chat and phone during business hours; email anytime.
But there’s a little nugget Nectar includes, an explanation about sleep cycles and a quick app—Nectar Sleep Calculator—that helps you figure out the right bedtime to get the sleep you need. It’s a nice touch. Small, but thoughtful.
$$ (See scale below)
| Symbol | Range |
|---|---|
| $ | $0-500 |
| $$ | $500-1,000 |
| $$$ | $1,000-2,500 |
| $$$$ | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| $$$$$ | $5,000+ |
The Nectar is one of the more reasonably priced mattresses on the market. If you’re looking to keep your costs down, this is a great option.
The Nectar mattress starts with a thin slice of gel memory foam quilted with a soft, breathable fabric as a mattress cover.
That’s the mattress equivalent of throwing a 70-yard touchdown pass on the first touch of the game. The message for the rest of the direct-to-consumer mattress crowd? We’re going long. We’re here to play.
There are four layers of foam in all, of different densities, to achieve a good balance of contouring and support.
The company took a bit of a hit early on when supply exceeded demand and when Nectar was accused of making false claims about where their mattresses were constructed. They contract with different manufacturers to construct the beds, bring them to the U.S. and then ship them from Washington.
But what is the result? A quality and affordable mattress.
We are a nation of sleep-deprived people. So many people need to look at their mattress to determine if it is making them lose sleep. Knowing there is a quality affordable choice on the market when they’re ready for a new one is a bonus.
Sleep quality is so important to physical and mental health. Imagine if more people could afford the equipment to help them get more of it?
Definitely between the Nectar, Leesa (original), and Tuft & Needle Mint. My S.O. is a very hot sleeper, is the Nectar noticeably better in that regard?
Both of us being side and stomach sleepers, the Leesa and Nectar seem to perform similarly, but the Nectar for $700 seems like an awesome price.
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