I am SO incredibly impressed with your wonderful review. I have truly never seen a more informative, accurate, and to the point review. It would be wonderful if you could review other products as well! ❤️
Oh you're too kind, Lindsey :) Thank you so much! Your comment made my day. In 2023 I plan to expand NapLab into other sleep products...probably starting with pillows and then adding foundations, sheets, protectors, toppers, etc. Also, be sure to check out moderncastle.com/ - at Modern Castle we test a broader range of home products, with a focus on vacuums, robot vacuums, air purifiers, and sofas!
just got this bed! and WOW the low transfer is amazing!!! wanted a tempur pedic, but my GF told me about this MATTRESS! and no REGRETS!!!! family members have tempur pedic but this is beyond impressive and very amazing for a delivery matress
Great in depth video! I'm still torn between Bear Elite Hybrid, Saatva, or Helix Midnight Luxe? Or just go with a DreamCloud Premier? I'm 175 lbs, side and back sleeper. What would you recommend for best and longevity? I need your help!
Thanks! I'm glad to hear it was helpful. In terms of longevity, I would say Bear Elite Hybrid, Saatva, and Helix Midnight Luxe are all about the same level. With respect to the DreamCloud Premier, I wasn't overly impressed. All of the other hybrids mentioned here performed notably better than the DreamCloud Premier. It's a perfectly fine mattress, but there are just better options on the market for around the same price. If we set longevity aside and just look at best overall performance, in my view the Saatva is best, followed by Bear Elite Hybrid and (very very) closely followed by Helix Midnight Luxe. Bear Elite Hybrid and Helix Midnight are true hybrids. So you get better contouring and more comfort foams on top, in addition to lower motion transfer. Saatva is more of a traditional coil mattress. There really isn't a better or worse when it comes to hybrid vs. traditional, it's just important to understand that there is a feel difference between the two types.
Compared to Leesa Legend, the Bear Elite had better cooling, better edge support, and better sex performance. Bear is also available in 3 firmnesses, whereas Leesa Legend is only available in a medium. Bear's medium is 6 and their soft is a 4.5, so the firmness varries a bit. Beyond that, Bear uses a quilted eurotop, where Leesa Legend uses a thin knit cover. Overall, we found Bear to be the higher performing and better value mattress.
Hey, great video and very informative. I was looking at the casper hybrid one, but this one might edge it purely on not breaking the bank for a king size. What would you about this mattress for upper back pain in the shoulder blade area?
Thank you! Upper back pain can come from lots of different sources. However, many times it's either a problem of 1) lack of pressure relief on the mattress or 2) a pillow that's not the right height (depends on your sleeping position) or both. With respect to pressure relief, the Bear Elite Hybrid is solid. So no problem there. You may want to consider the pillow you're sleeping on first. It may be having as big of an impact as your mattress is. Side sleepers = need medium or tall height pillow Stomach sleepers = need thin pillow Back sleeper = need medium height pillow
I recently purchased the Bear Elite Hybrid. I am a heavy person and an athlete. My opinion is the bed excels in all sleeping positions and the edge is not an issue. However, this is THE hottest bed I have EVER slept in! Hotter than the gates of!! I can't sleep in it because of that. I am returning it. So funny since it is talked about how cool it is. For me that is the only fail and a major deal breaker for me! The 30 day wait to return period is brutal. I have been sleeping out on my recliner which is not comfortable but at least not crazy hot!
@@NapLabReviews It was a 14" Costco Novafoam ( all foam ). I sometimes got hot in that but it was few and far between and never got intolerable. Before that bed was a cheap 11" all foam serta, that was even better and before that was a water bed. Last night my wife and I ordered the Bedjet 3. We have never used anything like that before. We did that in hopes to keep this mattress because it is great with everything except heat. If that combination does not work then we will return both and start the search over, sigh.
@@anonizen627 That's very interesting. I'm surprised you found Novafoam less hot. With respect to cooling, my experience on the Novaform ComfortGrande was sub-par and significantly worse than Bear Elite. Bed Jet is an interesting product. I first tested in 2016. I think you'll find that it makes a significant cooling impact for you.
@@NapLabReviews We received the Bedjet 3 and put it on the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress and it is a GAME CHANGER! I haven't slept this good in years! The mattress does not cause my shoulder degeneration while side sleeping to hurt and the Bedjet 3 is just wow with temps! Thanks for all you r reviews and replies and help!
@@anonizen627 That's great news! Thanks so much for the update. So glad to hear it worked out. I haven't tested the newer Bedjet 3, but really happy to hear their quality and performance is as good as I remember.
Either Bear Elite or Winkbed in their respective soft versions. Go Bear Elite if you want a more dramatic body contouring hug. Go Winkbed if you want something that is more balanced in its feel, with a less dramatic hug.
I’m 275 lbs and my spouse is 230, we both like firm but she also sleeps on her side and back, I’m a stomach sleeper. The options we are looking at are this bear elite in firm, the helix plus or the titan. What do you suggest?
Bear Elite Firm and Titan are both good options. I think you could be happy with either of those. Winkbed Plus also a great option that performed well in our tests. Regarding Helix Plus, I'd avoid it unless you want to go Helix Plus Luxe. Helix Plus is incredibly firm (9 out of 10, where 10 is firm as the floor). If you're doing any side sleeping at all that's just going to be way too firm. If you haven't already take a look at this - naplab.com/best-mattress/best-mattress-for-heavy-people/ - It's got all of these options + others you may want to consider.
I bought this bed but I need a base to pair it with. The bed is currently sitting on my old sleep number bed base which is plastic and creaks loud with every movement. Do you think the Bear brand base would be silent ? I am scared to buy it since they have a no returns policy on base and foundation. Is there a base you would recommend that is completely silent when the customer is changing sleeping positions or have a wrestling match with a friend?
I have no reason to believe the Bear foundation would be anything but silent, but I also haven't tested it. Ones I have tested and would recommend include: Saatva's Foundation - naplab.com/go/saatva-foundation If you want a foundation + frame combo check out the Winkbed platform - naplab.com/go/winkbed-platform-foundation
Both are great mattresses and it's impossible to go wrong with either. In our tests, the Aurora Luxe was slightly higher performing. So if I had to pick one, that's what I'd go with. You can see a side by side comparison here - naplab.com/tools/side-by-side-mattress-comparison-tool/?_mattress_name_dropdown=bear-elite-hybrid%2Cbrooklyn-bedding-aurora-luxe
Hrm...that's a really tough call. For my money, I am going with the Bear Elite. I just personally think it has the comfort edge over the Nolah Evolution 15. In terms of total performance both mattresses are extremely close though. We've got a quick side by side comparison here - naplab.com/tools/side-by-side-mattress-comparison-tool/?_mattress_name_dropdown=bear-elite-hybrid%2Cnolah-evolution-15
Bear Elite Hybrid and Bear Hybrid are not the exact same mattress. They have a number of notable differences. Full comparison here - naplab.com/mattress-comparisons/bear-hybrid-vs-elite-hybrid/
@@KParks Ah interesting...looks like it's supposed to be the same as the Bear Hybrid, but with a different aesthetic and different name. I'm going to contact Bear for more info.
@@NapLabReviews thanks, so you still think these bear hybrid mattresses are that good I was looking at the dreamcloud but ive seen some comments that your not as high on them. I'm 6'2 235 but I'm usually around 210-215 I've got some stuff going on where I can't do much so I'm getting fat lol.
@@KParks Definitely. Bear Elite Hybrid continues to be a strong choice compared to the market at large. I still am not as big a fan of DreamCloud as some. In my experience, they just didn't perform as well as numerous other hybrids at a similar price point. The Elite Hybrid is a good choice for many types of sleepers and bodies.
Which would u recommend between Bear Elite Hybrid and Winkbed Luxury Firm for a 6'2", 250lb side sleeper. It would be a king size bed, my wife would be on the other side, about 150lbs.
I would lean a little more towards Winkbed, but honestly it's a total toss up. The only major difference between them is Winkbed has better edge support. Beyond that performance is extremely similar between the two.
@@FreedomFiveFL Yep, here you go: Winkbed / Winkbed Plus - naplab.com/go/winkbed-mattress Bear Elite - naplab.com/go/bear-elite-hybrid-mattress Thanks for going out of your way to use our links. I really appreciate the support!
My husband is a 270-pound back and side sleeper, and I'm a 176-pound side sleeper. We're in our forties and I have knee, hip, and back issues. Which firmness do you recommend for us?
100% yes It's not night and day, but it absolutely is better in a side by side comparison If you want to see that comparison we've got it here - naplab.com/mattress-comparisons/bear-hybrid-vs-elite-hybrid/
Sadly, any mattress that fails our cooling test is more likely failing due to its poor quality foams. Foams at that quality level would have a host of compounding performance issues in other areas...as such, I would avoid trying to find a mattress that intentionally sleeps warm. You'd be much better off with a high performance mattress with good or great cooling and instead using sheets, quilts, mattress pad, heated mattress pad, active mattress pad heating / cooling system to get the temperature to where you want it.
Questions? Please ask below! I do my best to answer all questions within 24 hours.
Buy Bear Elite Hybrid- naplab.com/go/bear-elite-hybrid-mattress
I am SO incredibly impressed with your wonderful review. I have truly never seen a more informative, accurate, and to the point review. It would be wonderful if you could review other products as well! ❤️
Oh you're too kind, Lindsey :) Thank you so much! Your comment made my day.
In 2023 I plan to expand NapLab into other sleep products...probably starting with pillows and then adding foundations, sheets, protectors, toppers, etc.
Also, be sure to check out moderncastle.com/ - at Modern Castle we test a broader range of home products, with a focus on vacuums, robot vacuums, air purifiers, and sofas!
just got this bed! and WOW the low transfer is amazing!!! wanted a tempur pedic, but my GF told me about this MATTRESS! and no REGRETS!!!! family members have tempur pedic but this is beyond impressive and very amazing for a delivery matress
That's great! I'm glad to hear it's working out well for you.
Unbelievably good review, thank you.
That means a lot, Jacob! Thanks so much.
I'm so happy to hear you found the review helpful.
Great in depth video! I'm still torn between Bear Elite Hybrid, Saatva, or Helix Midnight Luxe? Or just go with a DreamCloud Premier? I'm 175 lbs, side and back sleeper. What would you recommend for best and longevity? I need your help!
Thanks! I'm glad to hear it was helpful.
In terms of longevity, I would say Bear Elite Hybrid, Saatva, and Helix Midnight Luxe are all about the same level. With respect to the DreamCloud Premier, I wasn't overly impressed. All of the other hybrids mentioned here performed notably better than the DreamCloud Premier. It's a perfectly fine mattress, but there are just better options on the market for around the same price.
If we set longevity aside and just look at best overall performance, in my view the Saatva is best, followed by Bear Elite Hybrid and (very very) closely followed by Helix Midnight Luxe.
Bear Elite Hybrid and Helix Midnight are true hybrids. So you get better contouring and more comfort foams on top, in addition to lower motion transfer. Saatva is more of a traditional coil mattress. There really isn't a better or worse when it comes to hybrid vs. traditional, it's just important to understand that there is a feel difference between the two types.
Incredible review. Thanks so much!
You're very welcome! I'm glad it was helpful :)
How does this compare with the Leesa Legend? I'm looking for a good side sleeping mattress that will also have some durability.
Compared to Leesa Legend, the Bear Elite had better cooling, better edge support, and better sex performance. Bear is also available in 3 firmnesses, whereas Leesa Legend is only available in a medium. Bear's medium is 6 and their soft is a 4.5, so the firmness varries a bit.
Beyond that, Bear uses a quilted eurotop, where Leesa Legend uses a thin knit cover.
Overall, we found Bear to be the higher performing and better value mattress.
@@NapLabReviews Thank you for the great reply!
@@The_TH-cam_Critic You're welcome!
Hey, great video and very informative. I was looking at the casper hybrid one, but this one might edge it purely on not breaking the bank for a king size. What would you about this mattress for upper back pain in the shoulder blade area?
Thank you!
Upper back pain can come from lots of different sources. However, many times it's either a problem of 1) lack of pressure relief on the mattress or 2) a pillow that's not the right height (depends on your sleeping position) or both.
With respect to pressure relief, the Bear Elite Hybrid is solid. So no problem there.
You may want to consider the pillow you're sleeping on first. It may be having as big of an impact as your mattress is.
Side sleepers = need medium or tall height pillow
Stomach sleepers = need thin pillow
Back sleeper = need medium height pillow
I recently purchased the Bear Elite Hybrid. I am a heavy person and an athlete. My opinion is the bed excels in all sleeping positions and the edge is not an issue. However, this is THE hottest bed I have EVER slept in! Hotter than the gates of!! I can't sleep in it because of that. I am returning it. So funny since it is talked about how cool it is. For me that is the only fail and a major deal breaker for me! The 30 day wait to return period is brutal. I have been sleeping out on my recliner which is not comfortable but at least not crazy hot!
Sorry to hear the Bear didn't work out. What mattress were you sleeping on before Bear that you found cooler?
@@NapLabReviews It was a 14" Costco Novafoam ( all foam ). I sometimes got hot in that but it was few and far between and never got intolerable. Before that bed was a cheap 11" all foam serta, that was even better and before that was a water bed. Last night my wife and I ordered the Bedjet 3. We have never used anything like that before. We did that in hopes to keep this mattress because it is great with everything except heat. If that combination does not work then we will return both and start the search over, sigh.
@@anonizen627 That's very interesting. I'm surprised you found Novafoam less hot. With respect to cooling, my experience on the Novaform ComfortGrande was sub-par and significantly worse than Bear Elite.
Bed Jet is an interesting product. I first tested in 2016. I think you'll find that it makes a significant cooling impact for you.
@@NapLabReviews We received the Bedjet 3 and put it on the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress and it is a GAME CHANGER! I haven't slept this good in years! The mattress does not cause my shoulder degeneration while side sleeping to hurt and the Bedjet 3 is just wow with temps! Thanks for all you r reviews and replies and help!
@@anonizen627 That's great news! Thanks so much for the update. So glad to hear it worked out. I haven't tested the newer Bedjet 3, but really happy to hear their quality and performance is as good as I remember.
I am a side sleeper with pressure sensitivity. Which would you recommend, the bear elite hybrid or the wink in a soft? I am a senior, 170lb and 5’5”.
Either Bear Elite or Winkbed in their respective soft versions.
Go Bear Elite if you want a more dramatic body contouring hug.
Go Winkbed if you want something that is more balanced in its feel, with a less dramatic hug.
I’m 275 lbs and my spouse is 230, we both like firm but she also sleeps on her side and back, I’m a stomach sleeper. The options we are looking at are this bear elite in firm, the helix plus or the titan. What do you suggest?
Bear Elite Firm and Titan are both good options. I think you could be happy with either of those. Winkbed Plus also a great option that performed well in our tests.
Regarding Helix Plus, I'd avoid it unless you want to go Helix Plus Luxe. Helix Plus is incredibly firm (9 out of 10, where 10 is firm as the floor). If you're doing any side sleeping at all that's just going to be way too firm.
If you haven't already take a look at this - naplab.com/best-mattress/best-mattress-for-heavy-people/ - It's got all of these options + others you may want to consider.
I bought this bed but I need a base to pair it with. The bed is currently sitting on my old sleep number bed base which is plastic and creaks loud with every movement. Do you think the Bear brand base would be silent ? I am scared to buy it since they have a no returns policy on base and foundation. Is there a base you would recommend that is completely silent when the customer is changing sleeping positions or have a wrestling match with a friend?
I have no reason to believe the Bear foundation would be anything but silent, but I also haven't tested it.
Ones I have tested and would recommend include:
Saatva's Foundation - naplab.com/go/saatva-foundation
If you want a foundation + frame combo check out the Winkbed platform - naplab.com/go/winkbed-platform-foundation
@@NapLabReviews thank you so much!
@@sunshinehappyfuntimes You're welcome!
@@sunshinehappyfuntimesdid you end up buying a foundation for this bed? I’m debating if the bed needs one or if I can just use a platform bed.
I’m side sleeper bear Elite soft or Brooklyn aurora
Both are great mattresses and it's impossible to go wrong with either.
In our tests, the Aurora Luxe was slightly higher performing. So if I had to pick one, that's what I'd go with.
You can see a side by side comparison here - naplab.com/tools/side-by-side-mattress-comparison-tool/?_mattress_name_dropdown=bear-elite-hybrid%2Cbrooklyn-bedding-aurora-luxe
On a pure comfort level, this or Nolan Evo 15? Both medium firmness. Which one just feels better?
Hrm...that's a really tough call.
For my money, I am going with the Bear Elite. I just personally think it has the comfort edge over the Nolah Evolution 15.
In terms of total performance both mattresses are extremely close though.
We've got a quick side by side comparison here - naplab.com/tools/side-by-side-mattress-comparison-tool/?_mattress_name_dropdown=bear-elite-hybrid%2Cnolah-evolution-15
You mentioned the regular hybrid at the end is the star hybrid the exact same mattress just renamed or does it have some difference's?
Bear Elite Hybrid and Bear Hybrid are not the exact same mattress. They have a number of notable differences.
Full comparison here - naplab.com/mattress-comparisons/bear-hybrid-vs-elite-hybrid/
@@NapLabReviews I was looking and they have something called the star hybrid now
@@KParks Ah interesting...looks like it's supposed to be the same as the Bear Hybrid, but with a different aesthetic and different name.
I'm going to contact Bear for more info.
@@NapLabReviews thanks, so you still think these bear hybrid mattresses are that good I was looking at the dreamcloud but ive seen some comments that your not as high on them. I'm 6'2 235 but I'm usually around 210-215 I've got some stuff going on where I can't do much so I'm getting fat lol.
@@KParks Definitely. Bear Elite Hybrid continues to be a strong choice compared to the market at large. I still am not as big a fan of DreamCloud as some. In my experience, they just didn't perform as well as numerous other hybrids at a similar price point.
The Elite Hybrid is a good choice for many types of sleepers and bodies.
Which would u recommend between Bear Elite Hybrid and Winkbed Luxury Firm for a 6'2", 250lb side sleeper. It would be a king size bed, my wife would be on the other side, about 150lbs.
I would lean a little more towards Winkbed, but honestly it's a total toss up. The only major difference between them is Winkbed has better edge support. Beyond that performance is extremely similar between the two.
@@NapLabReviews Which do you feel might be a little firmer, and better to support my 250 lb weight? I dont really like to sink into the bed too much.
@@FreedomFiveFL Winkbed Plus would be best, followed by Bear Elite Firm
@@NapLabReviews thank you. do you have a referral link by chance?
@@FreedomFiveFL Yep, here you go:
Winkbed / Winkbed Plus - naplab.com/go/winkbed-mattress
Bear Elite - naplab.com/go/bear-elite-hybrid-mattress
Thanks for going out of your way to use our links. I really appreciate the support!
My husband is a 270-pound back and side sleeper, and I'm a 176-pound side sleeper. We're in our forties and I have knee, hip, and back issues. Which firmness do you recommend for us?
Medium would be the best choice for you and your partner.
@@NapLabReviews Thank you for your help!
@@melethawalker My pleasure!
Do you think the bear elite is better than the normal bear hybrid?
100% yes
It's not night and day, but it absolutely is better in a side by side comparison
If you want to see that comparison we've got it here - naplab.com/mattress-comparisons/bear-hybrid-vs-elite-hybrid/
I am waiting for a failure on the heat test. I am always cold 😂
Sadly, any mattress that fails our cooling test is more likely failing due to its poor quality foams. Foams at that quality level would have a host of compounding performance issues in other areas...as such, I would avoid trying to find a mattress that intentionally sleeps warm.
You'd be much better off with a high performance mattress with good or great cooling and instead using sheets, quilts, mattress pad, heated mattress pad, active mattress pad heating / cooling system to get the temperature to where you want it.
Why do the majority of mattress reviews use people who are skinny and small????
Sorry, we don't have the money to hire a wider range of weighted persons. It's just me and my videographer.
I know right? We need a beefy persons mattress review 😩