Best Hybrid Mattress

When you have to make a tough choice, the optimal outcome is often finding the “best of both worlds,” and a hybrid mattress represents the mattress industry’s pursuit of that lofty goal.

The term hybrid refers to the way that these mattresses combine materials and design elements found in other mattress types. Like an innerspring, a hybrid has a coil-based support core. Like a foam or latex mattress, a hybrid has a significant comfort system to enhance its performance.

Bringing these components together allows most hybrids to deliver a blend of pressure relief, bounce, edge support, and temperature regulation. The way any specific hybrid performs in these areas depends on its construction, allowing customers to choose from a diverse list of options to find the model that best meets their needs.

At the same time, the variation between hybrids can be confusing for some shoppers. At times, the balanced features may generate a “jack of all trades, master of none” effect for some sleepers. Hybrids can also come with a higher price tag than other mattress types.

Who Should Buy a Hybrid Mattress?

But the appeal of hybrids can extend far beyond just those people thanks to the diverse ways that the comfort system of these mattresses can be constructed. With numerous hybrids on the market, most sleepers can find one that fits their needs.

What to Look For in a Hybrid Mattress

Effective mattress shopping requires identifying your priorities and the mattresses that best align with them.

Hybrids tend to provide notable bounce. This is one of their most consistent characteristics along with above-average edge support and temperature regulation.

On the other hand, hybrids may not offer as much contouring or motion isolation as some other mattress types. Their price tag can also be out of reach for some shoppers.

Even though there are similarities between hybrids, not all of them have the same performance. Learning about the key factors that influence satisfaction with a mattress can help you decide on your priorities and pick out the hybrid that best fits them.

• Price: A mattress is a large expense, and customers have to consider price in their decision-making. That said, there are great values available, especially when shopping online, so it’s possible to find a great mattress even if you’re on a budget.
• Sleeping Position: The alignment of your body in different sleeping positions affects whether a mattress will feel supportive and comfortable. Side sleepers need more cushioning while back and stomach sleepers do best with firmer beds. With their wide range of designs, hybrids can be found to suit any sleeping posture.
• Comfort System Material: Although there are commonalities in the performance of hybrids, customers will find notable variation that depends on how the comfort system is built. Looking carefully at the included materials, their thickness, and how they are layered can provide insight about the strengths and weaknesses of any hybrid.
• Contouring: The terms contouring, conforming, cradling, and hug all describe the same aspect of how a mattress reacts to the body’s weight. With more contouring, a mattress can soften impact at pressure points. Deep contouring, most associated with memory foam, can be helpful for side sleepers but may be overkill for others, especially because it can increase heat retention around the body.
• Quality Materials: Choosing a mattress with high-quality materials is a great way to get a stronger return on your investment. Better materials translate to better performance and durability. Look for a mattress that doesn’t cut corners, meaning there are no weak or shoddy layers within its construction.
• Firmness Level: No factor influences comfort as much as firmness. Most people prefer Medium to Medium Firm, but others want something harder or softer. Firmness needs can also depend on weight and sleeping position. Thankfully, hybrids are offered in a range of firmness levels, giving customers plenty of options to find a good fit.
• Pressure Relief: Pressure points are areas that need extra support. Examples include the shoulders and hips of side sleepers or the lumbar spine of back and stomach sleepers. Contouring without excessive sagging can relieve pressure, and customers should examine the design of a hybrid’s comfort system to determine how well it achieves this.
• Motion Isolation: If you share a bed, you want to be able to stay asleep when your partner moves around on the bed. This is much easier on a mattress with good motion isolation. Hybrids can transfer motion because of their bounce, but comfort system materials, including memory foam, can reduce movement-driven sleep disruptions.
• Ease of Movement / Sex: A responsive mattress has a bouncy feel that permits easier movement on top of the bed, including the quick movement associated with sex. Coils create a baseline level of bounce in hybrids, but some comfort system materials, such as latex, can enhance that responsiveness even further.
• Edge Support: Structural integrity around the edge of a mattress is higher in hybrids compared to other mattress types. Many hybrids also have reinforced edges. Nevertheless, edge support can be an issue on very soft beds or those with less responsive foams in the comfort system.
• Temperature Regulation: In this case, keeping your cool isn’t about attitude; it’s about avoiding overheating at night. Hybrids allow for plenty of airflow through the support core, helping to regulate temperature, but hot sleepers should look for materials and designs in the comfort system that keep heat buildup to a minimum.
• Noise: A quiet mattress avoids annoying squeaks that can disturb sleep. Silence from your mattress also makes sexual activity more discrete. Coils can be noisy, but most modern hybrids cut down on noise through high-quality coils and surrounding foams meant to absorb excess noise.

How Does it Feel to Sleep on a Hybrid Mattress?

The feel of a hybrid can vary based on the details of how its interior layers are constructed. Nevertheless, some common characteristics help explain what it’s like to sleep on a hybrid.

• All in Balance: Expect that you’ll have a blend of features including motion isolation, conforming, and bounce.
• Never Get Stuck: On most hybrids, you’ll notice that it has at least a moderately bouncy feel, making it simple to adjust your position and not feel stuck in the bed.
• Out on the Edge: If you find yourself sitting or sleeping near the perimeter of a hybrid, you’ll normally notice the stability that comes from enhanced edge support.
• Going Steady: The robust design of a hybrid, including its innerspring support core, provides a steady and reliable feel that many customers find comforting.

How are Hybrids Constructed?

There are two required elements for a mattress to be a true hybrid:

• A support core made of innerspring coils.
• A substantial comfort system above the coils.

While the comfort system can be made of many different types of materials, the support core must be coil-based. The “springless hybrids” that are marketed by some manufacturers may be quality mattresses, but they are not true hybrids.

All hybrids have two common elements, but the way those components can be constructed creates diversity among the hybrids on the market in terms of price, feel, and performance.

Coil Types

A hybrid support core may utilize one of several different types of coils.

Pocket Coils

Also known as individually-wrapped or fabric-encased coils, pocket coils are made by covering each coil in cloth and then stitching the cloth together. This method of linking the coils gives them a greater ability to isolate motion and tailor to the body. Because of these features, pocket coils are by far the most commonly used in modern hybrids.

Bonnell Coils

A basic hourglass-shaped spring system, each coil in a Bonnell system is connected directly to the internal lattice structure that holds them all together. This means that the coils are less flexible and are more affected by the compression of nearby coils. Though they have a lower cost, Bonnell coils transfer more motion and offer less support.

Continuous Wire Coils

Continuous wire coils look a great deal like Bonnell coils and have a similar performance. The primary difference is that all of the springs are actually fashioned out of one single piece of wire.

Offset Coils

Offset coils give individual springs more flexibility by not connecting the coils themselves to the interior structure. Instead, they are attached by a small piece of metal. While the increased range of motion gives offset coils better motion isolation than Bonnell coils, they are not as effective as pocket coils in this regard.

Foams

Most hybrid comfort systems involve one or more types of foam that can play a central role in the overall mattress performance.

Memory Foam

Memory foam is known for its deep body conforming and slow response to pressure. Sleepers will get the sensation of being ‘hugged’ by their mattress, which relieves pressure. While usually hybrids mattresses have limited memory foam layer thickness, some hybrid models feature the deep-conforming of all-memory foam mattresses. Another effect of the conforming is great motion isolation. Motion hardly transfers across the surface of memory foam, making it a great option for couples and light sleepers.

It depends on the firmness of the mattress as a whole, but memory foam is generally suited for side and back sleepers. If you sleep on your stomach but still love the feel of memory foam, we recommend you opt for a firmer memory foam model hybrid model.

The biggest drawback of memory foam is that it tends to trap a lot of body heat, making for less temperature control. Nonetheless, since coil support cores allow for a lot of airflow throughout the mattress, this is often balanced in hybrid mattresses. Another potential drawback is the ‘stuck’ feeling some sleepers tend to get when trying to move around a bed with memory foam

Polyfoam

Polyfoam conforms to the sleepers body like memory foam, but is more responsive to pressure. This leads to slightly less pressure relief, but greater ease of movement and temperature control. Polyfoam isolates motion well, but not as well as memory foam.

Like memory foam, polyfoam hybrids generally suited to side and back back sleepers, while the firmest models with thin polyfoam can work for stomach sleepers. Polyfoam hybrids are generally the most affordable types of hybrids.

Polyfoam shares the same drawbacks as memory foam, but to a lesser extent. Polyfoam hybrids are generally a good all-around budget option.

Latex

Latex hybrids are some of the most luxurious mattresses on the market. Latex conforms moderately to the sleepers body, relieving some pressure, but not as much as memory foam. What makes latex stand out is its responsiveness. Latex has a nice bounce to it, which makes it easy to maneuver around the mattress. Latex is also known for its great temperature neutrality and durability — as latex hybrids are generally the most cool and long-lasting beds.

Since latex comes in multiple firmensses, they should be suitable for sleepers of any position or weight. If you’re heavier or sleep on your stomach, we recommend you look for a firmer model.

The one big drawback of latex is its price point. Latex hybrids are significantly more expensive than many types of beds. Also, if you have chronic pain issues or are just a huge fan of the deep conforming of memory foam, latex may not be the way to go.

Memory Foam vs Hybrids vs. Innerspring vs. Latex

A hybrid gets its name from the fact that it includes elements of both foam and innerspring mattresses. One way to help decide whether a hybrid is right for you is to consider its pros and cons in relation to those other mattress types.

How Much Does a Hybrid Mattress Cost?

Most Queen hybrid mattresses cost between $1,200 and $2,000. That said, there are hybrids available, including in our list of top picks, with a retail price below $1,200. In addition, promotions and discounts frequently make even more expensive hybrids accessible at a lower price point.

Hybrids can have greater price variance than some other mattress types because of the different ways that the comfort system and support core can be constructed. Factors that can influence the price include:

• The total thickness of the comfort system
• The type and quality of materials in the comfort system
• The thickness and type of coils in the support core
• The use of specialty materials, including those that are organic or sustainably produced
• Extra features meant to promote cooling or muscle recovery
• If the mattress was made in the USA or internationally

Density and ILD

As you read about comfort systems in hybrids, you may come across technical descriptions of the density and indentation load-deflection (ILD) of foam layers.

Density

Foam density is a way of describing how heavy and compact the material is. It is determined by weighing a cube of foam that is one foot long on each side, forming a measurement called pounds per cubic foot (PCF).

Besides just affecting its weight, density can also impact durability and performance. Most important for customers to know is that a higher-density foam is less prone to wearing out. It can also offer a slightly firmer feel, although density is not perfectly correlated with firmness.

Customers should look for higher-density foams, especially in the comfort system, if they:

• Have a body weight over 230 pounds
• Put more stress on their mattress (from sex, kids jumping on the bed, etc.)
• Want a firmer feel that will be slower to soften over time
• Place an emphasis on mattress durability

Looking at PCF numbers can be confusing because different types of foams naturally have different densities. Polyfoam has a wider range of densities depending on the part of the mattress in which it is being used.

Indentation Load-Deflection (ILD)

ILD is a method for quantifying how easily a material compresses. It is measured by seeing how much force must be applied to a foam before it compresses to a specified level.

ILD Table

Knowing the ILD of a material can give insight into its firmness but with two caveats:

• Not all manufacturers measure ILD in exactly the same way, so it’s not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison.
• The ILD of one layer can be influenced by the surrounding layers, so the total comfort system should be evaluated as a whole.

How Long Will a Hybrid Mattress Last?

Most hybrid mattresses should last for at least six years. The typical lifespan is six to eight years, but in some cases, they may continue performing at a high level for longer than that.

Hybrids typically last longer than innersprings. Their lifespan is comparable to foam mattresses and airbeds but shorter than most all-latex mattresses.

As with any mattress type, the durability of a hybrid will depend on its interior construction. If the hybrid is thoughtfully designed and then filled with high-quality materials, it will be far more likely for its useful life to extend beyond the normal range.

Use and maintenance of a mattress can affect durability as well. More weight can put greater strain on a mattress, so couples and people with a higher body weight may find that a mattress does not last as long. To promote the longevity of your mattress, consider the following tips:

• Use a well-made bed frame that complies with the recommendations of the mattress manufacturer.
• Only clean your mattress according to manufacturer instructions.
• If you have children, try to limit their jumping on the bed.
• If you have pets, keep their nails trimmed and consider keeping them off the mattress entirely.
• Avoid eating or drinking in bed, which can lead to damaging spills.
• If potential spills or pet accidents are unavoidable, consider using a mattress protector.

Last Things to Consider With a Hybrid Mattress

As you prepare to seek out your ideal hybrid mattress, there are a few final considerations and useful pieces of information that can make you an informed and empowered shopper.

Coil Count

Coil count is a way of quantifying the total number of springs in a mattress. For most shoppers, this data point, especially viewed by itself, can be more misleading than helpful because the number of coils alone doesn’t tell you anything about their type, thickness, or quality. Don’t assume that a higher coil count means a higher-quality innerspring support core.

Coil Gauge

The gauge is the thickness of the coils. In counter-intuitive fashion, a higher gauge means a thinner coil. Most innerspring cores have coils with a gauge from 13 (thicker) to 18 (thinner). Lower gauge coils tend to provide a firmer, steadier feel and usually hold up better over time.

The support core may not have the same gauge of coils throughout. For example, lower gauge coils may be used around the perimeter for edge support or placed in a zoned arrangement to bolster the bed under certain parts of the body.

Off-Gassing

Some materials, most notably foams, can put off a noticeable smell when they are first set up in your home. The smell comes from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated during foam production. These VOCs are not a health risk, but they can be bothersome.

Off-gassing tends to be worse with lower-quality foams. All-foam mattresses normally off-gas more than hybrids.

Even when the smell is bad, it typically goes away within a few hours if your bedroom is well-ventilated. At worst, it should not last more than a few days.

Profile

Since hybrid mattresses often have both substantial comfort layers and support cores, they tend to have a higher-profile, or height, than other types of mattresses. The profile of a mattress doesn’t affect the comfort of a mattress in of itself, but taller mattresses have more room for layers, giving them more potential for increased support and conforming.

One thing people should consider when shopping for higher-profile mattresses is sheet size mattress that are twelve or more inches often require deep-pocketed sheets, as normal ones have the potential to slip off. Additionally, those with issues getting in an out of bed may prefer a taller mattress, although since many people use bed frames of varying heights, this isn’t always a factor.