Is the Hybrid mattress best? Guide, 2022

A hybrid mattress applies a combination of mattress technologies or distinct constructions, which is organized as a multi-layered system. They use different constructions, to address the various features that a quality mattress must have such as comfort and support. Specifically, for a hybrid to be classed as one it must consist of a core support structure of spring coils that will sit below an upper-level comfort layer. Often the organized combination at the top between the comfort layers and transition layers has much to do with complementing the other materials and enhancing how the mattress will perform in those areas. Hybrids have become one of the most popular choices in mattress purchasing because of how they are designed to excel in almost whatever area you think makes a mattress worth buying. They emerged when there was a sudden acknowledgment by the public that innerspring coils and even foam mattresses alone weren’t meeting the high demands and more was required. 
Typically hybrid mattresses are suitable for side-sleepers, stomach-sleepers, back-sleepers and combo-sleepers who do a bit of each in their sleep. 

Construction of a hybrid mattress

A lot of the time hybrid mattresses follow the same pattern for layered components and sequence.

Pillow top

This is not commonly found in hybrid mattresses, but when it is used it further improves the cushioned feel and padded nature of the layers below. It is sewn to the upholstery of the mattress and it is the very top layer of hybrid mattresses that use them. Usually, they are not made thicker than 2 inches. Due to its lack of structured firmness, it is not the layer that brings support or even sturdiness that the base layer will. In fact, since they only really give a couple more inches of luxurious padding, many manufacturers decide just to focus on optimizing their comfort layers and core support structures instead of adding a pillow top. There are a variety of materials that could be used for them. Materials that are used to construct pillow tops are latex, memory foam, wool and polyester, among others.  

Comfort layer

  This is the upper layer of the mattress. They are usually produced with latex, memory foam, or even cooling gels. The cooling gel, which likely will come in the form of pods, as the name suggests acts to keep you cool by deflecting heat, but it does more than that. It also is excellent for body molding. The latex, memory foam and poly-foam also do well with making the mattress curve around the shape of your body. Usually, the comfort layer is around 4 inches thick which is enough for its properties to enhance your sleep. Some mattress companies split these few inches between several materials, sometimes combining latex with memory foam for example which lets these layers modify the level of comfort of the mattress. Due to how these constructions respond to your shaping and weight they can even diminish pains that may have been bothering you before.

Transition layer

This is normally the middle layer of the mattress sitting between the upper comfort layer and the lower layers of the core support structure and the base. It is the mediator between these layers as they are a cushioning factor that balances out the firmness of the core support and base with the softness of the comfort layer. The materials used in a transition layer often have similar properties to that of the comfort layer. Latex, memory foam,  cooling gel and polyfoam are used interchangeably between the layers because it is not too important which of these constructions is used for the transition layer. However, it is most common for transition layers to be made up of polyfoam which helps with providing a cushy feel. The idea is simply for the transition layer to use another material to supplement the comfortability and adaptability that the comfort layer would already be offering on top of the base levels, so often the latex, memory foam, or other material used will be a great performer in what the other material of the comfort layer is lacking. 

Core support structure

 Since hybrid mattresses refer to a combination of technologies and constructions in their layered system, where within their combo-construction, innerspring coils are their mainstay, this unchanging aspect of hybrids only allows for construction differences on the thickness of the layer and the system of springs used. Most hybrid mattresses have an inner-spring coiled support structure instead of a pocket-sprung one. Usually, it falls in the region of being 7 to 8 inches thick, which is enough for springs to compress and elongate with changing pressure. 

 The core support structure is vital for the airflow of the mattress, preventing the trapping of air and heat, meaning that temperatures do not rise to a level that can cause a lot of discomforts. This layer usually is found beneath the comfort layer and the transition layer if one is used. The springs offer a high level of support with the springs ideal for absorbing the forces exerted upon them and due to the responsiveness of the spring, they tend to be rather durable. However, the level of durability can vary between the types of springs, such as Bonnell coil, Marshall coil and continuous coil differ in terms of shape, so even though they each can be trusted to be resilient, they have differing levels of being worn down. It is important to check if the hybrid mattress you are considering is using pocket springs or innersprings as this difference is significant in determining the mattress's adaptability, motion isolation, compression capabilities, sinkage levels and even thermo-regulation. To learn more about the difference between pocket springs and innerspring mattresses to know what hybrid mattress likely will best suit you, check out the link.

Base layer

This is typically the very bottom part of a hybrid layered system and will usually be directly beneath the core support structure. They bring stability to the multiplicity of the learning system. Often they are made up of poly-foam which improves the support which is provided above in the core support structure and they usually mirror the transition layer in terms of materials used, so the core support structure is sandwiched between layers that will optimize the comfort of the mattress. The poly-foam is built with polyurethane which is a lightweight material with a low density. Polyurethane has only recently been used commonly in the base layers of mattresses because of how it compresses. Before it was preferred more for the top layer or upholstery in spring mattresses. The reason polyurethane is better at the base than as the comfort layer is that whilst it does well with the support it does not provide great adaptability and isolated pressure relief like pocket springs, memory foam or even latex. Placed here, it provides a sturdy foundation for the other more versatile layers to do what they were designed for. An example of a mattress that uses Poly-foam for a base layer is the Emma original mattress. To see how the Emma original uses it as a base and see if it would suit your needs for a mattress  check out the link below.  

Emma Original Mattress

Our grading of the Emma Original Mattress

Emma Original Mattress: The classic Mattress, a bestseller throughout Europe

4.5 / 5

Emma Original Mattress: Pros and Cons

We appreciate

• You want a mattress that will promote a healthy posture and give particular pressure relief to your back
• You are one of the special  stomach sleepers since  stomach sleepers require a high level of responsiveness to let their midriff fall into the mattress enough for comfort
• You want a mattress cover that can easily be washed
• You are one part of a sleeping couple and don’t want to be disturbed by any movement on the other side of the mattress, so you can have a peaceful sleep
• You want a mattress that closely conforms to the shape of your body and contours around you which is possible due to the memory foam layer
• You are seeking a mattress to stay with you for a long while, with a very long life-span that can match that of the bed frame and will be around longer than your old mattress.

We regret

• You are looking for a mattress with sturdy edge support that will be supportive from one side of a mattress, all the way to the other. For that we recommend the Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid mattress. 
• You need a mattress that has almost optimal heat transferring qualities that retains virtually no heat, so you can sleep totally cool. For that we recommend the Simba Hybrid mattress which uses graphite infused foam to combat heat and keep you cool whilst sleeping.

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249.5 £

Review of the Emma Original

The base is great for shock absorption. This further supplements the force absorption of the coils in the support structure which relieve pressure when the coils compress, so the energy is taken further down into the mattress, having less of a noticeable effect on you. Also, the absorption qualities of the base layer are designed to even sound-proof the noise of springs when they are being moved upon. By diminishing this noise, peace is achieved and sleep can go on undisturbed.

Examples of hybrid mattresses  

Simba hybrid mattress

Simba Hybrid

The verdict

The Simba Hybrid is a well-acclaimed mattress that lives up to the hype in most regards. It's Simbatex graphite-infused, open-cell  foam layer makes the breathability and thermal regulation  of the mattress exceptional, so you wouldn't have to worry about the sleepless nights due to heat build-up and sweat discomfort. In addition it really delivers with edge-support due to its edge lift technology which gives the entire mattress a sturdiness. Though you should beware of the sagging that seems to occur in this mattress after a while and consider other options if you are heavy stomache-sleeper, there is a lot that the mattress impresses with. 

Simba Hybrid: Pros and Cons

We appreciate

You are a light to average weighted stomach sleeper 

• You are a sleeping couple who are  sensitive to motion elsewhere on a mattress.
• You sweat quite a lot when you sleep and need a cover to remove moisture as well as keeping you cool
• You need assistance with spinal alignment and can’t afford any back problems created during your sleep. 

We regret

• You have a sleeping partner and will need and don’t want the disturbance of motion from another side of the mattress. For that we recommend the ‘Emma original’ memory foam mattress. This Emma mattress isolates ripples of motion very well.
• You are a heavy sleeper or weigh above the average. For that we recommend the ‘Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid ' 

Our grading of the Simba Hybrid

4 / 5

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449.4 £

Read our review of Simba Hybrid

Dreamcloud Luxury  hybrid mattress

Our grading of the Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid

A luxurious, yet practical mattress that combines numerous layers to excellent effect assessed in this Dreamcloud mattress review

4.5 / 5

Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid

The verdict

The Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid is an excellent choice for a lot of stomach sleepers and back sleepers and is up for contention for being the best mattress for those that finds themselves in such a sleeping position. It really acts as a dream cloud bed. Its high level of firmness brings a lot of support to the matress.  The Activedge spring technology ensures there is no slack on the outer edges of the mattress, so mass is more evenly distributed than in mattresses where this isn't the case.  Furthermore it is composed of gel memory foam which is one of, if not, the leading technology in heat dissipation within mattresses.  This mattress ticks a lot of boxes as revealed in this Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid mattress review.

Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid : Pros and Cons

We appreciate

• You are a light to average weighted stomach-sleeper 
• You are a sleeping couple who are  sensitive to motion elsewhere on a mattress.
• You sweat quite a lot when you sleep and need a cover to remove moisture as well as keeping you cool
• You need assistance with spinal alignment and can’t afford any back problems created during your sleep. 
• You sometimes end up sleeping on the edge of a mattress

We regret

• You are side-sleeper of about an average weight or less. For you, as your mattress advisor, we recommend the Nectar mattress which will provide appropriate pressure-relief for you in this sleeping position.
• You want  a high level of viscoelastic adaptability in your mattress. For this we recommend the memory foam mattress,  Emma original 

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549.45 £

See our review of the Dreamcloud

Emma Premium mattress

Emma Premium

The verdict

The Premium stands strong against its hybrid competitors and even compares well with the  Emma Original memory foam mattress. What's particularly special about this mattress that regardless of your sleeping position; if you are a side-sleeper, a back-sleeper, a stomach-sleeper, a heavy-sleeper or a light-sleeper,  you are likely to feel that the Emma Premium is of a high quality. The pressure-relief and thermoregulatory properties of the Emma Premium stand out the most because of how effective the technologies geared towards these areas are.

Our grading of the Emma Premium

The Emma Premium mattress review of the award winning hybrid mattress

4 / 5

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399.5 £

Emma Premium: Pros and Cons

We appreciate

• You usually suffer from back pains and need an orthopaedic mattress
• You are particularly susceptible to sleep-sweating
• You are a combo-sleeper
• You are a light-sleeper and tend not to press too far into the mattress
• You react badly to dust-mite allergens 

We regret

• You are a sleeping couple because the motion transfer isn't great.  For this we recommend you check out the  memory foam mattress,  the Emma Original which has a better motion isolation.
• You use the sides of the bed sometimes to sleep because the edge support is lacking on this mattress. For this we recommend the Simba Hybrid mattress. This is what we would advise because the Simba Hybrid mattress   uses reinforcements especially to stabilise the edges upon the bed frame. 
• You value eco-purity in a mattress. For this we recommend the Nectar memory foam mattress. Excluding carcinogenic materials and heavy metals from its production,  the Nectar memory foam mattress is very clean in an environmental sense