Whether you’re an elite athlete, an amateur fitness enthusiast, or merely a busy person trying to keep up with the demands of daily life, good sleep is key to recovery. Your body needs this rest time to repair and build muscle tissue, regulate hormone production, and keep your immune system running smoothly.
If you’re not getting enough quality sleep, your body isn’t able to rest and repair properly — and your athletic performance (or ability to simply get through the hustle and bustle of your day) may suffer as a result.
One study of college basketball players found that those who were sleep deprived made 50 percent fewer shots, while those who got 10 or more hours of sleep nightly saw a 10 percent boost in accuracy. It’s a striking illustration of why the right mattress plays a surprisingly large role in our well-being.
Lucky for us, mattress technology has evolved beyond the traditional innerspring design to an option that provides the ideal blend of comfort and support: the hybrid.
What Is a Hybrid Mattress?
As the name implies, a hybrid offers a “best-of-both” worlds approach for sleepers who seek a comfortable yet deeply supportive mattress. Hybrid mattresses feature foam comfort systems layered over coil support cores, combining pressure-relieving capabilities with responsiveness.
Understanding Hybrid Mattress Construction
To really get a sense of how hybrid mattresses can be both responsive and supportive, consider how they’re made.
The Comfort System
The purpose of comfort layers in a hybrid mattress is to provide contouring, pressure relief and motion isolation. Contouring means the mattress gently molds to your body, allowing your spine to naturally fall into alignment. Pressure relief means the mattress evenly distributes your weight, preventing pressure from building up in the places where your body meets the mattress (known as pressure points). And motion isolation means the comfort layers absorb movement, so you and your partner can toss and turn without disturbing each other’s slumber.
Comfort layers can be crafted from a variety of materials, including:
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Memory foam, which responds slowly and conforms to the shape of the body
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Polyfoam, which is often firmer and bouncier than memory foam
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Latex, a natural foam alternative
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Microcoils, which are small metal coils designed to provide durable comfort
A hybrid mattress may feature one or a combination of these comfort layers. The number of layers used, along with the thickness and density of each layer, impacts how the mattress feels.
The Support Core
The support core of a hybrid mattress is the layer that contains springs (also known as coils) — but this is not your grandma’s mattress. A quality hybrid will contain an innerspring system that features individually wrapped coils, as opposed to coils that are all connected. The individual wrapping allows each coil to move independently, providing superior motion isolation along with the support you need to sleep comfortably.
Advanced Engineering Features
In addition to comfort layers and a support core, the best hybrid mattresses are optimized with advanced engineering features. These include zoned support systems that offer different levels of support in different places on the mattress and reinforced edges for enhanced performance.
The Science of Superior Sleep: Why Hybrid Technology Matters
There’s a reason that the popularity of hybrid mattresses has surged in recent years. The technology behind this mattress type offers the ideal combination of comfort and support to promote superior sleep.
Pressure Relief and Spinal Alignment
Hybrid construction provides comfort layer contouring that evenly distributes your body weight to prevent pressure points while also maintaining spinal alignment. When your spine is aligned during sleep, your body is able to move freely without strain or pain.
Temperature Regulation and Recovery
Temperature regulation plays a big part in making sure you get the quality sleep you need. Your body naturally lowers your temperature at night because your core temperature needs to go down to ensure optimal REM sleep. A quality hybrid mattress offers cooling properties through coil airflow and advanced foam or cover technologies that help regulate your temperature during sleep.
Motion Isolation for Couples
Unless you’re one of those lucky people who can sleep through absolutely anything, chances are you’ve been woken up by a partner’s movements—or woken someone else with your own. A good hybrid features individually wrapped coils that minimize motion transfer so you and your partner sleep more soundly.
Durability and Edge Support
A quality hybrid mattress provides firmer edge support, making getting into and out of bed a breeze while also protecting against wear and tear.
Versatility and Adaptability
Two of the biggest benefits of hybrid technology are versatility and adaptability. A good hybrid mattress can accommodate bodies of all shapes and sizes and offer the right amount of comfort and support for all sleeping positions. Even people who change positions throughout the night can sleep comfortably with the right hybrid mattress.
Hybrid vs. Other Mattress Types: The Performance Comparison
There’s a reason that hybrid mattresses have earned the “best of both worlds” description. Not only do they feature the coveted comfort of all-foam mattresses and the deep support of innersprings, but well-made hybrids offer superior edge support, responsiveness, and balanced pressure relief that makes them the ideal mattress for many. High-quality hybrid mattresses also outlast their all-foam counterparts.
Our Hybrid Collection
Bear offers an array of award-winning hybrid mattresses designed to meet diverse sleep needs and budgets. Our top-of-the-line, best-selling Elite Hybrid is the star of the show. It provides ultra luxurious comfort and features our most advanced cooling and five-zoned support technology. We also offer the Star Hybrid and Pro Hybrid for luxury at a lower price point, and the Bear Natural, which features ultra-responsive latex.
Elite Hybrid Layers
There’s no wrong choice when it comes to Bear’s collection of hybrids, but you can make the best one for you by taking our Sleep Quiz or doing a side-by-side comparison of features, price points, and more. Because optimizing performance and recovery starts with good sleep, which means a quality mattress.
Disclaimer: Bear does not provide medical advice. All resources on the Bear blog, including this article, are informational only and do not replace professional medical counsel. Talk to your doctor about any health, mental health, or sleep-related issues.
