Founded in 2015, the Bear mattress company creates beds with active people in mind. They've used the input and expertise of professional athletes, medical experts, and regular gym-goers to ensure their beds are recovery-focused and built to support an active lifestyle. So whether you're a runner, weightlifter, yogi, or someone who simply enjoys staying active, the Bear mattress may be right for you.
And if your current mattress isn't cutting it, it's time for a change. A new mattress can improve sleep quality, as nothing's worse than sleeping on a sagging, unsupportive bed. Not only that, but sleep is crucial for athletic performance: A regular cadence of good, restful sleep can significantly improve your endurance, stamina, and speed.
But can the Bear mattress actually help you sleep better? And is it really the best mattress for athletes? In this Bear mattress review the ACTIVE Reviews Team and the sleep experts at Mattress Advisor are here to break it down for you. We collaborated to put the Bear mattress to the test so you can decide if it's right for you.
Why Trust Us?
The ACTIVE Reviews Team is made up of fitness and wellness experts that include athletes, coaches, and certified trainers who bring years of knowledge and experience to each review. More importantly, each member of our team is a health enthusiast. Wellness may be our job, but it is also our passion. Therefore, we strive to bring you products that we trust and would personally use.
MA Score: The Mattress Advisor Score is a weighted score that takes into account 14 different factors related to the mattress' performance, function, and convenience, as well as the brand's social responsibility.
By clicking on the product links in this article, Active.com may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader.
Bear Mattress - The Breakdown
- Mattress type: Memory foam
- Mattress Advisor score: 8.6/10
- Firmness: Medium-firm
- Trial period: 365 nights
- Warranty: Limited lifetime
BUY IT: Bear Mattress, $998* for a Queen
Who is the Bear Mattress Best For?
Best For
- Combination sleepers: Unlike most memory foam mattresses, the Bear mattress is highly responsive. This makes it a good fit for combination sleepers, or those who switch positions at night.
- Hot sleepers: Also unlike a typical memory foam bed, the Bear mattress is equipped with certain materials that help you sleep cooler. Gel-infused memory foam helps to break up any heat retention and a breathable cover promotes airflow.
- Those with back pain: Going too hard in the gym lately? As a result, you may have sore muscles or nagging back pain. By resting on a supportive mattress like the Bear (it contains thick high-density memory foam at its base), your spine stays aligned, limiting the amount of pressure on your lower back.
- Shoppers on a budget: Priced at just under $1,000 for a queen size, the Bear mattress is an affordable pick for many.
Not Best For
- Couples: Couples who sleep together need a certain degree of motion isolation to ensure they can't feel their partner's movements at night—no one likes to be woken up in the wee hours by their partner's tossing and turning. Unfortunately, the Bear has a lackluster level of motion isolation, so there's a chance you may feel your partner's changes in position.
- Side sleepers: If you sleep on your side, it's important that you rest on a mattress that cushions your hips and shoulders. The Bear mattress only scored a 7 out of 10 in pressure relief, so side sleepers may want to look for a mattress that contours more closely to their sides.
Inside the Bear Mattress
The Bear mattress starts off with a breathable, lightweight cover, followed by a gel-infused memory foam layer. Next comes a second memory foam layer, which is designed to adapt and respond to your movements. A thick base of high-density memory foam secures the mattress, adding structure and support.
How Does the Bear Mattress Feel?
The Bear mattress falls at a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. For reference, mattress firmness can range from 1 to 10, with 1 being plush soft and 10 being extra firm. Because the Bear falls somewhere in the middle, it offers a nice, balanced sensation that feels supportive, but also a surface you can sink into.
In Use: What Is It Like to Sleep on the Bear Mattress?
Mattress Advisor sleep experts put the Bear mattress to the test in the lab, and these are some of the factors that stood out the most:
Spine Alignment
Spine alignment refers to how well a mattress maintains and supports the natural curve of your spine. The better spine alignment a bed provides, the better the lumbar support. Mattress Advisor testers scored the Bear an impressive 9 out of 10 in this category, meaning it's not only supportive, but also a good choice for athletes suffering from back pain. By keeping your spine properly aligned, pressure is kept off of your lower back, relieving tension and discomfort.
Responsiveness
Responsiveness measures how quickly—or slowly—a mattress responds to your movements. This is an especially important factor for combination sleepers, or sleepers who change positions throughout the night. Sometimes memory foam beds can get a bad rap for not being responsive enough, since memory foam is typically a material that provides a slow, sinking sensation.
But the Bear uses a layer of memory foam designed to adapt to transitions, which helped it earn a 9 out of 10 from Mattress Advisor in this category. Testers were able to switch from their backs to sides to stomachs with ease, and didn't experience much resistance from the bed.
Cooling
Another quality of memory foam beds that can make them less popular among hot sleepers is their tendency to trap or retain heat—memory foam beds typically don't top the list for the best cooling mattresses. Thanks to its breathable cover and layer of cooling gel-infused foam, the Bear kept testers sweat free. It earned another 9 out of 10 for cooling, making it a good choice for hot sleepers who still want the comfort of an all-foam mattress.
Durability
Durability measures how well a mattress will hold up over time. Mattress Advisor testers scored it an 8 out of 10 in this category, meaning you can expect the Bear to hold up decently well over the years. If durability is your top concern though, you may want to find a mattress made with either coils or latex, which are two of the most durable materials. The Bear Hybrid uses individually-wrapped coils at its base, which provide greater durability.
Motion Isolation
Motion isolation is a factor most important to couples or co-sleepers. It measures how well a bed isolates movement from one side of the bed to the other. This is one area the Bear didn't score as highly in, only earning a 7.75 out of 10. If you sleep with a partner or pet, you might feel them move around on this mattress.
Bear Mattress by Sleeping Position
Is the Bear mattress right for your sleeping position? We break down how it holds up for each position below.
Side sleepers
If you rest on your side, it's important that you sleep on a mattress that cushions and contours to your hips and shoulders. These areas bear the most weight in this position. Because the Bear mattress didn't score as highly in pressure relief, it's not the best fit for side sleepers. Side sleepers may want a mattress that provides better pressure relief and cushioning for the sides.
Back sleepers
Back sleepers are the easiest position to appease—the most important thing for this type is support. The Bear excelled in the spine alignment and durability testing, meaning back sleepers should feel comfortable and well-supported on this bed.
Stomach sleepers
For those who sleep face down, sturdy support is of the utmost importance. This is so stomach sleepers' hips don't sink too far down into the mattress, which would cause the spine to fall out of alignment. The Bear provides more than enough support to keep stomach sleepers' hips raised and spine aligned, but if you are a heavyweight sleeper who sinks into the mattress more, you may need a bed made with coils for reinforced support.
Combination sleepers
Combination sleepers are a little bit of everything, which is why they need a bed that moves with them. The Bear's responsive foam helped testers transition positions easily, making it a good fit for these multi-positional sleepers.
Bear Mattress Policies: Everything You Need to Know
If this is your first time purchasing a mattress online, you may not be as familiar with the typical policies and procedures that come with this process. We summarize the Bear's purchasing policies below in layman's terms.
Shipping and Delivery
When you place your order for a Bear mattress, you can expect it to ship and arrive at your doorstep in about 4-8 business days. Unless you live in Hawaii or Alaska, shipping is free to anywhere in the U.S. Should you want white-glove delivery service, meaning that Bear representatives will come unbox and set up your mattress for you, plus remove your old one, you can pay an additional fee of $150.
Unboxing
The Bear mattress will come compressed in a box, so you'll need to pull it out, unroll the mattress, and give it a few minutes to expand to its full size. This entire process took Mattress Advisor testers about three minutes, but it's best to do this with a partner, as a queen-size weighs about 70 pounds.
Because the Bear is an all-foam mattress, you may experience some off-gassing, which is when a slight odor exudes from the bed as you're unboxing. This scent isn't harmful, but it's best to allow the bed to air out for at least one night before sleeping on it. The Bear mattress is Greenguard Gold certified, which means the bed has passed third-party emissions standards to ensure its free of harmful chemicals.
Trial period
One major benefit to buying an online mattress is the ability to use the free trial period that comes with your purchase. This allows you to test run the mattress for a number of nights to make sure it's to your liking. If it's not, you can return it for a full refund during the initial trial period.
The Bear mattress' trial period is longer than the industry standard (usually around 100 nights). It gives you a full year to try out the mattress and make sure it works for you. Also keep in mind that Bear requires you to sleep on the mattress for 30 nights before making a return. This is the typical amount of time that it takes to break in a new mattress.
Returns
Should you wish to return your Bear mattress, you can do so for a full refund during the first year of owning the bed (365 nights). After this time period, Bear doesn't accept any refunds, exchanges, or returns. To start a return order, simply email Bear at returns@bearmattress.com.
Warranty
The Bear mattress comes with a limited lifetime warranty, which is also longer than the industry standard (typically 10 years). This means that should your mattress have certain defects like any visible indentation equal to or greater than 1.5 inches that is not caused by an unsupportive foundation, or any other physical defect that causes the foam to split or crack, Bear will issue a replacement mattress. The warranty is limited to one replacement mattress per purchase.
Any physical flaw that results from normal wear and tear of the mattress is not covered by the warranty. To make a warranty claim, contact claims@bearmattress.com.
Bear Mattress: Sizes and Prices
The Bear mattress is an affordably priced mattress and comes in a variety of sizes. Plus, the Bear frequently goes on sale meaning there are times when you can get it for less than the price listed below. Check out the table below for specific prices depending on the size you choose.
BUY IT: Bear Mattress, $998* for a queen
| Size | Price |
| Twin | $748 |
| Twin XL | $811 |
| Full | $873 |
| Queen | $998 |
| King | $1,248 |
| Cal King | $1,248 |
| Split King | $1,622 |
Bear Mattress vs. Casper Mattress
Casper Mattress Stats
- Mattress type: Memory foam
- Mattress Advisor score: 9.1/10
- Trial period: 100 nights
- Warranty: Limited 10 year
The Casper mattress consists of three layers of memory foam, and is best known for its "Zoned Support" feature. This means the middle layer of memory foam is designed to have more give under the shoulders, while providing more pushback under the hips for optimal spine alignment. It earned a near-perfect 9.5 out of 10 in spine alignment from the testers at Mattress Advisor, plus a high 8.5 out of 10 in pressure relief. It works well for all sleep positions—it earned a perfect 10 in responsiveness—thanks to its universally appealing medium-firm feel.
BUY IT: Casper Mattress, $1,095* for a queen
Which Is Better?
Another bed made from entirely memory foam, the Casper mattress is similar to the Bear in the sense that it's an all-foam bed. However, the Casper is a better fit for side sleepers, while the Bear isn't as good of a fit for this position. If you sleep hot, the Bear is more cooling, while the Casper sleeps more like a traditional memory foam mattress (it only earned a 7 out of 10 in cooling). Couples may also prefer the Casper, which performed better at motion isolation. When it comes to price, the Casper is slightly more expensive than the Bear, at a little over $1,000 for a queen-size, making both choices pretty budget-friendly. Both mattresses offer a balanced, medium-firm feel that can accommodate a wide range of sleepers.
One mattress isn't necessarily better than the other, it's more about which one is right for you.
Bear Mattress vs. Bear Pro Mattress
Bear Pro Mattress Stats
- Mattress type: Memory foam
- Mattress Advisor score: 8.8/10
- Trial period: 365 nights
- Warranty: Limited lifetime
The Bear Pro is essentially an upgraded Bear mattress. It contains an additional layer of copper-infused memory foam in between the breathable cover and the gel-infused memory foam layer. This helps it sleep even cooler, plus the extra foam layer makes the mattress more supportive as a whole.
BUY IT: Bear Pro Mattress, $1,465* for a queen
Which Is Better?
The Bear mattress and the Bear Pro are pretty similar, so it really comes down to price. If you're willing to spend about $450 more, then the Bear Pro could be a good option if you want more support and cooling. The Bear is a better option if you're on a tighter budget, and it still provides cool, supportive rest, just without an additional layer of cooling foam.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the Bear mattress impressed us with its supportive structure, cooling qualities, and excellent responsiveness. Its middle-of-the-road firmness level makes it appealing to many kinds of sleepers, and its inexpensive price point makes it a good choice for those on a budget. If you're looking to improve your sleep (which is integral to your recovery), we think the Bear mattress is a solid choice.
What We Loved
- Excellent support
- Can relieve back pain
- Cooling qualities
- Responsive
- Affordable
What We Didn't Love
- Lackluster pressure relief
- Not a great fit for couples
Alternative Option: Bear Hybrid Mattress
If you've decided the original Bear mattress isn't for you, consider its sister model: the Bear Hybrid mattress. It's more expensive than the Bear and Bear Pro in terms of price, but it offers a mix of materials that provide more support than the other all-foam Bear models.
Bear Hybrid Mattress - The Breakdown
- Mattress type: Hybrid (foam and coils)
- Mattress Advisor score: 9/10
- Firmness: Medium-firm
- Trial period: 120 nights
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
Who is the Bear Hybrid Mattress Best For?
Best For
- Back and stomach sleepers: Because the Bear Hybrid uses a combination of individually-wrapped coils topped with thick memory foam, it provides excellent support for back and stomach sleepers. Spine alignment is key for these positions, and the Bear earned a near-perfect score in this category (9.5/10).
- People with back pain: Speaking of spine alignment, people with back pain need a mattress that maintains a neutral spine position. And luckily, that's what the Bear Hybrid does best.
- Those who sleep hot: The Bear Hybrid sleeps cool thanks to its coil base which promotes plenty of airflow through the center of the mattress. Sleepers who toss and turn: Do you switch positions frequently at night? The Bear Hybrid's coil structure responds quickly to changes in position, making it easy for sleepers to transition from their side to back to stomach.
Not Best For
- Shoppers on a budget: Since this mattress comes with a steeper price tag, it's not ideal for those on a tight budget.
- Side sleepers: This position requires ample cushioning at the hips and shoulders. Unfortunately, pressure relief was lacking with the Bear Hybrid, so side sleepers might be better off with a more cushioning mattress.
Bear Hybrid Mattress: Sizes and Prices
Interested to see how the Bear Hybrid mattress stacks up? Below is a breakdown of the different price points offered for this hybrid bed.
| Size | Price |
| Twin | $1,298 |
| Twin XL | $1,398 |
| Full | $1,498 |
| Queen | $1,738 |
| King | $2,132 |
| Cal King | $2,132 |
| Split King | $2,796 |
Bear Mattress FAQs
Is the Bear mattress worth it?
If you're in need of a new mattress and want to try out the Bear, we think it's worth the money. However, if you're a side sleeper or sleep with a partner, you may want to consider other options that perform better in the categories that matter for you (pressure relief and motion isolation).
How long does a Bear mattress last?
You can expect your Bear mattress to last at least 5-7 years depending on how much weight is pressing into the mattress or if multiple sleepers are resting on the mattress (both of these things can make the bed wear down more quickly). Because it's a memory foam bed, it might not last quite as long as a bed made with sturdy coils like a hybrid or innerspring mattress. But compared to other foam beds on the market, it's one of the most durable. If you use a supportive foundation, you can expect many years of sleep on the Bear.
Will the Bear mattress help relieve my back pain?
Since the Bear scored highly in Mattress Advisor's spine alignment test, it is equipped to relieve back pain. Proper spine alignment ensures pressure is kept off of your lower back.
Do Bear mattresses off-gas?
You can expect some off-gassing when you unbox the Bear mattress, but it won't last for long and it's not harmful. The Bear has a Greenguard Gold certification that ensures it's passed rigorous standards for cleanliness and health.
Is the Bear Hybrid good for back pain?
The Bear Hybrid excels at spine alignment which is key alleviating back pain. Its coil base and memory foam surface support the spine's natural shape for maximum pain relief.
Is the Bear Hybrid good for side sleepers?
Side sleepers need a mattress that relieves pressure from their hips and shoulders, and the Bear Hybrid didn't do so hot during pressure relief testing. We recommend side sleepers find a mattress that caters more to these areas.
*All prices are subject to change.