Memory foams have been a blessing and a curse for the sleep industry, providing a plush feeling desired by many, but at the same time suffering from problems such as over-sinkage, thermal irregularities, and poor edge support. During recent years, manufacturers have tried their level best to alleviate such problems by following a hybrid route, either by injecting memory foam layers with extra materials or by adding extra layers made up of latex, innerspring units, etc.
The Bear vs. Saatva comparison explores two such mattresses that have tried to incorporate the benefits of memory foam while downplaying its pitfalls.
Bear Breakdown
The Bear mattress isn’t a typical memory foam product. Featuring graphite-infused gel foam along with a conforming base layer, the mattress aims at striking a balance between plushness and firmness. The mattress comes at an affordable price and is known for inducing comfort in average sleepers as well as athletes.
Construction
Cover
Bear tackles issues pertaining to thermal regulation right from the top, through its Celliant Cover. The technology behind this is a result of decades of research. The cover transforms bodily heat into infrared energy, dispersing it throughout the room. This results in a cooler night’s sleep.
First Layer
An inch of Cool Graphite Gel Memory Foam makes up the first layer. With an ILD rating of 9, the layer issues a plush response, however, the infusion of graphite gives the mattress a slow bounce-back after the initial sinkage. This brings in conformity into the equation, allowing you to enjoy the classic viscoelastic feel without entrapment. The presence of gel also takes away the body’s heat, transferring it into progressive layers.
Second Layer
Slightly thicker than the first, the 1.5” 10 ILD layer is made up of Quick Response Foam, bringing greater conformity as the mattress is impacted by your body’s weight.
Third Layer
The layer sports an increased ILD, i.e. 18 pounds and is also made of quick response foam. This allows it to absorb more impacts and neutralize disturbances left out by the upper layer.
Fourth Layer
The last layer is made up of high-density foam and sports an ILD rating of 30. The layer acts as a barrier for further sinkage and keeps the mattress aligned. The firmness of the layer makes it suitable for heavier individuals, but up to 500 pounds, after which significant sinkage would be observed.
Firmness and Feel
Comfort and Support
Bear mattress performs up to the expectations of most people, generating a blend of plush and conforming responses. By striking a balance between the two parameters, Bear seems to have catered the demands of most sleepers. In addition, the increase in ILD rating as you go down means flexible support. The mattress offers pressure relief for people who sleep in all types of positions, be it on the hips, stomach or shoulders.
Edge Support
While the Bear performs much better than typical memory foam mattresses due to the presence of other layers, it still isn’t the best with respect to edge support. If you plan on utilizing all corners of your mattress then Bear may not be the most viable option for you.
Cooling
The Celliant technology comes into play and helps the mattress maintain its temperature. The cover converts your body’s heat into infrared energy, thus, bringing down the temperature. Even if these infrared rays are absorbed on your body, they have a completely different effect. Instead of heating up your body, they promote healthy bodily functions such as boosted oxygen levels and alleviation of aches & pains.
Motion Transfer
A stationary 20-pound medicine ball was placed at one end of the mattress, while another was dropped at the opposite side. When dropped, negligible disturbances were observed in the stationary one, meaning the mattress fares quite well with ensuring commotions from your partner are kept to a minimum.
Unique Features
Pricing
The Bear mattress beats Saatva when it comes to pricing. Thanks to the coupon code, you can get an additional $60 off a decent mattress that is potentially beneficial for your health.
Health Benefits
Cooling is not the only benefit you can get out of the Celliant Cover. It has been found by researchers that exposure to infrared rays can induce positive health benefits. From boosting oxygen levels to helping with high blood sugar and muscle tears, the technology possesses a number of benefits, all of which are incorporated into the mattress. You can find out more about this exciting technology here.
Memory Foam Response minus the sinkage
For memory foam enthusiasts, sometimes the sinkage can be a bit too much. Bear takes care of this by ensuring a bounce-back after the initial contouring, thus, allowing you to enjoy classic viscoelastic response without fear of feeling trapped during the night.
Customer Care
Bear is a family-run company. They deeply value their customer-base, something that is shown by the level of comprehensiveness and quickness with which they issue clarifications when asked upon.
Saatva Breakdown
The Saatva is a mattress that combines the plushness of memory foam with the resilience of a coil-on-coil structure. The detailed breakdown is as follows.
See our full Saatva Mattress Review
Construction
Cover
Made from 100% organic cotton, Saatva’s cover is soft, breathable and light, stretched to cover the various layers of the mattress. In addition to giving the mattress a nice outlook, the cover promotes breathability and holds the various layers of the mattress tightly together.
Euro top
A 1 ¼-inch plush Euro top is installed right after the cover, made up of memory foam. This layer is responsible for providing plush relief on initial impact. Furthermore, it helps the progressive layers to adapt according to your body’s contours, further amplifying the pressure relief.
First Layer
Only 3/8 inches thick and made up of memory foam, the layer can be thought of an extension to the euro top, given its proximity. The primary purpose of this layer is to serve as padding for the coil layers. Moreover, it also adds to the enveloping response which is generated upon impact by the layers above.
Second Layer
This layer is made up of pocketed springs, incorporated within an edge support foam. The springs are wrapped individually and therefore remain unaffected by movements in the adjacent units. The benefits of this are two-fold. One, this allows you to maintain your sleep position and keep your body aligned, and two, if you share your bed with another person, you won’t be disturbed by his/her movements.
Third Layer
Interconnected steel coils of length 7 inches and thickness of 13-gauge make up this layer. This is meant to provide unyielding support as you sleep, acting as a barrier for further sinkage.
Edge Support Border
In order to solve the problem of poor edge support in memory foam mattresses, Saatva has incorporated an edge support border with the sole purpose of supporting your weight as you rest on the sides.
Firmness and Feel
Comfort and Support
The Saatva is available in three firmness options namely, Plush, Luxury Firm and Firm, each one designed to generate a special plush-conformed response. A scale from 1 – 10 is followed by the manufacturer to describe the behavior of the variant, 1 being soft while 10 is hard.
Plush
The softest variant of the Saatva mattress. With a general ILD rating of 18, the model is designed to maximize pressure relief while shielding you from the stiff response of the steel coils. This model is therefore rated at 3 on the aforementioned scale.
Luxury Firm
The version is rated somewhere between 5 – 7 and offers a balance between firmness and pressure relief. Both the contouring response of the memory foam and the pushback generated by the coil layers are emphasized with this version, making it suitable for most people.
Firm
With an ILD of 30, this is the firmest version. The focus is to provide more support and the response is inclined towards the springy side. This, however, doesn’t mean that the version doesn’t provide any type of softness since the pocketed coils do ensure some level of adaptivity within the mattress.
Edge Support
The innerspring core within the mattress is unyielding and supportive. Still, the manufacturer has incorporated an edge support perimeter so that you can utilize all edges of the mattress, whether it’s for sharing, sitting on the edges, etc. The design is truly commendable since the edge support offered is one of the best within the hybrid mattress. With that being said, Bear stands no chance in comparison, therefore, if edge support is a vital parameter for you, Saatva is the way to go.
Even if you carry a lot of weight, Saatva can still offer a resilient solution in the form of the Firm version of the product.
Cooling
Initially, the cover works well to transmit the body’s heat into the layers below. From there, the two layers composed of coils promote breathability, transferring the heat downwards. Since the thickness of memory foam in the mattress is not much, it doesn’t have a significant heat-trapping effect.
Motion Transfer
The presence of memory foam within the upper layers gives the mattress a considerable amount of motion absorbency. Due to the coil-on-coil design that sits at the core, Saatva does have the tendency to be bouncier, therefore some reactivity should always be expected. For extremely sensitive individuals, the Plush version may be a better option when dealing with motion isolation.
Unique Features
Viscoelastic characteristics highlighted with springiness
Both the Saatva and Bear have deviated from the true memory foam mattress path and provided hybrid variants. Out of the two, Saatva has followed a springier road, ensuring that at no time you feel trapped within the mattress. The presence of coil layers generates a truly resistive response to your load, suitable for individuals who enjoy the push of a mattress.
Luxurious Euro Top
The Euro Top isn’t an additional feature of the mattress for which you have to pay extra. Usually found in high-class hotel suites, the layer provides luxurious cushioning and is a tightly integrated part of the mattress.
Premium Edge Support
Saatva has worked hard to rub off the memory foam notion off this mattress. By using steel springs, Saatva has ensured superior edge support, which is reinforced by the perimeter, allowing you to utilize your investment to full extent.
Multiple Firmness Options
Ranging from plush to firm, the Saatva is available in three different firmness levels. This allows you to choose a mattress that fits your need the most, rather than compromising for a one-size-fits-all solution.
Longer Warranty
The Saatva features a 15-year warranty along with a 120-day trial period, compared to Bear’s 10-year and 100-day trial policy. This compensates for the higher cost of the mattress, ensuring customers that their investment is safeguarded for a longer period of time.
Which One To Get?
Bear
Here are some reasons to consider the Bear:
- You want a Celliant Cover: The idea of getting additional health benefits whilst sleeping is quite enticing. Celliant Cover technology makes this possible, allowing physically active individuals to recover from their pains and aches as they sleep.
- You want a cheaper mattress: The Bear is cheaper than the Saatva. At an affordable price, you get a health benefits-inducing mattress that offers a comfortable night’s sleep.
- You want a hybrid experience: Both Bear and Saatva promise a hybrid experience, and both deliver, but in their own way. The Bear has more memory foam content and is, therefore, plusher rather than firm, while the Saatva having thinner memory foam layers is more inclined towards the bouncier side of the spectrum.
- You value customer support: The customer support team working within Bear is highly professional and extremely comprehensive when clarifying queries regarding the mattress.
Saatva
However, you might want to choose Saatva if:
- You want customization: The Saatva is available in three firmness levels, plush, luxury firm and firm, slowly moving from the soft to the harder end of the spectrum. This gives picky individuals considerable freedom to choose their mattress, giving them satisfaction both when paying for the mattress, and when sleeping on it.
- You want an adaptive mattress: The mattress’ ability to combine conformity with responsivity is impressive as this makes it suitable for people who wish for plushness but not so much that they get trapped after some time.
- You’re overweight: As your weight increases, the probability of permanent deformation occurring within the mattress rises as well. If you carry a lot of weight, then Saatva’s dual coil layers will serve you well and prevent excessive sinkage as well as deterioration of the mattress’ layers.
- You want a Euro top: If you’ve been spoiled by luxury experiences in hotels, then having a plush Euro-top may be a preference for you. Saatva fulfills this desire by offering a soft Euro top, all within the existing price tag.
- You value Edge Support: The level of edge support provided by Saatva is superb, and the manufacturer has incorporated several different components to ensure you can utilize the entire area of the mattress, from spring coils to a reinforced perimeter.
- You want a longer warranty: Saatva provides a 15-year long warranty, five years longer than Bear, giving you peace of mind regarding your investment.
I hope you found the comparison interesting and helpful. Please share your comments and/or suggestions in the section below, and share this post with anyone who has trouble deciding!
Bear vs. Saatva Comparison
| Bear | Saatva | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers Used |
|
|
| Height | 10 inches | 11.5 inches / 14.5 inches |
| Firmness | Medium-Hard | Soft, Medium-Firm, Firm |
| Motion Transfer | Minimal | Minimal |
| Breathability | Above average | Slightly below average |
| Trial Period | 100-day | 120-day |
| Warranty | 10-year | 15-year non-prorated |
| Pricing (Queen) | $850 | $999 |
| Shipping | Free | Free across the US |