Bears can sleep for anywhere from four to seven months at a time when they go into hibernation. Meanwhile, some people feel lucky to get six hours of shut-eye every night. If you want to sleep more like a bear—or at least as soundly as one throughout the night—then it might be worth checking out Bear mattresses.
A relative newcomer to the mattress game, Bear sells mattresses directly to consumers with the goal of keeping prices affordable. Its offerings are straightforward and familiar if you’ve shopped for mattresses in the past. The brand offers both memory foam and hybrid coil models, but it also boasts trademarked Sleep Recovery Technology that may help provide high-quality sleep and faster athletic recovery.
Read our comprehensive review below to parse fact from fiction when it comes to what Bear mattresses provide and decide which mattress is right for you.
Bear Mattresses at a Glance
In the world of mattresses, Bear is an upstart—but it’s no corporate cub. Scott Paladini founded Bear in 2014 after years of working in the mattress sales business. He saw enough to know that things could operate differently, so he started his own company with the goal of selling mattresses directly to consumers instead of through brick-and-mortar stores.
- Built with athletes in mind, this bed is made to aid in recovery, which can be helpful for anyone with an active lifestyle.
- Solid support can provide relief from aches, particularly for back and side sleepers
- Cooling technology helps make sleep more comfortable for people who tend to run hot through the night.
- The foam mattress build isn’t as firm as some people might prefer.
- Edge support is lacking, which can make getting in and out of bed a challenge for some.
About Bear
In the world of mattresses, Bear is an upstart—but it’s no corporate cub. Scott Paladini founded Bear in 2014 after years of working in the mattress sales business. He saw enough to know that things could operate differently, so he started his own company with the goal of selling mattresses directly to consumers instead of through brick-and-mortar stores.
The result: Thousands of positive customer reviews and recognition from publications like Good Housekeeping and Sports Illustrated. Bear has been identified as a preferred mattress for athletes and has options designed to support all different kinds of sleepers.
Bear also has received two major certifications: the GREENGUARD Gold Certification, which ensures the mattresses are free of harmful chemicals, and the CertiPUR-US Certification, which is given to products that use environmentally-friendly foam products.
Bear Mattress Options and Prices
Bear offers a straightforward lineup of mattress options, with four primary models available in seven sizes. The Bear Original and Bear Pro are more traditional memory foam mattresses with no frills but a reliable build. The Bear Hybrid and Elite Hybrid use a combination foam and a coil system, including some options for customizing firmness. Prices vary depending on size, but range from $749 to $3,997.
| Model | Sizes | Starting Price | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Original | Twin Twin XL Full Queen King California King Split King | $749 | Classic memory foam, cooling |
| Bear Pro | Twin Twin XL Full Queen King California King Split King | $1,265 | Copper memory foam, cooling |
| Bear Hybrid | Twin Twin XL Full Queen King California King Split King | $1,298 | Copper memory foam and coils |
| Bear Elite Hybrid | Twin Twin XL Full Queen King California King Split King | $1,865 | Advanced cooling and support, customizable comfort levels |
Customization Options and Special Features
All Bear mattress options feature the company’s trademarked Sleep Recovery Technology, which claims to improve sleep efficiency by 2.6%, increase sleep by an average 18.3 minutes per night and improve tissue oxygenation by 8.4%. All mattresses also use cooling gel and either graphite or copper foam to pull heat from your body as you sleep.
Customization is limited to the Bear Elite Hybrid model, which can be customized to various comfort levels. There are three firmness options:
- Luxury Plush. Rated 5.5 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale, it’s ideal for folks who like their mattress to have a little give and softness.
- Luxury Firm. Rated 6.5 out of 10, luxury firm is the most widely selected option and works for people who like a little firmness.
- Extra Firm. Rated 7.5 out of 10, it’s the firmest option available and offers the most support available from Bear.
Apps and Accessories
Bear offers a number of sleep accessories along with its line of mattresses. It offers four kinds of pillows, including a cooling pillow, a down alternative option, a contouring pillow, and a mini option for those who prefer smaller sizes.
The company also offers three types of mattress protectors: the waterproof Bear protector, the terrycloth Terry protector and the “bed bug proof” Bear encasement.
You can also purchase a weighted blanket, mattress topper and sheet set in the size of the mattress you purchase. You can buy some accessories in a sleep bundle at a discounted price when you purchase a mattress from Bear.
Warranties and Discounts
A Bear mattress comes with a 120-night free trial, which allows you to try out the bed for four months before making your final decision. Bear accepts returns on mattresses within this period in exchange for a full refund.
Bear also offers a lifetime limited warranty, which extends your ability to get a replacement mattress at no additional charge if any issue arises that’s the result of a manufacturing defect. The warranty doesn’t cover normal wear and tear. The warranty also limits you to one replacement per mattress purchase.
What Sleep Experts Say
Bear uses memory foam technology studied by researchers at the University of California, Irvine to determine the sleep quality of Optically Modified Polyethylene
Terephthalate Fiber mattresses. They observed improved sleep efficiency, a reduction in the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and reported improvements in back pain and sleep quality in the anecdotal reporting of participants. The study examined Celliant textile material, which is used by Bear, but didn’t look at specific mattress brands.
What Users Say
Bear claims to have amassed more than 19,000 customer reviews from verified purchasers, the vast majority of which are positive. While Bear products are no longer sold via Amazon, the company’s products received dozens of reviews on the retail platform, accruing an average rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars. Customers praised the firmness of the bed, calling it “perfect” for people who like a comfortable, moderately firm mattress.
However, the mattresses are not without detractors. On Amazon, multiple users were unimpressed with the cooling technology used in the mattresses. “It gets horrid[ly] warm in the summer,” one user wrote. “I don’t see [a] cooling effect at all.”
As far as business practices go, Bear has also run into challenges. The company has a 1-star rating on the Better Business Bureau’s website (though it has only received one review) and multiple complaints regarding the company’s sleep trial policy. Bear responded to most complaints and now maintains an A- grade from BBB.
Who Should Purchase a Bear Mattress?
Bear memory foam mattresses are ideal for people who enjoy a mattress with some give but still provide enough support and sturdiness to help improve rest and recovery. Bear mattress offerings are ideal for side sleepers, serviceable for back sleepers and a particularly good option for active people who tend to run hot during the night.