I'm a sleep writer — 5 things I look for in a good hybrid mattress

DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress
(Image credit: DreamCloud)

As a sleep writer, I know that hybrid mattresses are some of the greatest beds on the market, thanks to the balance between support and comfort they provide. While most hybrid beds boast a multi-layer design, I find it helps to know which features can actually take the mattress to the next level.

When looking for the best mattress with a hybrid design, there are some key things to look out for, particularly if you're buying a new mattress online. Some features can boost the comfort of the bed, while others signify that the mattress has a solid design and is of good quality.

Here, we'll take a look at the five things to look out for when shopping for a good-quality hybrid mattress, including materials, design, and extras. Plus, the three best hybrid deals to shop ahead of the Memorial Day mattress sales

5 KEY FEATURES TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A COOLING MATTRESS

1. A minimum height of 10 inches 

The best hybrid mattresses boast hefty builds thanks to their multiple layers of foam and coils, meaning that their height should never be under 10 inches. A hybrid mattress of 10 inches will provide enough support and comfort to most adults and sleep styles, while plus-sized adults, bed-sharers, and side sleepers may want to choose something even thicker for multiple comfort layers and sturdier support. 

Of course, an extra-thick mattress will suit some sleepers and larger bedrooms well, but most will get along fine with anything between 10 and 14 inches. If you'd like to know how thick your mattress should be visit our guide to picking the right mattress height

2.  A breathable, cooling cover 

While hybrids tend to make the best cooling mattresses thanks to their airflow-boosting coils and springs, no hybrid bed is complete without a breathable, moisture-wicking sleep surface to keep you cool and dry throughout the night.

Hybrid mattress covers come in all different breathable, cooling materials, including organic cotton, organic wool, polyethylene fibers, cashmere, and even space-age heat-dissipating fabrics such as trademarked GlacioTex and Phase Change Material. A cooling cover is particularly important if the mattress contains memory foam, which absorbs heat. 

Avocado Green Mattress

(Image credit: Avocado Mattress)

3. A warranty of at least 10 years

Mattress warranties are a good indicator of how long a mattress should last. On average, a hybrid mattress should last around eight to 10 years, so a warranty of at least 10 years is an absolute must to ensure the mattress is built to last. A mattress warranty also usually means that manufacturing problems such as sagging, broken coils, and uneven surfaces will be covered.

If your mattress contains high quality durable materials, such as natural latex, it is likely that your mattress can last even longer than a decade, with a well cared-for latex bed having a lifespan of up to 20 years.

4. Individually wrapped coils

As with most beds containing springs, there's always a risk of some motion transfer for restless couples. However, the buoyancy and motion disturbances can be controlled by encasing the coils in fabric, as the coils are not connected. It can also help to further limit disturbances by preventing creakiness and squeaky coils.

Other benefits of encased coils are sagging prevention, body-contouring comfort and extra support. 

Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress layers

(Image credit: Nectar)

5. A sleep trial of at least 100 nights

An at-home mattress trial is a must if you're planning to invest in a hybrid mattress, which don't come cheap. A sleep trial allows you to literally sleep on your decision, meaning you can use the mattress for months (sometimes even up to a whole year) to see if it really is the right bed for you.

While the minimum amount of time to adjust to a a mattress is around a month (30 days), the average sleep trial is around 100 nights, so anything lower than that won't allow you enough time to both properly test it out and arrange a return if you don't like the feel. 

The 3 best hybrid mattresses to buy

1. The DreamCloud:  $839 $419 at DreamCloud

1. The DreamCloud: from $839 $419 at DreamCloud
The 12" DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress is one of the most affordable luxury mattresses on the market. It has firm support but also provides comfort to a range of sleep styles. In fact, our testers for our DreamCloud Mattress review were impressed with the best-value luxurious feel and found it helped with back and hip pain. The mattress comes with individually wrapped coils and a breathable, soft cashmere cover. A DreamCloud mattress sale that started off as 50% off flash deal has now become permanent, so a queen is now $665. Extras include a 1-year trial, free shipping and returns, and a lifetime warranty. 

2. Avocado Green mattress: $1,399$1,189 at Avocado

2. Avocado Green mattress: from $1,399 $1,189 at Avocado
The 11" Avocado Green is our top entry in our best organic mattress guide. With its organic cotton cover, individually wrapped support coils, and certified organic Dunlop latex, this bed scored high in our Avocado Green Mattress review. You can still catch the Avocado mattress sale, which takes its standard 10% off discount to 15% off. Extras include a 25-year warranty, 1-year sleep trial, and free shipping. 

3. Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress: $1,349 $799 at Nectar

3. Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress: from $1,349 $799 at Nectar
Our Nectar Premier Hybrid mattress review found this 13" hybrid to provide excellent motion isolation, supportive yet cushioning feel, and great temperature control. Nectar's now evergreen 40% off sale cuts a queen Premier Hybrid mattress down to $1,099, making it a better-than-Black Friday Nectar mattress sale. That's a great deal for such a high-quality mattress, especially considering that it comes with a lifetime warranty and a 365-night trial.

Frances Daniels
Sleep Staff Writer

Frances Daniels is a PPA-accredited journalist and Sleep Staff Writer at Tom's Guide with an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University. Her role includes covering mattress and sleep news and writing sleep product reviews and buyer's guides, including our Best Hybrid Mattress 2024 guide. She is hugely interested in the relationship between good sleep and overall health, interviewing a wide array of mattress and sleep experts to create well-informed articles about important topics such as nutrition, sleep disorders (from sleep apnea to night terrors), lucid dreaming, sleep hygiene, and mattress care. She is also our specialist on mattress toppers — producing mattress topper reviews and taking care of our Best Mattress Toppers 2024 guide — and takes the lead on all content related to fiberglass-free mattresses for a clean, non-toxic sleep.