From the flagship Classic to the sumptuous Luxe, our experienced sleep team has got hands-on across the Nectar mattress line-up.
In our best mattress 2025 guide you'll find our top picks of all the mattresses we've tested — and yes, the Nectar Classic has earned a place. Here, we're focusing on the Nectar suite of mattresses, to help you find the right choice from this popular bed-in-a-box brand.
The Nectar mattress range consists of four core models — Classic, Premier, Luxe and Ultra — available in an all-foam or hybrid design. Every model builds on it's predecessor (literally) adding an inch to enhance luxury and comfort.
An evergreen Nectar mattress sale means it's always a good time to shop, so you don't have to wait for next month's Memorial Day mattress sales. Below, we'll dive into the ins and outs of the best Nectar mattresses but there's one thing they all have in common: a full year's trial and a lifetime warranty.
The best Nectar mattress overall
Nectar's flagship Classic mattress is an all-foam design that boasts a traditional memory foam feel — and we think it's one of the best mattresses in a box you can buy.
The Classic Memory Foam Mattress has a slight 'hug' feel, cushioning the joints to alleviate pressure. However, it doesn't have the sagging sink-in effect that can plague cheaper all-foam beds. The medium-firm feel provides ample support for both back and stomach sleepers.
Side sleepers might find it takes a few nights to 'break-in' the Classic. If you want a bed with ample padding, consider upgrading to the Luxe.
But this versatile feel makes it a good choice for couples, even those with opposing sleep needs. As does its ability to absorb motion. If your partner has a restless night, you won't feel them move.
Memory foam has a reputation for sleeping hot but our testers found that wasn't an issue with the Classic. It's breathable, if not actively cooling. Upgrade to the hybrid for a cooler design.
Proving simplicity can be a good thing in a mattress, the Classic Memory Foam has a basic three-layer build. The upper layer of contouring memory foam gives way to the responsive transition foam, before a durable base foam finishes it off.
It's the same design you'll see in many of the best memory foam mattresses we've tested — but we think the Nectar Classic does it best. And with a queen $649 in the evergreen sale, it's exceptional value for money.
- Read more: Nectar Memory Foam mattress review
The best Nectar mattress for back pain
The Nectar Premier range is a step up from the comfort of the entry-level Classic, with a taller build to enhance pressure relief and added cooling fibers to improve temperature regulation.
We've tested both the hybrid and all-foam version (find out what we think about the latter in our Nectar Premier memory foam mattress review.) The hybrid version pairs two layers of memory foam with an innerspring base.
The addition of the coils brings some extra support to the Premier Hybrid — our testing team loved how the springs held the spine straight to prevent back pain. It's common for the best hybrid mattresses to have better support than their all-foam counterparts and that's certainly true here.
One weak area, and we mean that literally, is the edge support. Our testing panel found that when sitting on the side, the mattress sank beneath them. This makes it harder to push off the bed in the morning.
We also found the Premier too soft for most stomach sleepers; our testers felt their hips sank uncomfortably. The best mattresses for stomach sleepers have a firmer feel — the DreamCloud Hybrid mattress (from the same parent brand as Nectar) is a good example.
Since our testing the Premier Hybrid has undergone a slight redesign, switching three cushioning memory foam layers for two thicker ones. We predict this will have made a minimal change to the feel, but we will be reviewing the redesign soon.
- Read more: Nectar Premier Hybrid mattress review
3. Best for side sleepers
The best mattresses for side sleepers cushion the pressure points; that's the shoulders, hips and knees (essentially, the places where you press into the mattress.)
Tall and packed with dense layers of comfort foam, the all-foam Nectar Luxe mattress delivers dreamy, padded pressure relief. Our testers described it as "indulgent" with a medium feel that will suit most sleep styles — and side sleepers most of all.
Stomach sleepers are likely to find it too soft (upgrading to the hybrid model might help, but we suspect it won't have a particularly firm feel either way), but back sleepers who prefer a cradling feel will appreciate how the support foams keep the spine balanced.
The motion isolation is excellent — we couldn't find fault and our lead tester regularly slept through her husband getting in and out of bed. The edge support is also pretty good, but we did feel it trapped heat. Avoid this one if you sleep hot.
Our testers noted that while the "outstanding pressure relief" is comparable to the best luxury mattresses, the price tag fits into the upper mid-range bracket. It's not cheap, but with a consistent sale price of $1,249 for a queen, we think it's worth the splurge.
- Read more: Nectar Luxe Memory Foam mattress review
4. Best luxury Nectar mattress
Our full review is incoming, but we've had a chance to get hands-on with the Nectar Ultra Hybrid and found this mattress to be indulgent and luxurious.
The thick cushioning allows you to sink into the bed, providing the 'ahh' feel we expect from a traditional memory foam mattress. It hugs the body, particularly the joints, alleviating pressure where you needs it most. Side sleepers, you're unlikely to worry about numb arms and dead hips on the Ultra.
There are some downsides. For a start, at 15 inches high, anyone on the shorter side of average might find it a bit of a leap to get into bed.
We use a 55lb kettlebell to objectively test pressure relief — it's part of our mattress review methodology. On the Ultra Hybrid, it sank so far into the bed only the handles were visible.
This excess sink means front and back sleepers are likely to find their hips dip too far into the surface, resulting in back ache.
We also struggled to balance the kettlebell on the sides to test edge support. Our testers found while it was comfortable to sleep close to the edges, sitting on the side resulted in a lot of sinking.
But while these are disadvantages, the Ultra's intense pressure relief makes up for a lot of flaws (particularly if you're a side sleeper.) This is the top of the line Nectar mattress, with a sale price of $1,999.
Nectar mattress FAQ
When is the best time to buy a Nectar mattress?
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Traditional wisdom argues that the best time to buy a mattress is over the peak sales events, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Memorial Day.
However, the Nectar mattress sales are evergreen, which means it's always a good time to buy. We rarely see the sale price change, even during the major deal days.
Nectar doesn't offer an MSRP; it issues a 'total value'. To be candid, you can go ahead and ignore that. These mattresses are never sold for their 'total value', with the sale regularly knocking off sometimes more than half the cost.
There are the occasional Nectar flash sales. For example, we saw a discount on the Classic Memory Foam in the run up to Black Friday and money off mattresses over $1,000 during Black Friday itself. But these deals are hard to predict and if you wait around for them, you're likely to end up disappointed.
Do Nectar mattresses have fiberglass?
Fiberglass is a cheap and effective flame retardant that has a long history of use in mattresses. Unfortunately, if fiberglass leaks from the mattress it can cause respiratory issues and skin irritation.
We contact Resident Home, Nectar's parent company, to confirm that Nectar mattresses do not contain fiberglass. The spokesperson said the following:
"Like virtually every other major mattress manufacturer, Nectar did previously utilize fiberglass as a fire retardant because of its exceptional resistance to flames. Starting in 2022, Nectar transitioned away from utilizing fiberglass in favor of Rayon.
At the SKU level it would be difficult to identify the precise date that manufacturing shifted to Rayon, though we can confidently say that from at least 2023 forward all newly manufactured Nectar mattresses do not include fiberglass. We understand that is around the same time that other manufacturers also started moving away from fiberglass."
What that means for you is that if you purchase any mattress direct from Nectar, or any of the models launched in the 2024 redesign, they will be fiberglass free.
However, if you opt for an older, discounted Nectar mattress from a third-party retailer, there's a small chance it will contain fiberglass.
How to return a Nectar mattress in a box
Nectar Sleep offers one of the longest mattress trials in the industry at 365 nights, as does its sister brands Awara and DreamCloud, plus luxury mattress brands including Saatva and Avocado Mattress.
There are free returns on any Nectar mattress (unopened and opened boxed mattresses) as long as the bed is returned within the trial period and you meet the following criteria:
- Unopened mattresses cannot be returned no earlier than 30 days after delivery.
- Opened Nectar mattresses must be returned no later than 365 days after delivery.
- The mattress must be in a condition where Nectar Sleep can donate it, with normal wear and tear only (Nectar Sleep decides what is normal wear and tear).
- The mattress must be used on an appropriate base, frame, or foundation.
- Mold growth due to misuse of the mattress may void the return.
- Mattresses unopened within 90 days of delivery are considered 'misused' and are not covered by the warranty or eligible for return.
- Returns need to be processed via the Nectar Customer Care team.
If you open a Nectar mattress and decide to sleep on it, we strongly advise covering in it the best mattress protector you can to safeguard it from spills and stains. That way, if you do decide to return your Nectar mattress in a box it will be in a condition that (hopefully) Nectar Sleep deems good enough for donation.
Unbox your mattress as soon as you receive it too – don't let it sit in the box otherwise it may not expand to shape and the materials may be damaged and not reach their full potential.
Where to buy a Nectar mattress
Nectar is primarily an online mattress in a box brand and the best place to buy a Nectar mattress is direct from the brand itself. Here you have access to the full line-up of Nectar beds and accessories, plus, with the 365-night mattress trial, you have plenty of time to test your purchase at home.
Nectar mattresses are also sold via third-party retailers, such as Amazon. The prices here typically mirror the Nectar discounts but you can sometimes spot rock-bottom deals on old season mattresses.
If you want to try before you buy, Nectar mattresses are sold in select stores across the US — you can find the closest to you with the Nectar store locator.
