Bear and DreamCloud are two of the most popular mattress brands and in this comparison guide we’ll be pitting each of their flagship hybrid designs against each other - the Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud hybrid mattress. We'll compare both beds in terms of price, design, comfort, and more, so you can decide which is the right one for your sleep needs.
The DreamCloud hybrid mattress features highly in our best mattress round-up, due to its impressive build quality and comfort levels for an extremely reasonable price. It’s made from a combination of coils and foams, as is the Bear Elite Hybrid. But that’s where the similarities end as, beneath the covers, these are quite different mattresses.
With the Memorial Day mattress sales already in full swing, now is a great time to pick up one of these beds at a fraction of their MSRP. But there’s a big price difference between the two – at full MSRP the DreamCloud is almost $1,000 cheaper than the Bear. So, the real questions have to be what are you getting for your money, and is the Bear worth the price hike? Let's find out in our Bear vs DreamCloud mattress comparison.
Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud hybrid mattress: At a glance
- The Bear Elite Hybrid is designed specifically for active lifestyles
- The DreamCloud hybrid is suited to all sleeping styles
- The DreamCloud hybrid is considerably cheaper than the Bear Elite Hybrid
Bear mattresses are part of the Brooklyn Bedding mattress family, specializing in beds designed for active lifestyles and athletes. Add in the optional Celliant infused cover and you’ll get the benefits of these fibers while you sleep. These minerals are crushed into the cover of the Bear Elite Hybrid to make it infrared responsive. What does this mean in layman’s terms? The idea is that the Celliant boosts circulation and improves cellular oxygenation, which leads to faster physical recovery.
We haven’t reviewed the mattress in full yet, but you can read our hands-on look at the Bear Elite Hybrid after a visit to the Bear sleep factory. It is worth noting that this is a mattress that focuses on performance over looks – that’s not to say that it’s badly made, rather that it doesn’t have the luxurious finishing touches that the DreamCloud and many other popular mattresses in a box come with. The Bear Elite Hybrid is also customizable, coming in soft, medium, and firm options (although customer reviews suggest that there isn’t masses of difference between the three).
What this does mean is that the Bear is suitable for all sleeping styles, with plenty of cushioning around the shoulders for pressure relief and added lumbar support under the hips to keep the spine aligned. It’s also effective at keeping sleepers cool with phase-change material (PCM) in the cover to absorb body heat and memory foam infused with copper, which is known for its cooling properties. It’s not perfect though – edge support isn’t fantastic and heavier bodies are unlikely to find it supportive enough.
The DreamCloud hybrid is one of our top best hybrid mattress choices and, during our DreamCloud mattress review, we rated it highly for its luxurious feel and great value for money. From the cashmere-blend cover downwards, this is a mattress that looks great in any bedroom. Fortunately, the DreamCloud has substance as well as style. Although the brand rate it at 6.5/10, our testers felt that it was much firmer at 8/10. Despite this firmer feel, it’s comfortable for all sleeping styles, with back and stomach sleepers being particularly well supported. Our side sleeper testers took a few days longer to find the mattress comfortable but, once they’d adjusted, felt cushioned and supported around the shoulders and hips.
The DreamCloud is also one of the best mattresses for back pain, with several of our testers noticing a marked improvement in aches and pains while sleeping on it. It’s also our top pick for those sharing a bed with a restless sleeper, as motion isolation is superb. However, as with the Bear, it’s not 100% perfect and in fact has the same drawbacks – heavier sleepers may not find it firm enough and edge support is a little lacking.
Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress: Side by side
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Bear Elite Hybrid | DreamCloud Hybrid |
| Type: | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Layers: | 6 | 5 |
| Firmness (1 - 10): | 5, 6, 7 | 8 |
| Height: | 14" | 14" |
| Trial: | 120 nights | 365 nights |
| Warranty: | Lifetime | Lifetime |
| Price bracket: | $1,893 - $3,920 | $839 - $1,669 |
Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud hybrid mattress: Price & trial
- The Bear is usually discounted by around 30-35%
- DreamCloud’s evergreen 50% off sale is exceptional value
- Both beds have lifetime warranties but DreamCloud’s sleep trial is longer
You can ignore MSRP with the DreamCloud as there’s always a DreamCloud mattress sale on, which takes the mattress down into the mid-range bracket. This makes it an extremely affordable luxury hybrid, with prices being considerably lower than the Bear Elite Hybrid.
DreamCloud’s 50% flash sale appears to have become a permanent fixture, with these incredibly low prices pretty much staying static since Presidents' Day. This discount brings the price of a queen down to $665 from $1,332, which is the cheapest we've ever since this bed listed for. Plus there's also the option to add in a bedding bundle at a highly discounted price. DreamCloud also throws in some generous extras, with a 365-night trial, lifetime warranty, and free shipping and returns. You can also upgrade to white glove delivery from $149.
Regular Bear mattress sales mean that you can pretty much ignore full price on the Bear Elite Hybrid as well. You’ll generally find discounts of 30% or 35% - currently there’s 35% off and you get a free bedding bundle (pillows, a sheet set and a mattress protector) worth $400. This means that a queen mattress is reduced to $1,499. Bear also offer free shipping and returns, along with a lifetime warranty, but the trial period is a slightly disappointing 120 nights. You can also upgrade to white glove delivery from $100.
Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress: Materials & design
- Both mattresses are hybrids
- The Bear Elite Hybrid has three firmness options and is 14” in height
- The DreamCloud has one firmness and is also 14” in height
The Bear Elite starts with a hand quilted cover containing phase-change material (PCM), designed to absorb body heat and regulate temperature. There’s also the option to upgrade to a cover infused with Celliant fibers, with minerals crushed into it to make it infrared responsive. The idea is that the Celliant will boost circulation and improve cellular oxygenation, leading to faster physical recovery – this is why Bear particularly recommend their mattresses to athletes.
The Celliant does mean that the cover isn’t particularly soft, although as this is going to be under a sheet and (as we’d recommend) a mattress protector, it’s not a huge thing to worry about. Up next is a layer of memory foam infused with copper to help with cooling, followed by a transition layer of more memory foam sitting on top of individually pocket coils. All the foams are also CertiPUR-US certified. The mattress is finished with a base of high-density foam.
The DreamCloud follows a slightly more traditional design and starts off with a quilted cashmere cover, which isn’t removable for washing. Again, a mattress protector is a necessity here, although you can spot treat the top cover for stains and spills (our guide on how to clean a mattress will walk you through this).
Underneath is a layer of contouring foam, followed by gel memory foam for pressure relief and a transition layer to pad out the individually wrapped springs. These are designed to provide contouring and cushioning, but without trapping any heat. At the base is another layer of high density foam for stability, with a non-slip cover underneath to keep the mattress in place.
Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud hybrid mattress: Comfort & support
- The Bear Elite Hybrid is available in three firmness options
- The DreamCloud hybrid is a firm mattress, which we rated at 8/10
- The Bear has added lumbar support
The Bear Elite Hybrid is customizable, but customer reviews suggest that there isn’t a lot of difference between the three firmness options, with them all fitting roughly into the medium firmness scale. The quilted top has a cushioned, undulating feel with a slightly firmer layer underneath, meaning that whatever firmness rating you choose, the mattress always has good cushioning around the shoulders when you’re lying on your side.
However, you’ll still get plenty of firm support under the hips if you’re lying on your front or back, making this a great mattress for all sleeping positions. The zoned springs and higher gauge coils in the center third of this mattress help to provide excellent lumbar support, and the Bear does an excellent job of keeping the spine aligned however you’re sleeping.
The mattress provides good pressure relief and the Celliant fibers help to soothe aches and pains more quickly. Some customers do point out that the edge support on the Bear is poor, meaning you might struggle to spread right out to the edges of this mattress without experiencing a little sinkage.
Although the DreamCloud officially rates as a 6.5/10 on the firmness scales, all our testers agreed that it felt more like an 8/10. It does a great job of alleviating back pain, keeping spines aligned and hips in the correct position. The mattress also adapts quickly around the lower lumbar region, offering great support and pressure relief.
Lighter and average weight sleepers may find the mattress a little firm to begin with, but after a few days the ample cushioning around the shoulders and hips will start to soften slightly and contour where needed. This isn’t a mattress you’ll sink into though – rather it will contour gently as you lie on it, rather than sinking into it.
The DreamCloud also has slightly poor edge support, which again could prevent sleepers from spreading out over the full width of the mattress.
Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud hybrid mattress: Sleep positions
- The Bear Elite Hybrid comfortable in all sleep positions
- The DreamCloud hybrid is also comfortable in all sleep positions
- Neither mattress is supportive enough for very heavy bodies
The Bear Elite Hybrid is a customizable mattress which, in theory, means that you should be able to choose the firmness profile that best suits your sleeping style. The mattress comes in three firmness ratings – soft (5/10), medium (6/10) and firm (7/10). However, customer reviews suggest that there’s relatively little difference between the three, with all of them falling into the medium bracket.
Of course, firmness is subjective and whilst the Bear suits all sleeping styles, we’d still recommend choosing the right firmness for your sleeping position – soft for side sleepers (most of the best mattresses for side sleepers have a softer profile), medium for back sleepers and firm for stomach sleepers. We wouldn’t recommend the Bear to heavier sleepers though, as it’s not firm enough to support them.
The DreamCloud Hybrid is officially rated at 6.5/10, but all our testers felt it was much firmer, rating it at 8/10. Despite this firmer feel, the DreamCloud is a great all-rounder, with enough comfort from the top layers of foam to suit all sleeping styles. It’s probably best suited to back sleepers overall and is rated particularly highly for helping to alleviate back pain, keeping the spine perfectly aligned at all times.
Stomach sleepers should also get plenty of support from the mattress, although again we wouldn’t say that it’s firm enough to support heavier bodies. Our side sleeper testers did find that they needed a few days to adjust to the mattress, and for it to soften up a little. Once this happened, they found that the mattress contoured nicely around the pressure points of the hips and shoulders.
Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud hybrid mattress: User reviews
- The Bear Elite Hybrid has an average of 4.2/5
- The DreamCloud hybrid has a rating of 4.6/5
- Both mattresses have mainly positive reviews
The Bear Elite Hybrid has what looks like a 4.2/5 rating – there’s only a graph to go on, so this makes it hard to be exact. In the main, customers love the mattress with many saying that they’re sleeping more soundly and waking up with less stiffness and sore joints (suggesting that the mattress is doing its job of aiding with recovery). You’ll also find lots of praise for the temperature regulation, which isn’t surprising seeing as Bear has put a fair amount of effort into including features to help keep sleepers cool.
As we’ve already mentioned, the consensus seems to be that there isn’t a huge amount of difference between the three different firmness ratings, with most customers describing the mattress as of medium firmness. The biggest recurring complaint is around edge support, which many customers feel is somewhat lacking.
The DreamCloud hybrid has an average rating of 4.6/5, but this rating combines feedback for the hybrid with the upgraded DreamCloud Premier. However, by searching and looking for keywords, it does seem as if most of these reviews are for the DreamCloud hybrid. The brand’s customer support is frequently praised, and customers are positive about the mattress’ blend of softness and firmness, the excellent temperature regulation and the durable feel and build.
Those complaints that there are focus around the mattress being too firm, and of course a mattress won’t suit everyone. Again, there are also some complaints around the edge support, which is lacking in much the same way as with the Bear.
Bear Elite Hybrid vs DreamCloud hybrid mattress: Which should you buy?
Buy the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress if...
✅ You have an active lifestyle: Bear mattresses are specifically designed for athletes and those who want to use their sleep for as much recovery as possible. The Celliant fibers in the cover boost circulation and help cells recover faster as you sleep.
✅ You’re a combination sleeper: With a soft upper level and slightly firmer tier underneath, the Bear is comfy in all positions and is easy to move about on.
✅ You sleep hot: Although it won’t sleep as cool as a specialist cooling mattress, the Bear does an excellent job of keeping sleepers cool with PCM in the cover, copper infused foam and well-spaced coils.
Buy the DreamCloud hybrid mattress if...
✅ You suffer with back pain: The DreamCloud offers fantastic pressure relief and support around the lower lumbar region, with sleepers reporting a real improvement in aches and pains.
✅ You’re on a tighter budget: Although the DreamCloud isn’t a cheap mattress, it’s an absolute bargain for a luxury hybrid once the discounts are applied. And it’s also considerably cheaper than the Bear.
✅ You share your bed with a restless partner: Motion isolation on the DreamCloud is superb and it’s a great option for those with a fidgety partner. You shouldn’t be disturbed by movement or someone getting in and out of bed.
