The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe and Bear Elite Hybrid are both premium hybrid mattresses with a host of benefits from strong support for back pain to advanced cooling for sleepers who run hot. While they share a lot of features, there are things to consider when deciding which one to buy this fall.
Yes, the Bear Elite Hybrid appears as the best luxury cooling mattress in our 2024 best mattress guide for all sleepers and budgets, but the Brooklyn Bedding is a worthy rival at a marginally lower price.
In this Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe vs Bear Elite Hybrid mattress comparison, we'll explore the differences between the two in terms of price, design, temperature regulation, support and comfort, as well as comparing how our professional mattress testers found each of them, to help you decide which one to buy right now. And, with the upcoming Black Friday mattress sales, it's the perfect time to invest.
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe vs Bear Elite Hybrid: Key Differences
Type: Hybrid
Firmness option(s): Soft (2-4), medium (4-6), firm (7-8)
Height: 13"
Sleep trial: 120 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Price: was from $999 now from $749.25 at Brooklyn Bedding
Type: Hybrid
Firmness option(s): Soft (2-4), Medium (6), Firm (7-8)
Height: 14"
Sleep trial: 120 nights
Warranty: Lifetime
Price: was from $1,893 now from $1,326 at Bear
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe vs Bear Elite Hybrid: Price & Trial
- Evergreen sales heavily discount both mattresses, placing them in the upper mid-range bracket after regular sales
- The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe is cheaper than the Bear Elite Hybrid
- Both come with a 120-night sleep trial
As we explain in our Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review, this model is Bear's most expensive mattress. A queen retails at $2,305 at full MSRP. However, it's usually discounted by around 30% thanks to evergreen sales.
The queen size is currently reduced to $1,614, which includes two free Cirrus Cloud Pillows worth $150. While this is a great extra, Bear sometimes ramp up their freebies with a sleep bundle that includes a sheet set and mattress protector too.
Similarly, Brooklyn Bedding holds mattress sales throughout the year, consistently knocking around 30% off the Aurora Luxe. At MSRP the Aurora Luxe is a premium mattress, but with the discount it enters the upper mid-range bracket (when purchased without the pillow top upgrade). You can currently save over $460 on a queen size with the price brought down to $1,398.75 (was $1,865).
Although both mattresses come in three firmness levels, there is no price difference between the different firmness options. Both do, however, have the option to upgrade the mattress top. The Aurora Luxe can be upgraded for $150 to include Brooklyn Bedding's pillow-top layer which maximizes body contouring, pressure relief, comfort and cooling, providing a luxury sleep experience.
With the Bear Elite Hybrid, you can add the brand's scientifically crafted Celliant cover for $140, which offers advanced cooling and sleep recovery (more on this later).
Brooklyn Bedding and Bear also offer great perks. Both brands promise a 120-night sleep trial and free shipping. Bear offers a generous lifetime warranty, while Brooklyn Bedding offers 10 years.
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe vs Bear Elite Hybrid: Materials & Design
- Both are hybrid mattresses with advanced cooling technology
- The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe is 13" tall with the option to add a cloud pillow top
- The Bear Elite Hybrid is 14" tall with the option to add a Celliant cooling cover
We swear by investing in the best hybrid mattresses because the memory foam contours your body with cloud-like comfort, while the coils deliver support for your back and hips. They also have the great airflow for a cool sleep.
The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe and Bear Elite Hybrid are yet more proof why a hybrid bed is the way to go for many different sleepers – hot sleepers and back pain sufferers included.
The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe boasts two layers dedicated to cooling, in addition to a GlacioTex cooling cover. If you opt for the Cloud Pillow-Top upgrade, this encases the foam-stuffed, cushioning pillow top. Otherwise, it sits on top of a layer of CopperFlex foam, which is infused with copper, boosting temperature regulation further, as well as adding antibacterial properties.
The next two layers are responsible for comfort and pressure relief, and they differ depending on your choice of firmness – in a nutshell, the firmer you go the less sinkage there is. Beneath the foams you'll find a layer of eight-inch, individually encased coils.
The Bear Elite Hybrid is a 14" tall, five-layer mattress with two handles on each side for easy maneuvering when setting it up or rotating it. At the base is a high-density support foam layer to maintain the structural integrity of the mattress over time.
Above that is a layer of individually encased coils for airflow, support and motion isolation. The coils along the perimeter are reinforced for edge support, while the center features higher-gauge coils for maximum lumbar support.
The upper foam layers consist of transitional foam for ergonomic support and contouring, and copper-infused memory foam to aid with cooling. However, it's the hand-quilted cover with phase change materials that ramps up the mattress' cooling functionality by removing heat from the surface of the mattress. This is before adding the optional Celliant layer.
- Read more: Bear Elite Hybrid vs Cocoon by Sealy Chill: Which cooling mattress is right for your sleep?
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe vs Bear Elite Hybrid: Support & Comfort
- As hybrids both have strong balance of cushioning and support
- Both mattresses have three different firmness levels to chose from
- The medium firm Bear Elite Hybrid is better suited to stomach and back sleepers rather than side sleepers
As two of the top-rated hybrid mattresses around, the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe and Bear Elite Hybrid offer a strong balance of body contouring and lumbar support to alleviate joint and back pain.
We tested the medium firm Aurora Luxe with the added pillow top for our Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress review and rated it a 5 out of 10 for firmness. We found it has enough sinkage to alleviate pressure points, but enough support to make sure the spine is properly aligned. This combination makes it one of the best mattresses for back pain in our opinion.
Do take your sleeping position into consideration when selecting your firmness though. While the medium firm model is best suited to side sleepers, back and stomach sleepers would benefit from a firmer sleep surface to avoid lumbar sinkage.
We also tested the medium firm Bear Elite Hybrid, which we rated 6 out of 10 for firmness, in line with the brand's rating. The zoned coils in this mattress offer good support for the lumbar spine, while the quilted top cushions pressure points.
Our reviewer found it most comfortable when sleeping on their back and stomach, but said the mattress didn't sink as much as they'd liked in a side sleeping position. Therefore, those who exclusively sleep on their sides might want to go for the soft Bear Elite Hybrid as it'll have more give.
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe vs Bear Elite Hybrid: Temperature control
- Both hybrid mattresses have advanced cooling features
- The Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe is our #2 best cooling mattress
- The Bear Elite Hybrid offers a Celliant infused cooling cover
Hybrid mattresses always tend to sleep cooler than all-foam models, but the Aurora Luxe and Bear Elite Hybrid take their cooling game a step further, both delivering some of the strongest cooling power in the mattress market.
With cooling gel, graphite, copper and Celliant, science and thoughtful design meet in the Bear Elite Hybrid. This is especially down to the optional Celliant Infused cover with specialized sleep recovery technology.
Celliant is a synthetic fiber that converts body heat into infrared energy, which is then reflected back into the body. This helps improve thermoregulation while you sleep, aiding a more restful sleep and promoting faster muscle recovery, which in turn improves overall well-being. It also wicks away moisture and dries fabrics quickly, which equals a more comfortable sleep for hot sleepers.
How does the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe compare? As our #2 best cooling mattress, the Aurora Luxe features a GlacioTex cooling cover made of cold-to-touch fibers that remove excess heat from the mattress' surface.
During testing, our reviewers found this cover to be slightly slippery, however they commended it's cooling capability. Underneath that, there's 'dynamic cooling' foam designed to absorb excess body heat and release it back when the sleeper is in need of a warm boost and a spring layer to increase breathability.
All in all, both mattresses are great choices for year-round hot sleepers. But with half a star on the Aurora Luxe in terms of temperature regulation, we'd recommend the Bear Elite Hybrid + the Celliant cover for those looking for particularly outstanding cooling qualities (our testers rated the Aurora Luxe 4 out of 5 and the Bear Elite Hybrid 4.5 out of 5 for temperature regulation).
Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe vs Bear Elite Hybrid: which should you buy?
Buy the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe if...
✅You're on a tighter budget: After sales, the Aurora Luxe is over $200 cheaper than the Bear Elite Hybrid in a queen size, without sacrificing quality.
✅You're a side sleeper: The Aurora Luxe offers outstanding body contouring and pressure relief especially when the pillow-top upgrade is added. Our reviewer found the Bear Elite Hybrid didn't have enough give for a comfortable sleep on their side.
✅You want a twin mattress: The Aurora Luxe is almost $600 cheaper than the Bear Elite Hybrid in a twin size right now, so it's worth snapping up for a spare or child's room.
Buy the Bear Elite Hybrid if...
✅You have a restless partner: The Bear Elite Hybrid has much stronger motion isolation than the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe. Our testers rated the Bear 4.5 out of 5 in motion transfer and the Aurora Luxe only 2 out of 5.
✅You have an active lifestyle: Those with athletic hobbies would benefit from the active recovery component of the Celliant cover.
✅You want free sleep accessories: The Bear Elite Hybrid currently comes with two free pillows worth $150, while there's no sleep accessories included with the Aurora Luxe.
