DreamCloud vs Birch Natural: Which hybrid mattress is right for your sleep?

The image shows the DreamCloud hybrid on the left hand side of the image and the Birch Natural Mattress on the right in a side by side comparison
(Image credit: DreamcLoud/Birch)

Your mattress is one of the most important purchases you’ll make, so you will want to make sure that you choose the right one for your sleeping needs. DreamCloud and Birch are two popular brands making high-quality mattresses, but which of their flagship offerings are right for you?

The DreamCloud ranks highly in our guide to the best mattresses of the year for all sleepers and budgets, with a soothing blend of comfort and support for most sleepers. But the Birch Natural was also a big hit with our review team with its eco-friendly credentials and ability to keep sleepers cool and comfortable at night.

In this DreamCloud vs Birch Natural comparison, we’ll look at both mattresses in more detail to help you decide which to invest in. Read on to discover which mattress is right for you…

DreamCloud vs Birch Natural Mattress: Price & Trial

  • The DreamCloud is never sold at full MSRP, with discounts of around 50%
  • Likewise, the Birch Natural always has discounts of around 20%
  • DreamCloud’s benefits are better, with a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty

You can ignore MSRP with the DreamCloud mattress – it hasn’t been sold at full price since it launched onto the market. DreamCloud mattress deals offer evergreen discounts that take a queen size mattress down to $665 (MSRP $1,613), with the option to add in a heavily discounted bedding bundle (consisting of pillows, sheet set and mattress protector). DreamCloud benefits are also incredibly generous – you’ll get a full year’s trial period to try out the mattress, along with a lifetime warranty and free shipping.

As with the DreamCloud, the Birch Natural has an evergreen mattress sale. Currently you’ll get 20% off all sizes of the mattress, which means you can pick up a queen size mattress for $1,499 (MSRP $1,873.75). You’ll also get two free eco-rest pillows when you buy the mattress. This is a great price for one of the best organic mattresses we’ve tested, but it is obviously more expensive than the DreamCloud.

That’s not unusual for an organic bed though as you’ll always pay more for these mattresses due to the more expensive materials used. Extras wise, the Birch is a little disappointing, with only a 100-night trial. You will get 25 years warranty along with free shipping though.

DreamCloud Mattress: from $1,130 $419 at DreamCloud

DreamCloud Mattress: from $1,130 $419 at DreamCloud
Always discounted, you'll never pay full MSRP for the DreamCloud Hybrid. Currently a queen size mattress is reduced to $665, which is an excellent price for a mattress that offers a high-quality, comfortable sleep. Extras are also superior, with a 365-night trial, lifetime warranty and free shipping.

Birch Natural Mattress: from $1,373.75 $1,099 at Birch by Helix

Birch Natural Mattress: from $1,373.75 $1,099 at Birch by Helix
Organic mattresses are usually expensive, but with its evergreen discount the Birch Natural is in the upper mid-range price bracket, which is great value for a natural mattress. A queen size is reduced to $1,499 and you’ll also get two free pillows, along with a 100-night trial, 25 year warranty and free shipping.

DreamCloud vs Birch Natural Mattress: Materials & Design

  • Both mattresses are hybrids, made of coils and springs
  • The DreamCloud is 12” high with six layers and a top and bottom cover
  • The Birch Natural is 11” high and has five layers with a top cover

The DreamCloud starts off with a quilted cashmere cover, which is designed to wick away moisture and provide a soft to the touch feel. There’s also a layer of gel memory foam quilted into the cover for a responsive contouring feel. Do make sure you invest in one of the best mattress protectors to keep the DreamCloud in top condition as its cover isn’t washable.

Underneath this cover is a layer of quilted supportive foam, followed by gel memory foam for pressure relief and a transition layer to pad out the individually wrapped springs. At the base is another layer of high density foam for stability, with a non-slip cover underneath to keep the mattress in place.

DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress

(Image credit: DreamCloud)

The Birch Natural starts with an organic cotton blend cover with a tight top finish. Underneath is a double layer of natural wool that provides cushioning and natural fire protection. These sit on top of a layer of natural eco-INSTITUT certified Talalay latex for pressure relief. Individually wrapped coils offer stability and the mattress is finished with a base layer of wool for durability.

DreamCloud vs Birch Natural Mattress: Comfort & Support

  • We rate the DreamCloud mattress at 8/10 (whereas DreamCloud rate it at 6.5/10)
  • The Birch Natural is a medium firm mattress, rated at 6-7/10
  • Both mattresses have good contouring, but you won’t sink right in

Although the DreamCloud officially rates as a 6.5/10 on the firmness scales, all our testers in our DreamCloud mattress review agreed that it felt more like an 8/10. It does a great job of alleviating back pain, rating highly in our best mattresses for back pain round up, and is firm enough to support both back and stomach sleepers, keeping their spines aligned and hips in the correct position.

The mattress also adapts quickly around the lower lumbar region, offering great support and pressure relief. Side 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. Some lightweight side sleepers may find it a little too firm though, particularly if they’re looking for a bed that they sink into. Despite this, we rate it as one of the best hybrid mattresses you can buy.

Birch Natural mattress

(Image credit: Birch)

The Birch Natural mattress is ever so slightly softer at between 6-7/10, with our testers in our Birch Natural mattress review finding that it suited a lot of sleeping styles. The mattress uses wool and latex, giving it a slightly tauter and bouncier sleep surface. You will get contouring around your pressure points, but you’ll lie on top of the mattress rather than sinking in.

Pressure relief is excellent, and the mattress is particularly suited to combination sleepers, who should find it easy to change position in. As one of the best medium firm mattresses, the Birch is particularly suited to back and stomach sleepers, who should find their spines are kept aligned. Side sleepers might find the Birch a little firm.

DreamCloud vs Birch Natural Mattress: Temperature Regulation

  • The DreamCloud has a breathable cover, gel memory foam and coils to promote air flow.
  • The Birch Natural uses naturally breathable cotton, latex and wool
  • Both mattresses did a good job of keeping sleepers cool

The DreamCloud mattress scored highly when it came to temperature regulation, with even our hottest sleepers finding it surprisingly good at keeping them cool at night. There is some cooling tech in the DreamCloud in the form of a gel-infused layer designed to help dissipate body heat, along with a breathable cashmere cover and well-spaced coils to promote airflow.

However, the Birch Natural is even more impressive when it comes to keeping sleepers cool. It’s one of the best cooling mattresses you’ll find in the organic category, thanks to its natural and breathable materials. A cotton cover is breathable, while organic wool helps to wick away moisture. Talalay latex offers extra ventilation and the coils help to promote airflow.

DreamCloud vs Birch Natural Mattress: Which should you buy?

Buy the DreamCloud 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 of a heavier build: The firmer support of the DreamCloud means that heavier sleepers should still feel supported by the mattress, with no danger of sinking through the foams and sleeping on the coils.

You’re on a tighter budget: We think the DreamCloud is an absolute bargain for the comfort and support it gives, and it is considerably cheaper than the Birch.

Buy the Birch Natural if…

You want an eco-friendly mattress: The Birch Natural uses organic materials and is GOTS and GREENGUARD GOLD Certified.

You’re a combination sleeper: The bouncier feel of latex means this mattress is a great choice for combination sleepers, who will be able to adjust position easily throughout the night.

You sleep hot: Both mattresses do a good job of regulating temperature but the Birch Natural just edges this with its breathable materials.

Jo Plumridge
Mattress tester and sleep writer

Jo Plumridge is an experienced mattress reviewer with several years' experience covering all things mattresses and sleep, and who tests memory foam, hybrid and organic mattresses. What Jo doesn't know about a boxed mattress isn't worth knowing, so naturally we tasked her with producing a series of features for Tom's Guide looking at all aspects of mattresses, from how to pick between latex and memory foam (it's a tricky one), to the seven mistakes people make when buying a mattress for the first time. When testing the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid for Tom's Guide, Jo said: "I loved the back support and pressure relief it offered. Plus, it looks far more expensive than it is." When she isn’t writing about sleep, Jo also writes extensively on interior design, home products and photography.