If you’re ready to invest in a new mattress, it can sometimes feel like a minefield trying to decipher which is the best mattress for your sleeping style. Hybrid mattresses combine coils or springs with foam to offer the perfect blend of comfort and support. They're well suited to all types of sleepers, but back and side sleepers will find them especially comfortable since they offer that sink-in, body-hugging feeling while providing exceptional pressure relief.
Hybrids do cost a little more than their all-foam counterparts, but the good news is that with the forthcoming Memorial Day mattress sales you can bag some big discounts off the MSRPs. As well as walking you through the reasons why you should buy a hybrid mattress and sharing some of their benefits we’ve also put together the best hybrid mattresses on sale today so you could be enjoying a restful nights sleep sooner than you think.
What is a hybrid mattress?
As the name suggests, a hybrid mattress is a combination of memory foam and either coils or springs in one mattress. Hybrids tend to have more foam than coils, but the exact ratio of each depends on the brand you opt for.
Most hybrid mattresses have a base layer of high-density foam for stability, a support core of springs or wrapped coils, a couple more layers of foam (which could be memory foam, latex or gel-infused) and then a breathable cover to keep it all together.
There are also a range of specialty hybrid mattress too, whether that be ones with Euro or pillow tops for that added luxury feel or cooling mattresses which have temperature-regulating materials to help keep those who sleep hot super cool. There are also hybrid mattresses that have zoned coils which offer targeted support for those sleepers who need the best mattress for back pain, neck or joint pain.
Why buy a hybrid mattress? 5 major benefits
1. Hybrids are cooler than all-foam beds
One of the main complaints people make when they sleep on an all-foam bed is that they get too hot. That’s because foam mattresses comprise of layers of dense foam that restrict the airflow. When you lie on a foam mattress the foam contours around your body to offer a snug fit. Whilst this is great for offering pressure relief and support, it also means that your body heat gets trapped and there’s nowhere for it to escape. Even the best memory foam mattresses designed with cooling covers can fall prey to overheating.
By adding coils in to the design, like you’d see in a hybrid mattress, you’re creating open space for air to flow freely. This means any trapped body heat can dissipate away from the body easily and avoid getting trapped within the materials. Hybrid mattresses also have other cooling technologies such as gel-infused layers and breathable covers which enhances airflow and promotes a cooler sleeping environment.
2. Superb balance of support vs comfort
When it comes to choosing the right mattress for you then you need to think about how you sleep and where you need the most support. Memory foam mattresses are tend to be softer and are designed to hug your body so they’re better suited for side sleepers who need extra pressure relief and support on their joints.
Spring mattresses are a good choice for back, stomach and combination sleepers as they offer the best spinal alignment and it’s easier to move around. So put those together and the hybrid is a great all-round mattress that suits all type of sleeper.
Hybrid beds offer the contouring of a memory foam mattress, whilst the springs give that extra bit of bounce that makes it easier to move around as well as supporting joints and helping to maintain proper spinal alignment.
3. Hybrids are easier to move around on
We’ve briefly covered this but hybrid mattresses are great for those who like or need to move around a lot at night. The inclusion of coils or springs within a hybrid mattress makes the mattress more responsive and adds a bit of bounce so you can change positions or move across the mattress surface with ease.
One of the big problems with foam mattresses is that they pull the body in and create a sink-in feeling which makes it hard to roll over or get up from. The use of coils also helps to distribute body weight more evenly across the mattress surface so you feel like you’re lying on top of the mattress instead of being pulled in.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t still get cozy comfort from a hybrid mattress, the majority of hybrid mattresses feature a transition layer of foam above the coil base, which gives the same level of contouring comfort without sacrificing the responsiveness. It’s also good news for heavier sleepers who don’t want to feel stuck within their mattress but still want the softness that comes with memory foam.
4. They offer strong edge support
If you tend to gravitate towards the edge of the bed whilst you sleep or you’re a fan of sitting on the edge of your bed and relaxing, then you’ll love the edge support that comes with hybrid mattresses. We have reviewed a wide range of hybrid mattresses at Tom’s Guide and one thing they all have in common is strong edge support.
When you sit or lie on the edge of an all-foam mattress, your weight causes the foam layers to compress together which then tilts it forward meaning you’re at risk of falling out of bed. However, with a hybrid mattress, the coils usually go around the perimeter of the mattress therefore extending the mattress edge.
The coils within a hybrid mattress are strong and supportive enough to hold your weight and combined with the stability of the supportive for layer, it means the mattress won’t dip on the sides, therefore it feels more stable and is a lot safer if you like to sit or sleep close to the edge.
5. Hybrid mattresses are durable
Mattresses are not cheap so when you invest in one, you want it to last as long as possible. Now, a lot of mattress companies offer a minimum of 10 year warranty but the lifespan of a mattress is around seven to ten years.
But with a hybrid mattress, it’s more likely that you’ll reach that 10 year anniversary before you start to experience signs of wear and tear. Hybrid mattresses tend to be more durable than just regular foam mattresses as the coils will stop the foam layers from breaking down so quickly.
The coils themselves are often constructed of tempered steel so can stand up to years of use and they’re also able to take a heavier weight than just foam alone.
Convinced? We've rounded up our favorite hybrid mattresses below, or you can learn more with our guide to 'what to expect when switching from a memory foam to a hybrid mattress'.
The ttop 3 hybrid mattresses to buy in today’s sales
