Bear Star Hybrid vs. Elite Hybrid

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In This Comparison
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials

Here at NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 8 different factors that impact the comfort, feel, and value of the mattress. Testing categories include:

Factor	Bear Elite Hybrid	Bear Hybrid
Cooling	10	9.5
Motion Transfer	10	9.6
Response	10	10
Edge Support	9.1	9.5
Sex	9.8	9.8
Pressure Relief	9.5	9.5
Off-Gassing	9.8	9.6
Company	9.8	9.8

The table below shows the data we generated to determine these scores.

Factor	Bear Elite Hybrid	Bear Hybrid
Overall	9.74	9.65
Max Temp.	88.4° F	88.7° F
Max Sinkage	2.14″	2.19″
Total Motion Transfer	3.74 m/s²	6.58 m/s²
Response Time	0.4 sec.	0.5 sec.
Total Bounce	10.32″	11.38″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage	4.75″	4.00″
Edge Support – Lying Support	Excellent	Excellent
Sex Overall	9.8	9.8
Comfort Material	5.00″	4.00″
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Moderate
Off-Gassing – Days	3 days	5 days
Trial	120 days	120 days
Warranty	Lifetime years	Lifetime years

Bear Star Hybrid vs. Bear Star Hybrid Elite: Which Is the Winner?

The table below shows which of these two mattresses is the winner in each scoring category we test for.

Factor	Winner	Value
Best Overall	Bear Elite Hybrid	9.74
Best Cooling	Bear Elite Hybrid	10
Most Sinkage	Bear Hybrid	2.19″
Least Sinkage	Bear Elite Hybrid	2.14″
Lowest Motion Transfer	Bear Elite Hybrid	3.74 m/s²
Fastest Response Time	Bear Elite Hybrid	0.4 sec
Slowest Response Time	Bear Hybrid	0.5 sec
Most Bounce	Bear Hybrid	11.38″
Least Bounce	Bear Elite Hybrid	10.32″
Best Edge Support	Bear Hybrid	4″ max sinkage
Best for Sex	Bear Elite Hybrid, Bear Hybrid	9.8
Best Pressure Relief	Bear Elite Hybrid, Bear Hybrid	9.5
Least Off-Gassing	Bear Elite Hybrid	Strong, 3 days
Best Company	Bear	Tie

The Bear Star Hybrid won 4 of the categories listed in the table above. The Bear Elite Hybrid won 7 of the tests. Three of the tests were ties (sex performance, pressure relief, and company).

These results make the Bear Elite Hybrid our overall winner.

The sinkage levels on both of these mattresses are effectively identical. Both have just slightly over 2″.

Sinkage Test	Feel	Max Sinkage
Bear Elite Hybrid	Moderate	2.14″
Bear Hybrid	Moderate	2.19″

The average level of sinkage across all mattresses tested to date is 2.2″ so these are just slightly below average.

Images below show the level of sinkage for each mattress.

The Bear Elite Hybrid had half the amount of motion transfer compared to the Bear Star Hybrid.

Motion Transfer Test	Score	Acc. Range
Bear Elite Hybrid	10	3.74 m/s²
Bear Hybrid	9.6	6.58 m/s²

The average amount of motion transfer is 5.83 m/s², which means the Bear Elite Hybrid had less motion transfer than average and the Bear Star Hybrid has slightly more motion transfer than average.

The Bear Elite Hybrid has 75.9% less motion transfer than the Bear Star Hybrid.

The level of motion transfer is documented in the video below. The graphs which follow each video show a quantifiable version of motion transfer based on accelerometer data.

Bear Star Hybrid Motion Transfer

You can see here how the motion is basically done by 0.72 seconds on the Bear Star Hybrid—great results.

Bear Elite Hybrid Motion Transfer

On the Elite Hybrid, the same ball drop created fewer motion transfer peaks (see initial jump) and that motion took about 0.66 seconds to be fully absorbed.

Both of these Bear Star Hybrids had fast response times, thanks in part to the use of poly foam and pocketed coils.

Response Test	Score	Mostly Recovered	Completely Recovered
Bear Elite Hybrid	10	0.4 seconds	1.7 seconds
Bear Hybrid	10	0.5 seconds	1.5 seconds

The average response time across all mattresses that we’ve tested to date is 0.56 seconds to be mostly recovered and 0.94 seconds to be fully recovered.

This puts the Bear mattresses right on par with the average for the most part, with complete recovery taking just a bit longer than average.

You can see these material responses in real-time in the video below.

Bear Star Hybrid Response Test

Bear Elite Hybrid Response Test

The Bear Star Hybrid and Bear Elite Hybrid both have high levels of bounce.

Bounce Test	Amount of Bounce	Bounce Range
Bear Elite Hybrid	High	10.32″
Bear Hybrid	High	11.38″

The average amount of bounce across all mattresses tested to date is 9.35″, which means that the Bear Star Hybrid and Bear Elite Hybrid are both bouncier than average.

These are not uncommon levels of bounce for hybrids, as hybrids will almost always have more bounce than 100% foam-based mattresses.

Bounce on both the Bear Elite Hybrid and Hybrid is high enough to make the mattress easier to move around on, give it a traditional feel, and improve it for sex.

Bounce levels can also be viewed in real-time via the short video clips below.

Bear Star Hybrid Bounce Test

Bear Elite Hybrid Bounce Test

Edge support on the Bear mattresses is a bit of a mixed bag. When considering edge support, we’re looking at two factors—sitting edge support and lying edge support.

Edge Support Test	Score	Max Sinkage	Lying Support
Bear Elite Hybrid	9.1	4.75″	Excellent
Bear Hybrid	9.5	4.00″	Excellent

Lying edge support is excellent, but sitting edge support could be better.

The average level of sinkage (when sitting right at the edge of the mattress) is 4.67″. The Bear Star Hybrid is technically better than average, but the Bear Elite really has some notable edge sinkage.

Ideally, I would like to see closer to 3.5″ of edge sinkage or less, but that’s not always possible with thick layers of top comfort materials.

Here’s a look at our sex formula:

Sex Score Formula = (Bounce * 0.5) + (Edge Support * 0.2) + (Noise * 0.2) + (Sinkage * 0.05) + (Cooling * 0.05)

We use the following scores, plugged into the formula, to derive a sex score for each mattress.

Sex Test	Sex Score	Bounce	Edge Support	Noise	Pressure Relief	Cooling
Bear Elite Hybrid	9.8	10	9.1	10	9.5	10
Bear Hybrid	9.8	10	9.5	9.0	9.5	9.5

From the table above, you can see that the Bear Star Hybrid and Bear Elite Hybrid both have good sex scores of 9.8. They have high levels of bounce, good (but not great) edge support, are generally quiet, have great pressure relief, and cool while sleeping.

The Bear Star Hybrid has the advantage of slightly better edge support. But the Elite Hybrid is quieter and had better cooling performance thanks to the extra plush 2″ quilted, phase change cover.

Pressure relief is excellent on both Bear mattresses. They both have a thick comfort layer and sufficient support layer.

Pressure Relief Test	Score	Comfort Layer	Support Layer
Bear Elite Hybrid	9.5	5.0″	9.0″
Bear Hybrid	9.5	4.0″	9.0″

Technically the Bear Elite Hybrid has the superior comfort layer (5″ vs. 4″), but both are extremely comfortable and relieve pressure when sitting or lying down.

Heavier weight sleepers may notice a more significant difference in terms of pressure relief, where that extra inch of comfort material would have a more noted impact.

However, lighter and moderate-weight sleepers are less likely to feel that difference.

Off-gassing wasn’t a huge issue for either of these mattresses. As is the case with most mattresses, the off-gassing phase is a short window of time where the mattress adjusts to its current environment, and gasses (trapped when shipping) are dissipated.

Off-Gassing Test	Score	Initial Smell	Off-Gassing Period
Bear Elite Hybrid	9.8	Strong	3 days
Bear Hybrid	9.6	Moderate	5 days

Right out of the box, the Elite Hybrid had a stronger smell and took 3 days to off-gas. The Bear Star Hybrid had a milder smell out of the box, but the smell that it did have took 5 days to off-gas.

The company analysis for both of these mattresses is the same because they are made by the same company, Bear.

Company	Bear
Trial Period	120 nights
Warranty	Lifetime years
Shipping	Free shipping
Returns	Free returns
Country of Origin	USA

They both have a long 120-night trial period, a lifetime warranty, and free shipping or returns.

The Bear Star Hybrid is only available in one firmness level while the Bear Elite Hybrid offers three firmness levels.

Bear Star Hybrid

The Bear Star Hybrid comes in one firmness—a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale. This is a firmness with a pretty wide appeal that suits a lot of sleepers.

As with most generalities, there are always some exceptions. If you are a lightweight and/or a moderate-weight side sleeper you may prefer a softer mattress. Or if you are a heavier stomach or back sleeper, you may want a firmer mattress.

Bear Elite Hybrid

That’s where the Bear Elite Hybrid comes in. This mattress comes in three firmnesses—a 4.5 out of 10, a 6 out of 10, and a 7.5 out of 10.

This mattress takes a win here and encompasses a wider range of firmness.

If you’re not sure which firmness is best for you, check the tables below. To use these tables, find your body weight and preferred sleeping position.

As you can see, not all firmnesses are suitable for all sleepers. It’s important to know your ideal firmness prior to purchasing a new mattress.

Bear Elite Hybrid (Luxury Soft)

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleeper	Side Sleeper	Back Sleeper
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-225 lbs.	Maybe	Yes	Maybe
225-300 lbs.	No	Maybe	No

Bear Star Hybrid or Bear Elite Hybrid (Luxury Firm)

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes

Bear Elite Hybrid (Firm)

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Maybe	No	Maybe
150-250 lbs.	Maybe	No	Maybe
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Maybe	Yes

Design

Because both of these mattresses are manufactured by the same company, Bear, they have a similar design, look, and feel to them.

Design	Type	Thickness	Quilted Cover
Bear Elite Hybrid	Hybrid	14″	Yes
Bear Hybrid	Hybrid	13″	Yes

These are both hybrid mattresses with quilted covers, high-profile looks, and similar materials on the inside too.

Materials

On the inside, both of these Bears have a quilted cover, two layers of comfort foam, one layer of support coils, and a final base layer of high-density foam.

The biggest difference in the makeup of these two mattresses is essentially the cover.

On the Bear Star Hybrid, there is a 1.0″ quilted cover, and the Elite Hybrid has a cover that is twice as thick—a full 2.0″ thick quilted cover. Also, the Elite uses a phase change material in the cover, which helps it to remain cool.

Which Mattress Should You Buy?

As you can see in the tests and analysis above, even though the quilted cover is the biggest difference between these two mattresses, this factor alone has a decent impact on performance, across the board.

Should You Buy the Bear Star Hybrid?

I would recommend the Bear Star Hybrid if you’re looking for:

• Lower Price Point. While the Elite Hybrid does outperform the Hybrid in many categories, the difference isn’t massive. If you want to save some cash and still have a great mattress, the Bear Star Hybrid is an excellent pick.
• Thinner Profile. If you specifically do not want a mattress with a 14″ profile, stick with the Hybrid which only has a 13″ profile.
• Better Edge Support. Because of the thinner cover, the Hybrid also has better edge support over the Elite (0.75″ less sinkage when sitting directly at the edge).

Click here to learn more or to check the price of the Bear Star Hybrid mattress.

Should You Buy the Bear Elite Hybrid?

I would recommend the Bear Elite Hybrid if you’re looking for:

• Better Overall Performance. The Bear Elite Hybrid was simply as good or better than the original Bear Star Hybrid in more categories. Most notably, it sleepers cooler and it has significantly less motion transfer. If cooling or motion transfer are important to you then the Elite Hybrid is the clear choice.
• Thicker Cover. If you’re looking for a thicker cover, the Elite is a nice splurge. It has a 2″ thick plush cover, which has a deeper level of contour, especially for side sleepers.
• Phase Change Material. The cover also infuses phase change material, which helps to limit heat retention.
• Thicker Profile. The Elite Hybrid is 14″ tall, unlike the original Bear Star Hybrid which is only 13″ tall.

Click here to learn more or to check the price of the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress.

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