Bear Original Mattress Review

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In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and value of the mattress. Testing categories include:

Test	Rating
Cooling	Fair
Sinkage	Very Minimal
Motion Transfer	High
Response Time	Extremely Fast
Bounce	Moderate
Edge Support	Exceptional
Sex	Excellent
Pressure Relief	Good
Off-Gassing	Very Good
Company	Excellent

How is Bear Original Different?

The Bear Original is designed as a very budget-friendly mattress, but it sacrifices quite a bit in terms of performance to hit that bottom dollar.

Compared to the average score (comparing over 165 mattresses tested to date), the Bear Original is nearly 0.5 of a point below average. While this may not sound like a big difference, this score puts the Bear Original in the bottom 4% of all mattresses tested to date.

Cooling performance, motion transfer, and the off-gassing duration were all worse than average. The trial for this mattress is also 45 days shorter than average.

Despite the disadvantages, I will say that edge support was better than average and response time was slightly faster as well.

Considering preferential factors, the Bear Original has less isinkage than average as well as less bounce than average.

Factor	Bear Original	Average
Overall	9.03	9.52
Price	$699	$1,102 (Foam only)
Cooling	8.0	9.4
Max Sinkage	1.60″	2.18″
Total Motion Transfer	12.42 m/s²	8.16 m/s²
Response Time	0.3 sec.	0.4 sec.
Total Bounce	8.44″	9.65″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage	2.75″	4.19″
Mattress Thickness	10.0″	11.9″
Sex Overall	9.6	9.6
Comfort Material	3.0″	4.1″
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	7 days	4 days
Trial	120 nights	165 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	28% have lifetime warranties, average of other 72% of mattresses is 14 years

Cooling performance on the Bear Original mattress was fair at best. During our tests, I felt a notable level of heat retention around my body. The mattress really seemed to struggle to release heat and breathe, resulting in a warm feeling while lying on the mattress.

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

Our objective testing measured a max surface level temperature of 92.5°, which is 3.28°warmer than average. A higher-than-average max temperature isn’t out of the norm for our Summer-time tests.

However, what was unexpected was the minute-by-minute heat dissipation (or lack thereof).

From minutes 0 to 1 the temperature declined by 3.7°, which is 0.88° warmer (worse) than average. From minutes 0 to 5 the temperature declined by 4.3°, which is 2.70° warmer than average.

Looking at the heat dissipation graph we can see a notable step down from minutes 0 to 1, with a further slight increase from 1 to 2 minutes. However, we don’t see any further temperature reduction.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

This indicates the mattress is retaining much of the body heat, especially when we consider the temperature baseline was 82.4° F.

Overall, I found the Bear Original mattress to be a fairly warm mattress.

The Bear Original has a very minimal level of sinkage. In our tests, we measured just 1.60” of pressure point sinkage. This is 0.58” less sinkage than the average of 2.18”.

Notably, for the heavier portions of my body (butt and mid-section in particular), I felt a more moderate level of sinkage.

The Bear Original does create a more exacting body contouring hug that’s similar to memory foam. However, because the sinkage depth isn’t tremendously deep the overall hugging feel is also far more restrained.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The Bear Original has a high level of motion transfer. In our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 12.42 m/s². This is 4.26 m/s² more motion than the average of 8.16 m/s².

That’s 52.2% more motion than the average. While all foam mattresses generally are able to create less motion that isn’t the case with Bear Original.

The slightly firm feel and a moderate level of bounce, combined with a thin cover and thinner overall profile (10” total), create the right ingredients for higher motion.

The level of motion transfer is also documented in the video below.

In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion from 0 to 0.14 seconds. Motion drops off thereafter and by 0.64 seconds we have returned to near-zero levels.

While the initial motion spikes from 0 to 0.64 seconds are higher, I am pleased to see the motion return to near-zero levels so quickly.

Mattresses with the least motion are able to return to near zero energy levels within 0.3 seconds, while the worst offenders can still be dealing with higher energy at 1-1.5 seconds. Bear’s motion duration is quite low, which is definitely a silver lining to the total motion transfer experience.

The Bear Original has an extremely fast material response time. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered response time of 0.3 seconds and a fully recovered response time of 0.9 seconds.

The mostly recovered response (which our score is based on) is 0.12 seconds faster than the average of 0.42 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

However, the complete material recovery is closer to the average of 0.87 seconds.

In any case, the majority of the materials rebounding back to shape within 0.3 seconds, combined with the more restrained level of body contouring and sinkage depth, create a more responsive feel that’s easy to move around on and avoids any type of stuck feeling.

The Bear Original has a moderate level of bounce. In our test, we measured a total bounce height of 8.44”. This is 1.21” less bounce than the average of 9.65”.

Ideally, I like to see 8-12” of total bounce height. At these bounce levels we typically see better ease of movement, response, and sex performance, while also keeping motion transfer in check. Bear is within my ideal range at 8.44”.

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

During our tests, I found the level of bounce to be enough to allow for easy movement and enough to avoid hindering sex performance. Overall, I don’t expect the level of bounce will be an issue for most sleepers.

Edge support on the Bear Original was mixed. Sitting edge support was exceptional. However, lying edge support left much to be desired.

In our sitting edge support tests, we measured a sitting edge compression of 2.75”. This is 1.44” less sitting edge compression than the average of 4.19”. Even when sitting directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well supported.

The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.

That said, while lying at the absolute edge I did not feel particularly well supported.

The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.

When on the very edge there is simply too much sinkage, which creates a mushier type of support. I did not feel that I could sleep comfortably on or near the edge of the mattress.

The best mattresses for sex have high bounce, good edge support, quiet materials, and good pressure relief and cooling.

These 5 factors make up the NapLab sex performance score.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	60%	9.6	Moderate
Edge Support	20%	10	Exceptional
Noise	10%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	8.5	Good
Cooling	5%	8.0	Fair

For the Bear Original, these individual factors generated a sex score of 9.6.

Edge support was exceptional with edge sinkage only measuring 2.75″. Bounce levels were moderate, but could have been better, as higher bounce levels are usually preferred for better sex performance.

Pressure relief was good, but not great. Being only a 10″ mattress, it’s just hard to get pressure relief compared to what you commonly see with a 12-14″ thick mattress.

While lighter sleepers might not notice the difference, heavier sleepers are more likely to be unsatisfied in this area, as I’ll explain more in the section below.

The Bear Original has good, but far from great pressure relief. In our tests, I felt good pressure relief most of the time. However, during my extended test lying on the mattress, I felt a building level of pressure in my back and shoulders.

When I first cut this mattress open I was pleased to see a 3.0” comfort layer. At this price point, that’s a good indicator. However, while the thickness of the comfort foam is better, the foam quality just doesn’t feel or look great.

There is a notable difference in the foam quality and feel on the Bear Original compared to other flagship Bear mattresses I’ve tested.

Quite frankly, it’s just not tremendously comfortable. The feel of the foam reminds me of cheaper mattresses I’ve tested over the years.

This one really just had me comparing it to the recent Bear Pro Hybrid we tested, which is only a little more expensive, but considerably better in terms of feel, pressure relief, and total performance.

As a result, it would be hard for me to recommend the Bear Original over the Bear Pro Hybrid.

Off-gassing on the Bear Original was strong right out of the box. It took a full week or 7 days for the mattress to fully off-gas.

The company score takes a look at factors that may influence your experience with the mattress.

Factors include length of the trial period, warranty, shipping / return costs, and country of origin.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	25%	9.0	120 nights
Warranty	25%	10	Lifetime
Shipping	25%	10	$0
Returns	25%	10	$0
Country of Origin	0%		USA

For Bear, these individual terms and conditions generated a company score of 9.8.

The company has a decently long trial period of 120 nights. This is slightly shorter than the 165-night average, but still long enough for most sleepers to decide if the mattress is a good fit or not.

The Bear is backed by a lifetime warranty with free shipping and free returns as well.

The Bear Original has a firmness of 6.5 out of 10 on the NapLab firmness scale. This produces a medium-firm feel, suitable for a wide range of sleepers.

Support on the Bear Original is good, though, like pressure relief, far from great. During our tests, I felt well-supported in general.

However, the pressure relief issues compound to create support issues. Ultimately, this is a 10” mattress and there is only so much a 10” mattress is able to do in terms of support.

For many lighter and moderated weighted bodies the mattress will be perfectly fine. However, heavier-weight sleepers will find the limited 10” profile likely creates an insufficient level of support.

This is partly due to the 3” comfort layer and partly due to the 10” design. Notably, this is less an issue with Bear Original specifically, but rather most 10” mattresses struggle to support heavier weighted bodies (especially 250+ lbs.)

As with pressure relief, when I compare the Bear Original vs. the slightly more expensive Bear Pro Hybrid it’s a really hard sell.

The Bear Original is a little less expensive, but in my view, also notably worse in terms of support, pressure relief, and total performance. For most sleepers, I would strongly recommend the Bear Pro Hybrid over the Original.

Use the table below to see if the Bear Original is suitable for your needs.

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

Design

The Bear Original mattress has a basic foam-layered design with a 10″ profile and three distinct layers. It has a medium-firm feel which makes it suitable for a wide range of sleepers.

This mattress is designed to appeal to sleepers on a budget, priced under $700 for a queen. While it does have a few less-than-great performance scores, it’s hard to overlook that price tag if it’s already at the top of your budget.

Materials

There are three layers on the Bear Original mattress. The top 3″ are reserved for comfort and transitional materials while the bottom 7″ are for support.

From top to bottom, here are the layers of the Bear Original.

• 1.5″ gel poly foam
• 1.5″ poly foam
• 7.0″ support foam

The Cover

The cover on the Bear Original is similar to the cover we saw on the Bear Pro Hybrid. It is thin, unlike the tufted euro top covers on the Bear Elite or Bear Star Hybrid.

Because of its budget design, the Bear Original cover doesn’t have any handles on the side, specialty cooling fibers, or a more comfortable quilted cover.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer is made of two layers. The top layer is a 1.5″ gel poly foam followed by another 1.5″ poly foam.

These layers are poly foam, not memory foam, and poly foam tends to perform better for cooling than memory foam. That being said, the cooling testing results of the Bear Original weren’t particularly good.

Within the 3″ comfort layer, the Bear Original retained quite a bit of heat and was noticeably warm.

The Support Layer

Beneath the comfort layers is the support layer. The support layer is 7″ thick and is denser than the comfort foams above it.

Product Evolution

The Bear Original mattress launched in 2016 and was the first Bear mattress on the market. Since its release, Bear has developed a line of higher-performing hybrid mattresses including the Bear Star Hybrid, Bear Elite Hybrid, and Bear Pro Hybrid.

The Bear Elite Hybrid is the highest-performing Bear mattress we’ve tested to date with an overall score of 9.72.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Looking for a great deal, but not sure the Bear Original does the job? For better options besides the Bear Original, you may want to consider one of the alternative mattresses listed below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Bear Original mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.