Leesa Original Hybrid 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. We then take the results of that test and compare to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

Check out the full performance table below to see how this mattress ranks:

Factor	Leesa Original Hybrid	Average
Overall Score	9.18	8.53
Price (Queen)	$1,199	$1,398 (Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	9.0	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	1.92″	2.16″
Sinkage – Feel	Minimal	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	9.7	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	5.61 m/s²	8.75 m/s²
Response Time – Score	9.5	8.8
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.4 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	13.04″	9.26″
Bounce – Feel	Very High	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	8.4	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	4.75″	4.04″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	9.5	8.3
Pressure Relief – Score	9.0	8.6
Comfort Layer Thickness	2.5″	4.1″
Mattress Thickness	11.25″	12.1″
Off-Gassing – Score	8.3	8.2
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	6 days	7 days
Company – Score	9.7	8.6
Trial	100 nights	178 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	38% have lifetime warranties, average of other 62% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Leesa Original Hybrid Different?

The Leesa Original Hybrid has much better overall performance than average and a price tag that is also below average—14% less than the average hybrid for a savings of $199.

Advantages

Beyond price and performance, other advantages include better cooling performance, 34% lower levels of motion transfer, fast material response time, and better sex performance (thanks largely to the high bounce).

Neutral Factors

Neutral factors include 12% less sinkage than average as well as 35% more bounce than average. Both of these factors are considered neutral since different sleepers will have different preferences in these areas.

Disadvantages

The Leesa Original Hybrid has a thinner overall thickness, only 11.3″ thick compared to the 12″ average, and only 2.5″ of comfort material (compared to the 4.2″ average). For heavier sleepers, this can be problematic and lead to pressure relief or support issues.

Cooling performance on the Leesa Original Hybrid was excellent. In our tests, I did not feel any significant level of heat retention or heat build-up around the body or elsewhere on the mattress.

The mattress seems to breathe well and the surface of the mattress remains cooler. Looking at the material design of the Leesa Original Hybrid, we have 2.5” of comfort foam material on top of an 8.0” coil base.

• 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

The 8.0” coil base creates plenty of airflow so air is always moving through the mattress. While there may be a detriment to deeper compression comfort with only 2.5” of comfort material, at least in terms of cooling, it’s beneficial.

There just isn’t as much foam on top that could absorb and hold onto heat. The relatively lower density of the foam (2.5 PCF) means there is less physical material to absorb heat. In terms of durability, a lower density can be a factor in longevity. However, if we only consider the cooling benefits it’s a positive factor.

Looking at the heat dissipation curve it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We saw a 3.2-degree decline from 0 to 1 minute, but from 1 to 5 minutes the temperature only dropped another 0.5 degrees. It’s unclear to me why the heat dissipation curve looks so much worse than my subjective experience on the mattress.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

Looking at the full picture of objective temperature data, subjective testing experience, material specs, and layer design, in my view, the Leesa Original Hybrid should have perfectly acceptable cooling for most sleepers.

The Leesa Original Hybrid has a minimal level of sinkage. In our tests, we measured just 1.92” of sinkage in our pressure point tests.

This is less than what we’ve measured on average, based on all of our mattress tests to date, which is 2.17” of sinkage.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The Leesa Original Hybrid has a pretty typical medium-firm feel. As a result, we’ve got lots of pushback and lots of support.

Based on our tiered scale, the mattress has a minimal level of sinkage, but it only misses the “moderate” label by 0.08”. In general, I like to see mattresses within this range.

It’s enough sinkage to create pressure relief, but still leans more on the support side. As a result, it’s better for most body types, but especially moderate and heavier weight bodies.

Some lighter-weight sleepers may find it’s a little too much pushback, especially if they sleep on their side. We’ll have more about support and sleeping positions a bit further down the page.

Motion transfer on the Leesa Original Hybrid was very low.

In our tests, we measured 5.61 m/s² of acceleration range on our accelerometer. This is better than the average motion transfer based on all of our tests to date (8.52 m/s²)

Many times 100% foam mattresses and mattresses with more memory foam will have lower motion transfer.

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

However, given the hybrid design and relatively minimal memory foam in the top layers, the motion we see on the Leesa Original Hybrid is pretty solid. For most sleepers, it’s low enough that I don’t expect there to be any issues.

Looking at the motion transfer chart above (which visualizes our accelerometer data), we can see that most of the motion occurs by 0.21 seconds. We see a small gap in motion, followed by a secondary spike from 0.64 to 0.78 seconds. After 0.78 seconds motion returns to near zero.

The Leesa Original Hybrid has a very fast response time. In our tests, we measured 0.3 seconds for the mattress to mostly recover and 0.4 seconds for a full material recovery to complete.

The fastest responding mattresses we’ve tested are able to mostly recover in 0.2 seconds, so the Leesa Original Hybrid is nearly as good as it gets.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

On average, based on all of our tests to date, we see a mostly recovered response time of 0.4 seconds and a fully recovered material response of 0.8 seconds.

Leesa Original Hybrid is notably better than the average in both categories. The foams bounce back to shape almost instantly, and the coil support layer helps enhance said response.

Bounce was extremely high on the Leesa Original Hybrid. In our tests, we measured 13.04” of total bounce height. This is significantly more than the average (based on all of our tests to date), which is 9.65” of bounce.

Hybrid mattresses do tend to have more bounce compared to all-foam mattresses, so it’s no surprise that we’re seeing higher-than-average bounce.

More bounce gives the mattress a more traditional feel, makes it easier to move around on, and makes the mattress better for sex.

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

Typically, I prefer to see bounce in the 8-12” range, as that’s sort of a sweet spot. However, 13.04” isn’t much beyond my preferred range. For most sleepers, I don’t expect the high bounce to be a significant issue.

The Leesa Original Hybrid mattress has a good, but not a great level of edge support.

When sitting directly on the edge of the mattress we measured 4.75” of sinkage compression. This is 0.09” worse than the average (based on all of our tests to date) of 4.66”.

Typically, I like to see a sitting edge compression of 4.0” or less. So we’re a good bit off that.

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

While sitting edge support leaves something to be desired, edge support while lying is excellent. Even when lying directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well supported in all sleeping positions. 

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

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	65%	10	Extremely High
Edge Support	20%	7.8	Fair
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	9.0	Excellent
Cooling	5%	9.0	Excellent

For the Leesa Original Hybrid, these individual factors generated a sex score of 9.5.

Considering sex performance, the Leesa Hybrid is fantastic. This mattress has great bounce, which is important for good sex.

The coils also help provide better edge support than foam-based comparisons. It was quiet, had good pressure relief, and good cooling as well.

The Leesa Original Hybrid has excellent pressure relief. Throughout our battery of tests, I felt fantastic pressure relief in all positions.

The mattress does a nice job of creating enough sinkage to alleviate pressure points, while still remaining supportive. I have no significant complaints when it comes to pressure relief.

My only concern for pressure relief is for heavier-weight sleepers. With only 2.5″ of comfort foam on the mattress there just isn’t much separating sleepers from the coil support system. For lighter and moderate weight sleepers this should be a non-issue.

However, heavier-weight sleepers put more pressure on the mattress and will sink more deeply, causing their bodies to come into more significant contact with the coil support system. This can create undue pressure for those sleepers. If you’re over 200 pounds, but especially over 250 pounds, I would recommend considering a mattress with a thicker comfort layer.

Heavier weight sleepers would be better served by the Leesa Sapira Hybrid, Leesa Legend, or another hybrid mattress with at least 3.0″ of comfort material. See our full list of mattress review here.

Off-gassing on the Leesa Original Hybrid was reasonably good. Immediately out of the box there was a strong smell.

That smell lingered for 6 days, which is a little longer than average, but nothing crazy. On average, we see mattresses smell for 2.83 days.

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	15%	8.0	100 nights
Warranty	10%	8.0	Lifetime
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	10	$0
Trust	50%	10	Outstanding
Country of Origin	0%		USA

Leesa first launched in 2014 and has continued to grow, expanding in company size and mattresses offered.

They offer favorable terms and conditions including a 100-night trial period, a lifetime warranty, free shipping, and free returns.

For free, you can opt for “No Contact Shipping”, which means your Leesa will be dropped at your doorstep.

Or for an added cost of $150, you can get “White Glove Delivery” and your mattress will be unboxed and set up in the bedroom.

Leesa also supports philanthropy and donates 1 mattress for every 10 mattresses purchased. To date, they have donated nearly 40,000 mattresses. You can learn more about the program here.

The Leesa Original Hybrid is a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale with a medium-firm feel.

This firmness would be suitable for a wide range of sleepers and virtually any sleeping position. There are a few exceptions to this rule called out below.

Support on the Leesa Original Hybrid was excellent. I felt well-supported in all sleeping positions.

The mattress has a little more restrained level of sinkage compared to most mattresses we’ve tested.

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

However, what you lose in terms of sinkage you gain in terms of more robust support. The Original Hybrid’s more supportive coil base will ensure that the vast majority of sleeping positions and body types will feel well supported.

My only concern is for very lightweight side sleepers and heavier weight.

Lightweight side sleepers – The more restrained sinkage may create a little too much pushback, preventing lightweight side sleepers from achieving a neutral spinal alignment. If you’re 120 pounds or less and sleep on your side I would suggest considering a mattress with a slightly softer feel.

Heavier weight sleepers – Heavier weight sleepers should get enough support from the mattress, however, the limited 2.5″ comfort foam may result in pressure point build up. This will be more likely for heavier weight side sleepers.

Design

The Leesa Hybrid is a hybrid mattress that uses foam and pocketed coils. It has an 11″ profile, similar to the Sapira Hybrid, and a 6 out of 10 firmness (medium firm).

Materials

The layers of the Original Hybrid include two foam layers, a central coil-based support layer, and a high-density support foam at the base.

• 1.0″ memory foam (2.50 PCF)
• 1.5″ poly foam (2.50 PCF)
• 8.0″ pocketed coils (789 coils, 13.75 & 16-guage)
• 0.75″ support foam (1.8 PCF)

The Cover

The cover on the Leesa Original Hybrid is a seamless gray, twill fabric cover—the same cover that is on many of the other Leesa mattresses.

Material breakdown of the coves includes 87% Polyester and 13% Viscose, which results in a stretchy and soft sleeping surface.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer of this mattress is made up of two layers of foam. On the top layer, there is a 1.0″ slab of memory foam (yellow).

The second layer is a 1.5″ layer of poly foam (green), which acts kind of like a transitional layer between the memory foam and the pocketed coils.

Both of these layers work together to provide comfort and support when sleepers first engage with the mattress.

The Support Layer

Below these two layers of foam is an 8.0″ pocketed coil base, made up of a 13.75-gauge Pocket Spring System (789 coils) with 2 side rows of 16-gauge coils for side edge support .

Product Evolution

The Leesa Original Hybrid was developed to meet a niche market of sleepers.

Leesa had previously already developed a great hybrid, The Leesa Sapira Hybrid or the Leesa Legend. They had also already developed a great budget-friendly mattress—the Leesa Original or the Leesa Studio, which are both all-foam models.

Enter: the Leesa Original Hybrid.

The Leesa Hybrid was originally launched in June 2022. It’s a new design intended to be the “good” version (based on price) of Leesa’s Hybrid lineup, while the Leesa Sapira hybrid is the “better” price point and Leesa Legend is “best”.

Original Hybrid vs. Sapira Hybrid

The Original Hybrid was unveiled in June 2022 and was launched as a more budget-friendly option for sleepers looking for a hybrid.

The main differences between these two mattresses are:

• Comfort material. The Sapira has more comfort material above the coils. The Original Hybrid has a 2.5″ thick layer (2 layers of foam), while the Sapira Hybrid has a 4.0″ thick layer (3 layers of foam).
• Coil count. The Sapira Hybrid also has a higher coil count. The Original Hybrid has 789+ coils and the Sapira Hybrid uses 1000+ coils. More coils help to distribute weight more evenly and improve pressure relief.
• Firmness. According to Leesa, the Sapira is designed to be slightly less firm than the Original Hybrid. However, in our performance tests, I found the difference in firmness to be minimal.

Both mattresses have a pocketed coil base and high-density support foam located at the very bottom.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Original Hybrid is right for you? Check out these three mattress alternatives below for other top-rated hybrids to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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