Nest Bedding Raven Review

March 2024 Update – The Nest Bedding Robin was renamed the Nest Bedding Raven. The design, layers, and materials are exactly the same on the Raven.

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

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 9 different factors that impact the comfort and feel of the mattress. Testing categories include:

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

Our testing series for the Nest Bedding Raven assessed the medium version of the mattress.

How is Nest Bedding Raven Different?

The Nest Bedding Raven is a flippable hybrid mattress has higher performance than average and a price tag that is well below average—38% less than the average hybrid for a savings of over $500 (on a queen mattress).

Advantages

Other advantages include better-than-average cooling performance, fast material response time, 15% better edge support, and better sex performance.

Neutral Factors

This mattress has 19% less sinkage than average and 8% more bounce than average. Both sinkage and bounce are more preferential factors, but both of these factors fall within an acceptable range. Personal preference may vary.

Disadvantages

This mattress has 7% higher levels of motion transfer and is only 10″ thick. The average mattress is 12″ thick so a 10″ thickness may cause some issues for heavier sleepers, but many will find support and pressure relief to be more than sufficient enough.

Factor	Nest Bedding Raven	Average
Overall	9.54	9.51
Price	$850	$1,352 (Hybrid only)
Cooling	9.5	9.4
Max Sinkage	1.76″	2.17″
Total Motion Transfer	9.18 m/s²	8.52 m/s²
Response Time	0.3 sec.	0.4 sec.
Total Bounce	10.48″	9.65″
Edge Support – Sitting Sinkage	3.50″	4.11″
Mattress Thickness	10.0″	12.0″
Sex Overall	9.8	9.6
Comfort Material	4.0″	4.2″
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	4 days	5 days
Trial	365 nights	160 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	26% have lifetime warranties, average of other 74% of mattresses is 14 years

Cooling performance on the Nest Bedding Raven mattress was excellent. The hybrid design and material selections help to reduce heat retention and increase airflow, thereby improving heat dissipation.

The top layers of quilted cover and gel poly foam create a comfortable sleeping surface, while still remaining cool. Unlike many memory foams that retain more heat, the quilted cover and poly foams don’t hold onto heat as aggressively.

• 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 supportive pocketed coils add ample airflow to the mix. When the pocketed coils, quilted cover, and poly foams are combined together the result is a mattress that breathes well and keeps sleepers cool. 

Heat Dissipation Over Time

There wasn’t as much sinkage as we expected on the Nest Bedding Raven mattress. In our pressure point tests, we measured a sinkage depth of 1.76”.

That’s about 0.5” less than the average across all mattresses we’ve tested to date, which is 2.21”.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

I would describe the sinkage depth as somewhere between minimal and moderate. The most notable aspect of the sinkage on the Nest Bedding Raven mattress is the more generalized nature of the contour.

Unlike memory foam, which creates a more dramatic and notable contour around the body, the Raven’s contour is more generalized.

This is more similar to latex foam, which I expect is the design intent here.

It creates pressure relief and comfort, but doesn’t wrap around the body as tightly (which some sleepers can find uncomfortable). Additionally, the quilted cover on the Raven hybrid mattress was also quite a bit more restrained in its plushness compared to other Nest Bedding mattresses.

The combination between the restrained cover and more generalized contour of the poly foam creates a more controlled comfort dynamic.

Motion transfer on the Nest Bedding Raven mattress was moderate. In our accelerometer tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 9.18 m/s².

This is a bit more than the average, which is 8.52 m/s².

Looking at the materials and design of the mattress, this makes sense. The relatively thinner top comfort layers, combined with the pocketed coil base, create a mattress that simply has more bounce and a higher propensity for motion.

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

Unlike all-foam mattresses, but especially memory foam mattresses, which can dramatically inhibit bounce and motion, the Raven is going to rebound with more energy.

If you sleep with a partner who is easily disturbed this could be a deal-breaker for you.

Looking at the motion transfer chart we can see most of the energy is dissipated by 0.2 seconds. However, there is a secondary acceleration spike at 0.6 seconds, after which the level of motion on the mattress is minimal.

While the total motion duration is on the lower end of our spectrum compared to the average, the total acceleration / motion is higher.

How does it compare?

Nest Bedding Quail mattress performed significantly better in our motion transfer tests, holding motion to 3.61 m/s².

Other mattresses that have performed well in our motion transfer tests include the Purple (2.23 m/s²), BedinaBox (2.85 m/s²), Layla Hybrid (2.45 m/s²), and Nectar (2.67 m/s²). 

The response time on the Nest Bedding Raven mattress was extremely fast. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered response time of 0.3 seconds, with a fully recovered time coming in at 0.4 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

While this isn’t the absolute fastest we’ve tested to date, it’s not far off. The fastest mattresses we’ve tested come in at 0.2 seconds for mostly recovered and 0.3 seconds for a full recovery.

In any case, the Raven’s response times are still plenty fast enough for virtually all sleepers. It quickly adapts to changes in movements so sleepers never feel stuck or have difficulty moving around on the mattress.

The Nest Bedding Raven has a moderate level of bounce. In our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 10.48”.

This is slightly more than the average of 9.65”. The pocketed coil layer creates ample bounce, just like you’d expect with any spring mattress.

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

More or less bounce is a preferential factor. More isn’t necessarily better or worse.

That said, having more bounce does help make the mattress easier to move around on, gives it a more traditional feel, and makes it better for sex (which we discuss below).

In our sitting edge support test, we measured 3.5” of compression. This is excellent, and well within what we would consider great edge support.

It’s also significantly better than the average based on all mattresses we’ve tested to date, which is 4.83” of compression.

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

While the sitting edge support was excellent, I wasn’t blown away with edge support while lying down. It’s not bad, just not great.

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

I didn’t feel as well supported at the edges of the mattress compared to when I was lying closer to the center of the mattress.

When lying directly on the edge there is more compression and less support than is ideal. That said, as long as you’re a few inches from the edge it’s a non-issue.

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%	10	High
Edge Support	20%	9.8	Excellent
Noise	10%	9.0	Moderate
Pressure Relief	5%	9.0	Very Good
Cooling	5%	9.5	Excellent

For the Nest Bedding Raven, these individual factors generated a sex score of 9.8.

Two of the most influential factors that contribute to a good sex score are bounce and edge support. Because the Raven is a hybrid mattress, the coils provide excellent bounce and better edge support (at least while sitting).

Pressure relief and cooling are great—there’s really just not a lot to not like about the Raven for sex.

Pressure relief on the Nest Bedding Raven mattress is excellent as well.

However, I cannot help but compare it to the Nest Bedding Sparrow mattress. The Sparrow mattress has arguably the best-quilted cover we’ve tested to date.

Compared to the Raven mattress, there is a significant difference. The Sparrow’s cover is thicker, softer, and more luxurious feeling.

Compared to the Raven’s cover, which is thinner, more restrained, and doesn’t deliver that “wow factor” that we felt with the Sparrow. It’s not a bad feel, but certainly not as good as the Sparrow and others we’ve tested.

Compared to most mattresses it’s still well above average. If you aren’t a fan of the quilted cover feel, then the restrained softness of the Raven mattress is perfect. However, if you really want a mattress that’s able to deliver truly exceptional pressure relief I would suggest taking a look at our Nest Bedding Sparrow review.

All of that said, we are comparing apples to oranges a bit here. The Raven mattress is around $700 less expensive compared to the Sparrow. So it makes sense that the material quality isn’t going to be to the same level.

If budget is a concern, then a stronger argument for the Raven can be made. But if you just want the best performance it’s clearly the Nest Bedding Sparrow mattress.

There was a strong odor upon the initial unboxing of the Raven mattress. The smell lingered for 4 days before fully going away.

This is a fairly typical smell strength and smell duration. While less smell is better, this really isn’t something to worry about very much.

Nest Bedding first launched in 2011 with a handful of different mattresses and some brick-and-mortar stores. In 2021, their lineup was revamped with new names, but minimal changes to the already successful mattress collection.

It is during that “revamp” that the Nest Bedding Raven was born from the original FLIP Hybrid.

Company policies at Nest Bedding are consumer friendly as well.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	25%	10	365 nights
Warranty	25%	10	Lifetime
Shipping	25%	10	$0
Returns	25%	10	$0
Country of Origin	0%		USA

Nest Bedding has a 365-night trial period, which is among the ranks of some of the best trial periods in the industry. They also include a lifetime limited warranty.

Shipping is free and returns are free with products being manufactured right in the US.

The Nest Bedding Raven comes in one mattress with a flippable firmness—6 out of 10 on one side (medium) and an 8 out of 10 on the other side (firm).

Medium Side

Firm Side

Lifetime Comfort Guarantee

If at any point during the life of your mattress you find that the Raven is no longer comfortable, you have options. Nest Bedding offers 30% off any future mattress sales after your initial purchase.

This a really nice program and something that we don’t see a lot of from other competitors.

The Raven mattress has excellent support. The core layer of 6.0” of pocketed coils creates excellent support for both the medium and firm side of the mattress.

Looking at the design and material construction I see no major issues with the support for any sleeper categories.

It has more than sufficient support for heavier weight sleepers, while still being soft enough in the top foam layers to create sufficient pressure relief for lighter weight sleepers. The Raven mattress is well suited to just about all body types and sleeping positions.

The Medium Side may be best for the following sleepers:

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

The Firm Side may be best for the following sleepers:

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

The Nest Bedding Raven a flippable hybrid, originally named the FLIP Hybrid from Nest Bedding’s pre-2021 lineup.

It is a blend of foam and pocketed coils with two different firmnesses reflected on each side of the mattress.

Materials

The materials order varies depending on which side that you’re lying on. If lying on the medium side, the order is listed below. When you’re on the firm side, these materials will be reversed.

• 1.0″ quilted cover
• 1.0″ gel support foam
• 6.0″ pocketed coils
• 1.0″ support foam
• 1.0″ quilted cover

The Cover

The cover on the Raven is soft and a little stretchy with quilted detailing. There is a different design on each side of the mattress, which helps to identify which side you’re laying on.

Both sides have the words “Medium” or “Firm” embroidered at the foot of the bed. In addition, the quilted pattern is different.

• The firm side of the Raven has a diamond pattern (as shown above).
• The medium side of the Raven has a tufted pattern.

In addition to detail on the top and bottom of the mattress, there is also some detail on the side of the mattress.

A dark fabric provides contrast to the side of the mattress and modern vertical stitching provides a channel design across the body of the mattress.

Some other Nest Bedding mattresses, like the Owl or the Sparrow, have handles on the side of the mattress, but that’s not something that we see here on the Raven.

The aesthetic of the Raven closely matches that of the Sparrow mattress in color and stitching pattern, but the thinner profile and lack of handles are distinguishing factors on the Raven.

The Comfort Layer

Regardless of which side of the mattress you are laying on, the quilted top is followed by a 1.0″ layer of support foam.

This foam is a bit denser than soft comfort foam and in a way works as a transitional foam before engaging with the support coils.

The Support Layer

Following the comfort material, there is a 6.0″ layer of pocketed coils that are encased in fabric. Hundreds of coils operate independently from each other, providing support and pressure relief.

Product Evolution

Although Nest Bedding has been in business since 2011, they had a recent rebrand in 2021, which renamed many of their models to different bird species.

The Love & Sleep, for instance, was renamed the Quail mattress.

The Raven was renamed from the FLIP Hybrid. Aside from the new names, there have been minimal changes to this mattress since its launch.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Still not sure if the Raven is right for you? Here are three other options you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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