Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid Review

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:

Factor	Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid	Average
Overall Score	7.10	8.64
Price (Queen)	$899	$1,380 (Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	7.0	8.8
Sinkage – Depth	1.66″	2.16″
Sinkage – Feel	Very Minimal	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	7.2	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	11.15 m/s²	8.64 m/s²
Response Time – Score	10	8.9
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.2 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.9 sec.
Bounce – Height	9.60″	9.69″
Bounce – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	9.1	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	3.75″	4.07″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	8.4	8.5
Pressure Relief – Score	5.0	8.8
Comfort Layer Thickness	4.0″	4.2″
Mattress Thickness	13″	12.0″
Off-Gassing – Score	6.9	8.4
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	11 days	6 days
Company – Score	5.2	8.7
Trial	90 nights	166 nights
Warranty	10 years	25% have lifetime warranties, average of other 75% of mattresses is 14 years

How is Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid Different?

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has an overall performance that is significantly lower than the average, paired with a price that is also below average—34% less than the average hybrid.

Besides for price alone, I find it hard to recommend this mattress. There are simply numerous other high-performing hybrids at this price point.

Advantages

It does have a fast material response time and good edge support. It is also 13″ thick, which is 1.0″ thicker than average. This thicker profile would usually be advantageous for pressure relief, but unfortunately that’s not what we saw on this mattress.

In the case of the Posturepedic Hybrid, many more factors are working against this mattress than working for it.

Neutral Factors

Neutral factors include sinkage and bounce. Within a reasonable range, these factors are not really pros vs. cons, but rather a basis of personal preference.

This mattress has less sinkage than the average mattress and bounce levels that are about at the average level.

Disadvantages

The Posturepedic Hybrid has worse than average cooling performance, high levels of motion transfer, a long off-gassing period, and a shorter than average trial period.

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has fair, but far from good cooling performance.

In our tests, I felt a moderate level of heat retention around my body. On the positive side, it’s a hybrid, so the mattress has more airflow relative to an all-foam mattress. However, the hybrid design is the only notable cooling advantage.

The mattress is topped with low-quality foams that do this mattress no favors when it comes to heat retention.

• 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

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 89.4°F, which is about average. However, after getting off the mattress the temperature only declined 2.9° from minutes 0 to 1, which is 1.68° warmer than average.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

Notably, heat dissipation was better from 0 to 5 minutes, declining by 8.3 degrees, which is 1.15° cooler than average.

Nevertheless, during testing the heating sensation around my body was noticeable. Those who describe themselves as hot or warm sleepers are likely to feel uncomfortably warm on the Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid.

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has a very minimal level of sinkage. In our pressure point sinkage tests, we measured a sinkage depth of 1.66”. This is 0.50” less sinkage than the average of 2.16”.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The Posturepedic Hybrid creates a “floating on top” of mattress feel, as opposed to sinking down “in’” the mattress. There is a restrained level of body contouring hug.

While the mattress does use 4.0” of foam on top, those foams don’t significantly wrap around the body. 

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has a moderate level of motion transfer. In our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 11.15 m/s². This is 30.4% more motion than the average of 8.55 m/s².

While the 4.0” foam comfort layer helps to mitigate some level of motion, the firmer feel and coil unit still generate a sizable level of motion.

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

In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we see the highest motion peaks from 0 to 0.21 seconds. In addition, there is a smaller secondary spike from 0.56 to 0.70 seconds before returning to near-zero levels of motion at 0.78 seconds.

Mattresses with the lowest motion transfer can disperse all energy within 0.3 seconds. Needless to say, the Posturepedic is far from that mark. Its higher-than-average motion transfer spikes earn the Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid a spot in the bottom 29% of all mattresses we’ve tested to date for motion transfer.

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has an extremely fast material response. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered response time of 0.2 seconds and a fully recovered response time of 0.3 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

These measurements are tied with several other mattresses for the fastest we’ve tested to date. The Posturepedic Hybrid springs back to shape effectively instantly. The fast response ensures sleepers will never feel stuck and makes the mattress easy to move around on.

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has a high level of bounce. In our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 9.60”. This is just 0.01” more bounce than the average of 9.59”.

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

Ideally, I like to see bounce in the 8-12” range, as it creates enough bounce for ease of movement and improved sex performance, while not being so extremely high so as to create motion transfer issues.

At 9.60” the Posturepedic Hybrid is right in the sweet spot. I expect most sleepers will find this level of bounce to be acceptably high enough to benefit sex and ease of movement.

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has excellent edge support for both sitting and lying. In our sitting edge support tests, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 3.75”.

This is 0.34” less sitting sinkage than the average of 4.09”.

Ideally, I want to see 4.0” or less, and the Posturepedic Hybrid easily hit that mark. Lying edge support was equally as good. During our tests, I felt well-supported even when lying directly on the edge of the mattress.

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

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

The Posturepedic Hybrid uses reinforced coils at the edge, which seem to have a sizable impact on performance. In addition, we tested the firm version.

Firm mattresses typically have better support in general, but especially at the edge, compared to soft and medium firmness mattresses. While we found many other performance areas struggling on the Posturepedic Hybrid, edge support was one of the bright spots. 

The Posturepedic Hybrid’s high level of bounce and excellent edge support greatly carried the performance for sex. A mattress with a higher bounce ensures sex rhythms aren’t inhibited.

In addition, the excellent edge support extends the sexable surface area of the mattress. That said, cooling performance and pressure relief leave something to be desired.

Both categories were below average in our tests. However, given the relative importance of bounce and edge support in our sex score, the Posturepedic Hybrid still earned a strong 9.66 / 10 for the dance without pants.

How Do We Determine Sex Score?

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%	8.5	High
Edge Support	20%	9.1	Excellent
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	5.0	Poor
Cooling	5%	7.0	Fair

For the Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid, these individual factors give it a rating of “good”.

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has a poor level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt a moderate to significant level of building pressure points on my body.

These pressure points were felt at several places on my back and shoulders. In my view, the poor pressure relief performance is driven by the mediocre comfort layer.

Technically, the mattress uses a 4.0” comfort layer. However, only 1.5” of those 4.0” are anything approaching a reasonably good quality level.

The 2.0” poly foam core and 0.5” poly foam layer that sits atop the coil unit have a noticeable “crunchiness” to them.

We experienced what appears to be the exact same foams on two of Sealy’s Costco mattresses, the Sealy Posturepedic Plus RidgeCrest II and Sealy Posturepedic Carver. These foams don’t look or feel high quality.

In my view, they are far closer to the type of foam and quality level you’d expect of a support foam. Suffice to say, it’s not a comfortable foam and it’s not a foam you’d want your body to be coming into direct contact with, in my view.

Off-gassing on the Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid is mediocre.

strong. It took 11 days to fully off-gas. For comparison, the average off-gassing period is 5 days so this is over 2X the length.

Sealy mattresses come with a 90-night trial period and a 10-year warranty. Shipping is free, but if the mattress ends up not working out, returns cost $175.

The average trial period is 163 nights and the average warranty is 14 years (excluding 25% of mattresses that offer lifetime warranties).

How Do We Determine Company Score?

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%	6.0	90 nights
Warranty	10%	8.0	10 years
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	5.0	$175
Trust	50%	4.0	Terrible
Country of Origin	0%		USA

For the Posturepedic Hybrid, these factors give it a rating of “poor“.

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid is available in two firmness levels—soft and firm. We personally tested the firm version and found the firmness to be an 8 out of 10 (where 10 is the most firm).

Based on the materials, construction, and quality of the firm, we estimate the soft version of this mattress to be around a 5 out of 10 with a medium feel.

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid has a fair level of support. During our tests, I felt that the mattress created sufficient support. However, it also created significant pressure points on my body.

Support is complex in that it’s not enough for a mattress to merely be supportive, it also must be comfortable enough to not create pressure points. A concrete floor is supportive, but won’t comfort the body.

The Posturepedic Hybrid does keep the spine well supported. There is minimal sinkage and more of a floating feeling with the mattress. This makes the mattress better suited to the needs of stomach and back sleepers.

However, the firm feel and minimal sinkage make a poor choice for side sleepers.

All of that said, the pressure relief issues we experienced during our testing should not be discounted.

During our tests, I felt uncomfortable lying on the mattress for any significant period of time.

The limited comfort layer and the quality of the foams in general are the most likely factors inhibiting pressure relief performance.

Notably, we tested the firm version of the mattress. It’s possible the soft version would have better pressure relief. But it’s also possible there would be different support issues impacting that version. Sealy’s material quality and the overall performance of this mattress just don’t inspire much confidence in either version.

Check out the table below to see the sleeper weights and sleeping positions that would be best suited for this mattress.

Firm Version

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

Soft Version

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

Design

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid is a hybrid mattress with a 13″ thickness. It is available in two firmness options—soft (5 out of 10) or firm (8 out of 10).

Materials

The hybrid blend of this mattress is created using a mix of foam and an spring support unit. From top to bottom, there are five distinct layers, as listed below.

• 1.5” poly foam
• 2.0” poly foam
• 0.5” poly foam
• 8.0” Innerspring Unit
• 1.0” support foam

The Cover

The cover of the Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid is a thin, knit fabric, that feels breathable and stretchy. According to the manufacturer, it is woven with cooling fibers, but we found the cooling to really be lacking in our cooling tests (shown above).

The cover is also treated with a stain-guard technology designed to kill bacteria on the mattress surface and protect against common allergens.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer is made up of three foam layers. On the top, there is a 1.5″ poly foam layer followed by a 2.0″ poly foam.

This second layer has the same “crunchiness” to it as the Sealy Posturepedic Plus Ridgecrest that we previously tested. Overall, the quality of both top comfort foams seems low.

The bottom foam in the comfort layer is a 0.5″ poly foam that acts more like a transitional layer as it sits directly above the innerspring unit.

The Support Layer

The support layer is a classic innerspring unit that is 8.0″ thick with reinforced edges for improved edge support. Unlike other hybrids that utilize a pocketed coil support, an innerspring unit is going to provide a different experience.

Motion transfer levels were significantly higher on the Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid compared to many other pocketed coil hybrids we’ve tested.

With pocketed coils, each coil is individually encased with a thin fabric. Each coil can move independently and it is able to provide better pressure relief as a result.

With an innerspring unit, all of the coils are connected, making it harder to limit motion transfer or fully support dramatic contours on the body.

Product Evolution

The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid was released in 2022 by Sealy, following the original release of the Posturepedic Plus in 2019.

There have been no major changes to the mattress since its initial launch.

Posturepedic Plus vs. Posturepedic Hybrid

The Original Sealy Posturepedic Plus mattress was first released by Sealy in 2019 as a luxury hybrid. The Posturepedic Hybrid was introduced as a more budget-friendly option for sleepers.

The Posturepedic Plus is available in three firmness levels and three support levels as well. By comparison, the Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid is available in only two firmness levels and one support level.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated hybrid mattresses for high-performing alternatives you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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