Sweet Zzz Honey 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 feel of the mattress. We then take the results of those tests and compare them to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

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

Factor	Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid	Average
Overall Score	8.52	8.52
Price (Queen)	$1,299	$2,008 (Latex Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	9.0	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	2.52″	2.24″
Sinkage – Feel	Deep	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	6.0	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	14.00 m/s²	8.75 m/s²
Response Time – Score	10	8.8
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.2 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.3 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	9.06″	8.74″
Bounce – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	9.2	8.7
Edge Support – Sitting	3.50″	3.92″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	8.5	8.2
Pressure Relief – Score	9.0	8.6
Comfort Layer Thickness	4.00″	4.29″
Mattress Thickness	12.00″	12.21″
Off-Gassing – Score	6.1	8.0
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	14 days	7 days
Company – Score	9.4	8.7
Trial	100 nights	176 nights
Warranty	Lifetime	40% have lifetime warranties, average of other 60% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid Different?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is a 12.00″ latex hybrid mattress with an overall performance level that is right at the average level (considering all mattress types) and a price tag that is significantly below the average.

Advantages

Advantages of the Honey Hybrid include better cooling, fast material response time, better edge support, better sex performance, and better pressure relief as well.

The company score is also better than average, backed by a lifetime warranty, a perk only offered by 40% of mattresses (considering all mattresses tested to date).

Neutral Factors

This mattress has deep sinkage and moderate levels of bounce. Both bounce and sinkage are considered neutral factors, as different sleepers can and will have different preferences in these areas.

Disadvantages

With the low price tag, come a few disadvantages. The Sweet Zzz struggles with higher levels of motion transfer, 60% more motion than the average level.

The off-gassing is also quite a bit longer than average, having strong odors for a full 2 weeks (14 days). I will note, the odors are not the same chemical odors that we see with other foam mattresses, but rather the rubbery smell of natural latex.

But in addition to the expected rubber smell, there was also a very unusual smell. It’s difficult to say exactly where the smell is coming from, but it smelled like burnt rubber.

I believe this mattress may have experienced some type of manufacturing issue, but once the mattress fully off-gassed, the odor was not present and it did not seem to have any long-term impact on mattress performance.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has excellent cooling. During our tests, I did not experience any significant level of heat retention around my body.

This is a latex hybrid, meaning we have a comfort layer of latex foam with a supportive base of pocketed coils. The coil unit brings ample airflow into the mattress, while the latex does a fantastic job at resisting heat retention. Sweet Zzz’s product page states the cover “[provides] a soft and cool touch.”

• 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

While the cover is indeed soft, there is nothing especially cool about it. It feels like a fairly standard cotton cover, which is to say, perfectly fine, but it’s not a cooling miracle worker. Despite the cover, the mattress overall earned an excellent cooling score.

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 89.2° F. This is 0.8° cooler than the average of 90.0° F, based on all of our tests to date.

After getting off the mattress, the temperature declined by 4.3 degrees from minutes 0 to 1, which is 0.5 degrees cooler than the average 0 to 1 minute decline of 4.8 degrees.

When we consider the combination of objective data, my subjective experiences, and an analysis of the materials, I’m confident in my view that cooling is excellent.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has deep sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 2.52″. This is 0.28″ more sinkage than the average sinkage depth of 2.24″, based on all of our tests to date.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The mattress creates a balanced body contouring hug, but also a hug that is more restrained, relaxed, and generalized around the body. This is a typical feel that most latex hybrid mattresses we’ve tested have.

Memory foam and many types of poly foam create a more dramatic body contouring hug, where the foams form to the exact shape of the body. This mattress uses latex, which instead creates a more relaxed hug.

This is neither good nor bad, but it is a more specific feel. There are many sleepers who like the feel of latex, but also many that do not.

With any latex or latex hybrid mattress, you’ll really want to be sure you like this feel in order to be comfortable on the Honey Hybrid.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has a high level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 14.00 m/s². This is 60% more motion transfer than the average of 8.75 m/s².

Latex hybrids typically create more motion transfer and that’s exactly what we measured here. The combination of higher than average bounce and highly responsive, resilient, and springy latex and coils creates the right material conditions for more motion transfer.

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 peaks from 0 to 0.2 seconds. Motion begins to decline thereafter, but we do still see a notable secondary energy spike from 0.5 to 0.7 seconds.

By 1.24 seconds, we’ve returned to near-zero levels of energy, which is 0.36 seconds longer than the average motion duration of 0.88 seconds.

Overall, motion transfer just isn’t great. Both motion duration and motion intensity are considerably worse than average.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has an extremely fast material response. In our mostly recovered test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.2 seconds, which is 0.21 seconds faster than the average of 0.41 seconds, based on all of our tests to date.

In our fully recovered responsiveness test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.3 seconds, which is 0.72 seconds faster than the average of 1.02 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

This is effectively an instant material recovery speed and it’s on par with many other latex hybrids we’ve tested.

The rapid responsiveness ensures the mattress is easy to move around on and you’ll never feel stuck in the mattress.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has a moderate level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 9.06″. This is 0.32″ more bounce than the average of 8.74″, based on all of our tests to date.

Both latex and steel coils are highly resilient, springy materials. When combined together as they are in a latex hybrid design, we typically see higher than average bounce, and that’s exactly what we measured here.

Notably, this mattress also uses a layer of wool that wraps the coils and latex. This wool layer is more loosely packed and has a slightly suppressive effect on the bounce.

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

Nevertheless, the combination of latex and coils still creates more bounce than average. The extra bounce is beneficial for ease of movement and improving sex performance. However, that extra springiness also increases motion transfer, so there are pros and cons worth considering.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has excellent sitting edge support and excellent lying edge support.

In our sitting edge support test, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 3.50″. This is 0.42″ less sitting sinkage than the average of 3.92″, based on all of our tests to date.

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

While lying directly on the edge of the mattress, I felt that the support was excellent in all sleeping positions. This mattress is equipped with two rows of reinforced coils along the left and right sides of the mattress.

Notably, there are no reinforced edge coils on the head or foot of the mattress, so edge support there isn’t as robust.

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

Beyond the reinforced edge coils, we have a reasonably thick overall profile, a thick cover layer, and quality materials. This combination works well together to deliver excellent edge support for both sitting and lying.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has good sex performance. When it comes to sex, there just isn’t much the Honey Hybrid could do better. First up, we have minimal noise and excellent edge support.

With just 3.50” of sitting edge sinkage, the edge is robust and supportive, extending the usable surface area of the mattress.

In addition, both pressure relief and cooling are strong performers, meaning the mattress is comfortable. The only notable area where performance could be better is bounce.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	8.1	High
Edge Support	20%	9.4	Excellent
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	9.0	Excellent
Cooling	5%	9.0	Excellent

At 9.06” of total bounce, the bounce height is more than average, and yet I’d still ideally like to see it higher. When it comes to sex, more bounce is almost always better.

Even so, while bounce could be better, it should still be enough to facilitate satisfactory amorous activity for most couples.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has an excellent level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no significant pressure points on my body.

The mattress is equipped with 4.0″ of comfort material, which is 0.29″ less comfort material than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.29″, based on all of our tests to date.

In all mattress tests, we make a point to cut open the mattress so we can examine the material layers.

In my view, the latex layers look and feel high quality, both in-hand and on the body. In addition to the quality 3.0” latex layer, we also have a 1.0” quilted cover, which has a positive impact on comfort.

In our objective pressure mapping tests, we measured a max PSI of 0.70. Ideally, I want to see all PSI measurements at 1.0 or below and the Honey Hybrid easily cleared that mark.

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.11	0.64

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.08	0.70

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.08	0.48

When I consider our objective pressure mapping tests, material thickness, material quality, and my subjective experience on the mattress, I’m confident most sleepers will find the pressure relief to be excellent.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid had a strong smell upon the initial unboxing. The mattress smelled for 14 days. This is 6.7 days longer than the average smell duration of 7.3 days.

This mattress had a very unusual smell and I’m not sure exactly what material it’s coming off from. There is of course a rubber / latex smell with this mattress, but in addition, there is also the smell of burned rubber.

My best guess is that something happened during the manufacturing process to scorch the latex, creating this smell.

In my 11 years of testing, I don’t recall ever smelling anything like this on a mattress before. In any case, while the smell is indeed annoying to deal with after 14 days there was no longer a strong smell.

Sweet Zzz mattresses come with a 100-night trial period and a lifetime warranty. Shipping and returns are both free.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Returns	40%	10	$0
Trial Period	30%	8.0	100 nights
Warranty	20%	10	Lifetime
Shipping	10%	10	$0
Country of Origin	0%		USA

Comparing 107+ brands tested to date, the average trial period is 171 nights, 71 nights more than Sweet Zzz offers.

The mattress is also backed by a lifetime warranty, which is a nice addition.

The Sweet Zzz mattress is available in four firmness levels—Medium-Soft, Medium-Firm, Firm, and Plus: Extra Firm.

Medium-Firm Version

We tested the Medium-Firm version and found the firmness to be a 6 out of 10, right on par for a medium-firm feel.

Medium-Soft Version

I would estimate the Medium-Soft to be a 5 out of 10, with a medium feel.

Firm Version

The Firm would be estimated at a 7 out of 10, with a slightly firm feel.

Plus: Extra Firm Version

And I would put the Plus: Extra Firm at an 8 out of 10, giving the mattress a firm feel.

Support on the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is excellent. During our tests, I felt well supported in all sleeping positions. The mattress is equipped with a 8.0″ support layer.

This is 0.08″ thicker than the average support layer thickness of 7.92″, based on all of our tests to date.

Support Factor	Data
Comfort Layer	4.00″
Support Layer	8.00″
Firmness	Medium, Medium-Firm, Slightly Firm, and Firm
Body Contour	Balanced
Zoned Support	Yes
Reinforced Edge	Yes

This mattress is available in 4 different firmnesses, including medium-soft, medium-firm, firm, and extra firm. We tested the medium-firm, which we rated at a 6 out of 10, where 10 is the most firm.

The majority of sleepers will be best served by the medium-firm feel. That said, I’m pleased to see so many different firmness options. Having more choices allows for a wider range of sleeper preferences, positions, and body types to find the support dynamic that works best for their body.

In addition, this mattress is equipped with zoned support. Zoned support is great, as it helps to create more support where the body needs it, delivering a more neutral spinal alignment.

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

Medium-Soft Version

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

Medium-Firm Version

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

Firm Version

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

Plus Version (Extra Firm)

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

All that said, whether or not this mattress will feel supportive really comes down to whether or not you like the feel of latex. Latex has a more polarizing feel. Some love it, some hate it. The feel of latex is a hug that’s more generalized, relaxed, and restrained.

Compared to the hug from memory foam and poly foam, which is more dramatic and exacting around the body. Latex hug isn’t a good fit for all sleepers (and the same is true of memory foam hug).

Based on all of my tests to date, an analysis of the materials, and my subjective experiences, I’m confident that most sleepers will find support on the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid excellent.

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is a 12.00″ latex hybrid mattress that comes in four firmness options—Medium, Medium-Firm, Slightly Firm, and Firm.

Design Factor	Data
Type	Latex Hybrid
Thickness	12.00″
Cover Type	Quilted
Weight	115 lbs.
Has Handles	Yes
Fiberglass-Free	Yes
Ships in a Box	Yes

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is 12.00″ thick and contains a combination of latex and support coils. From top to bottom, here is a full list of the materials used in this mattress:

Layer Type	Thickness	Layer Specs
Quilted Cover	1.00″	Not Available
Latex Foam	3.00″	9.5-19 ILD
Pocketed Coils	8.00″	15.0 Gauge (Interior), 13.75 Gauge (Edge)

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid has a 1.0″ thick quilted cover. It is soft and breathable with a wood fire retardant layered directly below.

The comfort layer is 4.00″ thick and made of a 3.0″ thick latex foam. This latex is perforated, a natural step with traditional latex foams.

I will note here, Sweet Zzz shows two separate layers of latex on their product page, but the medium-firm mattress we received and tested only had one layer of latex.

Brand graphics of the Medium-Soft version also show a thicker top layer of latex foam. It’s a bit unclear exactly how these material layers would compare with each other since the Medium-Firm we tested did not match the brand’s material diagram provided on the product page.

The support layer is 8.00″ thick and made of a pocketed coil unit. This is a pretty standard approach for a value latex hybrid.

But again, we see some inconsistency between the version we tested and the brand’s material diagram. According to the Sweet Zzz product page, there should be a fairly robust organic cotton / wool blend at the base of the mattress.

But on the mattress that we tested, there isn’t a significant layer on the base.

There is a very thin, hard layer on that base that is approximately 1/16th of a inch thick. It’s possible that’s a super compressed layer of wool and cotton, but I am uncertain. It’s unlike other wool fire barriers I’ve seen in the past.

Product Evolution

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid launched in 2022 and appears to have undergone no major changes since its release.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated latex hybrid mattresses for alternatives you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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