What Is A Hybrid Mattress & How To Find A Good One?

Hybrid mattresses are a newest addition to the sleep market, although they have been around for more than two decades as well. Sleep experts devised this type of mattress shortly after memory foam became available for commercial use in the early 1990s. Memory foam brought a revolution when it became the material from which mattresses and pillows are made, not just cushions for NASA astronauts.

A hybrid mattress is easiest to define as a mattress that contains more than one support system. Classic mattresses have a support system made of memory foam, innersprings, latex and so on. While hybrid mattresses are a combination.

There is no clear definition of a hybrid mattress. So we don’t know exactly what a mattress must be made of to be considered a hybrid. Some manufacturers and retailers classify only those that contain springs and memory foam as hybrid mattresses. There is a different approach too, so any other combination, such as springs and wool, is considered a hybrid likewise. For example, Silentnight Just Snug Memory Hybrid mattress comes with 1000 springs and a memory foam layer, making it a good example of a good hybrid mattress.

You will certainly find a combination of metal coils or some other type of springs and memory foam most often. Some hybrid mattresses are practically all-foam because the springs are also made of foam, but they can be considered hybrid because they have two different types of support system. Semi-hybrid mattresses that have a pillow-top cover usually contain gel, foam or some natural material such as wool and cotton. Microfibre and hollowfibre are increasingly popular options as well.

There is not just one type of memory foam mattress and a hybrid mattress. The models have significant differences even though they belong to the same category. Therefore, we cannot say that support, firmness or some other characteristic are always different and that is the major difference between sleeping on a best hybrid mattress and on a best memory foam mattress.

But in general we can find some differences. Hybrid mattresses tend to be more expensive and firmer. Premium hybrid mattress is around 20% more expensive than premium foam one. Memory foam mattresses can be firmer compared to hybrid ones only if ultra high density memory foam is used for the core. In other cases, the hybrid mattress is usually firmer. Hybrid mattresses often have better edge support and bounce, while foam mattresses are best in motion isolation.

Memory foam mattresses are very comfortable, but sometimes you could use a bit more support and bounce. Innerspring mattresses will keep your body in line, but most likely they will not give you perfect comfort. That's why hybrid mattresses were invited in the first place. They combine the best features of different types of mattresses and then you get the best possible comfort. After a few nights, when your body gets used to the new mattress, you will wonder how you could ever sleep on another type of mattress.

If you are over 30, you have probably experienced pain in some part of the body after long and hard day. Chronic pain is also caused by diseases such as arthritis, degenerative changes in the spine and rheumatism. A hybrid mattress will help you sleep comfortably and wake up pain free. Thanks to the pressure relief foam comfort layer and support of springs, your body will not be exposed to strain during the night.

It is almost impossible to find a very firm memory foam mattress or soft innerspring mattress. This limits your choice. But that is not the case with hybrid mattresses. You can find quite soft models as well as firm ones, depending on your needs. By combining different coil gauge and foam density, manufacturers can achieve virtually any end product they want.

This brings us to another advantage of hybrid models. We have already mentioned the types of sleepers that choose foam or innerspring mattresses. We also talked about characteristics that disqualify 99% of innerspring mattresses for side sleepers, for example. On the other hand, every type of sleeper can find a hybrid mattress that offers exactly what he or she is looking for. Versatility of hybrid mattresses is unparalleled.

We can’t say that hybrid mattresses beat memory foam mattresses in this category, but they certainly don’t lag behind. The foam layer is enough to neutralize the tossing and turning of your partner. Pocket sprung mattress is known to provide topnotch motion insulation too, and usually hybrid mattress features pocket springs. So if you are not sleeping alone and especially if you are light sleeper, don’t worry, you will have peaceful night’s sleep without roll-together.

You have to maintain the mattress to prolong its service life. But you certainly don’t want to spend a lot of time to maintain it. Traditional mattresses require a lot of maintenance to last, while hybrid mattresses are not demanding. Most of them are one-sided which means rotating once in a while is all you need to do. There is no need to flip them, which is not easy at all if the mattress is heavy, even if it has side handles.

Eco-friendliness has become one of the features that customers pay the most attention to. This is certainly a great trend, because pollution has reached such a level that we need to start paying attention to our environment while we can still reverse the adverse effects of pollution. Most modern hybrid mattresses are eco-friendly, vegan-friendly and carry some of the certificates such as CertiPUR, which guarantee that no harmful chemicals are used during production.

Traditional memory foam is one to blame for this. Polyurethane foam is nothing short of revolutionary, but heat retention and breathability have always been a problem. As most hybrid mattresses contain at least one foam layer, then they also have a problem with heat retention. We think you won’t feel this if you are not hot sleeper.

We have already mentioned the price tag several times. If you have a small budget, then the price of some hybrid mattresses may be too high for you. We still believe that you should invest in one premium mattress. Most sellers and manufacturers offer installment payments, so that is your chance to buy a mattress that might otherwise be too expensive.