I’ve been reviewing mattresses for Tom’s Guide for over a year now, and two of the best I’ve tested for their ability to keep hot sleepers cool is the DreamCloud Classic and the Bear Elite Hybrid. The DreamCloud Classic is a breathable hybrid that, at $699 for a queen at DreamCloud, is excellent value for money. However, the Bear Elite Hybrid is the best cooling mattress we’ve ever tested at Tom's Guide.
Which would I recommend to hot sleepers this Black Friday? Both the DreamCloud and the Bear Elite Hybrid impressed our picky panel of testers, earning their spot in our guide to the best mattresses for all sleepers and budgets.
But with around $1,000 between them for a queen, there’s no clear cut winner. Yes, the DreamCloud Classic is considerably cheaper than the Bear Elite, but the Bear could be worth the investment if you’re a chronic hot sleeper. Here’s how to choose between the two when browsing the Black Friday mattress deals...
Where the DreamCloud wins
While the DreamCloud isn’t necessarily an actively cooling mattress, it also doesn’t trap heat. It remains temperature neutral. Aside from this, these are the big perks to consider.
Support continues right up to the edge
Edge support refers to how stable the perimeter of a mattress is. This is important for a number of reasons, whether you rely on the edges to help you into or out of the bed, or if you want to maximize the sleeping space of your mattress (especially if you’re sharing the bed).
During our testing for the DreamCloud Classic mattress review, the bed performed very well for edge support. I slept on the DreamCloud for three weeks and found I could comfortably sleep right up to the edge of the mattress, meaning my partner and I weren’t bickering about who hogged the bed.
This is not only good for couples, but for people who need extra support.
Excellent value for money
The DreamCloud Classic is renowned for its fantastic value for money. At $699 for a queen, you’re getting a mattress that rivals even the best luxury mattresses of the year, like the Saatva Classic.
Like the Saatva, the DreamCloud has a supportive, hybrid build, incorporating coils, layers of therapeutic memory foam and a quilted cover. At 12” tall, you’d usually expect this kind of mattress to sell for over $1,000 for a queen, especially considering it's one of the best hybrid mattresses we've tested.
What’s more, in the DreamCloud Black Friday sale, you can get a free bedding bundle included in your purchase worth $599.
Stopping movement for couples
My husband and I have very different sleep schedules. When I’m just drifting off, he’s just coming home. Which means when I’m transitioning into deep sleep, he’s coming to bed.
Mattresses that don’t absorb motion transfer it. This means if we’re on a mattress with poor motion isolation, I’ll be able to feel his every movement.
Luckily, the DreamCloud had enough motion isolation for this not to be a problem. Even though the mattress didn’t perform as well as others, like the Siena Memory Foam mattress, for motion isolation, it was enough for my partner and I not to notice each other in bed.
In fact, it features in 2nd place in our guide to the best mattresses for couples.
What I didn’t like about it
As you can tell, I’m a big fan of the DreamCloud Classic. It’s an excellent all-rounder for most people. But let’s discuss temperature regulation.
During testing, we used a thermal imagery camera to find out how well the DreamCloud Classic kept sleepers cool. Initially, we were impressed. The maximum temperature increase we noticed when our tester was lying on it was only 7.3°F — for context, a memory foam rival of the DreamCloud, the Siena Signature mattress, increased by 9.8°F.
Plus, instead of steadily increasing in temperature when our tester was lying on the bed, the DreamCloud Classic actually decreased, showing that heat wasn’t becoming trapped.
However, when we measured the cooling rate after the tester left the bed we were a little disappointed. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it was slow compared to other mattresses in our lineup. This means that it might hold on to a little excess heat.
But it is important to note that during the home testing period, where my husband (who sleeps hot) and I slept on the mattress, we didn’t overheat once.
How did the Bear Elite Hybrid hold up in comparison?
We’ve now rated the Bear Elite Hybrid as this year’s best cooling mattress we’ve tested. This is because of the specialist materials it incorporates, including Celliant and copper-infused foams. These are designed to draw heat away from the body to actively cool the sleeper.
Combined with the hybrid build which allows air to flow through the mattress. For context, even the best memory foam mattresses can trap heat in their dense foams.
These two factors combined means that the Bear Elite Hybrid scored an impressive 5 out of 5 for temperature regulation during our testing.
During the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review, it also scored excellently for pressure relief, which refers to how well a mattress distributes your body weight evenly and cushions your body so there’s no excess pressure in one area. This directly relates to how comfortable and supportive a mattress is.
We tested the medium version, which we think is great for side sleepers. But again, the upper hand over the DreamCloud is the fact that the Bear Elite is available in three different firmness feels, providing a suitable option for just about any sleeper.
What I didn’t like about it…
Aside from its cooling capabilities, we don’t think the Bear Elite Hybrid is as suitable for couples. When we tested its edge support, the bed couldn’t actually hold the 25kg weight. Instead, the perimeters collapsed, which indicates it wouldn’t feel that stable under human body weight. It only scored a 2 out of 5, compared to DreamCloud’s 4.
On top of this, the mattress didn’t have excellent motion isolation. While the DreamCloud scored a 3.5 out of 5 for motion isolation, the Bear Elite Hybrid scored a 3 — it’s not a wildly different result, but it might be the difference between waking up at night and sleeping through.
An important consideration is the difference in price. Even with our discount code TOMS40 which takes 40% off in the Black Friday sales, the Bear Elite Hybrid is still almost $1,000 more than the DreamCloud, with a queen at $1,627.20 compared to DreamCloud's $699.
The hybrid mattress I’d recommend shopping in the Black Friday sales if you sleep hot
Ultimately, which one you choose to shop comes down to what’s most important to you. If you experience night sweats or hot flashes, then I’d recommend investing in the Bear Elite Hybrid. While it’s more money, its cooling tech could stop you from waking in the night.
Plus, customisable firmness options means you can cherry pick the sleep feel that works best for you, meaning that the Bear is suitable for all sleep positions. It also has a cushioned pillow top for extra pressure relief, plus zoned lumbar support for relief from aches and pains (it also features in our guide to the best mattress for back pain).
However, if you occasionally sleep a little warm and targeted back support isn't a major concern, then I think the DreamCloud will be cool enough to stop you from overheating, plus supportive enough to be comfortable for most sleepers.
Its hybrid design and breathable cover work well to keep temperatures regulated, and it was clearly effective at preventing heat from becoming trapped during lab and at-home testing. The DreamCloud would also be my suggestion if you share your bed.
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