I’m testing DreamCloud’s new hybrid mattress — and my back pain has already improved

The DreamCloud Hybrid mattress on a wooden bedrame in a spacious bedroom

(Image credit: DreamCloud)

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Price, Trial and Warranty
Unboxing
First week
Early thoughts

The DreamCloud Hybrid is the new mattress from DreamCloud, sister brand of Nectar. It’s the second mattress from the brand to be sold in the UK (DreamCloud is more well known in the US) and gives sleepers a cheaper option than the original mattress – the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid, which featured among our top picks for this year's best mattresses guide.

I’m still in the early stages of sleeping on the DreamCloud and I’ll be writing up my full review in the coming weeks. But, for now, my early impressions should give you a sense of whether the DreamCloud Hybrid is for you, and what it can do for your sleep. As I tested the original mattress as well, I’m perfectly placed to compare them directly.

DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress: Price, Trial and Warranty

The DreamCloud Hybrid mattress is never sold at full price and there’s a permanent DreamCloud mattress sale that knocks 50% of the RRP off all sizes. This takes the mattress down into the mid-range bracket, making it great value for money in my mind.

Unboxing My New DreamCloud Mattress

A cream mattress with blue edging on a pine bed base. — (Image credit: Jo Plumridge)

DreamCloud use a third-party shipping company which is incredibly efficient at providing updates. You choose your preferred delivery day and then get texts / emails to give you a three-hour delivery slot. My delivery was very smooth, with two men arriving with the mattress and then carrying it upstairs to a room of my choosing.

These mattresses in a box are always heavy, but the DreamCloud Hybrid was relatively easy to shift around – it’s not ridiculously heavy. My husband carefully cut open the mattress with the provided cutter (which, for once, didn’t snap immediately on use) and the bed started to inflate quickly.

What I did notice about the DreamCloud was that it took a little longer to expand enough to sleep on than some mattresses. I’d say it was a good six hours before it had puffed up into a fully recognisable mattress shape. But, once it did inflate, the mattress felt incredibly well form. There was a very slight off gassing smell, which faded within an hour or two.

My First Week Sleeping On The DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress

Night 1: A firmer first impression

I’d just come off sleeping on a mattress that, whilst I liked it immensely for side sleeping, was a little lacking in lumbar support for the lower back. And as someone with back pain that seems to have a very low trigger point, I was starting to experience a little discomfort.

I was concerned that the DreamCloud Hybrid would be too soft – it’s rated at 6.5 out of 10 and when I tested the original Luxury Hybrid, I had found that quite soft and the rating, which is also 6.5/10, pretty accurate.

A close up of the end of the DreamCloud Hybrid mattress on a wooden bed frame — (Image credit: DreamCloud)

However, the DreamCloud Hybrid proved to be quite a different beast. Like many of the best mattresses for back pain, it’s much firmer than the Luxury Hybrid and I’d rate it at 7.5-8 out of 10.

Despite the firmer feel, the mattress still had plenty of cushioning when I lay on my side. I was hopeful that it would be more supportive for my lumbar region, but I was actually a little surprised by what a good job the mattress did – I woke up the first morning feeling completely free of any back pain.

Nights 2-7: No more hip pain

Historically, I’ve always preferred a pretty firm mattress that doesn’t have any give under the lumbar region. But, as I’ve got older, I’ve become more of a combi sleeper.

This means that some recent mattresses have been giving me the dreaded ‘dead hip’ pain that comes from sleeping on a mattress that’s too firm. What impressed me with the DreamCloud Hybrid was its ability to keep offering enough support under the lumbar region, whilst still providing cushioning for hips and shoulders when side sleeping.

This is all particularly impressive when you look at how few layers the mattress actually has. The DreamCloud comes in at a respectable 25cm high, which I felt was a perfect height.

Exploded diagram showing the different layers of the DreamCloud Hybrid mattress — (Image credit: DreamCloud)

The mattress starts with a breathable quilted cover, followed by a layer of breathable supportive memory foam for contouring support. Next up is a transition layer of foam to promote spinal alignment.

The mattress is finished off with a reinforced edge spring unit, made up of 15cm premium pocket springs. Perhaps because of the more minimalistic design, temperature regulation is pretty good and my husband, who is the hot sleeper of the two of us, hasn’t felt too hot at all in the bed.

Motion isolation and edge support are also both pretty impressive – I can feel a tiny bit of movement when my husband rolls over in bed if I’m still awake, but it’s minimal and I’ve had no disturbed sleep because of movement (unless you count the foster cat purring in my face, but I don’t think we can blame the bed for that). Sitting on the edge of the DreamCloud also feels stable and I sit on the edges every day when getting ready.

DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress: My Early Thoughts

In my mind I feel that DreamCloud has cleverly introduced a mattress that’s a little firmer than its other offering, which gives sleepers a good choice and covers a wider range of sleeping style. As I mentioned above, I think its closest rivals are the Simba Essential and the Nectar Essential Hybrid, but I do think the DreamCloud offers better support and comfort. Plus, the mattress looks well-made and durable.

After a week of sleeping on the mattress, I’ve been really impressed with its ability to offer decent lumbar support alongside cushioning for the pressure points.

That’s not to say that there isn’t a tiny bit of ‘give’ in the mattress under the lower back, but I think this is an acceptable trade-off for a bed that’s a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’ when it comes to sleeping styles. I even think lightweight and average weight stomach sleepers might find it supportive enough, although in my mind it’s best suited to side and back sleepers.

Close up of the surface of the DreamCloud Hybrid mattress — (Image credit: DreamCloud)

Price wise, the permanent 50% off makes this a very attractive mattress at £525 for a double. Grab the bed during a flash sale and you may even save a little bit more. Extras are also excellent – a year’s trial and lifetime warranty mean you have plenty of time to try out the DreamCloud, along with a safety net if things go wrong.

My early verdict: The DreamCloud Hybrid has impressed me with its ability to soothe away aches and pains. The real test now comes to see if it can keep up this excellent work.

Jo Plumridge is an experienced mattress reviewer with several years' experience covering all things mattresses and sleep, and who tests memory foam, hybrid and organic mattresses. What Jo doesn't know about a boxed mattress isn't worth knowing, so naturally we tasked her with producing a series of features for Tom's Guide looking at all aspects of mattresses, from how to pick between latex and memory foam (it's a tricky one), to the seven mistakes people make when buying a mattress for the first time. When testing the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid for Tom's Guide, Jo said: "I loved the back support and pressure relief it offered. Plus, it looks far more expensive than it is." When she isn’t writing about sleep, Jo also writes extensively on interior design, home products and photography.