Tom's Guide Verdict
The Bear Elite Hybrid with Celliant-infused cover is a superior cooling mattress for chronic hot sleepers. The medium-feel model we tested cradles your body while keeping your spine aligned, but co-sleepers should know its bounciness can mean you feel your partner moving next to you. At over $1,700 for a queen, this is a premium mattress. We think it’s worth it for the powerful cooling performance alone, but there a few cheaper alternatives (such as the Siena Signature) with decent temperature regulation if you're on a smaller budget. However, if you want a great active cooling mattress for battling night sweats and hot flashes, the Bear Elite Hybrid is our top choice.
Pros
- +
Cushioning and supportive
- +
Active cooling
- +
Easy to move around on
- +
Bouncy and responsive
Cons
- -
You'll feel your partner moving
- -
Beaten by rivals on edge support
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Bear Elite Hybrid review scores
Overall score: 3.9 out of 5
| Product | Temperature control (Score) | Pressure relief (Score) | Motion isolation (Score) | Edge support (Score) | Value for money (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Elite Hybrid | 5 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 4 |
We conduct seven robust tests in our lab to capture objective data on the four areas of a mattress that most affect your sleep comfort: pressure relief, temperature regulation, motion isolation and edge support. We also sleep on a mattress for at least three weeks before subjectively rating it. This data is fed into a scoring system, along with feedback captured by our testing panel, to create an overall score. Read our full mattress methodology here.
The Bear Elite Hybrid is the most popular mattress from 3Z Brands’ Bear range. It's built with ergonomically zoned coils and specialist heat-wicking fibers to boost muscle recovery and keep you cool as you sleep, and it’s available in three firmness levels, to suit more sleep styles (we tested the Medium, but Soft and Firm are also available.)
The Bear Elite Hybrid is one of the top-rated options in our best mattress of the year guide, and it's also the best cooling mattress we've tested. It dissipates heat efficiently so you remain cool through the night — even my menopausal mom approves.
A unique selling point of the Bear mattress is the optional Celliant-infused cooling cover (which costs an extra $92). Celliant is a thermo-reactive synthetic fiber that captures body heat and reflects it back as infrared energy to aid muscle recovery — music to my ears as an active runner.
It's something you won’t find in other cooling beds released to date, or even smart cooling systems like the Eight Sleep Pod 4.
At $1,763 for a queen with the Celliant cover ($1,671 without), the Bear Elite Hybrid is priced in line with other premium mattress. The Saatva Classic, our top-rated hybrid mattress of the year, typically sells for around $1,839 for a queen. The Saatva does have better benefits though: a year's sleep trial, a lifetime warranty, and free White Glove Delivery, versus Bear's 120-night trial, limited lifetime warranty, and free basic shipping.
That said, given its top-of-the-class cooling performance and general quality, we think the Bear Elite Hybrid is still great value for money and well worth considering if you're shopping this year's Black Friday mattress deals.
Price
The Bear Elite Hybrid might be the brand's most expensive mattress but, for the premium price, you get a premium bed. At full price, a queen retails at $2,712, but you can effectively ignore that price as Bear mattress sales almost always knock a least 30% off.
This discount rises to 35%, or if you're lucky, 40%, during major mattress sale periods like Black Friday, which is typically the best time of year to buy a mattress.
As with many mattresses, the MSRP has crept up a little (around $140) lately in line with rising costs. Here's the current price of each size of the Bear Elite Hybrid with the Celliant-infused Cover after 35% off:
There is no extra cost between the three different firmness options. You do pay a premium for the Celliant-infused cover (around an extra $90 for any size).
In terms of benefits and reassurance, the mattress ships free and comes with a 120-night trial period and free returns. There's also a limited lifetime mattress warranty that includes one free replacement in the event of a manufacturer defect.
Design
- A 14" hybrid mattress with five layers
- Cooling cover upgrade adds Celliant fibers for recovery
- Made without fiberglass and with non-toxic materials
The Bear Elite Hybrid is a five-layer mattress that's 14 inches tall with two handles on each side for easy maneuvering when rotating or moving it. At the base is a high-density support foam layer to maintain the structural integrity of the mattress over time. Above that is a layer of individually encased coils for airflow, support, and motion isolation. The coils along the perimeter are reinforced for edge support, while the center features higher-gauge coils for maximum lumbar support.
The upper foam layers consist of transitional foam for ergonomic support and contouring, and copper-infused memory foam to aid with cooling. (Copper also has antimicrobial properties, but you'll still want to know how to clean your mattress properly.)
However, it’s the cover that might make the biggest impact on the comfort and cooling capabilities of the Bear Elite Hybrid. It comes standard with a hand-quilted cover made from phase change materials that remove body heat from the surface. Customers have the option of adding a Celliant-infused cover, which aids in faster recovery and higher sleep quality by absorbing your body heat and transforming it into 'waves of energy,' according to the brand.
Not only are the foams used in this mattress CertiPUR-US certified, but the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress as a whole is GreenGuard Gold certified, ensuring low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and adherence to strict guidelines for air quality and overall health. It's also made without fiberglass.
- Read more: What is a non-toxic mattress?
Sleep comfort
After performing very well in our lab tests (more on that below), I was excited to find out what the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress is like to sleep on. For me, its comfort level punches above all other mattresses I've slept on this year (for reference, I'm an average weight combination sleeper and spend most time sleeping on my side.)
Materials: Memory foams, coils, PCM, Celliant
Firmness: Soft (5/10), Medium (6/10), Firm (7/10.)
Height: 14”
Trial Period: 120 nights
Warranty: Lifetime
User review score: ★★★★½ (4,000+ reviews)
I slept blissfully on the Bear Elite from the first night of at-home testing. I upgraded to the Bear after sleeping on the Glacier Original Hybrid, and while the two cooling hybrids have a lot in common, I prefer the slightly plusher feel of the Bear Elite mattress.
Sporting a full 5 out of 5 score for temperature regulation after our controlled studio tests and at-home review period, the Tom's Guide sleep panel and I agree that the Bear Elite is a superior cooling mattress. It's very cushioning and supportive too. Let's dig in to how this mattress performs across the board...
Firmness
Dependent on body weight and sleep position, mattress firmness is the most subjective area of our mattress reviews. But we use lab tests to measure the force required to create a specific indentation on the mattress, and invite a diverse testing panel of people to determine a score on an industry-standard 1-10 firmness scale, where one is softest and 10 is firmest.
The Bear Elite Hybrid is available in three different firmness levels, from soft (5/10) to medium (6/10) to firm (7/10.) We tested the medium model, which should be ideal for most people. Our testing panel agreed with the brand's 6/10 rating, placing it in the medium bracket, and that was backed up by the level of sinkage observed in our weight tests.
When you first lay on the Bear Elite Hybrid, you feel yourself dip into the foams until you're met by resistance from the responsive coils. I found the Bear Elite softer than our top-rated mattress for side sleepers, the Helix Midnight Luxe, which I slept on before testing the Bear. That makes it ideal for side sleepers who like a plusher feel.
That said, lightweight side sleepers (130lbs and under) may want even more sinkage to relieve pressure around the hips, shoulders and knees — if that's you, we recommend trying the Soft model. Meanwhile, heavier bodies (over 250 lbs) would benefit from the firmer sleep surface offered by the Siena Memory Foam mattress (or the firm model of the Bear Elite, if it ticks all other boxes for you).
Temperature control: 5 out of 5
A mattress with good temperature regulation stops heat from building up, keeping you cool and dry at night. It's particularly important for those who experience night sweats or hot flashes, or live somewhere with high overnight temperatures.
Our tests showed that the Bear Elite Hybrid with Celliant cover has exceptional thermal effusivity, quickly removing heat from the bed to keep you cool. It's built with advanced cooling materials, including copper foams and Phase Change Material (PCM), which regulates temperature by absorbing body heat and dissipating it through the surface of the mattress.
During the heat absorption part of our temperature regulation test, our thermal camera tracked a maximum temperature increase (MTI) of 10.5°F on the Bear Elite Hybrid.
While we normally view heat absorption between 9.1°F and 10.5°F as fair — it implies the bed is trapping some warmth — the Bear Elite has a unique approach to thermoregulation. This initial rapid absorption of heat is purposeful. High-tech cooling layers, including PCM, are designed to instantly absorb excess heat, pulling it away from the body, and they just as quickly throw the heat out (heat dissipation results discussed below).
Bear Elite: temperature regulation test results
Usually the lower the maximum temperature increase (MTI) and the faster the cooling rate, the cooler you'll sleep. But the Bear has a unique approach...
Maximum temperature increase
| Product | Value (°F) |
|---|---|
| Saatva Classic | 6.3 |
| DreamCloud Classic | 7.3 |
| Nectar Premier | 8.1 |
| Siena Signature | 9.8 |
| Bear Elite Hybrid | 10.5 |
By comparison, the Saatva Classic had an MTI of 6.3°F (see our Saatva Classic mattress review for the full test data) and the DreamCloud Classic had an MTI of 7.3°F. Out of all the mattresses we've tested so far, the Saatva absorbed the least amount of heat, proving that it is also an excellent choice for hot sleepers.
The Bear Elite Hybrid had the biggest initial burst of heat dissipation, shedding 7.2°F degrees in under a minute. This kick-started a massive drop in temperature when our tester left the mattress. That initial temperature drop led to an overall average cooling rate of 1.82°F per minute. In comparison, the Saatva Classic took a more consistent approach, with a cooling rate of 1.26°F per minute.
The Bear Elite Hybrid and Saatva Classic also received glowing scores from our testing panel. Both offer best-in-class temperature regulation and make an excellent choice for hot sleepers.
However, the Bear's unmatched speed in dissipating heat makes it a better choice for anyone dealing with intense thermoregulation issues such as medically-induced or menopause-induced night sweats.
How the Bear Elite regulates heat versus its rivals
This shows how effectively our five top-rated mattresses absorbed, managed and dissipated heat during our temperature regulation test
| Timestamp (minutes) | Bear Elite Hybrid (°F) | Saatva Classic (°F) | DreamCloud Classic (°F) | Siena Signature (°F) | Nectar Premier (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 8.2 | 3.5 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 8 |
| 2 | 9.5 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 8 | 8.1 |
| 3 | 9.2 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 8.6 | 6.76 |
| 4 | 9.3 | 5.4 | 7 | 8.4 | 5.6 |
| 5 | 9.8 | 4.6 | 7.1 | 8.1 | 5.7 |
| 6 | 8.9 | 4.6 | 7 | 8.6 | 5.3 |
| 7 | 9.3 | 5.8 | 7 | 9.2 | 5 |
| 8 | 10 | 5 | 6.2 | 8 | 6.2 |
| 9 | 10 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 7.4 |
| 10 | 9.6 | 5.5 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 6.4 |
| 11 | 9.4 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 6.2 |
| 12 | 9.3 | 4.8 | 6.5 | 8.2 | 5.9 |
| 13 | 9 | 4.7 | 6.5 | 9 | 6.1 |
| 14 | 10.1 | 5 | 6.7 | 9 | 6.3 |
| 15 | 10.5 | 5.2 | 6 | 9.8 | 6.6 |
| 16 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 3 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| 17 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 2.8 |
| 18 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 1.9 |
| 19 | 1.2 | 1 | 1 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| 20 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| 21 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| 22 | 0.2 | 0.4 | -0.4 | 1.6 | 2 |
| 23 | -0.3 | 0.3 | 0 | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| 24 | -0.4 | 0 | 0.2 | 2 | 2.5 |
| 25 | -0.1 | -0.9 | 0 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| 26 | -0.7 | -1 | -0.7 | 2.1 | 1.4 |
| 27 | -0.8 | -1.2 | -0.7 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| 28 | -0.7 | -1.3 | -0.6 | 2.1 | 1 |
| 29 | -1.3 | -0.5 | 0 | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| 30 | -1.1 | -0.6 | -0.3 | 1.5 | 0.3 |
Beyond that, to choose between the two you'll need to look at the rest of your sleep needs. If you have night sweats or hot flashes the Bear Elite Hybrid with Celliant-infused cover is a great choice — if you either sleep solo or with someone who doesn't move around much in bed, and you don't need assistance getting in or out of bed (I'll explain why in the motion isolation and edge support sections).
If you tend to overheat at night but don't experience night sweats or hot flashes, or share with a restless sleeper, or need a mattress with robust edge support to help you get in and out of bed with ease, the Saatva Classic is the better option.
I often run hot after evening exercise or around my period, but haven't struggled to cool down for sleep on the Bear, despite testing it in a warm bedroom. Its five out of five score for temperature regulation corroborates my experience — and that of my peri-menopausal mother, who also trialled it. I'm confident in recommending it as our top cooling mattress.
However, if you're on a tighter budget, consider the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid at $999 for a queen. It offers reliable cooling and a plush, cool-to-the-touch feel at a lower price point than the Bear Elite Hybrid with Celliant.
Pressure relief: 4.6 out of 5
Pressure relief refers to how well a mattress contours to your body, holds your spine aligned, and distributes weight to prevent pressure building up.
In our tests, the Bear Elite secured a very high pressure relief score, beaten only by the Saatva Classic, which received a full five marks. That reflects how effectively the Bear's combination of high-density foams and zoned coils (the coils in the middle third of the bed are higher gauge to provide extra support to the lumbar) support and contour to the body to prevent pressure build up.
I found the Bear Elite a remarkably comfortable bed, no matter the position I slept in. The quilted cover and foams moulded to my body shape but my spine remained aligned thanks to those sturdy zoned coils.
Our tests demonstrated excellent spinal alignment in side, front and back sleeping positions. Using a laser pen we identified the optimal position for the spine in each sleep position. After 10 minutes lying on the mattress, the laser and the spine remained in alignment.
The surface is contouring enough without lacking support, which I found perfect as a combination sleeper who spends most time on my side. I could have easily drifted off in the side sleeping position during the studio testing period.
Bear Elite: pressure relief test results
The deeper the indentation and faster the response time, the better the ability of a mattress to relieve pressure
Hip indentation (25kg)
| Product | Value (inches) |
|---|---|
| Saatva Classic | 4.75 |
| DreamCloud Classic | 4.5 |
| Siena Signature | 4 |
| Nectar Premier | 4 |
| Bear Elite Hybrid | 3.875 |
Our second tester, Ruth Jones, is primarily a front-sleeper and she noted a small amount of pressure build-up in her lower back in this position. This is likely due to her hips sinking too deeply into the mattress foams, and she noted she might "have issues spending all night in that position." (But like me, she could have dozed off when side sleeping.)
This subjective experience is supported by our objective data. We placed a 25kg weight (representing a third of the average body weigh of the average American) at the shoulder and hip areas. According to our scoring rubric, any mattress is considered to have good pressure relief if we observe a sinkage of 3.5 inches or more. The Bear Elite had a 4.5 inch sink at the shoulder and 3.875 inch sink at the hip. These results suggest an ideal balance of sinkage and support thanks to the mattress' strong coil base, particularly at the hips where the zoned coils are.
Both times, the mattress surface recovered within a second of the weights being removed, showing how responsive the foam is. Together, these measurements support our collective opinion that the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress is ideal for side sleepers, as well as combination sleepers who tend towards back and side sleeping.
Motion isolation: 3.2 out of 5
One area where the Bear Elite Hybrid falls slightly short it's motion isolation, which refers to how much of someone else's movements you can feel on the mattress. Some motion transfer is expected — and indeed can be wanted — from responsive, spring-based hybrid beds, but it can cause problems for some co-sleepers.
In our subjective motion isolation tests, Ruth and I agreed that the mattress absorbed the motion of the other person getting into bed well, but when they started tossing and turning, a fair amount of movement could be felt. Motion transfer was most noticeable when side sleeping.
While we could have slept through low-force movements (slight repositioning, for example), higher-force movements such as full position changes would likely disrupt your sleep. "If I was on the brink of sleep and the other person suddenly shifted, I'd likely wake up," Ruth commented in her testing notes.
In our lab-based motion isolation test, we dropped a 5kg slam ball on the mattress and measured its impact via an accelerometer on the other side. The Bear Elite showed an average initial impact of 8.976 m/s2 (indicating excellent initial impact absorption according to our methodology) and an average motion dampening speed of 3.5 seconds (indicating fair to poor motion isolation). So what does this mean?
Bear Elite: motion isolation test results
The lower the initial impact of the ball, the better the mattress is at dampening the original force, meaning there's less motion to transfer
Initial impact
| Product | Value (m/s2) |
|---|---|
| Siena Signature | 5.527 |
| Saatva Classic | 7.863 |
| Nectar Premier | 7.961 |
| DreamCloud Classic | 7.965 |
| Bear Elite Hybrid | 8.976 |
The Bear Elite absorbs initial motion well but the residual movement carries across the mattress for longer and can be felt by someone on the other side of the bed. That's because its coils are designed to react to movement to create responsive support.
This creates great ease of movement on the mattress which I enjoy as a wriggly solo combination sleeper. But the pay-off is motion can be felt more and lingers longer. Light sleepers and light bodies who are easily moved by a co-sleeper tossing and turning next to them may be disturbed on the Bear Elite.
For co-sleepers, there may be a toss up between priorities here. If you find sharing a bed can get uncomfortably warm, you're in safe hands with the Bear Elite Hybrid but might have to put up with some movement. If motion control is your top priority, you're better off selecting a dense motion-quelling bed like the firmer Siena Signature, which can dampen movement in just over a second and scored 4.6 out of 5 for motion isolation, or the luxury firm Saatva Classic, which scored 4 out of 5.
Edge Support: 2.5 out of 5
Edge support refers to how sturdy the perimeter of the mattress is when you sit, lean on or sleep at the edge of the bed. To assess edge support, we placed a 25kg weight at the foot and sides on the mattress; conducted a 'roll off' test; and collated these results with subjective feedback from our at-home testing.
In the Bear Elite Hybrid mattress, high density coils run along the perimeter of the bed to enhance edge support. To test its edge support, we tried to place a 25kg weight three inches in from the edge of the mattress. However, this wasn't possible: the weight simply couldn't balance at this point on the foot or edge of the mattress.
To make sure the weight didn't fall onto any toes, we were forced to move it inwards to measure the compression. This means the Bear essentially failed our edge support test.
(In the new area, the weight sank 4.5 inches; 0.875 more than in the sleeping area. If this had happened on the edge it would have placed the Bear in the 'very good' category. However, given that the sides couldn't support the weight, it was classified as 'poor.')
For comparison, the same weight sank 3.625 inches on the edge of the Saatva Classic – just 0.4 inches more than the sleeping area.
Our 'roll off' tests showed a more positive result. According to these, the size of the effective sleeping surface of the Bear Elite is 54.5 inches, which is half an inch wider than the width of the mattress, showing you can sleep comfortably and supported on every inch of the bed. My fellow tester, Ruth, can vouch that she felt well supported laying on the edge of the mattress, and I'm yet to tumble out of bed when leaning over to knock my alarm off in the mornings.
So why the difference? This is possibly due to the Bear's plush Eurotop, which you sink through when first sitting on the bed before reaching the support of the coils. A person's weight is spread out, allowing you to balance even as you sink. Our weight, on the other hand, concentrates 25kg in one area and sinks past the Eurotop layers before sliding off the bed.
All in all, edge support isn't outstanding, but it's good enough for sleeping comfortably on the mattress — providing your partner doesn't push you to the absolute edge of the bed. But if you need a solid surface to push against when getting up in the morning, we recommend the Saatva Classic instead, which excels at edge support and earned a full 5 out of 5 score.
Should you buy it?
The Bear Elite Hybrid mattress is a premium bed with a diverse appeal that will please those in the market for a top-rated luxury mattress. Specifically, it's a great fit for hot sleepers looking for an actively cooling mattress.
Side sleepers will benefit most from the soft or medium models, while back sleepers should opt for the medium or firm, and stomach sleepers will get the best support from the firm version.
While it's hard to verify Bear's claim that the Celliant-infused design transfers body heat into infrared energy to boost muscle recovery, I can vouch that I slept soundly while testing the Bear Elite mattress and felt great on my runs. (Though that could be due to the point I'm at in my menstrual cycle.)
It's yet to be beaten in our temperature regulation tests, making the Bear Elite Hybrid our number one recommendation for people experiencing night sweats or hot flashes.
Thanks to a combination of Celliant, PCM, copper foams and breathable coils, the Bear Elite Hybrid does a first-class job of wicking heat away throughout the night so you remain comfortable. However, co-sleepers may find a restless partner disruptive thanks to its reactive surface.
At $1,799 for a queen (or $1,899 when you add the Celliant cover), the Bear Elite is a premium buy. But it's built with top-quality materials, and its active climate control and superior comfort give you a lot for your money. We think the Celliant cover is worth the upgrade, but for hot sleepers, the standard Bear Elite should still provide good temperature regulation.
Alternatively, if you're shopping on a smaller budget, the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Pro Hybrid at $999 for a queen is my top suggestion for anyone who overheats at night and wants a luxury-feeling bed for less.
Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review: Alternatives to consider
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