Bear Original Mattress Review: Affordable, Memory Foam Mattress With a Unique Cover

Buying a mattress online is easier than ever with a sea of options to choose from. It can be hard to sort through all the options, but Bear offers mattresses that stands out from the rest thanks to the brand's unique design. Products made by Bear have a special Celliant-infused cover designed with your body's natural recovery process in mind.

Celliant features a fiber blend of 13 thermo-reactive minerals that help absorb and convert body heat into infrared energy before sending it back to aid your body's muscle recovery and restoration processes. Helping you wake up refreshed and energized, this cover lets Bear stand out in an increasingly crowded market.

It's also an incredibly affordable mattress for what it offers. In this Bear Original mattress review, I discuss the bed's features -- which I tested firsthand, including firmness, edge support and motion isolation -- explaining why the mattress probably would or wouldn't work for you. 

A look at the flagship bed from Bear Mattress

My Slumber Yard

First impressions

There is no way for me to measure whether or how well the Celliant cover boosts my daily performance. It's also hard to pinpoint whether or not restful sleep on this mattress can be traced directly back to the Celliant, but it is a great concept. You also seemingly aren't charged more for having this feature in the mattress, so it certainly doesn't do any harm. (My old boss, who was a gym junkie, also used to sleep on this mattress, and he swore by it.)

Even though the Bear Original is a memory foam mattress, it doesn't give me the same feel as a mattress from Nectar or Amerisleep, two other popular foam mattress brands. It has the same molding and hugging characteristics, but it's quicker to bounce back to normal once you switch positions. This helps prevent your feeling like you have to pull yourself out of the foam layers to change sides -- something for you, combination sleepers. 

Video: Bear Original Mattress Review

Watch our CNET Video Producer, Owen Poole, review the Bear Original mattress. 

Bear Original mattress firmness and feel

What does the Bear mattress feel like?

As cozy and cuddly as a real bear looks to snuggle into, the Bear Original mattress is the real comfort winner -- and it won't try to eat you. As I mentioned above, it doesn't feel like a run-of-the-mill memory foam mattress. It feels almost like it's combined with neutral foam to even out the syrupy feeling that can sometimes accompany memory foam. 

So, it bounces back to its normal position more quickly, allowing you to switch positions easily. The responsiveness is not overwhelming; it's a pleasant feeling that might even appeal to people turned off by classic memory foam. 

How firm is the Bear mattress?

The Bear Original mattress leans slightly more to the firm side of the spectrum, but it's pretty moderate; I'd call it between a medium and a medium-firm, around a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale. It offers excellent spinal and back support when I lie on my stomach or back, and prevents my lower back from sagging into the top layers. It also gently hugs my hips and shoulders when I'm on my side. This may not be the best bed if you spend the entirety of your night on your side because it doesn't have as much give as you might need under your hips and shoulders, especially for people who weigh under 150 pounds. Our list of the best mattresses for side sleepers has more options.

Bear Original mattress construction

The Bear Original bed is a standard 10 inches tall and contains three foam layers.

1. The first layer is a thick layer of firm, dense foam that acts as the bed's supportive base. It's not meant to be comfy but to keep you from sagging into the bed.

2. The second layer is transition foam to add comfort and keep you from feeling the firm bottom layer. It also helps neutralize the memory foam in the top layer. 

3. Third is the graphite-gel memory foam, which provides the majority of the bed's comfort. It's infused with graphite to help absorb your body heat and promote a more comfortable sleeping space. 

Last but not least comes the Celliant-infused cover. You can't physically see the Celliant on the mattress, but the cover has a cool hexagonal textured pattern across the top, giving it a distinctive look. 

CNET Sleep

Bear Original mattress performance

Motion isolation

Nobody likes a shaky, loud mattress that jolts and wiggles whenever your partner gets out of bed. Luckily, that's not something you have to worry about with the Bear Original mattress. I was impressed with its motion-isolating capabilities. Memory foam is top-notch for absorbing movement, and there are no springs or latex foam layers to add bounce to this one. 

Edge support

The Bear Original mattress gets an average rating for edge support. There is some give when lying or sitting on the edge, but that's to be expected when dealing with an all-foam mattress. Unless you're over 230 pounds, you should feel amply supported. 

Temperature

Bear says on its site that the graphite gel in the top layer of memory foam helps provide cooling relief, but I found that's not necessarily the case. It doesn't "sleep cold," and I didn't get a cooling sensation when lying on the bed. That said, I think it helps prevent the bed from overheating like traditional memory foam beds can. Long story short, I'd say it sleeps temperature-neutral. 

Who is the Bear mattress best for?

The Bear Original mattress isn't going to be an ideal fit for everyone, and our purchase decision should partly depend on your primary sleeping position and your body type. 

Sleeping position

Do you usually spend most of the night on your stomach, back, side or a combination of the three? I think the Original Bear mattress is going to be great for back, stomach and combination sleepers. 

Firmer mattresses are better for stomach and back sleepers as they ensure that the spine stays naturally aligned during the night. 

Zooey Liao/CNET

Most average-weight side sleepers should like this bed unless you want more plushness. If you're under 150 pounds, the firmness profile might be too supportive and firm to accommodate you on your side. Instead, take a look at our recommendations for the best soft mattress. 

Body type

In the long run, beds made from just foam are better for people under 230 pounds because they offer the right amount of support and durability. If you're over 230 pounds and willing to spend $500-plus on a mattress, I would recommend the Bear Hybrid mattress or one of the beds on our list of best mattresses for heavy people. The Bear Hybrid offers a Celliant cover and a comfortable neutral feel but with the added benefit of more supportive steel coils. 

How much does the Bear Original mattress cost?

I saved one of the best parts for last -- the price of the Bear Original was surprising because I expected the Celliant-infused cover to mean it would be significantly more expensive. A queen-size Bear Original bed retails for $995 without Celliant, and you can get it even cheaper when the brand runs a promo. Cyber Monday is an excellent opportunity to buy Bear Original at a lower price as Bear and many other mattress brands are running significant discounts.

Shipping, trial and warranty 

No online bed is complete without a warranty policy, a risk-free trial and shipping to your door. Bear's company policies are typical for the online mattress industry. Here's what you can expect.

• Free shipping and returns
• A 120-night trial 
• Lifetime warranty

Your new bed will be delivered to you in a box (hence the term bed-in-a-box), and you will experience an unpleasant smell when you take it out. It's similar to the chemical-like odor of the inside of a new car, but it should completely fade after a few days. The only way to avoid this smell is to go with a certified natural and organic mattress. 

Who will and won't like the Bear mattress?

Bear isn't a brand you hear of often, compared with big names like Casper and Purple, but it's one you should know if you're looking for a quality, affordable memory foam mattress. It has an accommodating firmness level suitable for a wide range of sleeping positions, a comfortable-feeling memory/neutral foam blend and a Celliant-infused cover as the cherry on top. Not to mention, it's priced similarly to mattresses that omit this technology.

You might like this mattress if:

• You're an athlete or work out often (Celliant is supposed to aid in the muscle recovery process)
• You weigh under 230 pounds
• You like the hugging, contouring feel of memory foam
• You aren't looking for the cheapest bed, but a good value

You might not like this mattress if:

• You want to spend under $500
• You're a strict side sleeper who wants a softer mattress
• You weigh over 230 pounds

Other mattresses from Bear

Bear Pro: The Bear Pro mattress is an all-foam mattress with copper-infused polyfoam and gel memory foam layers. It has Bear's signature Celliant cover that regulates your body temperature and helps boost the body's natural recovery process after physical activity. It's between medium and medium firm on the scale, making this mattress a good choice for side and back sleepers. 

Bear Hybrid: This hybrid mattress from Bear has the luxury feel you expect from nice hotels. The Bear Hybrid has a fluffy pillow top for comfort and supportive pocketed coils that support any type of sleeper. And don't forget that Celliant cover that all Bear mattresses have. This is the kind of mattress that anyone will like.

How does the Bear bed compare to other mattresses?

Casper versus Bear mattress: The Bear original and Casper mattresses are popular all-foam mattresses. They both have memory foam and fall in the same firmness range. A few key differences will help you decide between the two. Bear has more of a classic memory foam feel without the sensation of getting sucked into the bed. At the same time, the Casper mattress has a foam feel. Both mattresses have something that makes them stand out -- Bear had the Celliant cover, and Casper has zoned support. 

Nectar versus Bear mattress: If you're in the market for an all-foam mattress, the Nectar and Bear beds are probably at the top of your list. While they have similarities, there are differences in firmness and pricing. The Bear Original mattress is slightly softer than the Nectar Mattress. It's also generally more affordable than Nectar.