Bear Original Mattress reviewed

The Bear Original is Bear’s entry-level all-foam mattress, 10 inches (25 cm) tall. Under a quilted cover woven with Celliant fibers sit a gel swirl memory foam, a responsive comfort foam and a 6-inch high-density base. Bear does not publish the thickness of the two comfort layers.

Bear rates the feel medium-firm, 6.5 to 7 out of 10, and we agree with a 7. It is noticeably firmer than most memory foam beds: you rest on it more than in it, which keeps the hips level for back and stomach sleepers. Side sleepers with sharp shoulders may want something softer.

The gel foam and the firmer feel keep heat buildup moderate for an all-foam bed. Bear sells the Celliant cover as a recovery feature; that claim rests on Celliant’s own studies, so we treat the cover as a pleasant extra rather than a reason to buy.

Price is the real argument. A Queen costs $998 before the frequent sitewide promo codes, the trial runs 365 nights and the warranty is a limited lifetime warranty. Bear asks you to sleep on it for 30 nights before starting a return.