The Bear Star Hybrid Mattress Review

The Bear Star Hybrid is a high quality foam and coil mattress offering sleepers improved pressure relieving contouring and strong support. The mattress contains special materials engineered to reduce heat retention creating a cool sleep environment as well accelerate body recovery.

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Pros & Cons

Mattress Construction

The Bear Star Hybrid is 13" thick. It consists of a cover fabric, three layers of various types of foam and a coil system in between. This design and materials give the mattress a medium firmness feel.

Cover: Soft and breathable hand quilted fabric combining HydroCool technology and Celliant fiber, which reduce heat retention. The Cellient fiber also facilitates body recovery.

Comfort Layer: 2" of malleable copper-infused memory foam, which effectively molds to the shape of the body enhancing comfort. The copper helps dissipate excess heat.

Transition Layer: 2" of low density responsive poly foam, which provides both contouring and moderate bounce.

Support Layer: 8" individually encased coils. The coils are reinforced around the mattress' exterior for better edge support.

Base layer: 1" of high density poly foam supporting the coils as they compress and adding durability to the mattress.

Feel

The soft cover of the Bear Star Hybrid gives a smooth silk-like feel. The HydroCool technology used in the cover fabric wicks away warm and humid air keeping the surface of the mattress cool and dry. The Celliant fiber converts excess body heat into infrared rays, which stimulate blood circulation and increase oxygen levels soothing the muscles and relieving everyday aches and pains.

The highly conforming memory foam in the comfort layer provides a cradling sensation. The responsive low density poly foam in the transition layer is cushy and springy. It enables pleasant sinking combined with moderate bounce, which keeps sleeper's body 'on' the mattress despite the sinking. Lastly, the 8'' coils generate lift and counter the sinkage caused by the soft foam-based layers above making sleepers feel stable while lying on the mattress.

Pressure Relief

The Bear Star Hybrid is a great fit for side sleepers of all weights. Its contouring memory foam will wrap the sensitive areas in their body, the hips and shoulders in particular, mitigating pressure. The low density poly foam in the transition layer will complement the memory foam by providing pressure reliving bounce. The coils on their part will generate lift averting excess sagging enabling these sleepers, especially the heavier ones, to maintain a healthy position throughout the night.

The Star Hybrid is also a good choice for back sleepers who weigh up to 250 pounds. The memory foam in the comfort layer will target their low and middle back preventing the build up of pressure even after long hours of sleep. The soft and elastic poly foam below will distribute their weight evenly across the mattress further reducing pressure. Lastly, the coils will deliver the support necessary for keeping their spine properly aligned.

Back Sleepers whose weight exceeds 250 pounds will plunge too deeply into the mattress and may experience discomfort and, possibly, pain. They'll need a more solid mattress capable of better coping with their more massive body.

Lightweight stomach sleepers will like the Star Hybrid. The combination of contouring and support delivered by its cushy foam layers and coils is exactly what they need to alleviate pressure in the area below their rib cage while keeping their back well supported.

Average and heavyweight stomach sleepers, on the other hand, won't have the best experience lying on the Star Hybrid. The mattress' medium firmness isn't enough to support their abdomen, which is the area in their body most susceptible to sagging. insufficient support may result in immediate discomfort and may eventually lead to curvature disorders in the long run. These sleepers will need a solid mattress built for plus-size people. 

Motion Isolation

The Bear Star Hybrid's ability to isolate motion is not as good as one might expect from a mattress with 5'' foam. The memory foam in the comfort layer does absorb a fair amount of the kinetic energy generated by sleepers' movement. Yet once the energy that wasn't absorbed reaches the responsive and bouncier poly foam in the transition layer and the coils beneath it, it's transferred throughout the mattress creating ripples which may disturb sleepers, especially those who tend to wake up every time their partner tosses and turns.

Repositioning

The Bear Star Hybrid enables sleepers to move quite easily on its surface. The upper memory foam comfort layer causes sinkage, which hampers movement. However, the responsive poly foam layer under it and the 8'' coils effectively counter this sinkage preventing sleepers from being trapped in the mattress.

Having said that, compared to their lighter counterparts, XL sleepers may need to exert more effort to change their sleeping position or get out of bed due to excess sagging.

Edge Support

The Bear Star Hybrid's perimeter is highly stable. Because they're individually wrapped, its coils move independently when they're pressured. In addition, the coils are reinforced around the exterior and so make the mattress' edges firmer to the extent of being able to resist the sinkage caused by the foam layers above.

The big plus of a stable perimeter is that it allows sleepers to lie away from the center of the mattress and, thus, enjoy a larger sleeping space.

Heat Retention

Temperature regulation is the Bear Star Hybrid's strongest point. The HydroCool technology applied in the cover fabric enables rapid moisture evaporation. As mentioned above, The Celliant fiber dissipates heat by turning it into infrared rays which rejuvenate the body. The memory foam in the comfort layer tends to retain heat due to sagging. However, the copper infused in it is a highly conductive metal, which effectively disperses that heat. Finally, the coils enable free flow of air in and out of the mattress significantly augmenting the cooling effect.

Frame & Foundation

The Bear Star Hybrid fits the majority the foundations, frames and adjustable bases sold on the market a long as they are firm enough to support it. It's advisable not to use a traditional coil box spring for the reason that it doesn't provide the evenly distributed surface area required for adequate support. Bear manufactures and sells its own sleep platforms.

The Bear Frame is an easy to assemble reinforced construct crafted from fiberglass-infused resins. It can carry a maximum weight of 2,500 pounds. The frame is sold with a 10-year limited warranty and is shipped at no additional cost. It's highly affordable. Its prices range from $98 for a Twin mattress to $147 for a California King mattress.

The Bear Foundation consists of solid wood. Its sides are upholstered in gray fabric. It's shipped for free and is backed up by a 1-year limited warranty. It's minimum price is $300 for a Twin mattress. It's maximum price is $500 for a California King mattress.

The Platform Bed is manufactured from 100% pine wood. Its fastened by water-based glue and finished with formaldehyde-free stain. The gap between its slats doesn't exceed 3'' so as to guarantee strong support. It's easy to assemble and can carry up to 900 pounds.

The Platform Bed is shipped at zero cost and is backed by a 1-year limited warranty. It's designed for Queen, King and California King mattresses only. Its prices are $795 for the former and $995 for the two latter sizes.

The Adjustable Flex Bed features head and foot tilt, one touch flat preset, zero-G preset, two customizable presets and remote flashlight. It's operated by silent drive motors. The base is designed for split mattresses as each of its sides can move independently. It can support a maximum weight of 750 pounds.

Much like all of Bear's platforms, the Adjustable Flex Bed is shipped for free. It comes with a 10-year limited warranty. It's prices vary from $1,225 for a Twin XL mattress to $2,250 for a Split King mattress.

Additional Details

Bear is a New-Jersey-based company. It has been manufacturing and selling mattresses and related bed room accessories in the U.S. market for more than a generation. The company manufactures all its products in production facilities located in the United States.

All of Bears' mattresses, the Star Hybrid is included, are CertiPUR-US certified indicating the foam they're made of doesn't contain ozone depleters, PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“Tris”) flame retardants, formaldehyde, phthalates, heavy metals and any other substances which may endanger sleeper's health or threaten the environment. 

Furthermore, Bear is GREENGUARD-certified. Accordingly, it applies the necessary measures to minimize the emissions of volatile organic compounds.

Shipping & Delivery

The Bear Star Hybrid will be delivered to you wrapped in plastic, compressed and packed in a box in 2-7 business days. You'll be required set it up by yourself as the company doesn't provide white glove delivery.

The Star Hybrid is shipped anywhere within the contiguous USA free of charge. Shipping to Alaska and Hawaii is available, but it entails an additional cost of around $300. Bear doesn't ship its products to Canada.

Returns & Warranty

The Bear Original is sold with a 120-night trial and a break-in period of 30 nights. That is to say, if you don't like the mattress, you have the option to return it and receive a full refund 30 nights after it was delivered to you and no later then 120 nights. Returned mattresses are donated to charity.

The mattress is backed by a limited lifetime warranty. The warranty extends to the original buyer only. It covers impressions on the surface deeper than 1.5'' and manufacturing defects caused by the premature deterioration of the foam, including splits or cracks which occurred even though the mattress was used normally and handled properly.

The warranty doesn't cover normal wear and tear, an increase in softness due to normal usage, changing comfort preferences, mold, odors, and/or discoloration resulting from abnormal care (e.g. liquid spills, improper ventilation and exposure to excessive water or humidity), minor imperfections and slight cosmetic flaws, naturally occurring aromas and accidental damage, such as tearing, stains and burning marks. The warranty will be voided in case the mattress is maltreated or placed on a foundation that is inadequately supportive.

At the cost of $49.99, $69.99 and $89.99 for three, five and ten years respectively, the warranty may be extended by including accident protection against cuts, punctures and stains from food, drink and bodily fluids.

The Bottom Line

The Bear Star Hybrid is a highly popular mattress due to its excellent performance. Lying on it, sleepers will enjoy deep contouring side by side with strong support. The materials used in the mattress cover are designed to speed up muscle recovery and dissipate heat. The supple poly foam in the transition layer and the bouncy coils enable ease of movement. Equally important, the mattress effectively reduces heat retention providing a cool and pleasant sleep environment.

The Star Hybrid's medium firmness level makes it ideal for light and average weight sleepers. Most plus-size sleepers, in contrast, may need a more supportive mattress. 

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