Bear Mattress Star Hybrid Detailed Mattress Review

Scott Paladini founded Bear Mattress in 2014 with the goal of providing high-quality, affordable mattresses that would improve people’s sleep and overall health. Bear quickly gained popularity due to its focus on using advanced materials and technology to aid athlete recovery.  

One key feature of all Bear Mattresses is the use of Celliant, a special mineral based material that is woven into the mattress cover. Celliant has been scientifically shown to improve circulation and reduce pain and discomfort. The company has also established partnerships with organizations such as the American Heart Association, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and the National Sleep Foundation, further emphasizing its commitment to promoting healthy sleep. Bear Mattresses are 100% made in the USA and have achieved the stringent GreenGuard Gold certification, ensuring that their mattresses have met some of the world’s most rigorous and comprehensive standards for low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into indoor air. 

In 2022, Bear joined the growing Z3 Brands family which includes world class brands such as Brooklyn Bedding, Helix Sleep and Birch.  They have earned a reputation not only for making the leading mattresses in the industry, but for quick delivery, superior customer support and one of the best trial and warranties in the industry.  Bear joining the team seems like a perfect fit.

Before we dive into the Star Hybrid’s luxury firm feel, let’s have a look at the reason the Star Hybrid has been Bear Mattress’s most popular mattress to date, especially for the inner athlete is all of us.  

The Unique Cover

The Star Hybrid begins with an ultra breathable, highly wicking, hand woven cover that combines two unique cooling and recovery components to provide an incredible sleep experience.   

Plush Padded Cooling Gel Cover – First, the cover contains ½” of cool gel memory foam for a plush slightly huggy feel and temperature control.  This helps the Star mattress regulate your skin temperature at the optimal level – making it very popular with hot sleepers.

Harnessing Far-Infrared Technology – The second component is the hallmark of Bear’s sleep-recovery reputation.  Bear harnesses the power of far infrared waves to aid in sleep recovery by weaving the mineral compound, Celliant, into every cover.  Far infrared is a type of light energy on the electromagnetic spectrum that has several benefits for the body. The “Far” part refers to where the wavelengths fall on the light spectrum. Celliant captures body heat and reflects it back as far-infrared.  Studies have shown that far infrared reduces inflammation and increases blood flow, thereby aiding in recovery.  

Celliant® fibers have been determined as a medical device and general wellness product by the FDA.The FDA has determined that Celliant products are medical devices as defined in section 201(h) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and are general wellness products. Celliant is a registered trademark of Hologenix LLC

Comfort Layer

Alright, there’s a lot of cooling tech in the comfort layer and zoned support in the transition foam, so we’re going to lay it out as detailed as possible.  

Copper Infused Memory Foam: Bear infused Copper into the top comfort layer of the Star Hybrid.  Why?  Two reasons.  First, copper is highly conductive so it works harder to draw heat away from the body.  Second, it is highly antimicrobial, 1,000 times more antimicrobial than stainless steel.  This bacteria killer will keep your bed feeling fresh and smelling clean longer.

Dynamic Transition Foam: Bear’s dynamic transition is a key component of both the comfort and support of the Star Hybrid mattress.  Where the copper infused memory foam layer brings you in, the transition foam is more responsive and adds support.  The dynamic nature of the foam allows it to spring back so you do not get an overly sinky feeling when lying on the mattress.  In addition, the foam is provide additional support where it counts, in the lumber and hip region.  The result is exceptional pressure relief that can help reduce joint and muscle pain. Additionally, the cooling gel infused within the transition foam pulls heat away from the body, keeping you cool all night long.  The open cell structure and overall design enables it to have higher water absorption and greater moisture wicking. This engineering allows moisture to be released from the mattress more quickly, also contributing to a cooler, more comfortable sleep.  You’ll have 2 inches of ultra comfortable transition foam on the Star Hybrid.

Support System

The Bear Star Hybrid’s support system employs individually encased 8” coils directly underneath the transition layer.  These coils are individually wrapped to mitigate any motion transfer within the mattress.  This combination allows for exceptional reactivity and motion isolation, minimizing sleep disturbance.  Bear brings the springs all the way to the edge with higher caliber perimeter coils to create greater edge support along the sides, head and foot of the bed.  The result?  A solid support system that will last for years  to come and everything you would expect from a performance mattress.

Bottom Support Layer

Underneath the coil support system, Bear lays .75 inches of highly responsive foam to add further compression support to the mattress and absorb any additional motion.

Tufting

Tufting is the process where the individual parts of the mattress are either sewn or glued together to prevent slippage.  In the Star Hybrid’s case, Bear chose top tufting where the top cover is sewn by hand into the foam layers underneath.  The Star Hybrid is not a perfectly flat bed; there are minor tufts on the top.  

Does The Star Hybrid Sleep Cool?

YES!  We found the Star Hybrid to offer neutral to cool temperature control.  Being cool at night is all about being dry.  Star Hybrid accomplishes this through it’s gel infused plush cover, multiple gel memory foam layers and finally the breathability offered by the spring base

1. The cover wicks away moisture and enables you to directly feel the cooling properties.
2. The gel infused and responsive copper memory foam comfort layer pulls heat from the body (and doesn’t return it!)
3. As the mattress is a hybrid, air is able to flow and circulate in-between the coil system

Final result – the Star Hybrid will keep you cool and dry throughout the night allowing your body to get the rest it deserves.

How about Edge Support?

Much Improved with the latest release!

Bear recently redesigned the Star Hybrid to significantly improve its edge support.  They added reinforced perimeter springs to strengthen the corners and edges.   This improved the rating from good to very good across the board.  Even though the Star Hybrid has several inches of memory foam comfort layer, you will be able to sleep comfortably all the way to the edge of the mattress without worry of “slipping off”!

Will the Star Hybrid Stand the Test of Time?

The Star Hybrid is a very high quality mattress and  Bear spends a tremendous amount of time stress testing the materials to get the most out of the springs and foam. The dense transition foam is more durable than regular gel-foams. The result?  A long lasting bed that can support well over 900lbs.  

Just by the new look of the Bear Star Hybrid, you know you’ll be sleeping on a luxurious yet very supportive “Hotel” mattress for many years to come.  As we’ve said before, in this budget range it is difficult to find a cooler, more supportive or comfortable mattress.  Bear chose the most popular feel in the mattress industry (the luxury firm) to nail the sweet-spot of the naturally supportive Star Hybrid.

Star Hybrid (6.8 on the firmness scale)

The Star Hybrid comes in one comfort level, a Luxury firm feel as the significant support skews it closer to the firmer side.  A true Multi Sleeper, it supports all sleeping styles, side, stomach, back and any combination therein.   As soon as you lay on the Star Hybrid, you feel the silky texture of the cover and the cooling gel foam infused cover make your skin temperature drop.  You’ll be more on-top of the mattress as opposed to sinking “in” the mattress.  And, the dynamic nature of the foams will respond quickly as you move filling to their original form.  You won’t have that “quicksand” feeling of many memory foam mattresses.  

Almost immediately you will feel the support of the high density transition foam on your lumbar and the coil system begins to push back and cradle your body no matter which position you sleep.  You will feel pressure relief, but you do not sacrifice the support that you need to keep spinal alignment.  

The sweet spot for weight is up to 225lbs.  Above that weight, you’ll start to lose the benefit of the pressure relief from the gel as your body rests more on the springs.  In this case, look towards the Elite Hybrid medium.  The Elite Hybrid provides additional support through its 5-zoned coil base.  Finally, No matter your sleeping style, this bed will keep you cool and dry and the price is worth every penny. 

• On Sandman’s Firmness Scale, we rate the Star Hybrid a 6.8 out of 10.
• This is a Multi Sleeper, designed for all sleeping styles.   
• You’ll sleep cool and dry all night long. 
• Edge support is very good – soft yet responsive foam is reinforced by stronger springs around the perimeter.  No feeling of falling off here!

The Star Hybrid offers very good motion isolation – it’s everything you would expect from a high performance mattress.  Simply put, you will rarely feel your partner move at night.  Whether they are a toss and turner, an early riser or using the facilities, it’s not the bed that will wake you.  Memory foam, by its very nature, does not transfer motion.  It absorbs energy.  Any motion might come from the springs below, but the pocket coil system separates the springs further isolating any motion transfer.  Star Hybrid uses the transition gel foam to provide the extra absorption, mitigating motion transfer as much as possible.  If you need total motion isolation, then look more towards the all foam luxury mattresses or upgrade to the Elite Hybrid.  However, the design and attention to detail of the high performance Star Hybrid gets it very close to no motion.

All Bear mattresses come in a box. It’s crazy to think that a king size Star Hybrid model with powerful springs and dense foams can be compressed, but it can.  And, with no sacrifice to quality and durability.  Some people ask if compressing the springs will hurt their integrity.  Nothing could be farther from the  truth.  Springs are actually shipped compressed all over the world (to conserve space).  The springs integrity is damaged if they are pulled excessively or bent out of position.  But, the way Bear compresses its mattresses, they keep their shape and strength.  The box arrives via Fedex from their Phoenix, AZ factory.  Simply unbox the mattress.  Rest it on the bed frame and remove the plastic wrapping and the bed will decompress before your eyes.  You can begin sleeping on the bed and enjoying a restful night sleep that same day.

Bear offers a 120 night trial period.  You may either return it for a 100% refund, or exchange it for a different mattress and pay/refund any price difference.  Here’s how the system works:

1. The trial begins when you RECEIVE the mattress (the FedEx delivery day).
2. You can sleep on it for 120 nights.  As there can be a slight break-in period, Bear asks that you not initiate a return during the first 30 days.  
3. If it’s not the mattress of your dreams, reach out Bear at [email protected], via phone (844-311-0035), email or chat (on their website), provide your name and order number and let them know if you wish to RETURN or EXCHANGE.  Either way, there are no questions asked!
4. Returns: In most cases, Bear will request that you have the mattress donated. Many of the charity foundations that are available offer a local pickup service. In the event that you are having trouble getting this coordinated, please let Bear know and they will offer additional assistance. Once donated, you will receive a full refund.  If you are having trouble, reach out to Bear and they will be happy to assist.
5. Full 100% refunds (no fees!!) are issued within 3-4 business days of the pick-up. 
6. Exchanges: For an exchange, Bear will send the new mattress to your home BEFORE the old one is removed so you’ll never be without a bed to sleep on. 

Bear doesn’t stop there!  After the trial period ends, Bear offers a Lifetime warranty.

Yes, Bear Mattress offers financing through Affirm.  Pay as low as 0% for 12-24 months with Affirm.  Click here to see if you qualify.

Bear has 14 showrooms located in the Phoenix and Scottsdale AZ area.   However, if you are in the Chicago or Columbus OH area, please visit to test out the Star Hybrid.  We’ll (we’ll even help get it ordered for you!)