This is our plain-English explanation and overview of the Nectar collection of memory foam mattresses. Also see our in-depth review of the original Nectar mattress, and of the Nectar Premier mattress.
If you’d prefer to watch rather than read, watch our Nectar Mattresses Overview video.
Nectar Mattresses: Shared Features
There are three mattresses in the Nectar foam collection. The original Nectar, now in its third generation, is still the company's flagship model, and is now also the least expensive. The Nectar Premier (formerly called the Nectar Lush) is taller and softer, and the Nectar Premier Copper has more memory foam and added copper fibers. Despite these differences, the three have a lot in common.
All-Foam construction
Each of the three Nectar mattresses is made entirely of foam and memory foam; you won't find any springs here. All three include at least three inches of memory foam as the top layer, followed by a layer of transition foam, and a 7" or 9" layer of firmer support foam.
The foam layers are wrapped in a stretchy, non-quilted cover, so there's very little between your body and that top memory foam, meaning you get plenty of that traditional, "melting" memory foam feel.
Due to the all-foam construction, none of the three mattresses could be considered 'bouncy' at all.
Cooling covers
Speaking of the cover, the material differs a bit for each model, and each of them have slightly different cooling features. All of the covers include polyethylene fibers. These are denser fibers that have a subtle cool-to-the-touch effect. The more expensive Premier model has twice as many of these denser cooling fibers. The Premier Copper adds copper fibers. Since copper is a head-conducting material, the copper should help draw heat from the body.
All of the covers can be unzipped and removed. However, the company advises not removing the cover, as doing so will void the warranty. It's confusing to us why a company would include a zip-off cover if the cover is never supposed to be removed.
365-night trial and lifetime warranty
The mattresses also share a very long 365-night trial period, along with the company's "Forever" warranty.
While Nectar’s lifetime warranty certainly appears generous, it’s important to understand how warranty claims work. One of the biggest, if not THE biggest complaints about any mattress from consumers regards body impressions—the inability of a mattress to spring back, eventually creating a low spot/sinkhole in the mattress. As such, mattress warranties all contain a term defining how big a sag or ‘body impression’ (measured when no one is on the mattress) is considered a defect, and thus covered under the warranty. The industry standard for foam mattresses is ¾”, while it’s typically 1” for other mattress types. Nectar has chosen to cover only indentations that meet or exceed 1.5”. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be very deep and noticeable before the warranty would offer you protection.
While we applaud Nectar for offering a lifetime warranty, given the choice we would generally prefer a 10-year warranty with a ¾” dip requirement over a lifetime warranty with a 1.5” requirement. Also note that beyond 10 years, you'll be responsible for a $50 shipping charge each way, which will be refunded if your warranty claim is deemed valid.
Now let's take a look at how the three Nectar mattresses differ. While sold primarily online, Nectar mattress are sold in a variety of mattress stores if you prefer to try before you buy. Nectar has a
store locator to find a retailer near you.
The Nectar Mattress (the 'Original' Nectar)
For a couple of years, there was only one Nectar mattress. Now in its third generation, the original Nectar bed has evolved in terms of softness: It's gotten firmer. This latest iteration is the firmest of the three. On our scale, we would call it a Medium Firm. For the record, we judged the first model (roughly 2016) a Medium Soft, and the second generation (circa 2019) a Medium. This could be important if you are sleeping on the first incarnation, expecting that the latest model will have the same "feel."
The Nectar mattress features 2" of memory foam in the top layer for a total height of 12".
This is a quick-responding memory foam, meaning that once you get off the mattress, it quickly comes back to shape. If you like a 'slower' feel, where you get a lot of that really slow, sinking sensation, you do get more of that with the Premier and the Premier Copper.
The original Nectar bed has a cooling cover, with the inclusion of those polyethylene fibers. This gives is a slight coolness to the touch that might help keep you a bit cooler if sleeping hot isn't a huge issue for you.
Prices for the original Nectar mattress:
Above: The Original Nectar mattress
Nectar Premier
The middle model in terms of price and height, the Nectar Premiere is a 13" tall bed. The name is new, but the mattress itself is largely unchanged from its previous name, the Nectar Lush. See our in-depth review on the Premier when we reviewed it under the Lush name.
The Premier adds an extra inch of memory foam to the original Nectar bed, but keeps the same 3" of transition foam. This gives it a slightly a much softer feel with slightly deeper cushioning. Where we rate the original as a Medium Firm, the Premier is closer to a Medium Soft. It also has more "sink" -- or deeper cushioning, meaning your heavier and pointier parts, like hips and shoulders, will sink into the mattress more deeply.
Another big difference is cooling features. The cover of the Nectar Premier mattress has twice as many polyethylene fibers, giving it a more pronounced feeling of coolness to the touch. Additionally, the Premier features phase-change material on top of the memory foam in the central third of the mattress. Phase-change material can be described as wax beads enclosed in plastic that are cooler when you first lay down, then gradually warm to your body temperature. In theory, this would allow you to feel cooler longer in bed.
A Queen size Nectar Premier costs about $500 more than the Original mattress.
Above: Nectar Premier mattress
Nectar Premier Copper
Moving up price-wise, the Nectar Premier Copper is a 14" mattress, featuring 4" of premium gel memory foam as the top comfort layer. That's both more memory foam and a different type of memory foam compared to the original and Premier mattresses. We definitely felt the difference. The Premier Copper feels like a traditional, slow-responding memory foam, with lots of that slow, melting into the bed sensation and the deepest "sinkage" compared to the other two. However, at the same time, this is the firmest mattress of the three. So we felt that surface firmness, but as your body warms up the memory foam, it will start to melt underneath you and let you sink down.
On the cooling side, the Premier Copper has extra features, most obviously the inclusion of copper fibers in the cover. Copper is a proven heat conductor, so combined with the cover's polyethylene fibers, this cover should help keep you a bit cooler longer, while you fall asleep. In addition, the Nectar Premier Copper has phase-change material applied to the top of the memory foam in the central third of the bed (under your hips). Phase-change materials are designed to stay cooler longer, until your body eventually warms them.
A Queen-size Premier Copper costs about double that of the Original Nectar.
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