Cover
The layers of the Nectar Premier mattress are wrapped in a cover that can be zipped off completely -- helpful if you need to spot-clean the cover at some point. It has a smooth, almost slick feel. Keep in mind that the manufacturer advises against taking the cover off -- in fact, doing so voids your warranty. It's a little mystifying to us why a company would include a removable cover, then advise against using it.
The cover includes polyethylene fibers. These are tiny, thin, plastic threads intended to help the fabric feel cooler than a typical cotton or polyester fabric. We did think it was effective, and it did feel a bit cooler to use than a regular mattress cover might.
Comfort & Feel
There are three aspects that make up our assessment of comfort and feel. We call these "preference-based characteristics" because no rating here is better or worse – rather, the attributes that are most desirable to you will be determined solely by your personal preferences. We apply the same classification standards to each mattress so you can more easily compare apples to apples.
Softness ( what’s this )
We class the Nectar Premier mattress as a Medium Soft mattress on our scale. The top layer of memory foam especially has a very soft and pliant feel.
Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.
Softness Level (1=Least Soft, 9=Most Soft) |
6 | Medium Soft |
Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )
Especially compared to non-memory foam mattresses, you get more of a “sink in” feeling. Compared to other memory foam mattresses, you feel “hugged” but it isn’t super deep. The softness of that top layer of foam does compress very easily though, which allows you to sink into the bed pretty well. Overall we would call it slightly deeper than average.
Cushioning Depth (1=Shallowest, 9=Deepest) |
6 | Slightly deeper than average cushioning |
Memory Feel ( what’s this )
Memory feel, which we also call 'responsiveness' is characterized by a 'melting' sensation as you lay on the mattress. When you get out of the bed, memory foam mattresses with a lot of 'memory feel' take several seconds to return to shape. Some people enjoy the 'melting' feel, while others don't.
The memory foam that's used for the top layer on the Nectar Premier mattress is quick responding, meaning it doesn't have a ton of that memory feel. Rather, it compresses and recovers fairly quickly. So while you do notice a little of that slow sinking sensation, it's not nearly as much as some other memory foams.
Memory Feel (1=Least, 9=Most) |
6 | Some memory feel |
Bounce
Bounce (1=Least, 9=Most) |
2 | Very little bounce |
Back Support & Pressure Relief
The two things that you should always be sure to get from your mattress are spinal alignment (commonly thought of as "back support") and pressure relief. Unfortunately, no mattress will deliver these two things equally well for all sleepers. In particular, spinal alignment and pressure relief capabilities will vary across sleepers with different weights, body shapes, and sleep positions. To help you determine how this mattress will perform for you, we break down our spinal alignment and pressure relief assessments by sleeper type.
Overall, we thought the Nectar Premier mattress offered very good support, especially for back and side sleepers. Because the top memory foam layer is very soft, stomach sleepers and heavier individuals (225 lb.+) may find that the spinal alignment and/or pressure relief are not quite as good for them.
Spinal Alignment
The key to good back support is maintaining proper spinal alignment while you sleep. This means that the mattress should hold your spine in roughly the same position it's in when you're standing. The ability of a given mattress to do this will generally depend on your weight, sleep position, and body shape.
Here is how we break down the spinal alignment of the Nectar Premier mattress:
Weight | Range | Back Sleepers | Side Sleepers | Stomach Sleepers |
Lighter | <150 lb | 9 | 9 | 7 |
Average | 150 to 200 lb | 9 | 9 | 6 |
Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 8 | 8 | 5 |
Heavier | >250 lb | 8 | 8 | 4 |
Back Sleepers:
Our 200-pound tester felt his hips sinking in just the right amount to create a neutral spinal position and he felt well-supported. Likewise, we believe that most back sleepers would also feel supported. The softer upper layers of foam reach up into the lumbar area, while the support foam keeps hips from sinking too much.
Side Sleepers:
Spinal alignment for our tester in the side position was also very good. The conforming memory foam allowed his shoulders to get deep enough into the mattress to allow the top of his spine to remain level. Overall, we believe the Nectar Premier mattress would provide good spinal alignment for most side sleepers.
Stomach Sleepers:
In general, mattresses with 3" inches of very soft memory foam aren't going to be a great fit for stomach sleepers. That’s because in this position the top priority for spinal alignment is to avoid the over-arching of your back (which can lead to back pain) by preventing your hips from sinking too far into the mattress. For that reason, we gave the Nectar mattress a lower rating for stomach sleepers. That said, we do think that lighter stomach sleepers (e.g., 150 lbs. or less) would probably be okay on this mattress.
Pressure Relief ( what's this )
When a mattress pushes back against your body with too much force in a concentrated area, the result can be pain, soreness, loss of circulation, excessive tossing, and other problems. In general, such "pressure points" are of greatest concern for side sleepers, since that's the position in which your body's weight is distributed over the smallest surface area. To find the right mattress for your needs, keep in mind that the pressure-relieving capabilities of any given mattress will vary depending on the sleeper. Factors like your weight and body shape (e.g., broader shoulders and/or hips) will determine how far you sink into the mattress, and the pressure relief offered by that mattress will vary widely at different depths.
Here's how we sized up the pressure relief of the Nectar Premier mattress:
Weight | Range | Typical Curves | Extra Curvy |
Lighter | <150 lb | 9 | 8 |
Average | 150 to 200 lb | 8 | 7 |
Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 8 | 7 |
Heavier | >250 lb | 7 | 6 |
Overall, we found the pressure relief offered by the Nectar mattress to be good. Between the memory foam and the latex-like Energex foam, that's 5" of pressure-relieving material. We had some concerns for much heavier and curvier side sleepers, who might fully compress the softer foams and hit the much firmer foam below, which can't offer as much conformance and pressure relief.
Other Features
Beyond the preference-based characteristics of comfort and feel, and the body matching for spinal alignment and pressure relief, a mattress will have a number of other attributes that can make it a better or worse choice for you. We call these "priority-based characteristics" because they are areas in which a mattress can be better or worse, but that will have differing amounts of importance to each sleeper. So, determining how much importance to give to these features will be entirely a matter of your own personal priorities. As always, we apply the same ratings standards to each mattress so you can more easily compare apples to apples.
Motion Isolation ( what’s this )
With a bowling pin standing upright on the Nectar Premier bed, we tested motion isolation by dropping a 16-lb. bowling ball on it, as well as the whole weight of our 200-lb. tester. In both drop tests, the bowling pin barely moved and never toppled over, which means that motion disturbances on one side of the mattress barely registered on the other side of the mattress. That means the Premier bed is ideal for couples who don’t want to feel their partners movements (or don’t want to feel their dog jumping onto the bed).
Motion Isolation Rating |
10 /10 | Exceptional |
Temperature ( what’s this )
Memory foam mattresses have a reputation for feeling hot, and if you know you are a “hot sleeper” then memory foam may not be the best choice in general. The Nectar Premier bed does have a couple of features that help manage heat. First, it has phase-change material in the top layer of foam, which helps it feel a little cooler to the touch. The cover of the mattress includes high-density polyethylene (plastic) fibers, which help it feel cooler to the touch as well. Remember you'll be adding a mattress protector and sheets on top of both of these cooling features, which will negate their effect.
Overall, if sleeping hot is a concern for you, then a memory foam mattress is not the best type of bed for you generally. For those who have not experienced any issues with overheating, we don't think it will be an issue on the Premier.
Stays "Cool" Rating |
5/10 | Okay |
Edge Support ( what’s this )
Memory foam mattresses aren’t typically very supportive along the very edge of the mattress—important if you like to sit on the edge of the bed, or if you tend to sleep along the edge. As expected, our tester did experience a substantial amount of dip when sitting on the edge of the Premier mattress. However, the compression was mostly in the top memory foam layer, with the bottom two layers of firmer foam providing support and stability.
When laying right on the edge, he felt himself starting to lean a little bit off the side of the bed, but not so much that he felt he'd roll out. If edge support is a priority for you, other mattresses have tested better in this respect. The Nectar Premier was not the best, but also not the worst.
Edge Support Rating |
6 /10 | Pretty good |
Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )
Certain people with mobility issues may have trouble repositioning in general -- for people in this camp, a memory foam mattress like this one may make things a bit more difficult. Our tester found the ease of moving / rolling around on the Nectar Premier bed to be fairly easy. But for those with mobility issues, memory foam in general may not be the best choice.
Repositioning Rating |
7/10 | Good |
Green Features ( what’s this )
For mattress shoppers concerned with the use of natural materials, sustainable manufacturing practices or the like, we offer our subjective evaluation of any efforts taken by the company to make the mattress more green, healthy, or safe. These types of things can be of particular concern for a mattress that is made in China.
In the case of the Nectar Premier, the company makes no claims about the use of natural materials in the mattress. However all of the foams used are certified to the CertiPUR-US standard, which ensures that the foam has minimal presence of harmful chemicals. You can read about the company's eco-policies on their website.
When the Nectar Premier mattress was first unboxed, we did detect a chemical aroma that seems a bit more than average compared to other mattresses. The smell did dissipate over a few days.
Green Rating |
3 /10 | Fair |
Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )
If you plan to use your mattress atop an adjustable base, the Nectar Premier is a good choice, but maybe not the very best. This mattress is made to bend so using it on an adjustable base shouldn’t put undue strain on it.
In our testing, the foot of the bed didn't conform well to our adjustable base, and when our tester got out of the bed, it didn't remain entirely hugged into the base. We would expect both of these conformance issues to improve as the mattress breaks in and adapts to the adjustable base. We did not notice any bothersome bunching of the cover or any other issues.
Adjustable Base Use Rating |
8/10 | Very good |
Price, Value & Longevity
How Much Does a Nectar Premier Mattress Cost?
Prices shown are list prices. Remember that GoodBed keeps our site current with the best available discounts on online mattresses, many of which are exclusive discounts for our readers.
What Are You Getting?
The Nectar Premier is a 13-inch mattress with memory foam over foam construction, including 3 inches of premium comfort material (memory foam) infused with phase change material. The zip-off cover also has a cooling feature -- tiny polyethylene fibers that in our testing did give it a noticeable coolness to the touch.
How Long Will the Nectar Premier Mattress Last?
When it comes to estimating the comfort lifespan of a mattress, we tend to use foam density as our best, albeit imperfect, predictor of how long a foam will retain its shape and resiliency. In the case of the Nectar Premier, our main concern would be the top memory foam, which has a 3.5-lb. density--on the low side for premium memory foam. But the other foams are of a more standard and average density, and we would not have major concerns about them.
Overall Value
The Nectar Premier is a Chinese-made foam mattress whose price is higher than some other online all-foam mattresses of similar quality, and with similar features intended to enhance cooling. But its price is competitive to what you might find in a mattress store.
Value Rating |
6 /10 | Pretty good |