Cover
The aforementioned layers of the Nectar mattress are wrapped in a soft and stretchy cover made with cotton and Tencel, which gives it moisture-wicking properties. It has a sturdy feel and sharp-looking royal blue trim. Those who already own a Nectar mattress will note that this new cover isn't heavily quilted as the pre-2020 version was.
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 mattress as a Medium mattress, but towards the softer end of medium. It's not quite as soft as the pre-2020 version.
Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.
| Softness Level (1=Least Soft, 9=Most Soft) |
5 | Medium |
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 gel memory foam that's used for the top layer on the Nectar mattress is quick responding, meaning it doesn't have a lot 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 mattress offered very good support, especially for back and side sleepers, and particular those on the lighter side. 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 as good for them. That said, the Nectar bed does have firmer support layers underneath to prevent most people from sinking too far.
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 mattress:
| Weight | Range | Back Sleepers | Side Sleepers | Stomach Sleepers |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 7 | 9 | 5 |
| Heavier | >250 lb | 6 | 8 | 3 |
Back Sleepers:
Our 200-pound tester felt his hips sinking a tiny bit more than with other mattresses, but still well-supported overall. Likewise, we believe that back sleepers lighter than him should also be well-supported in this position. While do have some concern that back sleepers significantly heavier than him might find their hips sinking too much, potentially creating a hammocking effect, which could lead to back pain.
Side Sleepers:
Spinal alignment for our tester in the side position was 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 mattress would provide good spinal alignment for most side sleepers.
Stomach Sleepers:
In general, mattresses with two inches of very soft memory foam don't tend 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 fine on this mattress, as would occasional stomach sleepers.
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 mattress:
| Weight | Range | Typical Curves | Extra Curvy |
| Lighter | <150 lb | 9 | 9 |
| Average | 150 to 200 lb | 8 | 7 |
| Above Average | 200 to 250 lb | 7 | 6 |
| Heavier | >250 lb | 5 | 5 |
Overall, we found the pressure relief offered by the Nectar mattress to be good for those on the lighter end of the scale. We had concerns for heavier and/or curvier side sleepers, who might fully compress the top 2" of foam 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 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 Nectar 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 bed does have a couple of features that help manage heat. First, it uses gel in its foam, which helps channel heat away from the body. Likewise, the cotton-Tencel mattress cover has moisture-wicking properties. Lastly, it uses foam that is less dense than than in many other memory foam mattresses, which allows for a bit more airflow. But overall, this is an all-foam mattress that may not be a great choice for those who have a known issue of overheating.
| Stays "Cool" Rating |
4/10 | Fair |
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 mattress. However, the compression was mostly in the top memory foam layer, with the bottom two layers of firmer foam providing support and stability.
More surprisingly, while lying down along the edge, our tester found himself to be stable and well-supported – he never felt like he was slipping off. Compared to other memory foam mattresses, the Nectar appears to have good edge support. This will be important to you if you like to sleep right on the edge, or if you have partners or pets that tend to push you that way during the night.
| Edge Support Rating |
7 /10 | 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 bed to be on par with other memory foam mattresses in this regard, but did not feel this would pose problems for most people. But for those with mobility issues, memory foam in general may not be the best choice.
| Repositioning Rating |
6/10 | Pretty 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, 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, while the Tencel in the cover is certified to the OKEO-TEX standard, both of which verify that a material has low VOC off-gassing as well as a lack of chemicals and other substances regulated by the CPSC. You can read about the company's eco-policies on their website.
When the Nectar mattress was first unboxed, we did detect a chemical aroma that seems a bit more than average compared to other mattresses. We would expect this smell to 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 is a good choice, but maybe not the 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 popped right up -- this mattress did not want to stay bent. We would expect it to break in over time and better conform to a base, but out of the box, it did have some conformance issues.
| Adjustable Base Use Rating |
6 /10 | Pretty good |
Price, Value & Longevity
How Much Does a Nectar 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 is an 11-inch mattress with memory foam over foam construction, including 2 inches of premium comfort material (memory foam). Topping the mattress is a stretchy cover, made with moisture-wicking Tencel and cotton.
How Long Will the Nectar 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, the foam densities are lower than some of the other online mattresses we've reviewed (especially in the top two layers). So based on that, we wouldn't expect this to last quite as long as those. That said, it also has a lower price than those other options (see our overall assessment of value below).
Overall Value
On balance, we feel that Nectar offers a solid product at a lower price point, part of which is due to the fact that they make this mattress in China. Looking at what you're getting for the money, we believe it compares favorably to not only what you'd be likely to find in a local store, and generally in line with its online peers. However, for the 2020 version, Nectar has used some lower density foams than the competition in this price range. Overall, we'd say it's a pretty good value assuming it meets your other needs.
| Value Rating |
6 /10 | Pretty good |
