Nest Sparrow (2020-2024) Mattress Review

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 )

Keep in mind that what mattress companies call “firm” or “soft” is a purely a preference. All mattresses should be supportive and promote healthy spinal alignment. Whether a mattress is fluffy and squishy (what mattress companies call soft or plush), or less so (what companies call firm), is purely down to your personal needs and preferences.

The Sparrow Signature Hybrid mattress comes in three versions: Plush, Medium and Firm. We tested the Medium version and found that it felt just to the softer side of medium for us.

Not sure what softness is best for you? Take our Mattress Match Quiz and find out.

Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )

This refers to how deeply you sink into the mattress or feel cradled or hugged, versus a feeling of floating on top of the bed. We found the Sparrow Signature Hybrid from Nest to have a bit more than average cushioning, and our tester felt more of a hugged/cradled sensation on the mattress. Keep in mind that we tested the Medium version of this bed. It also comes in a Firm version, which we would assume has less cushioning, as well as a Plush version, which would likely have even deeper cushioning.

Memory Feel

Responsiveness refers to how quickly a mattress recovers its shape after being compressed. When you press your hand into the mattress, for instance, then remove it, does it take several seconds for the mattress to return to flat, or does it recover immediately?

The Nest Sparrow bed has only a tiny amount of memory foam quilted into the top cover. You can feel/see it when you press on it with your fingers, but when laying on the mattress, you don't feel any of that melting sensation that's associated with memory foam.

Bounce

As with most hybrid mattresses, we noted a good amount of deep and mid-level bounce. The top foam tends to absorb any surface bounce. So you're more likely to notice this mattress's bounciness when you plop into bed rather than just moving around and changing positions.

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.

In our evaluations, the Sparrow Signature Hybrid mattress from Nest Bedding afforded very good back support and spinal alignment particularly for back and side sleepers of average size or lighter. We did question whether heavier individuals would be sink too much into the mattress (particularly in the stomach-sleeping position) to achieve that neutral spine position that’s the gold standard.

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 Sparrow mattress from Nest:

Back Sleepers:

While our tester was on his back, he noted that his hips sank just deeply enough to create a good neutral spine. We feel that sleepers of a average weight and lighter would have a similar experience. We might have a little concern for heavier persons, whose hips might sink in a little too deeply. For heavier sleepers, we'd probably recommend taking a look at the Firm version of this bed.

Side Sleepers:

In our evaluation, side sleepers would also be well supported by the Sparrow Signature Hybrid bed. Our 200 lb. tester’s hips and shoulders sank into the bed just enough to create a neutral spinal position. We also felt that average to heavier people would be very supported while side sleeping.

Stomach Sleepers:

For stomach sleepers, hybrid mattresses on the firmer side typically work well, so we'd suggest trying the Firm version rather than this Medium version. Our tester felt his hips sinking too deeply in this position -- which can lead to over-arching in the back and to potential back pain.

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 )

Motion isolation was very good in our testing and we felt that the Sparrow bed would be a good choice for couples who don’t want to feel their partner getting in and out of bed. The Nest mattress’s pocket springs did a very good job working in isolation so that a movements on one side of the bed would not be felt on the other. In our tests with a bowling pin standing upright on the bed, it wobbled when we moved on the mattress, but never fell.

Temperature ( what’s this )

For most people, we do not think the Sparrow Signature Hybrid mattress will feel hot.

Spring and coil mattresses in general will naturally provide greater air flow than those made of all foam. There's also gel in the top 3" layer of Energex foam. Gel is a known conductor and is included to help draw heat away from the body.

If overheating in bed is an issue for you, we think the Sparrow would be a good choice, though if sleeping hot is a major issue for you, you might want to consider the Firm version of the mattress, in which you would likely not sink in so deeply (allowing for more of the body to be exposed to air).

Edge Support ( what’s this )

Edge support is important if you like to sit on the side of the bed, or if you tend to sleep along the edge. With the Sparrow Signature Hybrid mattress, our tester sunk down a lot when he sat on the edge. He didn't feel unstable, but some competing hybrid mattresses can do a better job supporting a person sitting on the edge.

When laying on the very edge of the bed, our tester felt his weight better distributed, and did not feel like he was leaning or rolling off the bed at all. If your pets or kids tend to push you towards the side of the bed, we think the Sparrow bed will be just fine.

Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )

If you tend to move and change positions a lot over the course of a night, ease of repositioning will be a priority for you. We found the Sparrow  bed to perform well in this area. Our tester had no major trouble moving around or rolling into another position. The mattress’s shallower cushioning, along with it’s quicker-responding foam likely contributed. If ease of movement is an important priority for you, we thought the Sparrow would be a very good choice.

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.

Nest Bedding does make some natural mattresses, but the Sparrow isn’t one of them. While the foams are petroleum-based, they are certified to the CertiPUR-US standard, which verifies that a material has low VOC off-gassing as well as a lack of chemicals and other substances regulated by the CPSC. This is a certification that's very standard nowadays among mattresses that contain foam.

Steel coils are not known for issues with off-gassing at all, and are potentially recyclable down the road.

We gave the mattress an initial "sniff test" when we first unpacked it. All mattresses have a little new-mattress smell, but the Sparrow Signature Hybrid had less than average in our opinion.

Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )

We tested the Nest Sparrow mattress on our standard queen-size adjustable base. We're looking for anything unusual or uncomfortable that might happen when we move it in and out of an articulated position.

Even as brand new, the mattress did an excellent job conforming to our adjustable base unit. Even when our tester got off of the bed while raised, the mattress held its position very well in both the middle and at the foot.

Because of the bed's padded and quilted cover, we did note that it bunches up in a bulky way in the center of the bed when raised --something that can bother some people.

Price, Value & Longevity

How Much Does a Nest Sparrow 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 Sparrow mattress from Nest Bedding is a 12” mattress that combines supportive pocket springs with the softness of a latex-like foam. It’s a type of construction that’s very popular today among the major store brands, and it compares well to something you might see in a mattress or furniture store.

One advantage is the zip-off cover, which is a less common feature. It gives you access to the top comfort layer, so you could potentially extend the life of the mattress by replacing the comfort layer. You can do exactly that through Nest's Lifetime Renewal Exchange program, which allows you to order a new comfort layer free of charge one time during your period of ownership.

In our time testing the Nest bed, we found it to be sturdy and well made. It’s also worth noting that user reviews for Nest Bedding on GoodBed are some of the highest satisfaction ratings we’ve seen for any brand. And in the California King size, the ability to opt for a split configuration is a nice bonus.

How Long Will the Sparrow Signature Mattress Last?

When it comes to estimating the comfort lifespan of a mattress, we can 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 Sparrow bed, the primary comfort layer is a proprietary foam called Energex in a 3.5-lb density. Since this is a specialty engineered foam, we have less empirical data about the long-term performance of this material. However, it's a nice perk that the cover unzips to allow access to the whole Energex layer. As a result, you could replace it down the road if need be with a new 3-inch layer of foam, latex, or memory foam, extending the life of the mattress.

Also, the company's lifetime warranty against a 1" body impression demonstrates Nest's confidence in the durability of the mattress, and this gives us additional comfort regarding its longevity prospects.

Overall Value

Price-wise, the Sparrow Signature Hybrid is similar to other online mattresses, and its foam-over-pocketed-springs construction type is fairly common. We do think it compares well to what you would find today in traditional mattress stores, and the Nest bed’s price is likely lower. Being able to replace the top comfort layer is an additional advantage that can give you peace of mind. Overall, if you are drawn to the idea of a hybrid bed that combines aspects of foam mattresses with that of coils, then we do think the Alexander Signature Hybrid represents a very good value.

And if you prefer to try a mattress in a store, Nest does have a handful of showrooms, primarily in California and Arizona so you can try before you buy. Otherwise, take comfort that the company offers a 100-night trial, and if you’re not happy for any reason after trying the mattress, you can get a full refund.