Nest Owl Mattress Review

Summary: Is the Nest Owl a Good Mattress?

The Nest Owl mattress -- formerly called the Nest Latex Hybrid -- combines a pocket spring support layer with three inches of 100% natural latex (made from rubber trees) as the comfort layer. Altogether, the mattress measures about 12.5" in height. The combination of latex and coils is not one we see very often, and we were excited to put it through our tests.

The Owl has some interesting available options. Though it has a good amount of eco-friendly materials, it is not 100% natural or organic. (Nest does sell a Certified Organic Latex Hybrid mattress for roughly twice the cost). The wool and cotton cover of the mattress unzips to give access to the latex layer, which can be replaced down the road if your preferences change. You can also order this mattress (king size only) as a dual-comfort model, meaning you can specify one side as medium and the other side as plush, just as an example. That's an interesting option if two partners have very different needs and preferences in terms of softness -- and choosing that option costs the same as a single softness option.

The mattress comes in three softness choices: Plush, Medium, and Firm. We tested the Medium version, which the company says is most popular. On our scale, we found this mattress to be more of a medium-soft, just to the softer side of what we would call medium. In our tests, we thought it would be an excellent choice a wide range of individuals. Back support in all sleeping positions was excellent, in our tests, especially for lighter-weight people (less than about 200 lbs.) but was still good overall (we'd advise those on the higher end of the scale to check out the firm version of the mattress).

Pressure relief across the board was also a highlight in our evaluations.

From a features perspective, the Nest Owl performed well in just about all our tests for motion isolation, edge support, ease of repositioning, and adjustable base compatibility. And if you tend to sleep in a lot of positions, our tester found changing from one position to another almost effortless.

If you are interested in a latex bed, green and eco-friendly features may be of importance to you. The Nest Owl certainly has more natural materials than all-foam or memory foam beds. It's also stacked rather than glued, so there's less chance of off-gassing. However, if you want the "greenest" bed you can buy, you might opt for the organic version of this bed at higher cost. But for those looking for a balance of eco-friendly materials, and latex's pressure-relieving and support properties, combined with the more traditional feel and bounce of pocket springs, we think the Nest Owl mattress ticks a lot of boxes.

Nest includes a long 365-day trial period with full refund should you decide to return the bed. It also includes a "Lifetime Renewal Exchange" meaning that if your needs change--say your comfort preferences change--the company will send you a new comfort layer that you simply install yourself by unzipping the cover of your mattress. The Lifetime Renewal Exchange is offered as a one-time courtesy, but you can redeem it anytime.

Read on for our detailed report, and be sure to check out the video to see this mattress in action as we put it through our tests.

Note: Nest Bedding is a mattress company that primarily sells its beds online, though it does have a handful of showrooms. Here we review the Nest Owl mattress, a latex over pocket springs bed. We have also reviewed the Sparrow bed, a mattress with memory foam on top of a layer of pocket springs, and the Nest Quail mattress, their entry level foam mattress.

Bottom Line: Who is the Best Match for a Nest Owl Mattress?

BEST if you:

• Sleep in a range of positions
• Like a little bit of feeling "hugged" by your mattress
• Value eco-friendly materials
• Prefer a mattress with some bounce 

NOT IDEAL if you:

• Like a slow, melting into the bed feeling
• Are  heavier (200 lbs.+) person (opt for the firm version instead)
• Have a history of sleeping hot

If you’d prefer to watch rather than read, check out our full Nest Owl mattress video review.

Comfort and Feel

The “feel” characteristics of a mattress cannot be universally better or worse. They can only be more or less desirable to you, based on your personal preferences. For this reason, we call these “preference-based” attributes. Our ratings here are based on objective measurements that we apply to a consistent scale for products from all brands.

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 Nest Owl mattress comes in three versions: Plush, Medium and Firm. We tested the Medium model, which the company says is the most popular. In our estimation, we would class this mattress as a Medium Soft on our scale. It’s definitely just to the softer side of what we would define as Medium, and the top quilted cover has a lot to do with that.

Note that you can order the king size of this mattress with two different softness levels. So if you prefer medium but your spouse prefers firm, the company will send you the top layer of latex as two pieces, placed side by side. Don't worry that you'll be able to feel a ridge where the two meet -- the cover is so soft and has so much loft that you won't feel the joint.

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 Nest Owl mattress to have a little deeper than average cushioning, with the plush quilted cover having a lot to do with that. 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, and Plush version, which would likely be deeper cushioning.

Responsiveness ( what’s this )

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 Owl bed doesn’t have any memory foam, so it does not have any of that slow-responding memory feel. But it does have some bounce. The latex layer imparts some surface bounce, and the pocket springs below kicked in when our tester dropped his weight onto the bed, springing him back into the air.

So if you like some bounce to your mattress, yet don’t particularly like that memory foam feeling of sinking into your mattress, the Nest Owl may work for you.  

Back Support

The key to good back support is for the mattress to support your spine in a “neutral” position while you sleep, meaning that the shape of your spine is roughly the same as when you're standing. The ability of any given mattress to do this will vary by sleeper, depending on its “fit” for your weight, body shape, and preferred sleep position(s).

In our evaluations, the Nest Owl mattress afforded very good back support and spinal alignment in all sleeping positions (something that’s been comparatively rare in our history of reviewing mattresses). We had some slight concern for heavier sleepers (especially stomach sleepers) however, who we felt would be better served from a spinal alignment perspective by the Firm version of this mattress.

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 Nest Owl mattress:

Back Sleepers:

While our 200-lb. tester was on his back, he noted that his hips sank just deeply enough to create a good neutral spine. We felt that sleepers of a wide range of sizes and weights would have a similar experience, owing to the supportive coils below.

Side Sleepers:

In our evaluation, side sleepers would also be well supported by the Nest Owl 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. Those over about 250 lbs. might look instead to the firm version of this mattress.

Stomach Sleepers:

Stomach sleepers, in our view, would also be well served by this latex/coil hybrid bed. There was ample firmness to support our tester’s hips and midsection while on his stomach, without sinking down too far. (The risk for stomach sleepers is sinking down too deeply into a mattress, creating too much arch in the back which can lead to back pain down the road.) Our tester was well supported, and we felt that most sleepers would also experience good spinal alignment, with the possible exception of those over 200 lbs. who might opt for the Firm version of the Nest Owl mattress.

Pressure Relief

Inadequate pressure relief from your mattress results in “pressure points,” which can be a source of pain, soreness, loss of circulation, restlessness, and other problems. Pressure relief requirements will vary be sleeper, with side sleepers needing the most. Likewise, the amount of pressure relief that a given mattress provides will also vary by sleeper, depending on its “fit” for your weight and body shape.

Overall, we found the pressure relief offered by this Nest mattress to be very good to excellent. Latex in general has a very good reputation for pressure relief, right up there with memory foam. We thought pressure relief would be very good on the Medium version, regardless of sleeper weight.

Performance Features

With the “features” of a mattress, performance will tend to be consistent across all sleepers – without regards to your body type or preferences. However, these attributes have differing levels of importance to each sleeper, which is why we consider them “priority-based” characteristics.

Motion Isolation ( what’s this )

Generally, mattresses with springs or coils don’t perform as well as foam beds when it comes to isolating movement from one side of the bed to the other. We test this in two ways. With a bowling pin standing upright on one side of the bed atop a small piece of tempered glass, we drop a 16 lb. bowling ball on the other side of the bed. In the case of this Nest mattress, the bowling pin wiggled a little, but didn't fall. Next, our tester drops his whole weight on a mattress to see what happens to the pin. The result was the same -- the pin moved a bit, but didn't fall, even when we repeated the test.

Overall, motion isolation for the Nest Owl latex hybrid bed was very good.

Temperature ( what’s this )

For most people, we do not think the Nest Owl mattress will feel hot for three reasons designed to regulate heat. First, the cover includes wool fibers; wool is a natural heat regulator. Second, the top latex layer has pin-core holes piercing the latex, allowing for air flow. And lastly, the pocket spring layer is mostly air; the coils allow for lots of air flow.

If overheating in bed is an issue for you, we think the Nest Owl latex hybrid would be a good choice, especially if you don’t want a mattress that’s entirely springs or coils, or entirely foam.

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 Nest Owl mattress, our tester felt very stable sitting on the side of the bed.

When laying on the very edge of the bed, our tester also felt very stable, though the heavy quilting of the cover did make him feel like he was leaning just a bit due to the domed effect of the cover's undulations.

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 Nest Owl bed to really shine in this area. Our tester had no trouble at all moving around or rolling into another position

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.

If you are considering the Nest Hybrid Latex, then low odors, minimal use of chemicals, and eco-friendly materials are likely important to you. Let’s take a closer look.

The cover of the Nest mattress is made of organic cotton and wool.

The latex used in the Owl has recently changed to Talalay latex certified by OKEO-TEX, which means it meets manufacturing standards that ensure minimal off-gassing. It's worth noting that the latex is not organic (if it were, that would mean the rubber trees were raised organically without chemical treatments or pesticides), but you can opt for an organic version of this mattress at extra cost.

Lastly, the support layer of pocket springs are steel, which does not off-gas, and in the end can be potentially recycled.

There's a small amount of synthetic foam in the bed -- about 3 total inches -- used mainly at the base of the mattress and quilted into the top cover. When we unpacked the bed and gave it an informal "sniff" test, we noted very little odor - far less than the average 'new mattress smell.'

Taken overall, while the entire mattress is not organic, the Nest Owl has many more eco-friendly features than most.

Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )

We tested the Nest Owl bed on top of our standard adjustable base to see what would happen. We found that the mattress conforms fairly well right out of the box, with some lifting at the foot of the bed; this is very normal for new mattresses. With use and after a break-in period, we find that most beds improve in this regard.

We did note that the quilting layer tends to bunch up quite a bit, which can be uncomfortable, especially if you get out of the bed and get back in when the bed is in its articulated position.

Materials & Construction

What's in a Nest Owl Mattress?

Overall, we classify the Nest Owl (formerly the Hybrid Latex) mattress as a "100% Natural Latex over Pocket Springs" construction type. It is a 12″ thick mattress comprised of 5 layers (listed below from top to bottom):

• 1" polyurethane foam quilted into cover
• 3” natural Talalay latex
• 1" polyurethane foam, 1.5-lb. density
• 6” pocketed steel springs
• 1” polyurethane foam, 1.5-lb. density

The Nest Owl mattress has the properties of a latex mattress coupled with features of a traditional spring/coil mattress. The quilted pillow top also adds padding and loft to the bed. The latex layer is OEKO-TEX® Certified Natural Talalay latex made from rubber trees. The silica fire sock acts as a natural fire retardant (required by law).

Durability, Warranty & Value

The “value” of any mattress is both subjective and personal – reflecting how well it meets that person’s unique sleep needs and preferences, relative to their budget. As a result, our ratings in this area are focused on more objective factors like quality and longevity.

How Much Does a Nest Owl Mattress Cost?

Prices shown are list prices. Remember that GoodBed keeps our site current with the best available discounts on all online mattresses, many of which are exclusive discounts for our readers.

What Are You Getting?

The Nest Owl latex hybrid mattress from Nest Bedding is a 12” mattress that combines supportive pocket springs with 100% natural latex. It's a combination that we don't see very often. You're also getting an interesting "Lifetime Renewal Exchange" which allows you to order a new latex layer for the bed at no cost once during its lifetime. Also available is the unique ability to specify different softness levels on each side of the bed at no additional cost (king size only), a neat option for couple that have different preferences.

How Long Will the Nest Owl Mattress Last?

We don't have any concerns that the Nest Owl won't last an average mattress lifespan. When examining the materials and construction, we noticed no major 'red flags.' The latex layer has a firmness and density we think will be durable, and pocketed steel coils have a long reputation for durability. Another feature worth noting: The cover unzips and you could actually replace the latex layer down the road if you need to, giving you more options for the lifetime of this bed.

Overall Value

We think the Nest Owl mattress is an excellent value. Its construction quality, high customer reviews, performance in our tests for a wide variety of people, and use of eco-friendly materials makes it a standout in its price range.

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 365-night trial, and if you’re not happy for any reason after trying the mattress, you can get a full refund.

Warranty

• Warranty Length: Lifetime
• Indentation Coverage: 1” and above

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 mattresses is generally between ¾” and 1.5”. Nest Bedding has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 1”. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection.

This Nest warranty extends to the original owner for as long as they own the mattress, and assumes it has been place upon an appropriate foundation.

Other Factors to Consider

Delivery

• Free delivery to the door

Nest Bedding includes free delivery, which is not particularly unusual among its competitors. Delivery is by common carrier like FedEx, who will deliver the box to your door. Nest does offer an in-home setup at extra cost, calculated depending on where you live.

Returns

• 365-day trial period
• Full refund

Nest offers buyers a 365-day trial period, and urges buyers to give the mattress at least 30 days before initiating a return. Upon proof of donation to charity, the company will refund your money. It’s up to you to find a charity that will accept the mattress.

The company also offers what it calls a "Lifetime Renewal Exchange." If at any point if your needs change -- say your firmness preference changes -- the company will send you a new comfort layer for free (offered once during its lifetime). It's an interesting policy that we haven't seen before.