Nest Owl 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 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 pocketed coils 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 & 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 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 ( what's this )

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.

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 )

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 pocketed coil 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 is 100% natural Dunlop 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 pocketed coils 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.

Price, Value & 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 pocketed coils 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 pocked 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.

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.

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