Nest Sparrow Signature Hybrid Review

Michael Magnuson

Founder of GoodBed, Leading Mattress Expert

Is the Nest Sparrow Signature Hybrid a Good Mattress?

The Sparrow Signature Hybrid is a best-selling mattress from Nest Bedding that combines ultra-high density poly foam over a pocket spring base to create a comfortable and highly customizable sleep surface.

There’s a lot to talk about with the Sparrow Hybrid, but we think the standout feature is the unzippable cover. This allows you to easily unzip and remove the underlying comfort layer to swap this out to a different firmness or replace it with a new layer years down the line. We’ve seen a few other mattresses do something similar (the Nest Starling comes to mind), and we generally think this is a thoughtful feature that can add years of life to a mattress. It also means that consumers are able to fine-tune the comfort of their mattress in their own home by simply swapping out a single layer.

We tested the Nest Sparrow in the “Medium” configuration. This configuration uses a thick layer of ultra-high density poly foam that’s ever so slightly firmer than most comfort layers in modern mattresses. It also uses a pocket spring base that’s slightly firmer than previous iterations. As a result, we found the Nest Sparrow to be about a Medium-Firm on our scale. If you’ve read our previous reviews of the Nest Sparrow (or the Nest Alexander), this means that the current Nest Sparrow is actually slightly firmer and feels more supportive than previous iterations. 

In our testing, the Nest Sparrow performed well in all positions. The thick quilt layer and underlying comfort layers are conforming and accommodating without being excessively soft. We found it to be a particularly good match for back and side sleepers. The only people we might caution with this are those looking for a very firm surface for exclusive stomach-sleeping. In those situations, these folks might be better served by the “Firm” configuration of the Nest Sparrow, although lighter stomach sleepers could still do very well here.

We also found that the Nest Sparrow had excellent motion isolation and good adjustable base performance. There’s also a little bit more bounce than we typically see with other hybrid models. The combination of excellent motion isolation and a little bit of bounce is an excellent middle ground, in our opinion, and will help with repositioning. The Sparrow also has “Thermic” Phase-Change material built into the cover to help with heat retention.

In summary, the Sparrow Signature Hybrid is a comfortable and customizable hybrid with a balanced blend of features and a Medium-Firm overall feel. We think it’s worth considering for anyone looking for a hybrid mattress, and particularly those that want comfortable and highly-durable materials without the stuck feeling that’s often felt with memory foam. Additionally, the unzippable cover allows you to fine-tune your immediate comfort and gives you the option to refresh the comfort layer to keep the mattress in optimal condition many years down the line.

Bottom Line: Who is the Best Match for the Nest Sparrow Hybrid?

BEST if you:

• Are either a side, back, or combination sleeper
• Want a mattress with a balanced blend of features
• Prefer a mattress made with high-density foams and durable materials
• Are interested in a customizable mattress with different firmnesses

NOT IDEAL if you:

• Are an exclusive stomach sleeper
• Prefer a lot of memory feel
• Want an all-foam design

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 relative and varies between manufacturers. Mattresses are designed to be supportive and promote healthy spinal alignment, however, different people tend to have different preferences for overall softness.

We found the Nest Sparrow to be about a Medium-Firm in terms of overall Softness. The quilt layer is quite soft, but this is balanced by the slightly firm Energex and the underlying pocket springs. We should also mention that this is actually a notch or two firmer than we found the Sparrow in previous iterations.

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

Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )

Cushioning depth refers to how deeply you sink into the mattress. Some brands will talk about a feeling of "sleeping-on" a mattress vs a feeling of "sleeping-in" a mattress, and this typically refers to cushioning depth. More cushioning depth means more conformance and more of a cradled or "hugged" sensation.

We found the Nest Sparrow to have a Slightly Deep amount of Cushioning Depth. This is expected from mattresses with a lot of comfort material, and the Sparrow has a fair amount with four total inches of foam underneath the quilt layer. In combination with the Softness above, the Sparrow has a sense of gentle, but supportive, contour on body prominences.

Memory Feel

Memory feel refers to how quickly a mattress recovers its shape after being compressed. A mattress with a lot of memory feel will have a much slower recovery after compression. This is often noticed by sleepers in repositioning.

The Nest Sparrow only has a bit of Memory Feel. This is created by the soft memory foam in the quilt layer and balanced by the much faster-responding Energex just beneath this. It's subtle, but noticeable in our opinion.

Bounce

Responsiveness also translates into bounce, and with most innerspring mattresses, you'll get a good bit of it.

The Nest Sparrow has a fair amount of bounce. The Energex comfort layer is much more "energetic" than other foams, and this adds a bit of bounce to the mattress surface. However, this sense of bounce isn't overwhelming by any means - it's just slightly more present than we'd expect from similar hybrids with a significant amount of comfort material.

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 Sparrow Hybrid performed very well for our tester in most sleeping positions.

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 Hybrid:

Back Sleepers:

Our tester really liked the Nest Sparrow in this position. We think this would be suitable for most back sleepers.

Side Sleepers:

Similarly, we think the Nest Sparrow would be a good choice for most side sleepers. The soft quilt and resilient underlying foams balance support and conformance and kept our tester well-aligned.

Stomach Sleepers:

Our tester felt slightly less well-supported on his stomach. Heavier stomach sleepers may be better off with the Firm configuration.

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.

We thought that the Nest Sparrow had good overall pressure relief. The deeper sense of Cushioning Depth and resilient foams create a balanced sense of conformance and soft, pressure relief. However, we will say that the comfort layers used might not be quite as good as memory foam purely for relieving pressure.

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 )

If you are easily disturbed by a partner's movements in bed, or perhaps you and your partner go to bed and get up at different times, then motion isolation may be a priority for you. Generally speaking, pocket spring and all-foam mattresses tend to perform best here.

We thought the Nest Sparrow had excellent overall motion isolation. We have no complaints here.

Temperature ( what’s this )

We think the Nest Sparrow did a good job with temperature regulation. It's made with highly breathable, open-cell foams and has phase-change material in the quilt layer. We think this will perform as well or better than most hybrid mattresses on the market.

Edge Support ( what’s this )

The Sparrow Hybrid has reinforced edge coils that do a very good job at supporting sleepers in a variety of positions, although this was slightly better while reclining vs while sitting.

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 repositioning to be quite easy on the Nest Sparrow. The faster-responding Energex bounced right back while changing and moving positions and didn't have any of the "stuck" sensation that people sometimes notice with memory foam.

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.

The Nest Sparrow doesn't really have any green features to speak of, although all the foams are CertiPUR-US certified.

Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )

We look at three things when testing a mattress on an adjustable base.

First, will using an adjustable base harm the mattress? In the case of the Nest Sparrow Hybrid, the answer is no. Like most pocket spring matresses, the Sparrow Hybrid is designed to be used in combination with an adjustable base.

Next, we look at conformance. How closely did the bed hug the curves of the base as it is raised and lowered? The Nest Sparrow did a very good job in this aspect. There was a slight gap between the mattress and foundation on the opposite side of the mattress, but this is also normal for new mattresses and we'd expect this to improve with time.

Lastly we look at the cover and what happens when the bed is in an articulated position. We did notice some minor wrinkling of the cover when the head of the bed was raised. However, this is very common for quilted mattresses and isn't typically noticed by most sleepers.

Overall, we would say that the performance on our adjustable base was very good.

Materials & Construction

Materials & Construction

What's in the Nest Sparrow Signature Hybrid Mattress?

The Sparrow Signature Hybrid is a pocket spring mattress comprising five overall layers:

• 2” quilted cover (w/ "Thermic Phase-Change Material and 4lb memory foam")
• 3" UHD poly foam (2.5lb "Energex Temperature Responsive Foam")
• 1" poly foam (1.5lb "SmartFlow Support Foam")
• 6” pocket springs (14.5 gauge, 644 count)
• 1" UHD poly foam (3lb "Base Support Foam")

At the top of the mattress there is an unzippable quilt layer with 4lb memory foam and “Thermic” phase-change material. For those unfamiliar, phase-change material is a high-tech addition to many modern mattresses that uses tiny wax “beads” that actively change phase to pull heat from a sleeper. If that sounds overly complex - just know that phase-change material generally feels "cool-to-the-touch" and is one of the few “cooling” additions that actually stands on firm scientific principles.

Just underneath the cover, there’s a layer of ultra-high density “Energex” poly foam. Energex is a relatively new formulation of foam that’s often described as a blend between memory foam and and latex and known for its exceptional long-term durability. This layer is also easily accessed with the unzippable cover and can be replaced as needed. Under this, there’s a 1” transition layer of firm poly foam and then a base of pocket springs and another 1” of base foam.

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 the Nest Sparrow Hybrid 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 Hybrid is a hybrid mattress made with an unzippable cover, ultra-high density poly foam, and a supportive pocket spring base.

How Long Will the Nest Sparrow 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 Hybrid, the predominant comfort layer is an ultra-high density poly foam. Based on data that we've seen, this is one of the most durable foams used in bedding today. In addition, Nest offers a Lifetime Warranty on the Sparrow Hybrid and a Lifetime Renewal Exchange policy that allows you to swap out the underlying comfort layer down the line. All in all, we think that the Sparrow will hold up well for many years to come.

Overall Value

We think that the Sparrow Hybrid is as good or better than most hybrids on the market today. The foams are comfortable, durable, and the unzippable cover is a thoughtful feature that adds a lot of value.

Warranty

• Warranty Length: Limited Lifetime Warranty
• 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 body impressions is 1.5" on most mattresses and around 0.75" on smooth-top mattresses. In the case of the Nest Sparrow Hybrid, Nest covers a body impression greater than 1" for the lifetime of the mattress. This is much better than average for quilted top models. You can see more information on their warranty here.

Other Factors to Consider

Delivery

• Free delivery

Returns

• 365-Night Trial period

Nest offers an exceptional 365-Night Trial period. They do ask that you try the mattress for at least 30 nights before initiating a return.