Saatva HD 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 Saatva HD mattress is available in one comfort level. On our scale, we call it a medium firm. There's a lot of softness at the top of the mattress, but its much firmer below, balancing out to a feel that's a little more firm than the average mattress.

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

Softness Level (1=Least Soft, 9=Most Soft)

4

Medium Firm

 

Cushioning Depth ( what’s this )

Much of the ‘sinking in’ feeling of the Saatva HD mattress comes from top 5 inches of foam, memory foam and latex. When we placed our 16-pound bowling ball atop the mattress, it sunk down about an average amount, giving a feeling of floating on top of the mattress more than sinking very deeply into it. Overall, we class cushioning depth as medium.

Cushioning Depth (1=Shallowest, 9=Deepest)

5

Average cushioning

 

Responsiveness ( what's this )

Compared to a memory foam mattress, innerspring mattresses are general very responsive. Instead of a slow, melting into the bed feeling, the coils spring back into place very quickly. The Saatva HD mattress does have a very small amount of memory feel from that 1.5" layer of memory foam, but we had to pay close attention to notice it and it's not enough to give you much of that melting into the bed feeling associated with a memory foam mattress.

You can see bounce demonstrated in our video when we toss our bowling ball on the Saatva HD mattress; it bounces several times before coming to rest. Our tester dropped onto the Saatva HD with a similar result, bouncing three or four times before coming to rest.

This springiness and bounce is characteristic of innerspring mattresses, so if you like that feeling, you’ll probably appreciate the Saatva HD.

Memory Feel (1=Least, 9=Most)	4	A little
Bounce (1=Least, 9=Most)	8	Lots of 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.

We impressed overall with the Saatva HD, and even somewhat surprised. For a bed marketed mainly to those in the 300 to 500 pound weight range, we found it offered excellent support, spinal alignment, and pressure relief to sleepers in all size ranges. That means the Saatva HD could be a good choice not only for those on the higher end of the weight scale, but also perhaps for couples where one person is significantly larger than the other.

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 Saatva HD mattress:

Weight	Range	Back Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Stomach Sleepers
Lighter	<150 lb	9	8	9
Average	150 to 200 lb	9	9	9
Above Average	200 to 250 lb	9	9	9
Heavier	>250 lb	9	9	9

 

Back Sleepers:

Our 200-pound tester felt very well supported while on his back, with very good spinal alignment and lumbar support. We might have expected this to be the case for heavier people, for whom the Saatva HD is designed, but we also thought spinal alignment would be excellent for lighter people too, who will benefit from the layers of latex and memory foam up top.

Side Sleepers:

Likewise, we also found spinal alignment and support for side sleepers to be very good to excellent. For lighter people, the mattress's latex and memory foam layers reach up to support their concave areas, while also allowing hips and shoulders to sink in. And for heavier people, the innerspring unit pushes those comfort layers into concave areas while also allowing heavier hips to sink in. If we had any concern at all, it would be for very light side sleepers, maybe under 100 or 125 pounds, who might appreciate just a bit more softness.

Stomach Sleepers:

Achieving good spinal alignment for stomach sleepers can often be trickier as the hips can tend to sink down too far with some mattresses, but our tester felt well supported in this position, and his back was not forced to over-arch. We experienced none of this on the Saatva HD mattress, and we felt that neither heavier nor lighter stomach sleepers would have trouble with spinal alignment.

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 Saatva HD bed, we tested motion isolation by dropping a 16-lb. bowling ball on it, as well as the full weight of our 200-lb. tester. In both tests, the bowling pin wiggled, but it never fell, even after repeating the tests multiple times.

In general, innerspring mattresses are not the best choice if motion isolation is a top priority, but the Saatva HD really surprised us. Its connected coils were still able to react independently enough not to transfer much movement across the bed which could disturb a partner. For a bed this bouncy, motion isolation was impressive.

Motion Isolation Rating

8 /10

Very good

 

Temperature ( what’s this )

If you are a “hot” sleeper, or perhaps a woman who experiences hot flashes, how a mattress affects your body temperature may be a concern. Innerspring mattresses in general do not tend to feel hot, but the Saatva HD has a couple of mitigating factors. First, its innerspring unit is 7" down -- too far to get much of an air-flow benefit. And the innerspring unit is surrounded on all sides by a foam edge support, which blocks the free flow of air.

On the plus side, you don't sink into the mattress super deeply, so more of your body is exposed to the air. If you haven't had past issues with sleeping hot, we don't think you will on the Saatva HD. However, if it's a known issue for you, some other hybrid mattresses may be a better choice.

Stays "Cool" Rating

5 /10

Okay

 

Edge Support ( what’s this )

If you like to sit on the edge of your mattress, or if you tend to sleep right on the edge of your mattress, you want a model that has good integrity and stability around the edges. To that end, the Saatva HD mattress is encased in foam all along the edges.

In our tests, which you can see in our video review above, our tester was able to sit very comfortably on the side of the mattress with minimal compression. Laying right along the side of the mattress also felt very stable. Overall we felt that the Saatva HD would be a very good choice if edge support is a priority for you.

Edge Support Rating

10 /10

Exceptional

Ease of Repositioning ( what’s this )

For those with joint and mobility issues, ease of movement -- changing positions and getting in and out of bed -- is a priority. Our tester, however, did not have any trouble moving on the Saatva HD mattress.

Repositioning Rating

9 /10

Excellent

 

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. 

In the case of the Saatva HD mattress, we noted some confusion among Goodbed users. While the pillow-top cover does contain some organic cotton, the word “organic” printed on the fabric has led some consumers to believe that the entire mattress is made of organic materials; it is not, nor does the company make any claims that it is.

The mattress does use some natural materials however. The cover includes certified organic cotton, and under that is a layer of 100% natural latex made from the sap of rubber trees; the latex is certified by OKEO-Tex, meaning it's been tested for harmful chemicals and certified as safe.

The other foams used in the bed are petroleum based, but the foams are certified to the Certi-PUR-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.

Furthermore, most of the mattress is comprised of steel coils, which won’t off-gas or impart any weird chemical smells. And the company does state that it uses recycled steel for the springs.

The mattress is held together at least in part by functional tufting, which means fewer chemical glues and adhesives must be used.

We gave the Saatva an initial 'sniff test' when it arrived, and it certainly had less of a 'new mattress smell' than other mattresses we've tested.

Green Rating

6/10

Pretty good

 

Adjustable Base Compatibility ( what’s this )

Because if the connected coils used in the support unit, as well as the helical connecting wire, the Saatva HD is not safe to use on an adjustable base, something that's clearly stated on the mattress's website.

If you plan to use your mattress on an adjustable base, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Adjustable Base Use Rating

1/10

Not compatible

 

Price, Value, Durability

What It Costs

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 Saatva HD is designed and marketed to consumers in the 300-500 pound weight range, intended to be a more durable option. In fact, the full (double) through king size versions have a stated weight limit of 500 pounds on each side, for a total of 1,000 pounds. That's accomplished by using stronger than average wire for the coil unit, combined with layers of latex, memory foam and foam in a bed that measures 15" tall and has a luxury look.

 

How Long Will the Saatva HD Last?

In general, innerspring mattresses have a good reputation for longevity; steel holds its integrity for a very long time, and we feel especially confident in the stronger coils used in the Saatva HD. If there were a weak spot, we have some concern over the polyurethane foam and memory foams used in the mattress. But overall, we don't have major concerns that the Saatva HD won't last as long as a typical mattress.

 

Overall Value

If you are a person or couple that requires a mattress with a higher weight limit, or are a couple with different needs, the Saatva HD sits in a unique position among competing mattresses. While its $2,500 (queen size) price tag is high than a lot of online brands, it's very competitive with mattresses you'd find in a mattress store, and is very competitive with mattresses also marketed to plus-size people. Overall, assuming the Saatva HD fits your needs and preferences, we think it's a solid value.

Value Rating

7 /10

Good

 

Other Factors to Consider

Delivery

• Free delivery with in-home setup and removal of old bedding

Saatva includes free shipping, free in-home setup, and free removal of your old bedding. This is a policy that now matches or exceeds that of the majority of Saatva’s online competitors.

 

Returns

• 180-day trial period
• Full refund, minus $99 fee for pickup

Saatva offers buyers a 180-day trial period. Should you decide to return the mattress during that period, there is a $99 fee for pickup.

Some context: Many of today’s online mattress brands can be highly compressed and packed into a relatively small box that’s easily delivered by a common carrier like UPS. However, the Saatva HD mattress is a piece of furniture, delivered by movers with a truck. You can see how returning this type of mattress is a more expensive proposition for a company (and ultimately for you). Even so, several of the company’s online competitors so offer free returns. Read more about the policy on the Saatva website.

 

Warranty

• Warranty Length: 20 years
• Indentation Coverage: 1.5” 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”. Saatva has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 1.5” for the Saatva HD. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection.

For the first two years of ownership, Saatva will replace your mattress (including shipping) if it falls under warranty coverage. For years three through 20 of the warranty, the company will repair and re-cover your mattress, but customers are required to pay a $99 shipping charge each way ($298 total).

Another option for years three through 20 is Saatva's "Fairness Replacement Option" whereby you keep the defective mattress and can purchase a new mattress at a reduced price. Read more about the Saatva HD warranty.