Leesa Original
Type: Memory foam
Firmness option: Medium-firm
Height: 10"
Sizes: 6
Sleep trial: 100 nights
Warranty: Lifetime
Price (Sale): From $675 at Leesa
Shipping: Free shipping
Type: Memory foam
Firmness option: Medium-firm
Height: 12"
Sizes: 7
Sleep trial: 365 nights
Warranty: Lifetime
Price (Sale): From $349 at Nectar
Shipping: Free shipping
Leesa and Nectar come highly recommended by consumers and critics alike, but which one offers the better entry-level memory foam mattress for your needs? To help you decide, we put together this Leesa Original vs Nectar Classic explainer to see how they compare in price, design, and performance.
Nectar features in our best mattresses guide every year for its affordable pricing, industry-leading benefits (year's trial and forever warranty), and all-foam models with top-notch pressure relief. Leesa is heralded for its accessible price points, diverse lineup of mattresses, and eco-conscious ethos.
If you want the best prices for a Leesa Original, you'll need to time your purchase, as holiday events like the Memorial Day mattress sales yield steeper markdowns. Nectar, on the other hand, sticks to a consistent sale price.
In any case, don't go shopping until you read our Leesa Original vs Nectar Classic comparison, based on our research and first-hand testing experience...
Leesa Original vs Nectar Classic: At a glance
Leesa Original |
Nectar Classic |
|
Starting MSRP |
$967 |
$1,053 |
Type |
All-foam |
All-foam |
Firmness |
Medium-firm |
Medium-firm |
Height |
10" |
12" |
Sizes |
6 (twin to king) |
7 (twin to king + split king) |
Trial |
120 nights |
365 nights |
Warranty |
Lifetime |
Lifetime |
Our score |
Leesa Original vs Nectar Classic: Price & trial
- Nectar is the more affordable of the two
- Leesa discounts range from 25% to 30% off
- Nectar offers a 365-night trial; Leesa's trial is 120 nights
If you're basing your decision purely on cost, then Nectar is the hands-down winner. Prices have held steady in the Nectar mattress sales for years, and they rarely ever budge.
Nectar goes by a 'total value' rather than a traditional MSRP, but you'll never be expected to pay that anyway. A queen-size Nectar Classic goes for $649, while a king is $849. There's also a split king option, which sells for $1,098.
Leesa doesn't ever sell its mattresses at full price, either, although you'll be paying a few hundred dollars more for a Leesa Original than you would for the Nectar Classic.
Leesa mattress sales cut 25% and 30% off, with the higher discounts reserved for major shopping events. That means a queen-size Leesa Original drops to as little as $929 after 30% off. A king Leesa Original is $1,259 with the same discount.
Both companies include a lifetime warranty, as well as a risk-free trial, although Nectar is the more generous of the two with a 365-day trial. (Leesa offers 120 nights to try out its beds.)
Notably, Nectar and Leesa have been known to include free bed accessories with purchase to sweeten their deals, but neither one has done this in recent months.
Leesa Original vs Nectar Classic: Materials & design
- Both mattresses have three foam layers and a breathable cover
- Both are also available as a hybrid
- However, the Nectar Classic is 2" taller than the Leesa Original
The Leesa Original and Nectar Classic share a basic three-layer design, though the Nectar Classic is two inches taller. Both feature a breathable cover and offer the option to add springs, turning each into a hybrid mattress.
Inside the 10-inch Leesa Original, you'll find two inches of cooling comfort foam, two inches of pressure-relieving memory foam, and a six-inch support foam core. It comes standard with a knit cover, but if you need extra heat relief (and pressure relief), upgrade to a cooling quilt top for a fee.
The 12-inch Nectar Classic features an inch of contouring memory foam, three inches of dynamic response foam, and eight inches of foundational foam. The cover is made with heat-absorbent fibers. Like Leesa, Nectar offers an upgraded cooling cover for an additional cost.
The Leesa is designed and made in the USA, whereas Nectar sources and manufactures its mattresses in Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Mexico, and the US. Both use CertiPUR-US Certified foams, ensuring they meet essential safety and environmental standards.
Layla also doesn't use fiberglass; instead, it uses a proprietary blend of fibers as a fire barrier. Nectar is less transparent about its use of fiberglass, although a representative for the brand confirmed to us that, as of 2022, Nectar has shifted to using Rayon in its mattresses instead.
Leesa Original vs Nectar Classic: Comfort & support
- We rate both mattresses medium-firm (6.5-7/10)
- The Nectar is slightly softer with a more cushioned feel
- Neither is rated well as a mattress for heavier sleepers
Most Leesa customers rate the Leesa Original as a medium mattress. In our Leesa Original mattress review, we rated it around 7 out of 10 on our firmness scale, or medium-firm.
We liked it for side and back sleeping, but too soft for stomach sleeping. The foam layers offer a good level of pressure relief for the shoulders and hips while being responsive for easy movement between positions.
In our Nectar Classic Mattress review, we rated it a 6.5-7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, which is within range of the brand's self-assessment. We think it will appeal to sleepers who want a little more cushioned relief than the Leesa has to offer. We liked it most for side and back sleeping.
The Leesa Original has a max weight capacity of 600lbs (300lbs per side). Nectar doesn't mention a weight limit, claiming its mattresses "are engineered to accommodate a wide range of body types, but we would reckon it's around the same as Leesa.
If you and/or your partner are over 250lbs, we'd recommend looking for one of the best mattresses for heavy people instead.
Leesa Original vs Nectar Classic: Temperature regulation
- The Leesa has a knit cover and an aerated foam layer
- The Nectar incorporates a heat-absorbing cover
- Both have upgrades to turn them into cooling beds
Memory foam mattresses tend to trap heat, meaning they sleep less cool than innerspring, hybrid, and latex beds.
However, both the Leesa Original and Nectar have some temperature-regulating properties within their layers that can help keep overheating to a minimum.
The Leesa Original uses a knitted polyester and viscose cover to wick away moisture and heat. It also has a cooling comfort layer with pin core holes to promote airflow so heat doesn’t get trapped.
The Nectar's cover features heat-absorbent polyethylene fibers and is purportedly cool to the touch, but that appears to be the extent of its cooling features, as it no longer uses the gel foam featured in the Nectar Original.
Our testers didn't report overheating with either mattress, and for all-foam beds, they don’t do a bad job at keeping sleepers at a reasonable temperature.
That said, today's best cooling mattresses will offer hot sleepers more relief from night sweats. Both Leesa and Nectar offer cooling cover upgrades for an additional fee.
Leesa Original vs Nectar Classic: Should you buy?
Buy the Leesa Original Mattress if…
✅ You’re a combination sleeper: Whilst most sleepers will find this bed comfortable, combination sleepers will find the responsive surface of the Leesa easy to move about on.
✅ You share a bed: Whether you co-sleep with a partner or snuggle with your pet, you're less inclined to bother each other with your movements on this all-foam mattress, as it does an excellent job of limiting motion transfer.
✅ You shop according to your ethics: Leesa regularly donates mattresses to charity partners for every unit sold and participates in a number of environmental initiatives to ensure healthy sleep and a healthy planet for all.
Buy the Nectar Classic Mattress if...
✅ You’re on a tighter budget: The Nectar is incredible value. Thanks to a permanent discount, it's one of the most affordable mattresses you can buy right now.
✅ You want a longer sleep trial: It takes at least three weeks to adjust to a new sleep surface. If you want a longer sleep trial than the 120 nights Leesa offers, choose the Nectar and take a whole year to decide.
✅ You’re primarily a side sleeper: Both mattresses are good for side sleeping, but the Nectar Classic is especially comfortable thanks to its contouring foams and pressure-relieving support.
