Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review in brief
Since its launch in 2016, Nectar has become a major player in the bed-in-a-box market.With its bestselling Premier taking a spot in our best mattress guide, Nectar also offers a cheaper, entry-level model: the Nectar Classic.
Type: Memory foam
Materials: memory foam, other foams
Firmness: We rate it at 7.5 out of 10
Depth: 12 inches
Weight: 70-143lbs
Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, Split king
We were excited to test the Nectar Premier as the signature bed is the most affordable in Nectar’s line-up, promising value comfort and support. Like the Nectar Premier, the Nectar Classic comes in an all-foam build and a hybrid build. We chose to the memory foam version (as we did with the Premier) as this is the cheaper option, with a queen always under $650.
However, plenty of bed-in-a-box brands offer their own entry-level, best-value mattress — including rival Casper — so we decided to see how it compares. After spending a total of six weeks sleeping on its memory foam design, here are our honest thoughts on the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress.
We originally tested this mattress under our previous mattress methodology. Going forward, we'll be following a revised mattress methodology with an updated scoring schema for our in-house and at-home tests.
Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review: Price & trial
- Most affordable mattress out of Nectar's collection
- Thanks to a regular deal, a queen Classic always costs $649
- Includes free shipping and returns, a 1-year trial, and a forever warranty
Thanks to a regular Nectar mattress sale, you'll always get a queen Classic Memory Foam for just $649. This means it's cheapest mattress out of the three models offered by Nectar, with the Premier cost just over $150 more for a queen, and a Luxe in a queen costing $600 more.
Here are the MSRPs for each size of the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress:
- Twin: usually on sale for $349
- Twin XL: usually on sale for $549
- Full: usually on sale for $599
- Queen: usually on sale for $649
- King: usually on sale for $849
- Cal King: usually on sale for $849
- Split king: usually on sale for $1,098
The Classic's lower-mid-range price tag means that it missed a chance at being in our best cheap mattress guide (we define a budget price tag as under $500 for a queen), which means brands such as Siena and Brooklyn Bedding do offer cheaper all-foam beds.
However, in terms of quality and extras, we do think the Classic is one of the best-value mattresses around. With a 12" height and chiropractor-approved design, the Nectar Classic is worth the lower-mid-range price and has some excellent extras for a mattress under $700 for a queen: a free one-year trial, a lifetime warranty, and free shipping and returns.
Free returns are a surprising rarity in the mattress industry, as are one-year trials. In comparison, the Siena Signature (a budget memory foam bed) offers a 10-year mattress warranty (an industry average) and a 180-night sleep trial, although it does offer free returns.
The Casper One, the entry-level bed of rival brand Casper, offers a queen for $799 during regular Casper mattress sales, which is $150 more expensive than the Nectar Classic. It also has a pretty average 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty. Unlike Nectar Casper offers no free returns.
Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review: Design
You’d be forgiven for thinking there was more than five layers in this sumptuously thick 12-inch mattress. The layers are made up of premium Oeko-Tex standard 100 certified fabrics and CeriPUR-US certified foams, which means they meet certain safety and environmental standards.
The combination of these foams creates a medium-firm design that offers both comfort and peace of mind. The mattress comes with Nectar’s new and improved cool-to-the-touch top cover that is breathable and antimicrobial to ensure a healthy surface and help keep you at an optimum temperature as you sleep. Beneath this top cover is a 1-inch layer of pressure-relieve memory foam that is designed to contour and cushion your body without that feeling of being stuck.
Next in line is a three inch h layer of responsive support foam that helps keep the body aligned. Then there is eight inches of foundational foam that gives the mattress overall stability, good edge support and reduces motion transfer from side to side. Completing the spec is a base with a heavy duty cover that prevents layers from shifting to ensure the life of the mattress.
Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review: Comfort & support
- Nectar rates the Classic at 6.5 out of 10, we place it at a firmer 7.5
- Pressure relief layer balances and comfort
- Top layer is firm but cushioned without that feeling of being stuck
The Classic's improved foam structure provides a denser overall feel than its predecessor. While the original Nectar Memory Foam Mattress offered body contouring support with a sink-in feel that was a dream for side sleepers, we felt it wasn't supportive enough for heavier bodies or some back and stomach sleepers. Nectar seems to have addressed this issue with its new and improved design, as we found it suited all manner of body weights and sleep positions.
While it’s fair to say that the side sleepers within our testing panel were still the loudest to rave about this mattress, the dense foam structure hit a lot of highs with our back and front sleeping testers too. Our main tester, who is a back and side sleeper, loved how easily she could lay on her back with her spine feeling nicely supportive. That's thanks to the three inches of responsive support foam inside and this promotes spinal alignment.
Our taller and shorter testers were particularly impressed with how even the sleep surface felt on this mid-range memory foam mattress, with its lofty 12-inch thickness adding to overall comfort and sense of luxury.
You can see how our lead tester documented their first week of testing this mattress in depth our Nectar Classic hands-on mattress review. They were initially pleased with how plush the mattress felt underneath and how easy they found sleeping on their back, as the mattress seemed to contour their lower back and the back of their legs comfortably.
They continued to see an improvement in their sleeping pattern and managed to find comfort in sleeping on their side, back and front. While the firmness of this mattress wouldn’t have been their natural choice, they were pleased with how deep a sleep this design helped them reach at night.
Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review: Delivery & set up
The Nectar Classic is one of the best mattresses in a box, which means it is vacuum sealed, rolled, and packaged in a box for delivery. After purchase, standard free shipping will include being contacted by Nectar to arrange a convenient 2 hour delivery window. However, for a $199 fee, you can upgrade your purchase to include white glove delivery, which is the delivery and set up of your mattress anywhere in your home.
Setting up our Nectar Classic was fairly straightforward. It arrived safely and carefully packaged within its box. After cutting the vacuum packaging free and unrolling the mattress, it immediately began to self inflate. Nectar recommends leaving your mattress for a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of 72 hours to inflate fully.
When mattresses have been tightly sealed within a box or bag for transportation, they can often emit an odor when unboxed. This is called mattress off gassing, and occurs when Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are released into the air after being sealed. Off-gassing was barely detectable when we unboxed the Nectar Classic, with any light smell quickly dissipating.
Delivery and set-up score: 4 out of 5
Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review: Performance
- Evenly balanced, firm yet nicely cushioned
- Stays cool to touch for a memory foam mattress
- Excellent motion isolation technology makes it ideal for bed sharers
Our lead tester, a side and back sleeper who shares a bed, slept on a queen size Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress for six weeks. We carried out a series of tests, designed to gain a clear picture of how this mattress performs across key areas, such as pressure relief, motion isolation technology, edge support temperature regulation. Here's what we discovered:
Pressure relief
A decent memory foam mattress should relieve pressure in key areas such as your hips, shoulders and lower back, which is why we’re always keen to test the pressure relief. A mattress with good pressure relief that releases back into shape as you move will ensure you can change position freely on the mattress without sinking in or having that feeling of being stuck.
Our main tester was surprised at just how well the mattress did to support her when she was sleeping on her side and back. Used to sleeping on some of the best hybrid mattresses, she was initially apprehensive about sleeping on an all-foam design. While the mattress felt a lot firmer than what she was used to, she liked the feel cushioned top layer that felt soft and tactile yet supportive. She was surprised at just how well the mattress’ dense form contoured her body when sleeping on her back and sides.
A front-only sleeping tester also tried the mattress and told us that while an all-foam mattress wouldn’t be their first choice, they found it very comfortable when sleeping on their front. They were also impressed by the feel of the cool-to-touch cover on their skin.
In addition to sleeping on the bed ourselves, we used an 8kg weight to test the pressure relief of this mattress. We placed it in the centre of the mattress and measured the sinkage with a tape measure. We measured it at 1 inch (2.5cm), which is slightly tighter than your average all-foam design, proving that the mattress has a nicely firm yet supportive surface.
Pressure relief score: 4 out of 5
Motion isolation
One of the most impressive features of this new and improved Nectar all-foam mattress is how well it dampens movement from side to side. If you sleep alongside a restless partner or share a bed and you yourself are prone to waking in the night, good motion isolation technology is an important feature to look out for in a mattress. It will limit disturbance from side to side so you won’t feel very move ripple and bounce over to the other side of the mattress.
Our main tester shared the bed with her partner and was impressed with the excellent motion isolation technology here. She could hardly feel her partner move in the night and vice versa, and this means it's not only a great bed for couples, it's also great for parents who co-sleep with their children.
We also conducted a drop test using a 3kg weight and an empty wine glass to illustrate just how effective the motion isolation is here. We placed the wine glass in the centre of the mattress and dropped the 3kg weight 4 inches, 10 inches and 25 inches away. As you can see in the video below, the stem of the wine glass didn’t buckle even at 4 inches away, which proves just how effective the motion isolation technology is here.
Motion isolation score: 5 out of 5
Temperature regulation
One of the problems with sleeping on an all-foam mattress is that it can get too hot – particularly in the summer when room temperatures rise. Manufacturers do well to address this issue, however, with the best cooling mattresses and breathable materials and fabrics designed to wick away body moisture and regulate your temperature.
We tested this mattress in October when room temperature plummeted down to 60 degrees F (16 degrees C). We teamed it with a Simba 3 in 1 duvet and breathable Panda Bamboo bedding set.
The original version of Nectar’s all-foam mattress didn’t have the new and improved cool to touch cover with breathable cover that allows more flow to circulate through the mattress.
For now, we’re not able to say whether the temperature regulating features here work well during the balmy summer months, but we’ll update this feature in due course. We were impressed with the feel of the new cool-to-touch cover here as it feels very soft and tactile. And we liked how the mattress felt when we slept on it in the winter climate.
Temperature regulation score: 4 out of 5
Edge support
Good edge support matters. If you’ve ever come across a mattress with weak edge support you’ll immediately notice how hard it is to lay right up to the sides without feeling like you’re about to fall off, for example. Good edge support also makes it easy to get in and out of bed in the morning, as you can safely sit on the bed's edge without it dipping and collapsing beneath you.
To see how even the sleep surface, we used our 8kg weight to measure the sinkage on the sides of the Nectar mattress. We measured it at 1.5 inches (3.8cm), which shows that the mattress is slightly softer at the sides compared to the centre, which we measured at 1 inch.
While the overall feel of the mattress is balanced and solid, our testers found the edge support here only slightly above average. They were pleased with how you can sleep right up to the sides of this mattress and feel supported (which is good news if you want a bed that will make your child feel secure and safe) and leave and access the bed easily too. They were pleased with how well this mattress held together when sitting on the sides too.
Edge support score: 4 out of 5
Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review: Customer reviews
Our testing panel were very happy with how reliable a sleep the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress gave them. Over on the Nectar website, you can find a lot of positive reviews of the mattress too. The brand claims that this mattress is the USA’s Most Awarded mattress with 85 awards given to it in 2024 from numerous organisations and publications.
There are 50,000 reviews of this mattress on the Nectar website with a 4.7 out of 5 overall rating and more than 40,000 five-star reviews. Customers praise the contouring support and value for money of the Nectar Classic.
However, as the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress was only relaunched in August 2024, we suspect many of these reviews are for the older (albeit, very similar) model.
Should you buy the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress?
Hitting the mark in terms of price, performance, comfort and design, we think the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress is worthy of its impressive overall rating. Teaming a satisfying firmness and support with a soft, cooling and breathable top cover, we think the updated version of the popular flagship Nectar model is great value for money. Plus, its a 365-night sleep trial and forever warranty are industry benefits that are hard to beat.
Choosing a mattress is a personal choice of course, but we think this mattress does well to accommodate a variety of heights, weights and sleep preferences. We were impressed with pressure relief here, the amount of usable sleep space and the fact that we could find relaxing positions on our side, back and front. We think side sleepers may enjoy this mattress the most, but in our testing we found it equally comfortable sleeping on our back and front too.
While it’s a bit firmer than your average medium-firm design with quite a dense feel overall, it’s surprisingly supportive. And while the cover isn’t removable and the edge support is average, we think this mattress is priced fairly. It comes with a breathable cover to help regulate temperature, retains its form well and offers what everyone ultimately wants and needs – a comfortable night’s sleep.
Overall, we reccomend this mattress to adults of all sleep positions who enjoy a firmer feel, children and adolescents who need support for their developing bodies, and co-sleeping parents who want adult support with family-friendly comfort.
Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review: Alternatives
If you want something a little more luxurious from Nectar, go for middle child Premier. For our Nectar Premier Memory Foam Mattress review, we vigorously tested the Nectar Premier and found it to provide excellent all-foam support to side sleepers, along with body-hugging comfort and great temperature regulation.
We decided to get our hands on the Casper One as soon as we heard Casper was revamping its line-up. The Casper One is the signature, most affordable bed from the trailblazing bed-in-a-box brand. Our Casper The One mattress review praised its support for back and stomach sleepers and its lower price.
The Siena Mattress delivers firm support time and time again, no matter how much we test it. In our Siena Memory Foam Mattress review, we found it offered excellent support for back and stomach sleepers. Plus, out of all the top-quality mattresses we re-tested, the Siena Signatures proved the best in motion isolation.
