With its hypoallergenic cover and six-layer structure of bamboo-infused foam and pocket springs, the Panda London Hybrid Bamboo Mattress is an attractive buy. The moment I opened it from its rolled-up vacuumed packaging, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed by its excellent credentials. I’ve been a fan of Panda London products ever since I tried a set of the brand’s bathroom towels five years ago and was impressed by the excellent quality and attention to detail in the design. I instantly admired the six-layer foam and spring structure of this mattress as it’s both breathable and hypoallergenic. With a child that suffers from asthma, I’m always looking for good quality materials to kit out my home.
I’ve reviewed a range of best mattresses for 2024 and I’m always on the look out for a balanced, supportive and breathable design. Panda London Hybrid Bamboo Mattress is the brand’s entry-level mattress with a medium-firm tension. If you’re looking for something a little firmer and willing to pay a bit more, you can read our review on the more expensive Panda London Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro.
I trialed this Panda mattress for three weeks to see if it was as good in real life as it sounded online. Here I’ve rated it on price, design, performance, motion control and edge support and noted how easy it is to care for and clean too.
PANDA LONDON HYBRID BAMBOO MATTRESS REVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
Panda London launched in 2015 in a bid to design and ‘craft luxury homeware products without costing the earth’ and to use a material just as soft as Egyptian Cotton. Bamboo was the natural choice as it’s soft, anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic and the company now sells a wide range of bamboo bedding. You can choose from two mattress designs and various linens, pillows, toppers, duvets and even an eye mask.
The two mattresses in the range include the latest Panda London Hybrid Bamboo Mattress that I’ve reviewed here, which launched in August 2024. The slightly firmer Panda London Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro launched in 2022. Both mattresses have been well received and you can find plenty of 5-star customer reviews on the Panda London website. Both mattresses are manufactured in the UK.
The Panda London Hybrid Bamboo Mattress costs from £649 for a single, but the company offers regular discounts on its site at peak sales times such as Black Friday. At the time of writing, you can buy this mattress with up to 30% off for £454.30.
There are nine sizes available and here’s what you can expect to pay: UK Single £649, UK Small Double £789, UK Double £799, UK King £889, UK Super King £959, EU Single £659, EU Double £829, EU King £899, EU Emperor £1,050.
If you’re still not 100% sure you’re going to like this mattress, the company offers a good-value 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year guarantee for peace of mind. There’s also free UK delivery and returns.
You can complement your set up with stylish bedlinen such as the Bamboo Mattress Protector, from £30, the Hybrid Bamboo Pillow, from £89.95 and the Panda Cloud Duvet, from £89.95.
PANDA LONDON HYBRID BAMBOO MATTRESS REVIEW: SETTING UP
I tried a double size of the Hybrid Bamboo Mattress, which I found easy to haul up the stairs with my partner. The mattress comes rolled up and vacuum packed in a carboard box so unravelling it onto my wooden slatted bedframe was easy. The delivery team can take away the plastic packaging but I recycled it myself. There’s also a free mattress recycling service available in certain parts of the country and the delivery team can take away your old mattress free of charge.
Once unraveled, Panda suggests waiting a few hours before sleeping on the mattress to allow it to take its full shape. The mattress started to take shape straight away but I waited 24 hours just to be sure it had reached its full potential. While there was little off-gassing, which is that new factory smell you can sometimes get from a new mattress, this only lasted a few days with good room ventilation.
PANDA LONDON HYBRID BAMBOO MATTRESS REVIEW: DESIGN
A bamboo cover graces the top of this mattress, which feels smooth underhand. It’s hypoallergenic and naturally anti-bacterial to keep things fresh. This can be washed in the machine at 30 degrees or steamed.
Directly beneath the cover is a layer of BioCell Foam that is infused with fresh bamboo to increase airflow and prevent the natural heat retention of the memory foam. This helps to ensure that the mattress is breathable and doesn’t get too hot like some foam mattresses can. Beneath this is a layer of DualFlex Foam that is designed to contour and absorb your weight do that it supports without sinking. 800 individual pocket springs and a comfort base then provide more support and have been included to limit motion transfer and absorb movement. The top cover is cream in finish and attached to the grey anti-slip base layer that is designed to secure the mattress in place.
The handles of the mattress are on the base of it as opposed to the sides, which I found a little awkward when trying to move the mattress, but as the mattress is just 25cm thick it’s not the heaviest frame to maneuver.
PANDA LONDON HYBRID BAMBOO MATTRESS REVIEW: PERFORMANCE
I slept on this mattress for three weeks to see how well it did to keep me comfortable, supported and ultimately sleeping better. I placed the mattress on a wooden slatted bed frame and teamed it with a Panda London Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow, a mattress topper and the seriously soft 100% Bamboo Bedding Set.
A smooth sleep to set you up
The six layers of cocooning comfort in this mattress really do offer a comfortable medium-firm finish. I really like the feel of the luxuriously smooth top layer here and it’s a bonus that the cover can be removed for easy washing. It’s not something I’ve actually tried for fear of never getting it back on again. But I’m taking reassurance in the fact that the zip cover is easily accessible at the base of the mattress and it looks easy to take on and off.
Great for all sleep positions – particularly side sleepers
When laying on top of this mattress, my body feels reassuringly supported from head to toe. I found it easy to find a comfortable position on all sides - even my front, which I don’t tend to normally sleep on. That said, I would recommend its medium-firm tension for anyone who likes to sleep on their side as the pressure relief is good. Having a mattress that responds to your movement but also returns to form so you don’t feel like you’re sinking in is key to ensuring it supports you in all the right places. My partner who likes to sleep on his front agreed that he found it comfortable – although he’s not quite ready to give up him pocket spring mattress for this hybrid.
To further test how good the pressure relief is here I placed a 5kg weight on the bed (to simulate the feel of someone laying on top) and measured the sinkage at around 1inch. This, backed up by the bounce back I got when pushing my hand on the top surface, indicates that this mattress does well offer good pressure relief but can also retain its shape.
Easy to get in and out of bed
While this mattress offers quite a cushioned surface I never felt stuck on it. I was able to sleep right up the sides of the mattress without feeling like I was about to fall off. That said, I found that the corners and edges weren’t as supportive as the main base of the mattress. The side sank in when I sat on it to get in and out of bed, but it still maintained a good structure and never collapsed entirely like some mattresses can. This proves just how evenly the foam and springs are distributed to maintain a feeling of balance.
Ideal for sharing
Lastly, but by no means least, I found this mattress excellent for sharing. That’s because it did a great job at disguising the fact that my partner was next to me – and vice versa. Some mattresses seem to transfer every movement from one person makes over to the other side, but that wasn’t the case here. The absorbent comfort base and carefully positioned pocket springs that are designed to reduce motion transfer and isolate movement did well to keep me and my partner suitably undisturbed throughout the night. Both parties woke up feeling rested without complaint!
PANDA LONDON HYBRID BAMBOO MATTRESS REVIEW: VERDICT
While it's quite a slim and dense mattress, there’s a lovely lightness I felt when laying on the Panda London Hybrid Bamboo Mattress. This kind of reliable support is something I think you can only get from an evenly balanced design.
The six-layer structure is breathable and hypoallergenic and it comes with a removable cover that is machine washable, which is definitely something to shout about for health and hygiene reasons.
I found the medium-firm tension here spot on and I liked how comfortable it felt when sleeping on my side and back. I would recommend it for all sleep positions – particularly side sleepers who need the most pressure relief.
While not perfect, I found the edge support satisfactory for a memory foam and spring design. It was easy to sleep up against the edge of the mattress without fear of rolling out of bed. The mattress also does a good job at minimising motion transfer from side to side and this is a bonus if you or your partner are prone to sleeping restlessly.
PANDA LONDON HYBRID BAMBOO MATTRESS REVIEW: ALTERNATIVES TO CONSIDER
Another hybrid design I rate in terms of comfort, support and limiting motion transfer due is the Zoma mattress. It has a responsive ‘Reactiv’ layer that bounces back and retains shape and has very good edge support. If you just can’t make up your mind whether you prefer a soft or firm tension, the Eve Sleep Wunderflip line may be more for you.
