Honest Review of the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress

It’s 2021, and who couldn’t welcome a little change to their lifestyle? For me, it started with the search for a new mattress. They say that mattresses are one of the hardest products to shop for. With a pandemic added to the mix, in-store visits were out of the picture for me. I also live in New York City without a car, so returns would be a huge pain. Essentially, I was looking to shop for the perfect product at first try. Sounds like an impossible mission? Well, here is my honest Nectar mattress review.

Disclaimer: This post is entirely unsponsored by Nectar, but does contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I will earn a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. If you find these posts helpful, then I hope you will consider supporting my content 🙂

The market for mattress-in-a-box has become quite saturated, and with so many brands to choose from, it is hard to center on the one that works best for you. After asking a few friends about their experience, I took a risk and went with the Nectar Mattress. But before taking the plunge, here were some points I considered:

Firmness

I have back issues, so soft mattress are a no-no for me. Nectar says they are a 6.5 on the firmness scale, and customers actually complained it was too firm. I took that as a good sign.

Price

I stuck with my own budget, and was only willing to pay more if there was an extremely good reason. (e.g. sustainable materials) However, based on what my friends have shared, most seemed to agree that spending more money does not always equate to finding a better mattress. Since it is super specific to each person’s needs, you are better off shopping by features rather than by price alone.

Materials

Having slept on a standard coil mattress nearly my entire life, I was eager to try something new. So memory foam it was! When it came to narrowing down my choices, I did research on ones that avoided toxic chemicals such as flame retardants, or vinyl and VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Body Temperature

I am a bit of a hot sleeper, so I was looking for something that would not cause me to break out in sweat at night.

Customer Service

A huge one. As hard as it is finding the right mattress, I can only imagine how much more frustrating it is buying from a company that has a terrible return policy. Or better yet, does not respond to you at all.

Nectar has a 365 day return window, which is super generous. Now, I realize I am writing this post only after a month of sleeping on my mattress. 11 months to go…but they say 30 days is the average time it takes for someone to get accustomed to a new mattress. So here is my honest Nectar mattress review!

HONEST NECTAR MATTRESS REVIEW

• Firmness: Just right, and pretty supportive. Contours to my body, without feeling like I am sinking in. The 6.5 firmness was pretty accurate in my opinion. Could I have gone with something even firmer? Yes. But this texture met my expectations, and I did not wake up feeling sore in the morning.

• Price: Right within my budget, and loved that I purchased it during their promotion period. The queen size was $400 off. Additionally, I received $399 worth of free bedding products (1 mattress protector, 2 memory foam pillows, 1 sheet set). Considering I would have purchased a set separately, this deal saved me from having to purchase it on my own.

• Material: 5-layers of impact-embracing goodness. The top layer is made from Tencel (for more info on Tencel, I wrote an earlier post HERE), and automatically feels cool to touch. The remaining layers help distribute weight and temperature, ensuring a comfortable night’s sleep.

If you are a conscious consumer who is concerned about toxic components, the Nectar is also CertiPUR-US Certified. I was not familiar with this program prior to researching mattresses. However, they describe in more detail on their website. Based on their explanation, I was assured that Nectar mattresses do not contain VOCs, vinyl, or carcinogenic flame retardants.

• Body Temperature: The first night I slept on it, I was sweating! Not a great sign, but surprisingly, my body got used to it a few days later and it is no longer an issue for me.

• Customer Service: The Nectar Sleep Team gets in touch with you 1-week after receiving your mattress, which is a sweet gesture. I did not end up complaining about how hot the mattress felt, since the feeling went away. However, I have heard that since the return process can be cumbersome, they will usually just issue you a partial refund.

Take with that what you will, but exercise responsibly 🙂 

So far, those are my best assessments on the Nectar mattress. If things change in a few more months, I will make updates here. However, if you are on the market for a new mattress, here are some other questions I can help answer after buying my first ever mattress-in-a-box.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO INSTALL YOUR NECTAR MATTRESS?

Despite how small this box appears, it was very heavy. I set up the entire thing myself, but would strongly recommend having two people. The most tedious part was probably unwrapping all of the plastic. Oh, and plopping this whale onto your bed frame.

However, Nectar conveniently provides two razor cutters to tear apart the mattress wrapping. After that, you lay your mattress on your box spring to inflate to around 11,” which took me around 2-3 hours.

IS WHITE GLOVE SERVICE NECESSARY?

I was strongly considering paying a little extra for Nectar’s white glove service (i.e. people will deliver the mattress to your home and set it up for you). However, reading the reviews on Reddit, most felt that it wasn’t necessary or worth the price. Like I said earlier, you will definitely break a sweat (but hopefully not your back) doing it yourself. Just find someone else to help you 🙂

Also, Nectar has paused their white glove service due to COVID. Not sure if other mattress companies have followed suit.

HOW DOES NECTAR COMPARE TO OTHER MEMORY FOAM MATTRESSES?

I am sorry to say I cannot give my full opinion here because I have not tried too many other brands. However, if you are in the market for a non-toxic mattress, here are some brands that I would have considered with a loftier budget or the ability to try in-person:

• Purple (one of their biggest competitors)
• Saatva (a little more luxurious with free white glove service, but only a 180 day trial)
• Avocado: GoTS Certified Organic materials, inside and out. One of the leading non-toxic mattress brands out there. It’s funny how their store was located right near my office, and I never had a chance to try them before the pandemic hit.
• Casper (of course): If their clever marketing isn’t enough to get you, this brand is probably one of the most well-known foam mattresses. I did try this one at the Casper Dreamery two years ago, and shared my impressions here.
• Lull (comparable price to Nectar)
• Tuft & Needle: prices are in-line with the Nectar, maybe a little less during their promotion period.

Phew, this is definitely one of the lengthier posts I’ve written. But here is my honest Nectar mattress review. In short, I would say that I am satisfied with my purchase and don’t see myself returning it any time on the horizon. However, should my opinions change, I am glad I have 11 months left to return it. Thanks for reading, and I hope you found this review useful!