The Nectar Mattress Review You Can Actually Trust
No commission • No endorsements • Based on owner experiences • Since 2008 • More
Does a low-priced, 11-inch, medium-firm memory foam mattress with available white glove delivery & old mattress removal sound good? Then Nectar might be for you.
But if you are turned off by marketing hype or below-average customer service, then you may want to look elsewhere.
All things considered, Sleep Like The Dead rates Nectar a C.
Learn how Nectar compares to main competitors at the memory foam mattress review summary and the mattress comparison.
Nectar Mattress Performance Ratings
The ratings – based on 120 consumer reviews gathered using an unbiased, accurate methodology – show how Nectar rates compared to the average mattress.
| Owner satisfaction | B- | The Nectar mattress has 77% owner satisfaction. More. |
| Affordable | B+ | The mattress is $400-$800 depending on size, not including a foundation. More. |
| Durability / longevity | C+ | Available data as well as data from similar, more established mattresses suggest that the Nectar has on average about fair longevity (6-year lifespan). More. |
| Support | B | Reports for inadequate support are few, but some large people and couples may find support inadequate over the long term. |
| Less (back) pain | B | See mattresses and pain relief for general analysis. |
| Minimizes pressure | B | Like many other memory foam beds, the Nectar contours and conforms to the body to a somewhat above average degree. This helps to equalize weight distribution and reduce pressure points for most but not all people. |
| Easy to move on | C+ | The mattress does not tend to conform to a degree that makes moving on the bed and getting up overly difficult. About 5% of owners (1 in 20), usually large people, report some movement difficulty. |
| Motion isolation | A- | Like memory foam mattresses in general, the mattress absorbs motion from one person so that another person is not much, if at all, disturbed. |
| Edge support | B- | Edge support tends to be somewhat better than average, but large people especially may find support for sleeping or sitting near the mattress edge inadequate. |
| No initial odor | C | About 8% of owners (1 in 13) report a significant, enduring and often unpleasant initial odor. More. |
| No sleeping hot | B | Significant and bothersome heat retention is reported by no more than 6% of owners. More. |
| Avg-sized person friendly | B | Thickness and firmness tend to be well suited for the average-sized person (130-230 lbs). |
| Heavy person friendly | B- | Most people over 230 lbs find the mattress to be at least acceptable, especially for back and side sleep. More. |
| Light person friendly | C+ | Side sleepers under 130 lbs may find the mattress excessively firm. More. |
| Tall person friendly | C+ | At 11-inches thick, the mattress is tall enough to allow for people over six feet to easily get on and off the mattress. |
| Short person friendly | C- | At 11-inches thick, the mattress may be too tall to allow shorter people to easily get on and off the mattress. |
| Good for sex | C | Pros: comfort, decent edge support, silent. Cons: limited bounce and some inability to stay in place due to fairly low weight. (See mattresses & sex for general analysis). |
| No noise | A | Like other foam-based mattresses, Nectar is silent. |
| No topper needed | C+ | At least 7% of owners need to add a topper to the mattress to improve softness and comfort. |
| Expands fully and evenly | D+ | The Nectar like most of its competitors ships compressed / vacuum sealed. As many as 10% of owners – a higher rate than that for most competitors – report that their Nectar mattress does not expand fully / evenly. |
| Fast break in | B- | As is often true for mattresses in this price range, break-in time appears to be better than average – about two weeks. |
| Easy to maintain | C- | The mattress is one-sided, no flip. Its relatively low weight may allow it to move somewhat on its base requiring occasional adjustment. |
| Easy to handle, lift move | B- | The mattress weighs 45 to 90 lbs depending on size which is about 22% lighter than the average mattress. There are no handles. More. |
| OVERALL RATING | B- | The overall rating is determined by averaging the above performance ratings. |
Nectar Mattress Construction / Materials Ratings
The Nectar mattress is an 11-inch thick memory foam mattress that is made in China. The ratings show how Nectar's construction compares to that of the average mattress.
| Cover | B | Cotton and Tencel (Lyocell) blend – removable. Tencel's main strength is its moisture absorption ability and gentleness to skin. |
| Top layer | C+ | 1-inch (estimate) quilted gel-infused memory foam. 1-inch with 4 lb/ft gel-infused memory foam. |
| Middle Layer | B | 3-inch with 3.5 lb/ft gel-infused memory foam. |
| Base / support layer | C | 6-inch (estimate) with a claimed 2.2 lb/ft foam. Foam with density above 2 lb/ft may be less likely to soften and or sag over time compared to foam with lower density. But Sleep Like The Dead is baffled about Nectar's claimed density. |
| OVERALL RATING | B- | The overall rating is determined by averaging the above specification ratings. |
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Nectar Sleep Company Ratings
The ratings below – based on consumer experiences and the evaluation of Sleep Like The Dead – show how Nectar Sleep compares to the average mattress manufacturer.
| Warranty coverage | C- | Learn about the pros and cons of Nectar's warranty. |
| Return policy | C+ | The good: The mattress comes with a 365-day (180-day on Amazon), no-fee, 100%-money-back trial which is at least three times longer than average. There is no minimum amount of time to keep the mattress. The bad: A significant (but not large) number of customers – more than is the case for most main competitors – report difficulty returning the mattress due largely to what is regarded as inadequate customer service. |
| Customer service | D+ | Nectar customer service can be best described as inconsistent. Overall, consumers regard it to be average at best and well below that of main competitors. |
| Marketing accuracy | D | On the plus side, Nectar is one of the very few mattress companies to disclose its financial / commission relationship with mattress review websites that are mentioned at its website. This positive, however, is overshadowed by many issues. |
| Access to customer reviews | B | At its website, Nectar Sleep allows access to all customer reviews posted there including those negative. However, sorting by date is unavailable, and only three reviews at a time are shown when selecting additional reviews. Reviews are also available at Amazon. |
| Integrity of customer reviews | C- | Customer ratings in total on Nectar Sleep's website are significantly higher than customer ratings in total at independent sources. For example, customer satisfaction for Nectar at Amazon is about 20 percentage points lower than the stated customer satisfaction at nectarsleep.com; other mattress companies seldom have more than an 11 percentage point discrepancy between their site and Amazon. |
| Specs disclosed and accurate | C- | Accurately disclosing specifications lets consumers comparison shop and make an informed buying decision. Nectar on its website discloses most specs including weight, layer thickness and density, but there is some spec inconsistency with the base layer. And according to our calculation, some specs do not seem to add up. |
| Time in business | D+ | The business started in late 2016. Buying from a newer, less established company comes with increased risk because the kinks of operating a new business and selling a new product have likely not been worked out. |
| Number of BBB complaints | D- | Over 315 complaints have been filed to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) against Nectar Sleep in the past two years. By contrast, most main competitors including those that sell in similar volume as Nectar have had on average about five complaints each in that time. Most complaints for Nectar Sleep are for delayed delivery, unresponsiveness, and difficult returns. |
| OVERALL RATING | D+ | The overall rating is determined by averaging the above company ratings. |
Sleep Like The Dead (SLTD) Rating for Nectar
| SLTD RATING | C | SLTD (Sleep Like The Dead) rating for Nectar is determined by averaging the performance, specification, and company ratings. |
WARRANTY
The good: Nectar Sleep provides a 10-year non-prorated replacement warranty followed by an unlimited repair or replace non-prorated warranty – meaning the warranty is lifetime.
The bad: The warranty requires sagging greater than 1.5 inches before it can be used. Most main competitors require only greater than one inch of sagging – a 50% difference. And foam-based mattresses such as Nectar may not display sagging greater than 1.5 inches even when support and comfort have deteriorated. Also, given the company's questionable commitment to the customer as shown so far, the ability to successfully file a warranty claim does not appear assured.
Given these reasons, Sleep Like The Dead at this time does not recommend making Nectar's warranty a reason to buy the mattress over a competitor. (General analysis: mattress warranties: what you should know.)
* depth required to engage warranty.
MARKETING ACCURACY
Sleep Like The Dead has identified many issues regarding Nectar Sleep's marketing accuracy. The following is not necessarily an exhaustive list.
1. The company had claimed that its mattress was assembled in the USA when in fact it was imported from China. (See Federal Trade Commission file #182-3038.)
2. The company claims that its mattress is "the last mattress you’ll ever need to buy." The claim appears to come mainly from the fact that the mattress has a lifetime warranty. The warranty, however, in the opinion of Sleep Like The Dead has some weaknesses (see above), and therefore this claim will probably not prove to be true for most people.
3. Nectar says that it has the densest base layer of any mattress – 2.2 ILD rating. (Denser foam tends to be more durable.) First, ILD is a measure of firmness, not density. Second, assuming that Nectar Sleep is in fact referring here to density (lb/ft or pcf), the truth is that 2.2 lb/ft density is one of the densest base layers used in mattresses.
4. Nectar says that its 365-day return policy is "the longest trial in the industry." The trial is in fact among the longest in the industry as Spindle Mattress provides a trial of 365 days as well.
5. The company claims that its mattress provides "ideal support for any position." As many as 25% of owners, however, would likely disagree with this claim.
6. The company claims that its mattress will result in "no more tossing or turning." As many as 25% of owners, however, would likely disagree with this claim.
7. The company claims that its mattress is "like sleeping on a cloud." As many as 25% of owners, however, would likely disagree with this claim.
8. The company claims that its mattress is made of "premier materials." Sleep Like The Dead regards Nectar's materials overall to be somewhat higher than industry standard, not premier.
9. The company claims that its "specially designed materials mean you’ll never have dust mites." This claim is not elaborated on, and is highly questionable in the opinion of Sleep Like The Dead.
10. Nectar claims on its website's FAQ that it "makes the most comfortable mattress available." This claim is unsubstantiated.
11. Nectar claims on its website's FAQ that it has "the best warranty in the business." In terms of length, their warranty is in fact among the longest warranties in the business (Layla and Nest Bedding also have a lifetime warranty). And in general overall terms, the claim is questionable.
12. Sleep Like The Dead does not understand how a mattress with the dimensions and foam density of Nectar can weigh as little as it does. Our calculation suggests it should weigh at least 10% more than its stated weight. Perhaps the stated foam densities, stated mattress dimensions, and or stated mattress weight are incorrect, or perhaps our calculation is somehow wrong.
Key Comparisons
In the charts below, "all beds" refers to all mattresses on the market, and "all foam-based beds" refers to Nectar's main and closest competitors which are mostly memory foam. Compare Nectar to other brands in the mattress comparison.
Owner Satisfaction
The Nectar mattress has 78% owner satisfaction. This rate is similar to that of main competitors overall (79%) and better than the rate of all mattresses (73%). The main cause of Nectar mattress owner dissatisfaction is excessive firmness.
Learn how owner satisfaction is determined.
Durability / longevity
Long-term owner experience data is mostly unavailable given that the mattress was introduced in late 2016. What data is available as well as data from more established similar mattresses suggest that Nectar has on average at least fair longevity (6+ year lifespan).
* estimate
Price
Nectar is significantly less expensive than the average mattress and at least somewhat less expensive than most main competitors.
Heat Retention
No more than 8% of Nectar mattress owners report bothersome heat retention, meaning that it tends to perform better than average. (General analysis: mattresses and sleeping hot.)
Initial Odor
About 8% of owners report a significant, enduring and often unpleasant initial odor. (General analysis: mattress off gassing.)
Total Thickness
Nectar is 11 inches in total thickness which is similar to that of the average mattress but about an inch thicker than that of the average main competitor.
Weight
The mattress weighs about 45 to 89 pounds depending on size. Nectar's weight is about 22% less than the average mattress and about 16% less than the average memory foam mattress of similar thickness. A lighter mattress may have the disadvantage of not staying firmly in place on its base, but often has the advantage of being relatively easy to move, lift and handle.
Nectar Mattress Firmness Analysis
One model is available which is mostly described by owners as medium-firm. In other words, on a 1 to 10 scale with 1 being very soft and 10 being very firm, Nectar appears on average to be regarded as 6.5.
This firmness level suits most owners but not all. Beyond break-in about 12% of owners find it too firm and about 2% find it too soft. About an additional 15% find the firmness to be acceptable but not ideal.
Person Size and Sleep Position Suitability For Nectar Mattress
The tables evaluate the Nectar mattress for person size and sleep position. It shows what tends to be true for owners; your personal evaluation may differ. See the mattress firmness guide for details based on your body type. And people of below- and above-average weight, see the mattress guide for large and small people.
SIDE SLEEP FRIENDLINESS
| Average-Sized People (130-230 lbs) |
B | Most average-sized side sleepers find Nectar to be at least fair. Some, however, report excessive firmness especially those with a body mass index of 21 or lower. |
| Large People (230+ lbs) |
B-* | Comfort layer thickness and underlying support tends to be at least adequate for large people who side sleep. |
| Small People (under 130 lbs) |
C | At least 25% of side sleepers under 130 pounds find Nectar excessively firm likely due to their not exerting enough pressure on the bed to benefit from its conforming / pressure relief ability. Those with a body mass index of 21 or lower appear most likely to report excessive firmness. |
BACK SLEEP FRIENDLINESS
| Average-Sized People (130-230 lbs) |
B | Most back sleepers 130-230 pounds find the mattress to be at least fair. |
| Large People (230+ lbs) |
B-* | Most large people find the mattress to be at least acceptable for back sleep. |
| Small People (under 130 lbs) |
C+ | Back sleepers under 130 pounds may find the mattress to be at least slightly too firm. |
STOMACH SLEEP FRIENDLINESS
| Average-Sized People (130-230 lbs) |
B | The mattress is suited for most average-sized stomach sleepers. |
| Large People (230+ lbs) |
C+* | The mattress may provide too much firmness for stomach-sleeping people who are large around the middle. |
| Small People (under 130 lbs) |
C | Stomach sleepers under 130 pounds may find the mattress to be at least slightly too firm. |
* partial estimate.
Sleep Like The Dead's mattress research in The News –
About our unbiased Nectar Mattress review and research
Ratings are based on 120 consumer reviews. Learn more about our unbiased research methodology and why you can trust our mattress reviews.