Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress Review 2024: Updated Design, Classic Feel and Excellent Value

The Nectar brand is well-known for having some of the best value memory foam mattresses on the market. Nectar just recently updated its six mattresses with new designs inside and out. The story with the Nectar Classic in comparison to the old Nectar Original isn’t much different —  you’re still getting a memory foam bed at a very affordable price, but I do think the new Nectar models are a real improvement and not simply a refresh for marketing purposes.  

First impressions of the Nectar Classic mattress

When the team first unboxed the new Nectar Classic, the first thing we noticed was the cover design. It looked sleeker and a bit more “futuristic,” which is not normally an aesthetic I enjoy, but I think it’s an improvement on the previous lineup of Nectar beds. The cover also feels softer, more breathable and slightly cooler to the touch. 

The mattress needed a pretty significant time to off-gas, which is expected given its mattress type. Right out the box it was a bit misshapen and definitely soft, to the point where we could easily feel the slats of the bed frame through the mattress. So, if you decide to get a Nectar Classic, know that if you try to sleep on it right out of the box it probably won’t be very comfortable. 

After about a full day, the Nectar Classic was fully inflated and firmed up and my overall impression was that it is a marginal improvement over an already solid mattress. While the Nectar bed I am really excited about is the new Nectar Luxe, the Classic is a tried and true, firm memory foam mattress that will likely be just as popular as the previous model, largely due to its price and value.

Is the Nectar Classic mattress right for you?

For anyone looking for an affordable mattress with a memory foam feel, the Nectar Classic is the bed for you. Nectar is consistently one of the most popular online mattresses, thanks to its prototypical memory foam feel and shockingly affordable price and even after the update, Nectar did not stray far from that formula. 

The Nectar Classic might be a bit too firm for sleepers who prefer something more plush — but if you are OK with a bed with a firmer profile I think the Nectar Classic is no-brainer for budget-minded shoppers. 

Nectar Classic mattress firmness and feel

Nectar Classic feel

The feel of the Nectar Classic is a straightforward, classic dense memory foam. There are some subtle differences between the feel of the old Nectar Original and the new Nectar Classic, which I’ll cover in the construction section, but if you like memory foam you should find it very comfortable. 

You get the prototypical sink-in, body-conforming sensation of the Nectar Classic, but it is more responsive than the previous Nectar model. Slow responsiveness means that when you remove weight or pressure from the foams, they will take time to return to their original shape — a common characteristic of memory foam. The top layer of memory foam on the Nectar Classic is very slow to respond; however, because of the relative thickness of the memory foam compared to the foams inside the mattress, it winds up a bit more responsive. 

I think this type of feel strikes a nice balance because you will know the memory foam is there, but it is more responsive than some other memory foam mattresses.

Nectar Classic firmness and sleeper types

The Nectar Classic is available in only one firmness profile. It is the firmest of Nectar’s three beds, but it’s also the most affordable. Plusher mattresses tend to be more expensive than firmer mattresses. Plush mattresses usually have more material and, therefore, cost a bit more to manufacture. 

In our testing, we found the Nectar Classic to be virtually the same as the previous model, landing at a medium-firm, or a 6 to 8 out of 10. This means that it will be most ideal for back and stomach sleepers and will work for certain combination sleepers. 

If you are a primary side sleeper, I do not think the Nectar Classic will provide enough pressure relief to sleep comfortably. My partner actually had an even older version of Nectar with the same firmness rating, and I found that my arm would sometimes go numb when trying to sleep on my side. 

For non-side sleepers, though, I think the firmness profile should work very well. 

Nectar Classic mattress construction

The construction of the Nectar Classic is pretty standard for an affordable foam mattress. It is built with three foam layers, with an 8-inch thick layer of dense support foam at the very bottom, which is something we see in virtually every mattress that doesn’t use coils. 

Above the support foam is a 3-inch thick layer of “dynamic transition” foam. This provides a softer buffer between the dense support foam and the primary comfort foam, which is a roughly 1-inch thick layer of memory foam.

The main difference between the Nectar Classic and the upgraded Nectar Premier and Nectar Luxe is the thickness of that layer of memory foam. 

I mentioned the updated cover design of the Nectar Classic earlier and it is worth mentioning again because I think the cover is a big improvement over the previous model. While the Nectar Classic isn’t as cooling as the Nectar Luxe, I think it is a bit cooler than the Nectar Original.

Nectar Classic performance

Edge support

During testing, we found the edge support on the Nectar Classic to be average to slightly above average. Of the six new Nectar mattresses, the Nectar Classic and the Nectar Classic Hybrid have the best edge support because they are the firmest mattresses and have less compression on the edge. 

Beds with poor edge support make you feel like you’re going to roll off the mattress near the outer edge, and it is easy to sleep near the edge if you are sharing a bed with a partner or pets. 

I don’t think you’ll have issues on the Nectar Classic but certain beds, especially hybrids, will have stronger edge support. 

Motion isolation

Motion isolation refers to how well the bed deadens the impact of movement on the mattress — if you are a light sleeper who shares a mattress with someone who tosses and turns a lot, having good motion isolation is especially important. 

We expected the Nectar Classic to have excellent motion isolation based on its construction and the performance of the previous model and it is indeed very good. Light sleepers shouldn’t have issues waking up in the middle of the night if their partner tosses and turns because it deadens the force effectively. 

I recently made the switch to a Tempur-Pedic mattress for this exact reason and my partner reports much improved sleep and it would be the same story with the Nectar Classic.

Temperature regulation

I think the Nectar Classic is a cooler sleeping bed than the previous model —  but that doesn’t mean it is in the cooling category. This bed should sleep temperature neutral, which means you shouldn’t be sleeping warm at night because of the mattress. If you do sleep hot, it is likely due to other factors. 

If you want enhanced cooling features from Nectar, the Nectar Luxe mattress is much more noticeably cooling in comparison to both the Classic and the Premier.

One of the reasons Nectar has been so popular is that it is an incredibly affordable mattress. The pricing of the Nectar Classic hasn’t changed much from the old Nectar Original, and after a discount, it is actually a tiny bit more affordable. 

Nectar is one of those brands that offers discounts pretty much year round and the price you should expect to pay for a Queen size is $649 at the time of writing. Around major holidays, Nectar will usually offer bundle deals with accessories like sheets, pillows and even adjustable bases, so be sure to check our mattress deals page for the latest on Nectar. 

Nectar Classic mattress policies

Free shipping 

The Nectar Classic will ship right to your door inside a box at no additional cost — which is pretty standard for most online mattresses. 

Unboxing a mattress is a pretty easy process and should only take five to 10 minutes. I always recommend unboxing it with someone else because beds get heavy and are difficult to move solo. 

It may take up to 48 hours for the mattress to fully inflate and reach its proper firmness level, and there may also be a bit of an odor right after unboxing.

365-night trial 

All Nectar mattresses come with an extra-long trial period of 365 nights in comparison to the usual standard of 100 nights. So you have quite a while to really test it. 

It can take a month or longer for your body to adjust to a new mattress, no matter how well-suited it is to your sleeping preferences. The trial period begins the day the mattress is delivered, not when you actually start sleeping on it.

Return policy

At any point after the first 30 nights you decide the Nectar Classic Memory Foam mattress isn’t for you for any reason, you can return it and get a refund. You just contact the company, and it will coordinate with a third party to pick up the mattress and then the bed is usually donated. 

As of this writing, Nectar does not charge return, transportation or any other type of fees to return a bed, so getting a Nectar mattress is virtually risk-free.

Warranty

All Nectar mattresses are backed by a lifetime warranty, which is above and beyond the usual online mattress standard warranty of 10 years.

Like any warranty that lasts longer than 10 years, this warranty is tiered and offers more protection in the first 10 years. 

How does the Nectar Classic Memory Foam compare to similar mattresses?

Nectar Classic Memory Foam vs. Bear Original

The Bear Original and each iteration of the flagship Nectar have been direct competitors for years. Both beds are very similar with the same type of dense memory foam feel, roughly the same firmness profile that is best suited for back and stomach sleepers, and both are the same price after discount (at the time of writing).

There are a few subtle differences: Bear has an optional celliant cover, which costs a bit extra but is supposed to provide many sleeping benefits for athletes. Nectar has an optional cooling cover at an additional price. 

The biggest difference, though, is the policy offered by Nectar, namely the much longer trial period, which could entice some shoppers. 

Nectar Classic Memory Foam vs. Leesa Studio

The Leesa Studio mattress is very similar to its ultra-popular Leesa Original mattress, but instead of using memory foam as a transition layer, memory foam is the main comfort layer of the Leesa Studio.

The feel of both the Nectar Classic and the Leesa Studio is very similar and the price points are also very similar, with the Leesa Studio usually coming in about $50 less after discount. The Leesa Studio is a bit softer as well, coming in closer to a medium. Nectar wins on the policy front, though.

Final thoughts on the Nectar Classic Memory Foam mattress

I think Nectar has done an excellent job with this recent mattress update because not only did Nectar update its mattresses, it upgraded them. This is the third version of the flagship Nectar mattress I have tested and in my opinion this is the best iteration. 

The type of feel hasn’t changed much, but the foams changed, and the combination of the top layer of memory foam and the transition layer below work well together and provide a very comfortable, classic memory foam feel that I think many sleepers will enjoy. The Nectar Classic will likely be a bit firm for a lot of sleepers, which is why the Nectar Premier and Luxe exist — but anyone who prefers a firmer sleeping surface should be very happy with the Nectar Classic. I think it is one of the best values in online mattresses. 

You might like the Nectar Classic Memory Foam mattress if:

• You want a memory foam feel
• You enjoy a mattress with a medium-firm profile
• You want a long trial period
• You want a mattress without coils
• You are shopping on a tight budget

You might not like the Nectar Classic Memory Foam mattress if:

• You prefer a coil bed
• You want an especially soft mattress
• You dislike the feel of memory foam

Other mattresses from Nectar 

Nectar Premier Memory Foam: This is the upgraded version of the Nectar Classic and is roughly $300 more expensive. The biggest difference between the Premier and the Classic is that the Premier features a thicker layer of memory foam on top, which makes the mattress noticeably softer and is closer to flat medium on our firmness scale, making the Premier the most accommodating of the three Nectar mattresses. Nectar advertises more cooling features on the Premier in comparison to the Classic, but it is not something we noticed — the biggest thing to know about the Premier is that it is softer and a bit more expensive.

Nectar Classic Hybrid: This is essentially the same mattress as the Nectar Classic Memory Foam, only instead of using support foam, it uses pocketed coils. The coils will make the mattress a bit more responsive, but it still has a memory foam feel. The Classic Hybrid will also be a bit better in terms of edge support and temperature regulation but not quite as good at isolating cross-mattress motion. The Classic Hybrid is also about $150 more expensive after a discount. If you prefer some extra bounce in your mattress, or you are a heavier person needing more support, I would recommend looking into the Classic Hybrid. 

Nectar Classic Memory Foam mattress FAQs