Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: goes above and beyond to align your spine

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress: Two-minute review

The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress is designed an excellent hybrid mattress, offering outstanding support. It's particularly comfortable in a side sleeping position. 

As for the other key aspects of the mattress, I have to say that this is the best mattress for edge support I've ever tested. No slipping off the side for you! The temperature regulation is equally impressive, and the motion isolation is top notch for couples. If you want to learn more about my key findings – and how it compares to the rest of today's best mattresses (or the best hybrid mattresses in particular) – read on.

It does use foams, but rather than the sink-in feel of many of today's best memory foam mattresses, the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid lifts and supports your entire body, especially your hips and backside, so that your spine is aligned, and you're relieved of pressure overnight. The quilted cover adds some softness and cushioning. 

I'd judge this mattress as being about a 7.5-8 on the firmness scale, which could be too firm for some. At least, you get one year to test out the mattress to see if you really like it. Too bad there is a return fee. Read on for my full Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review. 

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid review: Price & value for money

• A premium priced mattress
• Rarely sold at MSRP – regular sales discount the queen to $1,526
• High quality design and materials mean it's worth the investment

The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid is a premium mattress, though it's neither the cheapest Saatva mattress, nor the most expensive. Thanks to regular Saatva mattress sales, you can nearly always get a queen for a little over $1,500.

• Twin size: MSRP – $925
• Twin XL size: MSRP – $1,315 (normally sells for $1,118)
• Full size: MSRP – $1,595 (normally sells for $1,356)
• Queen size: MSRP – $1,795 (normally sells for $1,526)
• King size: MSRP – $2,195 (normally sells for $1,866)
• Split King size: MSRP – $2,630 (normally sells for $2,236)
• Cal King size: MSRP – $2,195 (normally sells for $1,866)

With the free White Glove delivery service and quality construction, these prices seem well worth it. Of course, you can always keep a close eye on Saatva prices (as well as other top sleep brands) by bookmarking our mattress sale guide

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress specs

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: materials & design

• Hybrid mattress with memory foam and coils
• Memory foam infused with gel to promote cooling
• Organic cotton cover with anti-microbial treatment

The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid's bottom layer is a sturdy one-inch base of premium support core foam. Above that layer are individually wrapped recycled steel coils designed to help with airflow. Surrounding the coils is a high-density foam rail that reinforces the edge support.

Above the coils is a 1.5-inch AirCradle memory foam layer that has a wave design which creates pockets to allow air to better flow through. This layer and the subsequent gel memory foam layer offers comfort and assists with preventing body impressions over time.

Buyers will be glad to know that the gel memory foam layer pulls heat from the surface and works in conjunction with the organic cotton cover to promote a cooler sleep experience. The cover is designed with Saatva's patented lumbar zone quilting which gives more support in the area around your hips and waist, so you have the utmost spinal alignment. No wonder the Congress of Chiropractic State Association gave its Seal of Approval to this mattress.

Saatva treats the surface with Guardin botanical antimicrobial treatment to prevent bacteria and mold growth. As for eco-friendly and non-toxic materials, the memory foam is CertiPUR-US certified and Saatva used a natural plant-based thistle pulp and wool flame barrier.

• Design score: 5 out of 5

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: comfort

• Firm sleep surface with a touch of softness
• Very supportive when sleeping on side, back, or stomach
• Best for individuals who weigh 300lbs or less

Upon lying on the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress, I was impressed by the quilted cover as it offers a soft and soothing feel. On a 10-point firmness scale, I'd say the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid is between a 7.5 and 8. It's not hard per se (there is some bounce to the mattress), but it's so supportive that my body doesn't really sink into the mattress, but lies on top of it. For reference, I weigh 180 lbs. When I placed a 15lb dumbbell in the center, it sank only a quarter of an inch.

I usually slept on my side or stomach on this mattress and would sometimes turn onto my back during the night. However, no matter if I laid on my back, side, or stomach, I always felt like my spine was aligned and the heaviest parts (stomach, hips, and backside) of my body were being held up and supported.

In my opinion, it does a great job with pressure relief and eases my aches and pains. For instance, I returned home from a snowboarding trip and was very sore but one night on the mattress and most of my soreness had disappeared.

My mom, who weighs 160lbs, also slept on the bed, and found the side sleeping position to be the most comfortable. She likes plusher mattresses, so she did comment on the lack of a sink-in feeling for this mattress. Even so, she didn't have any aches or pains and agreed that in sleeping on the mattress, her spine was aligned.

Per Saatva's website, this mattress may not be the right choice for folks over 300 lbs, however, I think it offers incredible support for those who like a more medium-firm to firm mattress and are seeking a sleep experience that eliminates lower back or hip pain.

If back pain is your specific issue, Saatva has a few models that are worth investigating. In our Saatva RX review, you can read about the mattress designed specifically to tackle back pain, and the lead tester for our Loom & Leaf review found that model also led to a noticeable improvement in her back pain.

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: temperature regulation

• Gel memory foam draws heat away from surface
• AirCradle memory foam has pocketed design for more airflow
• Remained cool during warm nights

I expected the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress to do decently with temperature regulation. It is a hybrid mattress after all. I was not expecting the mattress to exceed all my expectations. When I tested this mattress in April, my home was 60-73 degrees at night (I had yet to put the air-conditioning on). Despite how warm it was inside; I never removed my large comforter or pushed it aside to sleep under the sheets because I never got warm or hot. 

The breathability of this mattress is likely due to the hybrid design. Coils allow for more air flow, as does the unique pocketed design of the AirCradle memory foam layer and the heat dispersing powers of the gel memory foam. No wonder I remained cool throughout the testing period.

Temperature regulation score: 5 out of 5

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: motion isolation

• Scored well in our motion transfer tests
• Good choice for couples

When I tested the motion isolation with another person in the bed, I barely felt them when they moved. I also did a standardized test which involved placing an empty wine glass in the center of the mattress and dropping a 15-lb. weight at different distances.

When I dropped the dumbbell 25 inches away, the wine glass didn't move, however, it shook slightly at 10 inches away, and wobbled at a four-inch distance. The wine glass may have wobbled and shook at closer distances because the top cover is quilted, and this affects the base support of the glass.

Does this mattress have the best motion isolation I've ever seen? No, but I can confidently say that those with fidgety partners will like this mattress, as it does a good job on motion isolation.

Motion isolation score: 4 out of 5

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: edge support

• Outstanding edge support around the entire perimeter of the mattress
• Felt fully supported sitting on the side of the bed

I'm going to say it – the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress has the best edge support of any mattress I've tested (which is about 15 mattresses and counting). Let's set aside the fact that when I placed a 15 lb. dumbbell on the edge of the mattress, it only sunk about half an inch. I felt super supported – almost lifted – when sitting on the edge, which made it easy to get in and out of bed or get dressed while sitting on the mattress. 

Suffice to say, I never felt like I'd roll off or that my arm would slide off when sleeping near the edge. The high-density foam rails around the coil layer do an amazing job and preventing any sagging from occurring.

Edge support score: 5 out of 5

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: setup

• Free in-room delivery, set-up, and old mattress/foundation removal
• Easy to schedule a four-hour window of delivery
• No issues with off-gassing

A day after ordering the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress, I received an email and a text asking me to schedule my free white glove delivery within a four-hour window. On the day of delivery, the company sent me a text and email with their expected time of arrival. There was also a link to a map that showed me exactly where they were on their drive to my house.

Upon arrival, the men came inside and moved the mattress that was currently on my bed frame to another part of the house. They then took the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress out of the back of the truck. It was unrolled and covered in plastic. They brought it into the house and put it on the bed frame. There was no off-gassing smell and the mattress appeared to be fully inflated. I slept on it that evening.

Saatva does offer free mattress, foundation, and box spring removal. This excludes waterbed bases, metal bed frames, Sleep Number bases, and stained and/or damaged mattresses, foundations, and box springs. You'll need to select this option at checkout.

Setup score: 5 out of 5

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: customer reviews

• 4.8 star rating out of 134 reviews
• 112 five-star reviews
• Customers love Saatva's customer service

Saatva's customer review section is very well designed. Firstly, the reviews on the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid page are only for this mattress. Saatva has also set it up so that you can search through the different star ratings, popular terms, and with your own words in a search box.

There are 112 five-star reviews, 17 four-star reviews, three 3-star reviews, zero two-star reviews, and two one-star reviews. I found only two notable 'negative' comments relating to the mattress. A few customers said the mattress was too firm, and a couple others had some shipping issues. I was surprised by how many of the four-star reviews lacked any negative comments and/or didn't explain why they were rating it four stars rather than five.

Customers overwhelmingly love this mattress and the customer service that Saatva provides in the ordering and delivery process. Many also noted how it benefited their backs, and that they liked the firm feeling of the mattress.

Should you buy the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress?

If you have a bad back or find yourself sore and achy after sleeping on a soft mattress, do yourself a favor and go with the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress. I was able to sleep on my side, back, and stomach and woke up relieved of pressure and aches.

Granted, this mattress is not 'soft' in the traditional sense. It's a 7.5-8 on the firmness scale, which means it was a tad too firm for me. Pop a one-inch pillow top and it'd be perfect! That said, I had no trouble falling asleep on this Saatva and I always felt great waking up in the morning.

Phenomenal support and spinal alignment aside, this mattress did a great job during my motion isolation tests and is a standout for temperature regulation and edge support. You get 365 nights to test out the mattress, and while the return fee isn't ideal, it sounds like Saatva's customer service will do everything they can to find you a mattress that will be a better fit and send it your way with their free White Glove delivery service.

The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress is well worth the price and is one of the few mattresses I've tested that is made so exceptionally well that I think it'll last a long time with little sagging or loss of support.

Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress review: Also consider

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillowtop mattress
If you'd like something plusher and softer, consider the Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillowtop. This hybrid mattress may be more expensive, but it has a significant amount of memory foam that makes it feel like you're being hugged on all sides. It's perfect for side and black sleepers and comes with free white glove delivery.
Read our Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillowtop review

Layla Hybrid mattress
If you're not sure about the type of firmness you want in a mattress, go with the Layla Hybrid. This ingenious mattress has a flappable design meaning one side of the mattress is a 4-4.5 on a 10-point firmness scale while the other side has a 6.5-7 rating. Bonus: the price is about the same.
Read our Layla Hybrid mattress review

Avocado Green Mattress
The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress has some eco-friendly materials, but if you're looking for an entirely organic mattress, go with the Avocado Green Mattress. It's a little more expensive than the Saatva, but well worth it if you want something slightly softer – especially if you order it with the pillow top option.
Read our Avocado Green Mattress review

How I tested the Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid mattress

Although I ran tests to assess the softness, motion isolation, and edge support, the most important part of the testing process involved me sleeping on the Saatva Memory Foam mattress for two weeks in April when the weather was mild. 

It did get pretty warm in my house overnight – sometimes into the 70s as I had not yet turned on the air conditioning. The bed was covered in microfiber sheets and a thick comforter. While my mother was visiting, she slept on the Saatva mattress overnight so that I could get a secondary opinion.