I've been sleeping on the new Nectar Classic for over a week — I'm surprised at how comfy a firmer mattress can be

The Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress is an updated version of the brand's top-selling Nectar Original, featuring a new cooling cover, a re-engineered memory foam comfort layer, and a taller support foam core. These tweaks haven't altered the price much; at $649 for a queen, the Nectar Classic is slightly less money than the Nectar Original before it.

As a lifestyle journalist I’ve tested a wide range of memory foam and hybrid mattresses and several of them are highly rated as this year's best mattresses for all sleepers. When I first set up the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress I wasn’t convinced I was going to enjoy sleeping on a firmer mattress. While it has a cushioned top, there’s a distinct lack of bounce – I tend to favor hybrids with pocket springs that have a bit more give. 

But first impressions failed me here. After a week sleeping on a queen-size version of this mattress, I’m sold. Firmer bed feel aside, I love how the Nectar Classic Memory Foam supports my hips, back, and legs when I sleep on my back and side. It also has sturdy edges and dampens movement well, which I appreciate as someone who shares a bed with a taller partner.

My full Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress review is coming soon, but if you can't wait for that, especially if you're considering buying the Nectar in this year's Black Friday mattress sales, then here's my experience after a week of sleeping on it...

Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress: Price & trial

The Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress is the brand's entry-level design and the least expensive model in its lineup. Like similar bed-in-a-box rivals such as Simba and Emma, you'll always find a Nectar mattress sale.

You can ignore the MSRP — which Nectar calls a 'total value' — as it's perpetually discounted. A twin-size Nectar Classic goes for $349 while a queen-size is $649.

Below are the prices you can expect to pay for all sizes of the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress:

• Twin Nectar Classic: $349 
• Twin XL Nectar Classic: $549
• Full Nectar Classic: $599
• Queen Nectar Classic: $649
• King Nectar Classic: $849
• Cal King Nectar Classic: $849
  

This year's Nectar Black Friday sale has already begun with $100 off orders of $1,000 or more. That won't move the needle on any of the prices above, but it'll help you save on Nectar Classic Mattress bundle deals. 

Prices were lower for the Nectar Classic during a recent big Nectar mattress sale with a queen-size dropping to $599. That remains the best deal we've seen for this mattress thus far, but if the last few years are anything to go by, chances are slim you'll see that deal return this holiday season, however my team will be tracking the sale in our Black Friday mattress deals live blog.

As always, Nectar Sleep offers free shipping, a risk-free 365-night trial, and a forever warranty. Those are among the best amenities out there, especially for a mid-range mattress like the Nectar Classic.

Setting up the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress

The Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress arrives compressed and rolled up in a box to protect it in transit. If you don't want to haul and set it up yourself, you can opt for white glove delivery for $199. (You may have to chat with a Nectar rep to add this delivery option to your cart.) With white glove delivery, the mattress arrives flat and is brought to a room of your choice. It also includes the removal of your previous mattress, if needed.

My queen-size Nectar Classic arrived flat at my home, so I could sleep on it immediately if I wanted. However, other Tom's Guide testers have had to unbox their Nectar foam mattresses, noting some off-gassing and needing to wait several days for their mattresses to fully expand. This is common for mail-order mattresses that have been compressed and boxed for a long time.

Nectar also sells a range of bed frames to suit its mattresses, although any slatted bed frame or divan will work. 

My first week sleeping on the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress

Night 1: A calm and restful night's sleep

When I initially laid on the Nectar Classic, it felt a lot firmer than what I’d previously been sleeping on, the Simba Hybrid Ultra mattress. My daughter was instantly put out by the fact that she couldn’t freely jump on the Nectar like she did with the last one, probably due to the lack of pocket springs. While I see her point (and a fail on her behalf), I took this as a small win on my part. 

I found my first night sleeping on the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress surprisingly comfortable. I’m usually a light sleeper and take ages to fall asleep, interchanging positions between my side and back and often waking up in the night. But my first night here was a success as I found myself sleeping all the way through.     

Nights 2-7: Firm, but cozy — and husband-approved

Nectar rates its Nectar Classic as a medium-firm mattress, or a 6.5 out of 10 on its firmness scale. As I mentioned above, I found this a lot firmer than your average medium-firm mattress and while it has a nice plush top layer, I think the mattress feels quite dense overall. There are five layers of foam and materials inside. 

What these foam layers do successfully, however, is create a mattress with good pressure relief and support. Under the cool-to-touch cover is a pressure-relief layer, followed by a responsive support layer, a motion isolation layer, and a durable bottom cover to prevent the mattress from shifting. 

While lying on my back, I could tell that my spine was suitably supported and effortlessly aligned. I usually put a pillow under my knees to offer more support for my lower back, but the way the Nectar successfully contoured my body meant I didn’t need to do that. My legs seemed to relax freely onto the surface of the mattress and remain well supported. Sleeping on my side was also comfy, and I enjoyed how evenly balanced my legs and shoulders felt in that position. 

I shared this mattress with my partner, who at 6ft is considerably taller than me and prone to moving quite a bit in the night. During my first week with the Nectar Classic, I embraced the minimal motion transfer this mattress offers, as I slept undisturbed. My partner also commented that he didn’t notice me switching from my side to back, either.

As the mattress has good edge support, it feels like there is lots of usable sleeping space here. This is something I really appreciate as my partner often takes up a lot of room. Good edge support makes getting in and out of bed easy, too, and I’ve really noticed the benefit of this in the last week.

Memory foam mattresses can often get hot, but this mattress comes with a cool-to-touch cover that is designed to wick away heat and regulate temperature. While the cover can’t be taken off, it has an antimicrobial treatment to help maintain a healthy sleeping surface. 

Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress: My early thoughts

With its thick 12” depth, the Nectar Classic Mattress looks luxurious on my wooden slatted bed frame. It offers up the generous proportions you’d expect to see in a spa hotel and so far my opinions have been positive.

Having tried it for one week, I’m impressed and keen to continue sleeping on it. While I would never normally choose to sleep on a thick memory foam mattress like this, I’ve found its five-layer design very comfortable on the hips and back. It did well to contour my body, providing good pressure relief and limiting motion from side to side so I didn’t get disturbed by my partner in the night (and vice versa).      

My early verdict: A bold claim after just one week, but I think the Nectar Classic Memory Foam Mattress stands out as a very comfortable design. To me, it offers a different sleep experience to your standard memory foam or hybrid mattress. Its contouring materials and great-value price are reasons to take note, and if you share a bed, you and your partner won't have to worry about disturbing each other.