Best Hybrid Mattresses in Canada

Our Reviews of the Best Hybrid Mattresses in Canada (January 2024)

Best Overall - Editor’s Choice  — The Summerhill

The Summerhill is my editor's choice due to its coolness, motion isolation, and edge support.

Coolness is crucial to keep temperature from building up at night. The cool cover, open-cell foam, and breathable coils all work together to create a cooler sleep. From my examination and compression tests, I got a feels-like temperature of 28-29 degrees Celsius. This is cool enough to ensure hot sleepers feel temperature-neutral at night.

The Summerhill is cooler than The Osgoode by 1-2 degrees. I would recommend The Summerhill to hot sleepers who want a slightly cooler and more satisfying sleep surface.

Motion isolation is another key feature of some of the best mattresses. In light of my compression tests, I noted that motion didn’t travel farther than 3 inches. This is high enough isolation that couples can toss and turn without disturbing one another.

The Summerhill outperforms the GhostBed Flex by 2 inches. However, The Summerhill does better than The Osgoode by 1 inch. Considering these, I would recommend The Summerhill for sleepers who need the highest level of motion isolation for a restless partner.

“Good motion isolation means you won’t feel it as much when your partner changes positions. You also might not notice it when they get out of bed,” explained Heather Wright, a Pathologist at Sleep Foundation.

The edge support is a key feature that stood out to me regarding The Summerhill. Its perimeter is encased in high-density foam, giving strength and shape to the edges. From my compression tests, I measured a sinkage of around 3.5 inches along the edge. This is shallow enough to provide enough support to sleepers who enjoy using the edges of their mattress.

The Osgoode is my best budget option due to its price, sinkage, and motion isolation.

Price is an important feature when it comes to selecting a mattress. You want to ensure you’re getting as much value for your investment. The Osgoode does excellent for this as its price and some of its features outperform other mattresses. It is $600 cheaper than The Summerhill. However, it still has features that perform better and can offer a comparable sleep quality.

For example, looking at the sinkage of The Osgoode, my compression tests measured a sinkage of 1.87 inches. This is deep enough that I felt sleepers would be enveloped by the mattress and receive excellent pressure relief.

Hybrid Mattresses Explained: Construction and Materials Used

When trying to find the best hybrid mattress in Canada, it’s crucial to understand what components and characteristics make a good hybrid bed.

And to do that, we need to dig a little deeper into the construction.

A hybrid mattress is the type that uses multiple materials in one bed. This is done to achieve a balanced feel and minimize the weak sides of each material.

Now, for the base layer, hybrid models typically use coils. They come in various shapes and styles, including:

• Pocketed (encased, individually wrapped) coils. Each coil is fabric-encased, and then the fabric pieces are stitched together to maintain a solid construction of the system. Such a method links the coils together but keeps them isolated from each other simultaneously, resulting in good motion absorption. This construction is also great for targeted support, as each individual coil adjusts accordingly to the pressure (bodyweight) applied to it.
• Offset coils. These are connected to the interior structure of the mattress using a small piece of metal. This coil type is rather flexible and can also offer decent motion isolation (although pocketed coils are still the winner).
• Bonnell coils. These coils have an hourglass shape and are directly connected to the internal structure of the mattress (which holds them together). Bonnell coils aren’t that flexible and can make a mattress feel rather bouncy. That’s why they aren’t that popular among hybrid mattress manufacturers.
• Continuous coils. As the name suggests, such coils are shaped using one single wire. They also tend to be quite bouncy and don’t isolate motion that well. Therefore, if you manage to find a hybrid bed that uses continuous coils, it may be a good idea to avoid buying such a model.

Another factor you need to consider when shopping for a hybrid mattress is the coil gauge. This term implies the thickness of the coils, which means the thicker they are, the more solid support they can provide. Most spring cores range from 12 gauge (the thickest) to 18 (the thinnest). Lower gauge means sturdier, firmer support. Additionally, thicker coils tend to be more durable. 

Coil count is also worth looking into, although it isn’t as important as the gauge. The coil count numbers tell you how many coils are used in the construction. Typically, hybrid mattresses use around 800-1,200 coils for the support layer. More coils can offer more support but only if they are thick enough. Higher gauge coils cannot do the trick even if their count is higher. That’s why the gauge numbers are more important. 

Some hybrid mattresses can seem too bouncy to some users, especially those who love memory foam. However, if the bed uses pocketed coils as the support system, this issue might be eliminated.

Common Comfort Layer Materials in Hybrid Mattresses

The most popular option these days is undoubtedly foam. It is favored for its gentle hug and pressure-relieving properties. However, you can come across different types, each of which has its special properties:

• Memory foam. Classic memory foam responds slowly to applied pressure and envelopes around your body. This material can adjust to one’s curves quite well, which aids even weight distribution and helps reduce pressure points. However, regular memory foam tends to trap body heat and can make you wake up all sweaty. That’s why many hybrid mattresses use either gel-infused or open-cell foam for the comfort layers. Both types allow for improved thermoregulation. And when combined with the breathable innerspring core, they can keep you pleasantly cool during the night without sacrificing pressure relief.
• Polyfoam. Polyfoam is a bit bouncier than memory foam. Because it has a slightly faster response, it doesn’t allow for too much of that quicksand feeling. Polyfoam is often used as a transition layer between the memory foam comfort layer and the supportive base. It can nicely balance out the construction and give a hybrid mattress a bit of an extra bounce while still allowing for enough cradling.

When shopping for a hybrid mattress that uses foam for the comfort layers, pay attention to its density. Measured in pounds per cubic foot (PCF), it determines how the material feels and how it can withstand regular use. Higher density results in a slightly firmer feel and promises increased durability.

Memory foam density varies depending on the brand. Anything below 3.5 PCF is considered low-grade memory foam and might not be the best option if you want a more durable bed. As for polyfoam, the numbers are a bit different. 1.8 PCF (and lower) is considered to be of low density, which can be fine for a transition layer. However, if the polyfoam is used in the comfort layers, it should be at least 2 PCF (preferably).

Another important memory foam characteristic is the ILD, or the Indentation Load Deflection. This is what determines how firm or soft the material feels. The higher the ILD of the comfort layers, the firmer your mattress would be. For memory foam, the numbers range between 8 and 20.

Now, you can also find good hybrid mattresses that use latex for the comfort layers. Latex can be either natural or synthetic (1) (or sometimes the combination of the two). This material is quite responsive and offers bouncy pressure relief. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea due to its natural bounce, but latex can conform closely to one’s body and help with proper spinal alignment without making you feel stuck in your bed (as memory foam sometimes does).

Depending on the production method, there are Dunlop and Talalay latex. Dunlop is typically a bit firmer on one side. It is denser than Talalay, as the latter is quite airy and a bit softer. 

If you want to buy a latex + innerspring hybrid, check the ILD of latex. Ranging between 15 and 40 (or higher), it determines the firmness of this material. Typically, anything below 21 is considered soft; the ILD of 24 to 34 means a medium or medium-firm feel; and anything over 34 is firm.

Also read: Best Mattresses in a Box in Canada

One of the biggest advantages of hybrid mattresses is how they combine solid support with pressure relief without sacrificing motion isolation, edge support, and sleeping cool.

How to Pick the Best Hybrid Mattress in Canada: Buyer’s Guide

Looking for a top-rated hybrid mattress may seem challenging, but only if you don’t know what factors really matter:

• Comfort layers. Since different models use various materials and their combinations (2), you need to determine which one would be the most suitable for you. Do you want a combination of sturdy support and gentle cradling? Then an innerspring + memory foam combo would suit your needs. If you prefer a bouncy feel and want resilient pressure relief, choose a coil + latex ensemble. There are models that combine all of the above: coils, latex, and foam. Such mattresses can offer a rather balanced feel for those users who are looking for something in between. 
• Coil gauge and foam ILD. As these numbers can determine how your bed would feel and how long it will serve you, coil gauge and foam (or latex) ILD deserve your attention. Remember that lower coil gauge means thicker and more durable coils. As for the ILD, the higher it is, the firmer the material would feel.
• Size. This factor will affect the price of your new bed. Typically, the bigger the mattress, the more expensive it would be. Queen is the most popular choice for partnered sleep as it offers enough space for 2 average-sized adults. If you are a solo sleeper, Full should be enough, even leaving some extra legroom for you (or some space for your pet, because why not?). King is a good option for couples who like to sprawl in bed. There are also split versions of King and Cal King, which allow for 2 different comfort levels for each side. This option is ideal for partners who have different firmness preferences.
• Firmness. To feel comfortable and to maintain the health of your spine, it’s crucial to pick an appropriate firmness level of the mattress according to your sleeping position. Side sleepers require softer beds, back sleepers need medium to medium-firm mattresses, and stomach sleepers are advised to sleep on firm or extra-firm surfaces. Another important aspect is your weight. If you are a petite user (less than 130 pounds), you will need a softer mattress for each sleeping position as the weight of your body might not be enough to sink into the comfort layers. This can cause painful pressure points. Naturally, if you are a larger user (over 250 pounds), you need a firmer bed for any sleeping position described above to enjoy proper support and weight distribution. 
• Price. Here’s the deal: hybrid mattresses are quite pricey when compared to regular foam or innerspring beds. If your budget is rather limited, you may settle for a simple model with fewer comfort layers. More luxurious options often have a padded Euro pillow-top for extra cushion and that chic touch.
• Cooling. Generally, hybrid mattresses don’t tend to sleep hot thanks to the unobstructed air circulation between the coils. However, if you are a hot sleeper, you may want to avoid memory foam hybrids, as this material can trap heat (especially if you are heavier and would sink deep into the comfort layers). For an ultimate cooling effect during sleep, you may consider a latex hybrid or a combination of coils and gel-infused memory foam. Another option is charcoal infusion, which might also have a slight cooling effect. More advanced models may also use open-cell foam that tends to be rather breathable. “Cooling mattresses work by lowering heat retention along the surface. They also wick away moisture from your body and promote airflow,” said Logan Foley, an Editorial Director at Sleep Foundation.
• Trial and return policy. Sometimes your body needs time to get used to the new bed. Just like that, some materials take time to adjust to your body and its curves. Depending on the model, it may take you up to 30 days to get used to your new mattress. That’s why a long sleep trial and a fuss-free return policy are a must. Most manufacturers allow for at least 100 days to test their product. But not all brands have a good return policy. Some arrange for the mattress pick-up for free, others need you to pay for return shipping. It may be a good idea to check this info before making a purchase, especially if you aren’t sure what kind of mattress would be perfect for you.
• Motion transfer. If you share your bed with a partner, motion isolation would come in handy. Generally, hybrid mattresses tend to absorb shock quite well, especially if we are talking about the combination of pocketed coils and memory foam. Latex models are a bit bouncier, so if one of you is an extremely sensitive sleeper, it’s probably best to stick with memory foam.

Also read: Top-rated Mattresses for Back Pain

Who Can Benefit Most from a Hybrid Mattress

Hybrid mattresses are generally helpful for people who want support from their mattress but can’t give up on the soft and bouncy feeling. Partners can enjoy these mattresses a lot since they offer great motion isolation along with a little bounciness and edge support. 

Hybrid mattresses are also great for people who like the thick comfortable layers of memory foam but don’t want to sleep hot. The latex or coils will add much more breathability, which is perfect for people who sleep hot. 

There are many different types of hybrid mattresses on the market, so there is something to suit everybody. Nevertheless, if you want the best of both worlds and the monotonous feeling of simple foam, latex, or innerspring mattresses isn't’ good enough, a hybrid might just be the best choice.

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