Nectar are well known for their excellent mattresses, with their beds always making their way into our best mattress guide, so it's only natural that they'd eventually release a mattress topper. The Nectar Mattress Topper, available in both a 'Softer' and 'Firmer' version, was recently introduced to help change the feel of a bed and prolong its life just that little bit further.
As someone who suffers with lower back pain, I’m always interested in firmer mattress topper options (which can be few and far between), but I also wanted to see if there was a huge difference between the two versions. So, I tested both the Softer and Firmer Nectar Mattress Topper in a full for three weeks. Here’s what I thought of both options and whether they deserve a place in our best mattress toppers guide.
Nectar Mattress Topper Review In Brief
Nectar is the brand behind the best memory foam mattress, Nectar has now branched out into the mattress topper world with the Nectar Mattress topper. Cleverly, the brand has decided to produce the topper in two different options — a soft version to help cushion pressure points and soften a too-firm mattress and a firmer version that is meant to provide support and firmness to a too-soft mattress — but how did the two options fare in real world testing?
Made with 2” of open-cell gel-infused memory foam, along with a breathable cover with cooling polyethylene fibres interwoven into it, the Nectar toppers follow a simple but neat design, with a white surface and attractive edging in Nectar’s signature dark blue colouring.
The bottom of the topper is covered with small slightly sticky dimples, and these do a magnificent job of keeping the topper firmly rooted in place — something I was slightly concerned about with the lack of anchor straps. Speaking of the cover, this is unfortunately not removable so you would be well advised to use one of the best mattress protectors on top of it to avoid staining.
Type: Gel-infused memory foam
Depth: 2”
Cover: Soft fabric interwoven with cooling fibres
Corner straps: No
Trial period: 30 nights
Warranty: 1-year
Starting MSRP: from $197 at Nectar
I tested the two versions of the topper back-to-back so that I could compare and contrast accurately. As a lightweight side and back sleeper with fairly frequent lower back pain, I gravitated towards the firm option, thinking it might have enough support to keep my spine aligned. And whilst it did an excellent job when I was sleeping on my side, I didn’t find it offered enough support for my lumbar region when I was on my back.
However, even though I’m a lightweight sleeper, I do generally prefer mattresses with enhanced lumbar support, so this wasn’t particularly surprising. I think, overall, a lot of people will probably find it firm enough for back sleeping.
The soft version was incredibly plush, offering plenty of pressure relief for side sleepers. I think back and stomach sleepers are likely to find the soft version too soft, unless they’re sleeping on an incredibly firm mattress that needs a little softening up. Bizarrely, I did feel a tiny bit of pressure build up at my hip so, if you’re of a leaner build like me, that is worth noting. I feel the topper will break in further after you’ve slept on it for a longer period,however.
Overall, I thought these two toppers were in line with many of the best memory foam mattress toppers we’ve tested, providing a lot of pressure relief and comfort to those who mattress might not be an ideal fit. They’re also decently priced with a queen size topper commonly discounted to $179. You’ll also get a 30-night trial and one-year warranty, along with free shipping and returns.
Nectar Mattress Topper: Price & Deals
- Standardized discounts at Nectar mean you’ll never pay MSRP
- Includes a 30-night trial, one-year warranty, and free shipping and returns
- Affordable $179 price tag for a queen
You’ll pay the same price for both the soft and firm versions of the Nectar topper and, thanks to regular discounts in the Nectar mattress sales, the topper won’t ever be sold at full MSRP.
That means a queen size retails for under $200 with a price tag of $179 — which I think is one of the best mattress topper deals you’ll see for a high-quality topper. Of course, this still isn’t a budget option and there are cheaper toppers out there, but this topper is priced well below the average cost of other queen memory foam toppers (around $299) and queen mattress toppers with a cooling cover (around $375).
Below are the sale prices for the Nectar Mattress Topper:
- Twin: $149
- Twin XL: $149
- Full: $179
- Queen: $179
- King: $199
- Cal king: $199
You’ll also get a 30-night trial and one-year warranty, which is slightly disappointing compared to some other brands and toppers. (The Helix ErgoAlign topper comes with 100 nights and a 10-year warranty, for example, although a queen is currently $374.) However, you do get free returns (along with free shipping) which aren’t always included with a topper.
Nectar Mattress Topper: Design & Materials
- Non-removable cover that's spot-clean only, with a non-slip underside
- 2” of open-cell, gel-infused memory foam
- The cover has polyethylene cooling fibres interwoven into it
Both the firm and soft options of the Nectar topper are made from the same gel-infused memory foam, with the firmer option simply using a firmer foam to help provide more support and slightly more rigidity.
The topper is made from 2” of open-cell memory foam with a gel-infusion. In reality, nearly all memory foam toppers use open-cell foam, as it helps make things more breathable. Gel-infusions can also often be a bit of a marketing ploy but, in fairness to the Nectar topper, it does regulate heat very well.
Of course, much of this is probably down to the fact that the cover is interwoven with polyethylene cooling fibres, which help to draw heat away from the body. You disappointingly can’t remove the cover, so it’s spot-clean only. The bottom of the topper is covered with grippy dimples, which keep the topper secured to the bed as there aren’t any anchor straps.
Nectar Mattress Topper: Performance
- Expanded quickly but there was some off-gassing
- Soft and firm models are great for side sleepers, but not for front sleepers
- Great for side sleepers, and keeps most sleepers cool at night
My husband and I slept on each Nectar Mattress Topper model for around a week and a half, testing them with a focus on comfort, temperature control. and ease of setup, as you’ll find detailed in our mattress methodology.
Set-up
As with the best mattresses in a box, the Nectar toppers arrived vacuum packed and rolled up into a pretty small box at my door. Compared to carrying around a full-sized mattress, moving the toppers upstairs was a piece of cake, with the Full sizes only weighing 14lbs each. The heaviest version, the king size, weighs 22lbs.
Once upstairs it was pretty easy to remove the plastic to let the toppers expand. Neither the firm nor soft topper took long to inflate, reaching full depth within about half an hour. But to make sure they were fully expanded, I left each topper for around 12 hours before sleeping on them. There isn’t any indication on Nectar’s website for how long you should leave for expanding but I’d say you’d be fine to sleep on the toppers after a couple of hours.
Off gassing wasn’t horrendous but there was definitely a noticeable chemical-like smell from the toppers that took a few hours to dissipate. This wasn’t particularly surprising though, as memory foam toppers are notorious for off gassing.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Comfort and support
I had just finished testing a hybrid mattress when the Nectar toppers arrived, which gave me an excellent base to test the mattress toppers. (We would advise that you don't put a memory foam mattress topper on a memory foam bed.)
Although I’m a lightweight sleeper, I do prefer a firmer bed, so I started out with the firm topper. Sleeping on my side, I found that the firmer foam gave me plenty of support to keep the spine aligned but also did a good job of cradling my shoulders and hips.
However, I didn’t find it supportive enough for back sleeping as I prefer my mattresses with enhanced lumbar (lower back) support, which got cancelled out by the topper. Having said this, I do actually think that back sleepers who prefer a little contouring around the lumbar region and hips will really enjoy this topper; it is highly supportive and offers a lot of comfort.
The soft topper was very squidgy and plush, and I think that dedicated side sleepers will absolutely love the sink-in feeling around the shoulders and hips. Ironically, I did feel a tiny bit more pressure on my hips on the softer topper than I did on the firmer, but I genuinely think this is because I have very bony hips. I was also impressed with the motion isolation (how well it cancels out a partner's movements so not to disturb you) on both toppers with the firm topper doing just as good a job as the soft in isolating any movement.
Score: 4 out of 5
Temperature control
Memory foam is notorious for retaining heat, so I was a little concerned that the Nectar memory foam toppers might be too much for my hot sleeping husband to cope with.
Impressively though, he didn’t overheat at all on either topper. Even though the soft topper in particular is very plush, the cooling fibres woven into the cover do an excellent job of dissipating heat and stopping it from building up in the topper.
Of course, this is backed up by the open-cell design of the foam and the gel-infusion, but I see these as very much secondary to the cooling fibres in the cover. You’ll see similar designs in many of the best cooling mattresses on the market. I do think that chronically hot sleepers may struggle with this topper though and would instead be better off looking for a specialist cooling topper, but the temperature regulation is fine for most sleepers.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Nectar Mattress Topper?
If you’re in the market for a good quality memory foam mattress topper for a reasonable price, the Nectar should be top of your list. I think it’s very well-priced for the quality you get, sharing similar features to far more expensive toppers for a sub $200 price for a queen size.
The choice of two firmness options also means that you can choose which topper will suit your sleeping style best and the excellent cooling features mean you’ll stay cool and comfortable throughout the night.
However, back sleepers should avoid the softer version, which is too plush t support the lower back region, while stomach sleepers won't find either option firm or supportive enough.
The cooling fibres in the cover are a particularly welcome touch that should keep most sleepers (except those who sleep chronically hot) happy. Restless sleepers also won’t disturb a partner with one of these toppers on the bed, as they do an excellent job of isolating motion.
It's a shame that the cover on the toppers isn’t removable for washing and the 30-night trial and one-year warranty is a little short in comparison to some brands. But many brands charge to return toppers whereas Nectar offer this for free, along with the standard free shipping.
Buy it if…
✅ You want a choice of firmness options: Nectar earns brownie points as its toppers give you the chance to choose between a firmer and softer model, so that you can pick what best suits your sleeping style.
✅ You’re a hot sleeper: If you sleep hot but have your heart set on a memory foam topper, this is a great choice as the cooling fibres do an excellent job of keeping sleepers cool at night.
✅ You sleep on your side: I think the two toppers are best suited to side sleepers, with the firmer option being suitable for back sleepers as well.
Don’t buy it if…
❌ You sleep on your stomach: Although the firm option is firmer than many toppers, I still don’t feel that it’s supportive enough for stomach sleepers, who may feel their hips sinking out of alignment.
❌ You want a removable cover: It’s a shame that the Nectar toppers don’t come with removable covers, but you can (and should) invest in a mattress protector to keep the topper from becoming stained.
❌ You have a learner body type: If you’re very slim, I think you’ll find that even the plush topper isn’t quite soft enough for side sleeping.
Nectar Mattress Topper Review: Alternatives to conside
The Puffy Deluxe Mattress Topper has a lot in common with the Nectar Mattress Topper: They're both memory foam mattress toppers from a brand that specializes in mattresses, both are pretty much frozen at a standard discount price, and both come in a soft and a firm option. Although Puffy is slightly more expensive at a standard queen price of $202, it does come a lifetime warranty, a 101-night sleep trial, and a more sophisticated fitted sheet-like design. The down side? It did have a tendency to sleep quite warm. . Learn more in our Puffy Deluxe Mattress Topper review.
If you like the sound of the Nectar Topper's firmer option and cooling features, we suggest you also check out the ViscoSoft Active Cooling Mattress Topper. The Active Cooling Copper Topper is our top firm choice, and is removable washable cover gives it an edge over the Nectar Mattress Topper. This is a popular mattress topper, and so sizes quickly sell out fast whenever they're restocked. It's also more expensive than the Nectar, with a queen regularly priced at $299.99, but you do get a 90-night sleep trial and a five-year warranty. Learn more in our Viscosoft Active Cooling Mattress Topper review
If you like the sound of the Nectar Mattress Topper's cushioning comfort but you're on a tighter budget, we reccomend taking a look at the Lucid Gel Memory Foam Topper. Available in three different heights (2",3", or 4"), the Lucid Gel Memory Foam Topper is ideal for side sleepers who want to soften a hard bed. However, this is a budget mattress topper (a 2" queen is just under $70 at MSRP) so that does mean it comes without a cover. Still, you do get a 30-night sleep trial and three-year warranty when you buy the Gel Memory Foam Topper directly from Lucid. Learn more in our Lucid Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper review.
