It’s easy to spend upwards of £1,000 on a mattress, but in my experience this isn’t necessary. Very often simple is better, especially if you’re sharing a mattress with a partner whose sleeping style is different to yours or if the mattress is for a spare room, where you’ll have a variety of different sleepers. Simba’s hybrid essential mattress, the cheapest in its range, caught my eye for this very reason and I’ve spent just under a year putting it to the test.
I would never scrimp on quality when it comes to mattresses. You do spend a large amount of your life on one. Having slept on Simba mattresses before – it’s my preferred brand – I was fairly confident that the essential would be decent, but I was surprised by just how much I liked it. In fact, it’s convinced me that, provided you don’t have specific needs or preferences, there’s no need to go above the most affordable model of a high quality brand.
My first impressions were very positive. Delivery was smooth, the mattress was incredibly simple to unbox and set up, and it felt firm yet springy from the first night I slept on it. In fact, for the first few weeks I struggled to notice any difference between this essential hybrid mattress and the higher priced Simba mattresses I’ve previously slept on. Over the several months I tested this mattress, it became clear that the support is not of the same quality as offered in mattresses higher in the range, yet overall I continued to be impressed with the performance of the mattress – particularly considering the price.
At just under £650 for a double, the hybrid essential mattress is medium firm, with four layers and a depth of 20cm. It has many of the features of the top of the range Simba mattresses, including graphite-infused simbatex foam, which has added airflow to keep you cool at night, and aerocoil springs, designed to limit sleep interruption by reducing the impact of your partner’s movements.
I‘ve now been sleeping on the hybrid essential mattress for 10 months and below is my review of every aspect, including pressure relief, support, maintenance and temperature regulation.
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How I tested
I slept on the hybrid essential mattress for 10 months, which included both warm summer nights and a full winter. I tested the mattress with my partner who tends to be a cooler sleeper, while I easily overheat so temperature regulation was key. We often sleep different hours with early mornings and disrupted hours due to work demands, so are very aware of movement transfer, and tend to sleep in different positions (I prefer my side while he is often a back sleeper). I assessed both of our quality of sleep and comfort, as well as the quality of the mattress at regular stages, looking for wear and tear, as well as potential sagging. Here’s my testing criteria in more detail:
- Comfort: From the first night I slept on this mattress, I assessed how it felt throughout my sleep, including when I first got into bed and got up in the morning. I took into account factors including pressure-relief and firmness, as well as the overall quality of my night’s sleep.
- Support: While sleeping on this mattress I evaluated how well aligned my body felt while sleeping both on my back and my side, while my partner considered the support offered as a front sleeper. We both also noted how we felt in the morning after the first few nights’ sleep and whether we felt any aches, pains or stiffness over a longer period of several months.
- Motion transfer: I slept on this mattress both alone and with my partner so evaluate the impact of sleeping on this mattress with a person next to me. My partner also slept alone for several nights on the mattress and we compared our assessments of motion transfer, addressing whether we were disturbed by the other’s movements through the night, as well as them getting up in the morning and climbing onto the mattress at night.
- Temperature regulation: I tested the mattress for nearly an entire year, including through a hot summer while sleeping in a room without air conditioning and only a fan for cooling, as well as during last winter. I considered how cool I stayed while sleeping on the mattress, and whether I woke up feeling hot or sweaty, and whether I stayed warm during cold nights.
- Value for money: I took into consideration the price of the mattress and assessed this against its quality and performance.
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Simba hybrid essential mattress
Mattress sizes (UK): Single, Double, Small Double, King
Mattress type: Hybrid
Guarantee: 10 years
Brand’s sleep trial: 200 nights
Rotate or flip: Rotate only
Tested by: Side sleeper
Firmness rating: Medium firm
Testing period: 10 months
Depth: 20cm
Cover: Zip-off, machine-washable
Old mattress recycling: Simba collect and recycle any brand or size mattress for a fee
Why we love it
- Versatile – will suit a wide range of sleepers
- Affordable
- Low-maintenance
Take note
- Will not suit sleepers with specific requirements
- Does not have highest level of support
Initial thoughts
The Simba hybrid essential mattress is not the cheapest on the market by any means, but at just under £600 for a king-size, it is very affordable for a brand like Simba, which is known for its quality. It’s not only the cheapest mattress in Simba’s range but it’s also at the bottom of the scale when it comes to features. For example, it has four layers compared to the 11 layers of the ultra mattress.
It also doesn’t come with a lot of the technology enjoyed by pricier mattresses like steel supportcore springs, which cradle your body for superior support, or a ‘cool-touch’ cover, designed for maximum cooling by removing as much excess heat as possible. While these features are effective, the vast majority of sleepers probably do not need them for a comfortable slumber, and the hybrid essential does a remarkably good job at support and temperature regulation without them.
Overview
Despite the relatively low price point, this mattress truly delivers. After nearly a year of sleeping on the Simba hybrid essential, it would take a lot to make me shell out any more for a mattress. The pressure relief and temperature control is such that it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s at the firmer end of the scale so may not be the right fit for anyone who likes a soft mattress, and doesn’t have the same give as more premium mattresses - but that was a bonus for me as I’m not a fan of “sinking into” a mattress.
You enjoy the standard Simba service benefits like free next day delivery, 200-night trial and a 10-year guarantee, and the setup is very easy. The mattress arrives in a box that is heavy yet easily manoeuvrable and within the promised 24 hours (if not before) the mattress has fully expanded and can be slept on, with no unpleasant odour.
The value of this mattress is hard to argue with. Despite being low-cost, it still has a very reasonable depth of 20cm, and after sleeping on it for nearly a full year the mattress completely retained its shape with no sagging. If you’re after something specific with your mattress, this one might not hit the mark – but for a good all-rounder that will please multiple types of sleeper, you can’t go too wrong with the hybrid essential.
Firmness and pressure relief
This mattress is described as medium firm and it certainly feels on the more firm end of the spectrum. This was ideal for me as I prefer a firm mattress, but it did not have the sinking or enveloping sense you get from softer mattresses. While the hybrid essential offers adequate support and pressure relief for most sleepers, if you do require a very supportive mattress or have issues with sore joints that might require pressure relief, you may want to look at another mattress towards the higher end of the Simba range such as the luxe or ultra that have features like the steel supportcore springs that are designed to cradle the body better.
The edge support was more than sufficient – there was never any sense that myself or my partner would be pushed off the side – and after 10 months weight distribution remains consistent. This is despite the fact that I’ve at no point rotated the mattress.
Temperature regulation
Temperature regulation can be a real challenge. I’m a very hot sleeper who often needs windows thrown open in winter and I can’t stand even feeling slightly sweaty or warm, while my partner gets cold much more easily/ Thankfully, I’ve found that Simba mattresses have always handled this well (in the past I slept on the hybrid), and the essential is no exception.
It has a breathable cover, but it appears to be the layer of graphite-infused simbatex foam that’s doing the hard work here. The graphite works to move warmth away from your body, preventing you from overheating when the temperature creeps up – and it really delivers. For the past 10 months I’ve rarely felt sticky or uncomfortable, even during the warmest summer nights, and there have been no complaints from my partner either.
Motion transfer
I slept on the hybrid essential alongside my partner and was not disturbed by his movement. Due to early mornings and a disrupted sleep schedule caused by work demands, one or other of us is often getting up while the other is asleep, but this mattress coped well with the movement. Like other mattresses in the range, this one features Simba’s aerocoil springs that are designed to minimise transfer of movement, and this is clearly an effective feature. These titanium alloy microsprings compress individually, which meant when my partner moved, I barely felt it on my side, allowing for uninterrupted sleep.
Maintenance
This is a very low-maintenance mattress that requires very little care once it is out the box. The delivery was seamless and the mattress expanded fully within the 24-hour window. It felt comfortable from the first night sleeping on it and there was no odour as you often find with new mattresses. It’s relatively light so was easy to manoeuvre onto the bed and would be easy to rotate if needed (although I haven’t felt this is required in the 10 months I’ve slept on the hybrid essential).
The mattress has a zip-off cover that can be easily popped in the washing machine and doesn’t take too long to air dry. Although Simba recommends using a mattress protector, I personally don’t like these as they can add extra bulk, so I haven’t been using one and have experienced no issues.
Buy now £649, Simba.com
Your questions about the Simba hybrid essential mattress answered
Is the Simba hybrid essential mattress worth the money?
Yes, I can confidently say that the Simba hybrid essential mattress is worth the money. For the price it contains a high level of features, including four layers, a depth of 20cm, graphite-infused simbatex foam that allows greater airflow to keep you cool, and aerocoil microsprings for support and to reduce motion transfer.
What are the disadvantages of the Simba hybrid essential mattress?
While it is hard to deny the value of the hybrid essential mattress, the noticeable area in which it does not live up to mattresses higher in the Simba range is support. While the support offered is adequate for most sleepers, if you have a specific condition that requires a high level of support you may not be satisfied with the hybrid essential. It is also not the ideal choice if you like a soft mattress or the sensation of “sinking into” your mattress, as it sits in the firmer end of the scale.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
The Independent’s shopping section, IndyBest, is dedicated to helping readers find the right product for their needs through honest, accurate and fair reviews based on thorough hands-on testing. Annabel has worked alongside the IndyBest team for several years, testing everything from the best women’s fleeces to the best duvets. The Simba hybrid essential mattress has been a fixture in her home for nearly a year.
As global travel editor, Annabel is often on the road and has slept on hundreds – if not thousands – of mattresses, ranging from luxe brands in five-star hotels to budget versions in hostels, and sleeping mats in tents. She knows the value of a good mattress for a comfortable night's sleep, and that expensive doesn’t always mean best. Her lifestyle means she’s often contending with jet lag and disrupted sleep, so she is sensitive to all the components that make a good mattress, from temperature regulation to support.
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