This Simba hybrid mattress offers cloud-like comfort and support

Simba hybrid mattress design and features

As with most hybrids, there are a lot of layers – five, to be precise – to get your head around. At the core is a zoned foam support base – this is the part that gives the mattress its thickness, shape and stability, as well as being zoned to give the right support for each area of your body.

Next up is the high-definition foam layer that moulds to the shape of your body and is designed to provide edge-to-edge support. In the middle is a layer of patented conical pocket springs – 2,500 in a typical king size – which flex to your individual movement and provide the bounce, ridding it of that strangely flat feeling you can get with pure foam mattresses.

Then comes the open-cell Simbatex. Unlike memory foam which can retain heat, leading to overheating and sweating, Simba developed this in 2017 using graphite particles which help filter heat away.

And finally, there’s the soft, breathable and (take note, allergy sufferers) hypoallergenic sleep surface that’s also zip-off and washable.

Read more: The best mattresses for a great night’s sleep

Simba hybrid mattress comfort and performance

First impressions count, so we felt we were off to a good start with the heavy-but-easy-to-move box, clear instructions and supplied safety cutter. And within just a few hours (many mattresses require longer), it was ready to use – particularly handy if you’ve just moved into your new home.

“Oh yes!” we thought as we lay down on what immediately ticked our personal preference box of being on the slightly firmer side of medium. Be warned, however, that there’s a faint chemical whiff you have to live with for a few days – not unusual in mattresses containing foam.

Read more: Emma vs Simba – which hybrid mattress is best?

The sinkage is spot on – you don’t feel like you’re descending into the mattress itself or that it’s a battle to move positions, as is the case with some pure foam mattresses. And unlike some pure sprung mattresses, you don’t wind up with an agitated sleeping partner if you have a restless night or shift around in your sleep.

That said, we’d stop short of recommending this model if your sleeping partner is hypersensitive, as they are likely to feel a smidgeon of movement. In other words, it’s impressive on this front, but we’ve tested better.

If you get hot during the night, this is definitely a purchase worth considering. Even in summer or when you have the central heating whacked up, it seems to keep sweat at bay – both from your body and the mattress itself. The company’s focus on air flow and breathability has, we’d say, well and truly paid off.

As for Simba’s claims about it being an all-rounder, despite your body size and shape, we’d say they’re on safe ground here too. But it’s definitely better for side and front sleepers.

Back sleepers – who are a rarer breed – are notoriously difficult to please, and we think there are others they’d be better suited to.

Read more: Is Simba’s hybrid luxe mattress worth the four-figure price tag?

If you’re prone to waking up with aches and pains, especially in your back, you’ll really notice the spinal support – and even if you’re practically hanging off the side of the bed, that doesn’t wane. Importantly, this should be the case even years later.

Most of us have bad memories of trying to turn a heavy mattress over at one time or another, so it will come as good news that there’s no need to enter such territory with this one. But you do need to rotate it regularly 180 degrees once a month for the first three months, then every three to six months thereafter – helped by the four grips, although it did take two of us.