When I came to know about the latest mattress from online retailer Simba Sleep, I was very excited, to say the least. I haven’t tried the original Simba Hybrid mattress, but have seen it advertised on TV many times and always heard great things about it. So, when I saw there was an upgraded version called the Simba Hybrid Pro, I decided it was definitely time to try this one out. The order went in, and then it felt like the lead-up to Christmas all over again.
After only a few days the mattress arrived, which was much sooner than expected. It’s now been a couple of weeks since I began using the Hybrid Pro, and it’s about time to share the experience so far in my latest Simba mattress review.
Who Would Love This Mattress?
- Couples who share a bed and need good motion isolation
- Anyone with back, hip, or shoulder pains
- People who enjoy an active sex life
- Those who want a durable, long-lasting mattress
- People who need a long time to try out the mattress at home (200-night sleep trial)
- People who suffer from night sweats
Who Won't Love This Mattress?
- Those who want the deep hugging feel of memory foam
- Heavy people (weighing over 18 stone)
The Simba Hybrid Pro
What Is The Simba Hybrid Pro?
The Simba Hybrid Pro is an updated and revised production from the UK-based sleep company Simba. The mattress has a medium-firm firmness level and stands at an impressive 28 cm thick throughout the different sizes.
The creation of the mattress follows a concise concerted effort from various players. The company has fine-tuned this mattress on an already tried and tested base, i.e., the original hybrid Simba mattress, which has won a plethora of awards and comes recommended by Which?, T3, Ideal Home, Men’s Health Lab, and many more.
From the outset, it’s obvious that the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress doesn’t compromise on comfort or support. With up to 5000 super-light Aerocoil springs alongside the intelligent layering system, it ensures maximum contouring, support, airflow, and active cooling. Ultimately, regardless of which position or how hot you sleep, the Simba Pro oozes a level of superiority.
Setting It Up
As with all mattress-in-a-box solutions of today, the Simba Hybrid Pro arrived in a large cardboard box with their printed branding. Unlike many mattresses we’ve received in the past, at least this box was still intact when it arrived, courtesy of the two-man AO delivery team.
What's In The Box?
Upon opening the box, we found the mattress was compressed and rolled, and packaged in a vacuum-sealed bag. Aside from the mattress, we found a welcome pack with some booklets regarding friend referrals, setup instructions, FAQ’s, and some general info about the company’s history and design of the mattress. There’s also a special tool included to open the plastic wrapping without damaging the mattress itself.
What's The Setup Process?
In order to set up the mattress, you’ll find it easiest to unravel the mattress and lay out straight onto the bed. Our bedroom is upstairs, and it was much easier to drag the rolled mattress up the stairs rather than to carry the box, even though it has handles. The Simba Pro was much lighter than expected, which made it easy to maneuver into place. We then laid it out and cut the plastic wrapping along the edges of the mattress with the supplied tool. The mattress will then begin to regain shape from its airtight compressed state.
Simba recommends leaving the mattress between 3-6 hours before using it. We left it approx 8 hours, and by then, it had risen to its stated 28cm height. It filled out the cover completely and seemed to have gained its original shape when inspecting all corners and edges.
Simba Hybrid Pro Mattress Layers
The first thing we love to do after receiving a new mattress is to take off the cover and see what’s inside. The Simba Hybrid Pro mattress has six layers (including the removable and washable cover). Let’s take a look at each one in more detail:
Mattress Cover
This makes the first layer of the Simba mattress and immediately strikes you as an attractive sleeping surface. Although most covers are hidden under fitted sheets and bedding, it’s nice to know some effort is taken into ensuring a modern look on the outside, rather than focussing entirely on the inner magic. However, not only is the white and grey design pleasant to look at, it is designed from a super soft, knitted synthetic, highly breathable 750g hypoallergenic material that is a pleasure to simply just “touch” for ages. This is the first fine-tune and upgrade to its Simba Hybrid counterpart, being much thicker and softer.
Along the edges on the cover’s underside, there is a zipper so you can easily remove it for cleaning. However, Simba recommends you don’t remove the cover if you can help it. Removing isn’t the issue; placing the cover back on properly can be rather difficult. In fact, I had a tough time getting the mattress back in after removing only half of the cover to take some pictures.
Natural Wool Layer
Immediately under the cover, your body will next come into contact with about 1cm of 100% natural wool. This isn’t very common in mattresses but is actually a great idea. The wool is temperature regulating and helps to wick away any moisture that may seep through the cover. Again, this layer is only available in the Hybrid Pro, and not the older Simba Hybrid mattress.
Open Cell Simba-Pure Layer
This is the third layer, and is designed from open-cell graphite-infused cooling Simbatex foam. Ultimately, this is the cooling comfort layer, and simply put, this 2.5cm thick segment tackles overheating while promoting comfort. It is more responsive than standard memory foam and behaves more like latex, considering it has a slight pushback feeling to it rather than a “sinking in” sensation. It can effectively dissolve pressure and pain from significant pressure points.
Aerocoil Spring Layer
The fourth layer is also roughly 2.5cm high and consists of up to 5000 individually pocketed conical coils (depending on the mattress size). The unique and patented coil system is designed from titanium, and each of the coils are wrapped in 100% polyester pockets, which eliminates any noise from being emitted by the springs over time.
This vast number of springs delivers superior comfort and support. In essence, they precisely adjust to your sleeping position and the alignment of your spine, so weight distribution is even. Bed-sharing partners will find this spring system incredible as it minimises motion transfer.
Although this layer is featured in the original Simba mattress, the Hybrid Pro features double the amount of springs in a dual-layered formation. Why not just make the springs longer, instead of using two layers of the same (with shorter springs)? Well, smaller micro-coils can act even more independent of each other, which means centimetre-perfect vertical contouring. As the top layer of Aerocoils compress, the coils beneath can too if and where required, thus catering for all body shapes and sleeping positions.
High Definition Simba-Pure Reflex Layer
This slightly thicker (4cm) fourth layer features high definition Simba-Pure foam. It transitions the upper softer layers into the firmer base. And since it is firmer than the upper layers, it sort of defines the edge, thus improving the level of edge support. Another feature of this layer is that it offers subtle pressure relief.
Zoned Support Base
This is the sixth and final layer. A zoned support system is the core of the mattress. Besides forming the base of your bed, it ensures that you get enough targetted comfort and support for the whole body. This layer has airways from edge to edge of the mattress, which allows the free flow of body heat to dissipate. Thus, the mattress remains cool throughout your sleep. It’s roughly 16cm thick and built from firmer, more supportive foam, which adds to the sturdy rigidness of the foundation and ensures the durability of the mattress.
Comfort, Feel, and Firmness
My initial response when I first lay on the mattress was how soft it was. I wasn’t expecting this. Nonetheless, after the recommended 6 hour wait period, I tried it again and found it had become much firmer.
After a few night’s sleep, we concluded in our opinion that the Simba Hybrid Pro is a medium-firm mattress, meaning it’s on the firmer side of medium. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being very hard and 0 being very soft, it would sit around 6.5.
However, it is vital to note that firmness is relative. Individuals lighter than 10 stone will find this mattress to be on the firmer side, while those above may find this mattress a little on the softer side.
Foam mattresses usually respond to body temperature; thus, you’ll sometimes see a large depression for a short while in the morning. That isn’t the case with Simba Pro mattress. Though it contours and creates depressions where required, it’s just a little and bounces back into shape very quickly, thanks to the Aerocoils and open-cell Simba-Pure foam.
There’s no doubt that the Simba mattress offers a comfortable sleeping surface. When you lay upon it, you’ll be met by a luxuriously plush yet firm surface. This is partly due to the soft cover and natural wool layer, which makes the Pro unique.
The open-cell foam configuration underneath conforms closely to your body, thus aligning your spine and preventing the building up of pressure at the common pressure points like the shoulders and hips. You can feel this layer working as soon as you lay down.
Sleeping Positions
Testing the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress in different sleeping positions, we found the following:
Side sleeper
When you lay on your side, the responsive topmost layers contour your body shape and carry your weight by offering you great support. Since the sleeping surface is soft and comfortable, you get decent pressure relief at the shoulders and the hips. Also, the tiny individually acting pocketed coils offer a very defined level of contouring support and weight distribution.
Back sleepers
When you lay flat on your back, you’ll feel the mattress slowly filling the space on your back from top to bottom. Thus, offering much-needed support along the length of your body, but most importantly in the lower back region. It’s the perfect balance of no too hard where it hurts by creating pockets and pressure points and not too soft where the spine comes out of alignment.
Stomach sleepers
Stomach sleepers shouldn’t have a problem with the Simba Hybrid Pro. Again, it’s a good balance of firmness where it provides enough support for the spine without being too hard for the chest, breasts, or ribs.
Combo sleepers
As above, each position is catered for without issue. So, if you switch positions frequently while sleeping, this might be the perfect mattress for you. The responsive foam and double layer of springs allow you to switch from one position to another easily while enjoying each sleeping position at the same time.
Temperature Control
Hybrid mattresses generally perform exceptionally well when it comes to body temperature regulation. True to this, the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress doesn’t overheat, but it sleeps a little hotter than a traditional innerspring mattress.
The sleeping surface is cool, thanks to the breathable material (Simbatex) that makes the cover. Additionally, the graphite-infused open-cell foam and conical shaped titanium springs contribute immensely to the cooling properties of this mattress. Lastly, the base has rather large channels for any excess air to travel through.
Even with a thick 13.5 tog duvet and bed cover and two rather large people sharing, there was no overheating whatsoever.
Edge Support
Here is where the Simba Hybrid Pro shines. In its construction, there is a high definition foam layer solely for reinforcing the edge. Additionally, the conical coils span the whole length and width of the mattress, close to the edges to offer furthermore support.
Now, when you sit on the edge of the Simba Pro mattress, it sinks a little as expected. The degree of sinkage depends on your weight. But be sure it isn’t considerable at all. Compared to other hybrid mattresses (such as the Emma Hybrid), the Simba mattress is in a league of its own and can easily be mistaken for an innerspring mattress.
Also, when you sleep close to the edges, you’ll not have that feeling of falling off the bed. It doesn’t dip much more than when you lie in the centre.
Motion Isolation
This is another place where the Simba Hybrid Pro has a glowing rating. The thousands of tiny individually pocketed coils are excellent at isolating motion. Additionally, the topmost responsive/adaptive comfort foam layers dampen and effectively isolate any movements as soon as they are generated.
Essentially, if you have a sleeping partner, you are most likely not to feel any movements from across the bed, whether tossing or turning or getting in and out of bed. So there is minimal disruption, hence quality sleep.
Durability and Increasing Longevity
There’s no doubt that the Simba Hybrid Pro feels like a premium mattress that’s built to last. There’s no compromise on quality, whether it’s on the inside or the outside. From patented eco-friendly foams to titanium coils, the layers come together to form a mattress that should outlive its warranty period.
On average, a good hybrid mattress should easily last for around 10-12 years with continuous usage. Keep in mind; you only use one side of the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress. It is not two-sided by consideration of the arrangement of the layers. However, Simba Sleep recommends that you rotate the mattress regularly. There are fabric handles on the mattress edge to make the process easier (not available on the Single size). This should be done once a month for the first few months, and then once every 3-6 months after. This would definitely increase its lifespan and create an even wear.
Sex
As I already mentioned, the Simba Hybrid Pro has a good level of bounce and is very responsive to movement. The dual-layered Aerocoils and graphite-infused Simba-Pure comfort layer combine to give a soft yet subtle spring sensation. Thus, whichever position you’re in, neither of you will “sink in” much, which is typical of an all-foam mattress. Bouncy beds are great for sex since you won’t be sinking too deep and feeling “stuck.” Although memory foam mattresses provide excellent traction for sexual activity, especially in missionary, the Simba mattress isn’t without. The cover doesn’t slip and slide due to its knitted design and also thanks to the wool layer directly underneath.
Heavy People
Although the mattress can take a significant amount of combined weight from either side, the Simba mattress isn’t recommended for people who weigh more than 18 stone. The warranty will cover weights up to this amount. Anyone who is over 18 stone may find the mattress rather soft and perhaps not as supportive as an extra-firm or innerspring mattress.
New-Mattress Smell
Unpacking the mattress treats you to a robust plasticky smell, so you’ll need to air your room to dissipate the smell. This is common with all mattresses that use foam in its construction. It is, however, much less than you’d expect from a memory foam mattress. We left the window open for around 6 hours, and the smell hadn’t gone. On average, it takes around 24-48 hours for the smell to disappear completely, but perhaps less if the window is left open for longer or if using a scented candle.
Simba Hybrid Pro FAQ's
How long is the sleep trial?
Simba Sleep offers a 200-night trial with the mattress. If you don’t like it for whatever reason, contact Simba within 200 nights of receiving your mattress, and they’ll begin arrangements to collect your mattress. It doesn’t need to be in any of the original packaging.
How long is the warranty?
Your Simba Hybrid Pro comes with a 10-year warranty. If any defects occur within this period, contact Simba to discuss your options.
How thick is the mattress?
The Simba Hybrid Pro is 28cm thick. It is compatible with most fitted sheets and will raise you above the bed frame by a similar height as a traditional mattress, if not slightly more.
What is the delivery process?
Delivery is usually within 3 business days and by either AO or UPS. With Covid-19 still at bay, it’s imperative to keep safe. Therefore, Simba offers a zero-contact delivery and will deliver the mattress to your doorstep. Shipping is free.
What size options are available for the Simba Hybrid Pro?
You can opt for a Single, Double, King, and Super King. There is currently no option for a Small Double.
Does Simba only sell mattresses?
No, Simba also has in their lineup a hybrid pillow, duvet, and other bedding products such as a mattress protector, mattress topper, and a weighted blanket.
Our Simba Mattress Ratings
The Verdict
The Simba Hybrid Pro is an excellent addition to the rapidly growing UK mattress industry. Although online-only and bed-in-a-box solutions are still quite new to the UK, Simba has found its feet in this niche and hasn’t failed to impress.
While conducting our Simba mattress review, we’ve found that it offers proper support and comfort, thanks to its balanced firmness. With the combination of body contouring properties of foam and the support of multiple conical pocket springs, this mattress offers one of the best sleeping experiences we’ve come across in a while.
Additionally, the lengthy 200-night sleep trial and 10-year warranty make this an option worth considering if you’re serious about good sleep.
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Comfort – 10/1010/10
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Support – 10/1010/10
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Materials – 10/1010/10
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Cooling Ability – 9.5/109.5/10
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Edge Support – 10/1010/10
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Motion Isolation – 10/1010/10
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Sleep Trial – 10/1010/10
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Warranty – 8/108/10
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Value For Money – 10/1010/10