Nest Alexander Mattress Review

Nest Bedding as a company is a little bit different than most other online mattress companies. Like all companies, they are trying to create a quality comfortable mattress that fits the needs of most sleepers. However, Nest puts extra emphasis on building products that are equally as healthy, by using organic, natural, and other non-toxic materials.

As always though, beyond quality and healthy materials, how does it actually feel? Sleepopolis put Nest Bedding’s Alexander luxury foam mattress to the test to see how it performs. Continue reading below for my full review or click here to skip to the review summary.

Layers

The Nest Bedding Alexander mattress is a 4 layer 13″ foam mattress.

• Top layer (cooling / comfort) – the top layer is 4″ of gel memory foam. This layer works to absorb heat from the sleeping surface and disperse that through the sides and bottom of the mattress. It also helps to provide great support and pressure relief for the mattress.
• 2nd layer (support / comfort) – the second layer is 1″ of visco foam. Visco foam provides great bounce, responsiveness, and cooling. Placing this layer directly below the gel memory foam provides the mattress with higher levels of comfort and support.
• 3rd layer (transition) – this is a 2″ layer of transition foam. The transition foam provides additional support to the foams above and acts as deep compression support for heavier sleepers.
• Bottom layer (foundational) – 4″ layer of base foam. This layer acts as the foundational base for the mattress. It also helps to prevent the mattress from bottoming out and improves the edge support.

Nest Bedding Alexander mattress layers (top to bottom)” 2″ soft foam quilted within cover, 4″ gel memory foam, 1″ visco foam, 2″ transition foam, 4″ support base foam

The above construction details are for the medium firmness level. In order to achieve the optimal level of firmness, balance, and support, each mattress differs slightly in the foam layers and construction specs. Below are a list of the differences, including the differences in the cover (see below for more on the cover specs):

• Soft – 1.5″ soft quilted cover, 2″ gel memory foam, 2″ visco foam, 3″ transition foam, 4″ edge support base foam
• Medium – 2.0″ soft quilted cover, 4″ gel memory foam, 1″ visco foam, 2″ transition foam, 4″ edge support base foam
• Firm – 1.5″ quilted cover, 2″ gel memory foam, 3″ transition foam, 6″ edge support base foam

Cover

The cover has a more traditional construction and aesthetic. It’s a quilted piece of fabric built from cotton and polyester. Like the foams below, the cover is designed to be highly breathable, keeping the sleeping surface cool. Additionally, quilted within the cover is 2.0″ of super soft foam. This foam gives the mattress a great soft feel immediately upon lying or sitting down.

Nest Bedding Alexander mattress cover close up

Aesthetically, the cover combines both traditional and modern style elements. The sides have a bit more of a modern look built from both mesh and suede. Overall, the cover feels very well put together and quite sturdy. The stitching is tight everywhere and all of the materials choices have a quality feel to them.

Close up shot of the Nest Alexander side panel

Firmness, Comfort, Support

The Nest Alexander mattress comes in 3 firmness levels: soft, medium, and firm. For this review I slept on the medium, which is about a 5.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale (where 10 is the most firm). The soft option is a 3.5 out of 10 and the firm is an 8.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale.

Nest Alexander mattress firmness: soft = 3.5 out of 10, medium = 5.5 out of 10, and firm = 8.5 out of 10

When you first lie on the mattress there is an immediate soft feel. The quilted cover is padded with 2.0″ of soft foam, this gives it a great feel. As you lie on the mattress you’ll feel the support of the foam layers. In a normal lying position there is a balanced feel to the mattress. I saw 1.25-1.75″ of sinkage with a slight hug and moderate body contour. The Nest Alexander mattress does not have the same deep contours that you would find in a more traditional memory foam mattress. However, there is a substantial hug, which creates great pressure relief.

Nest Alexander, King size, platform bed

The mattress sleeps fairly cool. Since much of the softness comes from the quilted cover itself and not from a deep hug of foam it allows the sleeper to sleep more on top of the foam, improving breathability. Being that the Alexander creates a more dramatic sinkage you may feel slightly warmer by the nature of having more mattress and cover material along your sides. That said, I did not find that the Alexander slept hot, just slightly warmer than mattresses that create less of a contouring hug feel.

Additionally, the Alexander mattress does a good job in terms of motion transfer. Like most foam mattresses, it absorbs movement so that partners do not disturb each other when changing positions, or getting into / out of bed during the night.

I was very impressed by the support provided by the Alexander (while not sacrificing anything in terms of comfort). Prior to the Alexander I reviewed the Nest Love Bed (now called the Love & Sleep), which is a great mattress in its own right, but lacks a little something in the support department. I feel like the Alexander is a perfect step up from the Nest Love & Sleep. Still offers great comfort, good bounce, but has equally as strong support as well.

In April 2016 Nest Bedding completely revamped the Alexander mattress. The resulting redesign improved the material quality, overall design, and performance. The most notable change I experienced was the top cover. The previous quilted cover had a lower quality foam that acted more like a mini pillow top. The new cover has a more substantial foam and creates more contour and better pressure relief. Edge support is also improved over the original Alexander model. The new edge support base foam layer improves support to the point you can literally sleep directly on the edge of the mattress without feeling like you’re going to be ejected from the bed. For sitting purposes the edge support is similar to the original model.

Lastly, the improvements to the cover, while more style oriented, are still a nice change of pace. The new Alexander cover looks modern and the stitching is particularly well done.

Sinkage Tests & Motion Transfer

All mattress reviews on Sleepopolis go through a short series of basic sinakge tests. These tests are designed to give you an idea of how the mattress performs under various conditions, positions, and pressures. It can help to give you an idea of how the mattress will feel and hug around your body.

• Lying on back – in a normal lying position where my weight was evenly distributed across the mattress I saw 1.25-1.75″ of sinkage. The hug is certainly notable, but not so deep that you become stuck.
• Lying on side – while lying on my side, I saw slightly deeper sinkage than on my back. Sinking between 1.5-2″ on my side is virtually the same amount as on the original Alexander.
• Sitting position (conservative) – in a more conservative position where I was sitting a bit further back on the mattress I saw 3.5″ of sinkage. This edge support is about average for what I see in other comparable foam mattresses.
• Sitting position (aggressive) – in a more aggressive sitting position where I was sitting on the absolute edge of the mattress I saw 4.5″ of sinkage. The edge support was slightly above average for what I see in other comparable foam mattresses.
• Standing position – in a standing position with all of my weight focused on the center of the mattress I saw 5.5″ of sinkage.

Please bear in mind that sinkage will vary based on body weight and type. As a reference point, I weigh 140 pounds and have a uniform figure.

Nest Alexander mattress angled view

Pricing

You can save an extra $200 of the Nest Alexander with our exclusive promo code coupon. Just use code “200OFF” at checkout to instantly save $200.

Other Information

• Shipping – free shipping within the US, compressed in a box, arrives in less than 7 days
• Trial Period – 101 nights
• Returns / Refunds – 100% money back guarantee if you decide the mattress isn’t right for you (so long as you request a refund within the 101 night trial period)
• Built in USA
• Warranty – Lifetime
• Lifetime Comfort Guarantee – very unique, check the Nest Bedding site for details
• Discounts – use code “200OFF” to save $200

Special note – all international Nest Bedding orders are final. Nest Bedding does not offer a trial period or refunds for international orders.

Should you buy the Nest Alexander mattress?

The Nest Bedding Alexander mattress strikes a balance of comfort and support that will meet the needs of most sleepers. I especially like that the Alexander is available in 3 firmness levels.

I would recommend the Nest Alexander mattress to anyone who falls into the following categories:

• You want a soft, medium, or firm mattress – Nest Bedding’s Alexander mattress is one of a small number of online mattresses that is available in 3 different firmness levels. This is especially important if you are somehow who prefers a firmer or softer mattress (as there are lots of medium firmness mattresses available).
• You want exceptional pressure relief – the cover of the Alexander mattress is able to deliver impressive pressure relief and a great feel. It strikes a nice balanced feel that’s not quite as dramatic as traditional memory foam.
• You want a mattress with no smell – the Alexander mattress has no off-gassing period and virtually no new mattress smell. Nest uses more hygienic foams and manufacturing practices that eliminate the offensive odors.
• You want a balanced feel – The Alexander strikes a very nice balance of comfort, bounce, and support. It’s one of those mattresses that doesn’t lean too heavily in any direction, but instead hits a healthy mark in each area.

For more information the Alexander mattress visit NestBedding.com. If you decide to go with the Alexander don’t forget to grab our $200 off promo code. Use code “200OFF” at check out.