Bear and Novosbed are two of the most well-known mattress brands in Canada, and both brands have built up a loyal Canadian customer base. So, what are the backgrounds behind these two mattress companies?

Bear

Launched in 2014, Bear joined the the increasingly popular and highly competitive online mattress industry. Bear markets their mattress as a great supplement to any active lifestyle, boasting “recovery from your day, every night” on their site.

Novosbed

GoodMorning.com released their first memory foam mattress, Novosbed, in 2009, making them one of the pioneers of the bed-in-a-box mattress industry. Their innovative culture soon went on to create the now universal idea of the ‘Sleep Trial,’ giving online mattress shoppers a way to bypass the traditional mattress store shopping experience and test out their new bed at home for as long as it actually takes to evaluate a mattress properly.

Delivery, Trial, Returns	Bear	Novosbed
Shipping cost:	Free shipping in Canada	Free shipping
Shipping time:	7–10 days	3–10 days
Sleep trial length:	100 nights	120 nights
Return ease:	Company picks up	Company picks up
Refund:	Yes, full refund	Yes, full refund
Additional fees:	No	No

Thanks to modern compression methods and the rising popularity of the bed-in-a-box, mattresses can now be shipped far more efficiently and conveniently than ever before. Customers no longer need to take a day off work to accept a delivery. Boxed beds are now delivered with the same convenience as most Amazon orders. Some bed-in-a-box companies even offer same-day delivery to certain areas.

Both Bear and Novosbed use FedEx to deliver their mattresses. Both mattresses are delivered directly to customers’ doors throughout most parts of Canada. In some cases, the mattresses can even be left on a porch or deck while the customer is away from home. Both Novosbed and Bear offer free shipping throughout Canada.

Like many bed-in-a-box companies, Bear and Novosbed both heavily promote their sleep trials. With a 120-night sleep trial, Novosbed has one of the longest sleep trials of all mattress brands, while Bear allows their customers 100 days to decide.

However, if a customer wishes to return their Bear or Novosbed mattress within the sleep trial period, each company will arrange to pick up their respective mattress and issue a full refund. There are no additional return or restocking fees for either the Bear or Novosbed mattress.

Out of the Box	Bear	Novosbed
Delivered in a box:	Yes	Yes
Box dimensions:	42” x 19” x 19”	19" x 19" x 44"
Box opening:	Scissors required	Scissors required
Box/mattress fitting:	Loose	Tight
Protection layers:	2	2
Expansion time:	2 minutes	3 minutes

Both the Bear and Novosbed mattresses were delivered to us within the expected delivery time frames. Each product was well-protected within the box by heavy-duty plastic to keep the mattress in good condition during shipping.

Each mattress box was sealed with heavy-duty tape. Customers will definitely need scissors or a knife to open the box. To prevent potential harm to your new mattress, remember to be extra careful when using sharp objects to remove any packaging.

Once opened, each compressed mattress is easy to remove from the box. We recommend a ‘tip-and-pull’ motion to slowly slide the mattress out from its cardboard container. Simply tip the box from a vertical position down onto its side, and then pull the lightweight box away from the bundled mattress. It’s most efficient to do this process in the room where you intend to use the mattress.

Both mattresses are protected with two layers of heavy-duty plastic – one to compress it in a vacuum seal, and another to roll it tightly into a cylinder shape.

Customers will need to unwrap the first layer in order to unroll the mattress, which will still be in its compressed form. Some helpful advice at this stage is to place the rolled up mattress onto the designated bed frame. Next, like the end of a roll of tape, find and peel back the outer layer of plastic. You can use the momentum of unrolling the compressed mattress along the bed frame to help remove the rest of this layer, which could be up to a few meters long. After completing this process, the mattress will be lying unrolled before you.

Next, cut the final layer of plastic. The vacuum seal now broken, the mattress will quickly begin to decompress. Remove this final layer of plastic as the mattress expands to its full height. With the Bear mattress, full expansion took 2 minutes. With Novosbed, it took 1 to 3 minutes depending on the firmness level.

The Bear and Novosbed are both combination foam mattresses. Only the Novosbed is available in multiple firmness options.

Some of the major differences between the Bear mattress and the Novosbed are the different types of foam used for comfort and support. Each mattress contains comfort, transition, and support layers, and these layers vary slightly in height and density.

Also, each mattress has a unique top cover which showcases the brand’s personality and design aesthetic. Top covers are sometimes washable, and of the two mattresses in this review, only the Novosbed has a machine-washable cover.

Bear vs Novosbed Mattress Layers

Bear Mattress Layers

The Bear mattress contains four layers of foam:

• The first layer of the Bear mattress has been designed to offer comfort and combat warm sleeping. With cooling memory foam, the top layer helps regulate your body temperature.
• The second layer of the Bear mattress is a responsive comfort foam. The bounce provided in this foam combined with the third transitional layer of performance foam offers optimal pressure-point relief and comfort.
• The final layer is made of high-density foam. Due to the high density, this foam adds to the durability and long-lasting support of this mattress.

Novosbed Mattress Layers

Novosbed mattress contains three layers of foam.

Novosbed Soft Mattress:

• First layer: 2 inch of premium airflow foam. This top layer allows for additional airflow, keeping heat from getting trapped near the surface. Foam density: 2 lbs/ft³.

• Second layer: 2 inches of plush serene memory foam. This additional comfort layer provides pressure-point relief and reduces motion transfer. Foam density: 2.5 lbs/ft³.

• Third layer: 7 inches of premium support foam. This durable bottom layer further eliminates motion transfer by distributing bodyweight and also helps the mattress maintain its structural integrity.

Novosbed Medium Mattress:

• First layer: 1 inch of premium airflow foam. This top layer allows for additional airflow, keeping heat from getting trapped near the surface. Foam density: 2.5 lbs/ft³.

• Second layer: 2 inches of high-density gel memory foam. This additional comfort layer provides pressure-point relief and reduces motion transfer. Foam density: 4 lbs/ft³.

• Third layer: 7 inches of premium support foam. This durable bottom layer further eliminates motion transfer by distributing bodyweight and also helps the mattress maintain its structural integrity.

Novosbed Firm Mattress:

• First layer: 1 inch of gel memory foam. This top layer allows for additional airflow, keeping heat from getting trapped near the surface. Foam density: 2.5 lbs/ft³.

• Second layer: 3 inches of high-density memory foam. This transition layer provides additional body contouring and pressure point relief. Foam density: 4 lbs/ft³.

• Third layer: 7 inches of premium support foam. This durable bottom layer further eliminates motion transfer by distributing bodyweight and also helps the mattress maintain its structural integrity.

Bear vs Novosbed Mattress Cover

Bear Mattress Cover

The Bear mattress has a very neat, simple cover design. The top cover is white polyester with simple textured designs. The white continues down the side of the mattress but is soon replaced by a very dark grey, which is a notable yet pleasing contrast in design. The cover is not removable and is spot clean only; it is suggested that this is done with a small amount of warm water and mild detergent.

Novosbed Mattress Cover

This distinctive Novosbed cover is an expression of the luxury that lies beneath. The soft sleep surface is woven from a blend of stretch-knit polyester and Tencel®, while the lower side walls are covered with furniture-grade upholstery. This white and chambray-blue exterior is designed not only for an attractive, signature look, but also for functionality.

The top cover is machine washable, with simple cleaning instructions:

1. Zip off the upper portion of the cover;
2. Put in the washing machine on a gentle cycle;
3. Tumble-dry on low, or air dry.

Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious when making purchases. Retailers both in and out of the mattress industry have been incorporating more eco-friendly and ethical policies when selling products and choosing suppliers.

GoodMorning.com Inc. carried out a survey in February 2017, discovering that almost 50% of Canadians are willing to spend more money for more environmentally friendly products. Therefore, in every review on Mattress-Reviews.com, we will highlight each mattress company’s green philosophy, as well as how prominent their policies are on their websites.

Feel & Firmness	Bear	Novosbed
Firmness:	5.1 / 10	Soft: 3.2 / 10 Medium: 3.7 / 10 Firm: 5.1 / 10
Edge Support:	5.4 / 10	Soft: 4.7 / 10 Medium: 3.8 / 10 Firm: 5.8 / 10
Motion Isolation:	6.9 / 10	Soft: 7.3 / 10 Medium: 6.8 / 10 Firm: 6.8 / 10
Bounce:	3.3 / 10	Soft: 2.0 / 10 Medium: 2.3 / 10 Firm: 2.9 / 10

Feel & Firmness

According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the firmness and feel of the Bear mattress and Novosbed mattresses are very different:

• The Bear mattress has a medium-firm feel. It is rated at 5.1 / 10 on the firmness scale, meaning it does not have excessive ‘hug.’
• The Novosbed soft mattress is rated at 3.2 / 10 on the firmness scale. The Novosbed soft mattress does have ‘hug.’
• The Novosbed medium mattress is rated at 3.7 / 10 on the firmness scale. The Novosbed medium mattress does have some ‘hug.’
• The Novosbed firm mattress is rated at 5.1 / 10 on the firmness scale. The Novosbed firm mattress does not have ‘hug.’

Edge Support

Foam mattresses are not known for their edge support; in fact, it is often one of the main issues customers have when moving from innerspring mattresses to foam. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the Bear mattress and the three Novosbeds have very different edge support ratings:

• The Bear mattress has average edge support. It is rated at 5.4 / 10 on the edge support scale.
• The Novosbed soft mattress has average edge support. It is rated at 4.7 / 10 on the edge support scale.
• The Novosbed medium mattress has below average edge support. It is rated at 3.8 / 10 on the edge support scale.
• The Novosbed firm mattress has above average edge support. It is rated at 5.8 / 10 on the edge support scale.

Motion Isolation

Motion isolation in foam mattresses is usually very good and one of the main reasons couples make the switch from innerspring to memory foam. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), motion isolation scores for the Bear mattress and Novosbed mattresses are all above average:

• The Bear mattress has above-average motion isolation. It is rated at 6.9 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.
• The Novosbed soft mattress has above-average motion isolation. It is rated at 7.3 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.
• The Novosbed medium mattress has above-average motion isolation. It is rated at 6.8 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.
• The Novosbed firm mattress has above-average motion isolation. It is rated at 6.8 / 10 on the motion isolation scale.

Bounce

Due to the fact that motion isolation for foam mattresses is generally very good, bounce is generally very low. According to the testing conducted by third-party engineers (commissioned by us), the bounce ratings for the Bear mattress and Novosbed mattresses are all below average:

• The Bear mattress has below-average bounce. It is rated at 3.3 / 10 on the bounce scale.
• The Novosbed soft mattress has below-average bounce. It is rated at 2.0 / 10 on the bounce scale.
• The Novosbed medium mattress has below-average bounce. It is rated at 2.3 / 10 on the bounce scale.
• The Novosbed firm mattress has below-average bounce. It is rated at 2.9 / 10 on the bounce scale.

Overview	Bear	Novosbed
Price (Queen):	$998 USD	$1,399 CAD
Made in:	USA	Canada
Trial length:	100 nights	120 nights
Warranty:	10 years	15 years
Mattress height:	10"	11"
Cover materials:	Polyester	Polyester, Tencel®
Machine washable:	No	Yes
Green policies:	No mention on the website	Zero-waste manufacturing; Tencel® textiles
Firmness	5.1 / 10	Soft: 3.2 / 10 Medium: 3.7 / 10 Firm: 5.1 / 10
Edge support:	5.4 / 10	Soft: 4.7 / 10 Medium: 3.8 / 10 Firm: 5.8 / 10
Motion isolation:	6.9 / 10	Soft: 7.3 / 10 Medium: 6.8 / 10 Firm: 6.8 / 10
Bounce:	3.3 / 10	Soft: 2.0 / 10 Medium: 2.3 / 10 Firm: 2.9 / 10

Remember, Mattress-Reviews.com is owned, operated, and paid for by GoodMorning.com Inc. and advertises the Octave, Douglas, Juno, and Logan & Cove brands. The following is strictly our competitive opinion:

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There are a few factors that immediately stand out after comparing the Bear mattress and three Novosbed mattresses. Each bed in this Bear vs Novosbed mattress review has similar features, especially with regard to comfort and support. The Bear mattress and Novosbed mattresses each have a distinctive firmness and feel, level of edge support, level of motion isolation, and bounce.

What really elevates one brand above the other are the multiple firmness options of Novosbed. Novosbed is Mattress-Reviews.com’s Top Pick for Premium Mattress under $1,500 CAD. Customers who choose to purchase a Novosbed over a Bear mattress will enjoy a lengthier sleep trial.