Nectar is one of the most recognizable names in the sleep world, and the Nectar Premier builds on the success of the brand’s flagship mattress, the Nectar Classic. Like the Classic, the Premier is an affordable memory foam mattress, and it happens to be the brand’s most popular model. It’s made with a cushioning layer of gel-infused memory foam that delivers pressure relief and minimizes heat retention for cooler, more comfortable sleep.
Our team of certified sleep science coaches tested the Nectar Premier to assess its overall performance based on factors like pressure relief, edge and spinal support, cooling ability, firmness, and more. Ahead, find our comprehensive review of the Nectar Premier to see whether it might be the best mattress for you.
Key product features
What you should know
The Nectar Premier is a cooler, more pressure-relieving version of the original Nectar, with a great balance of firm support and plushness. While it’s only offered in a single firmness, the medium-firm feel accommodates a wide range of sleepers.
- According to our testers, the Nectar Premier has a sturdy yet plush feel that isn’t cradling as a whole but rather pleasantly contouring around the joints for excellent pressure relief.
- With a queen priced just under $1,000, the Premier is more affordable than many of its competitors.
- Our team determined the medium-firm feel and memory foam construction are best suited for side and back sleepers in light to average weight ranges.
- Memory foam has a tendency to trap heat, but the Nectar Premier uses gel-infused foam and a cooling cover to combat heat retention.
Nectar Premier Mattress overview
The Nectar Premier Mattress is an all-foam model that our testers describe as incredibly sturdy and plush (it’s available in a hybrid construction as well). According to Nectar, it has 60% more cooling fibers and twice the memory foam as the flagship memory foam mattress, but our team found it quite similar in feel—soft to the touch, plush, and cushioning.
While memory foam is known for its deep sink, our team found the Nectar Premier gently contouring around the joints instead of cradling them. That gave the mattress impressive pressure relief, especially when we tested it on our backs and sides. For side sleepers, in particular, ample cushioning in the shoulders, hips, and knees can help reduce pressure buildup, which minimizes the potential for pain. (1, 2) But the support level and firmness in the Nectar Premier mean our team can’t recommend it for stomach sleepers or those with more body weight. It’s simply too soft to have the necessary support.
While Nectar rates its firmness as a 6.5, our team felt it was closer to a six on the firmness scale—more of a medium than a true medium-firm, recommended for those with back pain. (3) It scored well for support and alignment, with close to full marks. That’s an important feature in any mattress since poor support leads to poor sleep quality, which increases the likelihood of back pain. (4)
While memory foam has a reputation for retaining heat, the gel infusion in the Nectar Premier helps combat that trait. Our team reported a seven-degree increase in the mattress temperature, which is impressive for an all-foam mattress. Its cooling cover is woven with polyethylene fibers to actively wick heat and moisture, which also helps sleepers stay more comfortable. Remember that managing body temperature can help improve sleep quality, especially for those with chronic pain. (3)
There are two areas where the Nectar Premier didn’t perform particularly well: edge support and responsiveness. That’s expected for all-foam mattresses. Unlike hybrid mattresses, which have a coil layer that reinforces the edges and makes it easier to move around, all-foam mattresses aren’t generally supportive around the perimeter. With memory foam, the slow-moving feel makes it harder to change sleep positions quickly. Our team found the edge support on the Nectar Premier fair. It felt more secure when our testers sat on the edge instead of lying near it when they felt like they might slide off. As for responsiveness, the Premier has no bounce, so it takes effort to move around. That’s an important consideration if you’re a combination sleeper.
However, the Premier scored very well in motion isolation. The mattress materials and construction dampened motion transfer, so it’s a good fit for couples, especially if one or both partners are restless sleepers.
While our team didn’t describe the mattress as luxurious, they found it a good value. A queen-size Nectar is priced right under $950, putting it on the low end of the spectrum compared to competitors. Plus, with the brand’s 365-night trial and lifetime warranty, we feel comfortable recommending it, especially if you’re a fan of memory foam.
What customers are saying
Nectar mattresses are sold on Amazon, and the Premier is highly rated with 4.3 stars based on more than 7,600 reviews. Amazon reviewer Kai N. raves about the mattress: “For the price, the Nectar Premier Full Mattress is outstanding. The quality is amazing, and it’s honestly one of the best mattresses I’ve ever slept on. With its five layers of comfort and medium-firm gel memory foam, it lives up to its promises.”
“This mattress, in my opinion, is the best mattress on the market regardless of the price. I don’t know how any other mattress can compare when you look at price, comfort, quality, and the 365-day trial guarantee.”
Gary White, Amazon
While the vast majority of Amazon reviews for the Premier are five stars, there is some negative feedback as well. Many relate to Nectar’s lack of customer support through Amazon, while others mention noticeable off-gassing or support issues.
For example, a reviewer named Angela D. says she contacted Nectar to initiate a return after finding the mattress too firm and was told she needed to contact Amazon. “Needless to say, I’ve never heard from Amazon, and when I tried to reach out to them, I was forwarded to Nectar. I got the runaround for so many months that now I’m past my Amazon return window and Nectar’s 365-night guarantee,” she says.
We’ve features Nectar Premier in:
- Best Black Friday mattress deals
- Best mattresses
- Best mattresses for seniors
- Best mattresses under $2000
- Best mattresses for shoulder pain
- Best mattresses for couples
- Best luxury mattresses
- Best cooling mattresses
Specs
| Material | Memory foam |
| Firmness | Medium-firm |
| Trial period | 365 nights |
| Warranty | Forever Warranty™ |
| Price (queen) | $949 |
| Weight (queen) | 90 pounds |
| Height (queen) | 13 inches |
Our Nectar Premier Mattress experience
As a whole, our experience testing the Nectar Premier was positive. The mattress scored high in multiple categories, including overall support, cooling ability, motion isolation, and pressure relief. We also gave it close to full marks for its range of materials and overall value. Our team scored it in the average range for responsiveness and edge support, but again, that’s pretty common in all-foam mattresses. The brand’s 355-night sleep trial and “Forever Warranty” are standouts— the best offers you can find in the mattress industry.
The Premier is priced under $1,000 for a queen size, which is less than many competitors. After extensive testing, our team doesn’t recommend the Premier for combination sleepers, who may find it difficult to change positions easily. It’s not a great fit for most stomach sleepers, either. But we found it very comfortable and supportive for back sleepers—in fact, our tester gave the Premier full marks for this sleep position. Side sleepers should also fare very well, though we’d advise most heavy-weight sleepers to look for a mattress designed to support more weight.
How we test mattresses
The Fortune Recommends team takes a comprehensive approach to mattress testing. To thoroughly review the Nectar Premier, we evaluated it based on its performance in multiple categories. That gave our team a well-rounded impression of everything from its comfort and support level to its overall value.
Performance (sleep experience)—30%
A high-quality mattress should feel like it’s designed to provide you with the best sleep of your life. They should also deliver on the promise of a great sleep experience. Our sleep science coaches assess various factors to reflect the functional aspects of the mattress as well as the user’s sleep experience. Here’s what we’re looking for:
- Temperature regulation
- Motion isolation
- Edge support
- Technology
Comfort and support—30%
Alongside the sleep experience, comfort and support are just as important for a healthy and restful sleep. A high-quality mattress should assist in providing relief with certain aches and pains a user may experience when sleeping. It should also help users wake up feeling energized and rested. Here’s what we’re looking for:
- Firmness
- Pressure relief
- Spinal alignment support
- Customization
Value—20%
Assessing value involves a meticulous examination of several key factors that contribute to a mattress’s worth. A mattress that is priced just within reach of its target audience yet surpasses competitors in terms of materials, performance, and support presents a compelling value proposition. However, value is not solely determined by the lowest price point. We also determine it by finding the balance between cost and the tangible benefits a mattress provides.
Customer experience—10%
Sometimes, the mattress can be great, but if the overall shopping experience wasn’t, that could easily put a sour taste in a user’s mouth about the mattress they just purchased. We put in the hours to determine how well the entire process of buying a mattress matches users’ expectations and what options are available when something goes wrong.
- Shipping
- Warranty
- Customer service
- Sleep trial
Health and safety—10%
It’s important to understand that a mattress is more than just a sleeping surface—it’s an environment where you spend a significant portion of your life. We meticulously assess critical aspects of mattresses that may directly impact your well-being and peace of mind.
Our factors in this rating include:
- Hypoallergenic materials
- Off-gassing and chemical exposure
- Safety certifications
Compare the Nectar Premier
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| Nectar Premier Memory Foam | Nectar Premier Hybrid | Nectar Luxe Hybrid | Nectar Classic Memory Foam | |
| Rating | ||||
| Best for | Back and side sleepers | Enhanced support | Luxurious upgrades | Budget-conscious shoppers |
| Price (queen) | $949 | $1,099 | $1,399 | $649 |
| Material | Memory foam | Hybrid (foam and coils) | Hybrid (foam and coils) | Memory foam |
| Trial period | 365 nights | 365 nights | 365 nights | 365 nights |
Who is the Nectar Premier Mattress good for?
With its medium-firm feel and gentle contouring, the Nectar Premier tested well for back and side sleepers in particular. Our team uses a pressure map to test pressure relief objectively, and our tester reported that the Nectar Premier had the best results for back sleeping thus far, with side sleeping not far behind. Based on the Premier’s subtle contouring, which isn’t body-wide and cradling as a whole but instead focused on the joints, our team thinks it’s a great fit for light- and average-weight sleepers.
Who is the Nectar Premier Mattress not good for?
Heavy-weight sleepers are unlikely to find the support they need on the Premier, especially in the memory foam model. We recommend considering the hybrid model for back and side sleepers in this weight category for more support or upgrading to the Nectar Luxe Hybrid instead. That’s especially true for heavy-weight stomach sleepers, who need a firmer mattress and more support to ensure proper hip elevation. A mattress designed for heavy sleepers is worth considering.
Nectar Premier Mattress performance
We tested the Nectar Premier in multiple categories, including spinal alignment, edge support, cooling ability, motion isolation, responsiveness, and pressure relief. Here’s how it fared:
- Spinal alignment: This is a general body support category, and the Premier earned close to full marks. It has a sturdy, plush feel and contours right where you need it. According to our team, the mattress isn’t cradling as a whole but rather contours around the joints.
- Edge support: All-foam mattresses don’t generally perform well in this category, and the Nectar Premier was no exception. Our testers reported feeling like they might slip off the edge when lying by the side of the mattress. While there was a decent amount of sinkage when they sat on the side, it wasn’t terrible, especially given the construction.
- Cooling ability: This is another category where all-foam mattresses tend to do poorly. But the gel-infused foam and breathable worked as promised. Our team reports that the mattress retained some heat but scored well overall.
- Motion isolation: Limiting motion transfer is typical of memory foam mattresses, and the Nectar Premier performed well.
- Responsiveness: Memory foam isn’t known for its responsiveness or bounce, and the Premier has the slow-moving feel that’s to be expected of the material. Our team reports that it takes effort to switch positions, so it’s not an excellent match for combination sleepers.
- Pressure relief: According to our pressure map, back and side sleepers can expect excellent to great pressure relief.
Nectar Premier Mattress pricing
The Nectar Premier is affordable, ranging from around $550 to $1,500. Here’s the breakdown:
- Twin: $549
- Twin XL: $749
- Full: $899
- Queen: $949
- King: $1,099
- Cal king: $1,099
- Split king: $1,498
Nectar Premier Mattress trial and warranty
Nectar has one of the industry’s most generous trial windows and warranties. Like all Nectar mattresses, the Premier comes with a 365-night trial, which means a full 12 months of testing from the comfort of your home. If it doesn’t work out and you’ve had the mattress for at least 30 days, Nectar says it will help you find a local donation center and offers a refund of your purchase price minus any offer code or discounts, any included promotional products, shipping fees, and fees paid if you upgraded to white glove delivery.
The Nectar Forever Warranty™ covers the mattress against materials and workmanship defects as long as the original purchaser owns it. It can’t be transferred, and it’s very explicit about what’s covered and what isn’t. For example, visible indentations greater than 1.5 inches that aren’t related to the use of an improper foundation are covered, while damage from environmental causes is not.
How to choose the right mattress for you
When choosing a mattress, it’s important to account for your dominant sleep style and body type. That can help steer you toward appropriate materials, mattress construction, and firmness. Here’s what to keep in mind:
Sleeping position
Different sleep positions need to be supported in different ways. People who are side sleepers—which is the most common sleep style for adults and associated with better sleep quality—usually do best with a mattress in the medium-soft to medium-firm range. That’s because side sleepers need ample cushioning around the hips and shoulders to keep pressure from building and causing pain and enough support to maintain a neutral spine. (5, 6)
Back sleepers tend to benefit from medium-firm mattresses because they have plenty of lumbar support and enough softness to keep the shoulders comfortable. On the other hand, stomach sleepers need a firmer sleep surface to keep the hips properly elevated. When the hips sink due to a lack of support, it can cause back pain. Medium-firm to firm mattresses are usually a good option.
Body type
Beyond your preferred sleep position, your body type can also dictate the best mattress for your needs. Heavy-weight sleepers need a mattress that’s designed to accommodate more weight. Otherwise, they’re at risk of excessive sinkage, insufficient spinal support, premature sagging, and a mattress that reaches the end of its service life much faster than it should. (7,8) Heavier sleepers often find that mattresses feel softer than their firmness rating because they sink more deeply into the comfort layers.
Lighter sleepers, on the other hand, don’t compress a mattress’ uppermost layers as much, which can make it feel firmer than advertised. Factoring for your body weight as you shop can help you find a mattress firmness that feels truer to its rating.
Materials and construction
The most popular mattress types are foam, innerspring, hybrid, latex, and adjustable airbeds. (9) Foam mattresses are made with layers of foam only and may include a combination of memory foam and polyfoams. Memory foam is known for its signature hugged sensation. The material responds to heat and pressure to mold around the body’s curves, which evenly distributes body weight to relieve pressure.
Innerspring mattresses combine a thin comfort layer, generally made of foam, with a coil system. It gives the mattress a springy, bouncy feel. This mattress construction is quite traditional, and it’s hard to find true innerspring mattresses these days.
Hybrid mattresses are similar to innersprings in that they combine comfort layers with coils. But the ratio is different, with thicker layers of foam on top. They have a great balance of responsiveness and contouring.
Latex mattresses can be made with natural or synthetic latex. Natural latex comes from the sap of rubber trees and is an eco-friendly choice. Latex has a gently buoyant sensation with pressure relief comparable to memory foam, but it doesn’t retain heat in the same way. It also adds durability, but it does increase mattress weight, and it can be more expensive than other materials.
Adjustable air mattresses are designed with internal air chambers for support. The firmness level can be dialed up or down for a personalized feel, and they generally have excellent motion isolation. However, adjustable airbeds aren’t as breathable as other constructions, and their unique feel may not appeal to everyone. Some research suggests that self-adjustable beds are optimal for promoting comfort and spinal alignment. (10)
FAQs
What is the Nectar Premier Mattress made of?
The Nectar Premier Mattress has a five-layer construction featuring gel-infused memory foam and support foams. It’s 13 inches tall with a medium-firm feel. It’s also available in a hybrid construction, which includes the addition of a coil layer.
What is the firmness level of the Nectar Premier Mattress?
The Nectar Premier Mattress has a medium-firm feel. According to the brand, it’s a 6.5 on its firmness scale, or what the brand calls a “just-right” level of firmness.
Does the Nectar Premier Mattress need a box spring?
While the Nectar Premier Mattress doesn’t need a box spring, it should be paired with a foundation, base, or adjustable frame to ensure it’s properly supported. Using the mattress without an appropriate foundation or base can void the warranty. The brand explicitly cautions against putting the mattress on the floor, using a plastic base, or any type of homemade foundation.
Our experts
Lola Ravid, BSN, RN
Lola Ravid is a Registered Nurse with a Public Health Certification who is passionate about research and education. She has over ten years of combined experience working with children and caregivers in hospitals and public schools. Her experience as a nurse, combined with her love for bridging health and educational gaps, inspired her to become a writer. She writes with an evidence-based approach to encourage and elevate the art of informed decision-making.
Krista Manning
Krista Manning is an accomplished medical copy editor and fact-checker who stands out in the pharmaceutical, health, and wellness domains. With a meticulous eye for detail and a command of medical language, Krista ensures the accuracy and clarity of content. Beyond her professional expertise, Krista is an advocate for mental health awareness. Recognizing the crucial intersection of psychological and physical well-being, she actively contributes to projects that promote mental health awareness within the healthcare narrative. Krista’s commitment extends beyond the pages she edits, emphasizing the holistic nature of health communication.
Jessica Timmons
Fortune Recommends Sleep Writer
About Author
Jessica Timmons is a freelance writer who has written extensively about health, wellness, fitness, sleep, beauty, and parenting, among other topics. Her work has appeared on Forbes, Healthline, mindbodygreen, Everyday Health, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and four active kids, lifting weights, and getting better at rock climbing one route at a time.