AWARA Natural Hybrid Mattress Review
The AWARA Natural Hybrid Mattress contains 4″ of natural dunlop latex, which is thicker than almost any other online brand. This makes a big difference in the support and comfort you’ll feel, though I’ll tell you right up front that it is fairly firm, around 7 out of 10, with very firm being 10 and offering little to no resistance.
If you like a firmer mattress and prefer natural materials free of VOC odor, formaldehyde, heavy metals, and other chemicals, it’s a good option. Let’s take a look at my breakdown and review.
The covering is made with organic cotton and it is quilted with New Zealand organic wool. It sells for $1099 in queen and $1399 in king size, and the company is owned by Resident Home, which also owns Nectar and Dreamcloud, and is a reputable and honest company I’ve watched through the years.
If you are considering a mattress that is more green and chemical free than conventional brands, it might be a strong contender. I spent 25 years manufacturing my own line of latex mattresses and I strictly used Dunlop latex as well, since it is more buoyant, springier, and better and relieving pressure points that Talalay latex.
You can visit my page where I discuss both kinds of natural latex and their benefits by clicking here. Natural latex feels a lot different than the “dead memory foam” sensation people often comment about. If you are a light sleeper, suffer from restless leg syndrome or virtually any kind of pain, natural latex can help.
If you’re looking for a mattress that can deliver a supportive and plushier feel without a “caved in or trapped” sensation, this natural mattress option delivers on performance. And, it’s one of my favorite options for a chemical free mattress containing no formaldehyde, heavy metals, PBDE’s, or volatile organic compounds.
That’s because it’s made using only a handful of purely natural materials including botanical latex, organic wool, and organic cotton textile fibers. Turns out it’s is extraordinarily comfortable, too, and can last for decades.
When you purchase The AWARA Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress, you’ll also receive a set of their cooling pillows, a set of antimicrobial 300 thread count sheets, and a mattress protector, a $499 value.
It’s the only latex mattress we’ve recommended that includes a thick, 4″ layer of pure botanical latex.
I’ve reviewed dozens of so-called “natural” mattresses, but almost all of them contain at least some petro-chemical foams or textiles.
As a manufacturer myself of natural latex mattresses through my own online stores, I was one of the first importers of pure botanically derived natural latex called Dunlop latex, and I sourced it from Sri Lanka.
Just like coffee beans from Brazil, Sri Lankan latex is considered the purest and most durable natural latex you can find. It does cost slightly more than blended latex or synthetic latex (called SBR, or styrene butadiene rubber, made from petro materials), but it’s well worth it.
The AWARA Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress is hand crafted using a whopping 4″ layer of Sri Lankan latex, situated above a carefully calibrated pocketed system.
What you’ll experience is an uplifting, buoyant, and lively sensation whether on your back, side, or belly. Natural latex is easier to turn on, too, and there’s not bottoming out sensation, rutting, or having to dig your way out a hole when you wake up.
Delivering On The Promise Of All Natural Foam And Textile Ingredients, At Just $1099 For A Queen
While there are other options out there made with a combination of natural latex and coils, what you won’t easily find are the organic components that make The Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress worth the investment.
I’d call this mattress option investment grade, meaning you’re likely to own it for far longer than other mattresses in the hybrid category simply because it will be more inviting and appealing over the long haul, and it will last, since wool and latex do not disintegrate, mash down, pill, or collapse over time.
We receive many emails asking questions like “can you recommend a mattress that is firmer and supportive underneath, but doesn’t feel hard and rigid?”. The answer is yes, but you need to be considering a mattress that has two key components: natural latex and a pocketed coil system. the reason for this is that these two ingredients in what we call the “cake recipe” of a mattress work together in a very unique way.
A Natural Latex And Pocketed Coil Hybrid That Delivers Best In Class Performance
Natural latex is a unique material, and it’s found on many bed in a box mattress options, but often used incorrectly, or incorporated with other components that simple drown out the benefits it can offer. Natural latex is very buoyant, and while it has a high amount of “give” and yielding, it also pushes back, keeping you on top of a mattress rather than buried inside.
You never feel like you have to dig your way out of a latex mattress, unlike a memory foam mattress, especially when it is too soft, and latex offers great edge support.
I owned a website for years that sold natural latex mattresses, and our customers loved them. We never had issues with settling or dipping, customers who had major problems with back pain, surgeries, even customers who were disabled thrived on them.
We only sold pure, plant based latex mattresses, too, never using synthetic material. Natural latex costs more, and it’s a bit heavier than other materials, but the comfort and support you get out of it is impossible to imitate.
Also, natural latex vs. synthetic latex makes a profound difference in the feel and the lifespan of any mattress. The AWARA mattresses uses natural Dunlop latex and not petroleum based SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) latex, and thus has a much longer lifespan and is more reactive, spongy feeling, and has excellent “bounce back”.
Synthetic latex, used in many latex mattresses to contain costs (it’s about a third of the price of natural latex) will also degrade over time. Because it is made using petroleum distillate compounds, it will ultimately turn yellow, become crispy and crumbly, and break down, just like the foam in an old couch cushion that pills and flakes.
On the other hand natural latex can last up to 50 years, without losing its consistency, texture, spring back, and creamy off-white color.
Memory foam sinks and melts in as you lay down upon it, and body temperature increases this effect, where latex does not change its feel regardless of body temperature.
What makes the AWARA Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress unique is that they follow a very simple rule of thumb when using natural latex in the build of their product. Whereas most hybrid mattress designs that incorporate latex and coils, or other foam layers, the AWARA mattress is simplistically designed.
The mattress is built with a 4” layer of cooling Dunlop natural latex instead, offering a nest like feel that cradles you in supportive fashion, like a hundred pairs of hands balancing your body on fingertips.
The AWARA Natural Hybrid Mattress option offers an unusual design for a latex hybrid mattress. The mattress incorporates a thicker 4” latex foam layer above a unique pocket coil system that is 9” tall, called a “contouring support core”, and it’s so effective at providing pinpoint support, that it will target specific areas where the pressure is greatest and effectively push the load out to the edges of the mattress.
Having the 4” layer of natural latex directly above helps transfer pressure sideways, as if you were pushing pizza dough out to the edge of the pan.
The feel of the mattress itself can best be described as medium firm, yet yielding. For the price, the AWARA mattress, and the fact that is built with 4” of organic latex, an organic top section, and an outer covering made with organic cotton as well, is hard to beat.
The AWARA is priced far lower than comparable mattresses sold in big box brick and mortar retail stores, especially when you consider the fact that there are higher end components in the design.
The coil system, which are individually placed pocketed coils, each of which are wrapped separately so that they function like pistons, or keys on a piano, can usually ramp up the price of a hybrid foam and coil mattress.
Pricewise, you can save some money if you use our special link in any of the orange buttons on this page. A Queen AWARA usually sells for $1499, but the company does offer regular specials. You can purchase a queen size for $1099 for a limited time. A king typically sells for $1699, and with the $300 discount, you’ll pay just $1399.
How the AWARA Mattress Performs When Tested
According to a variety of testing resources we evaluated, the AWARA mattress performed consistently well for comfort and support.
In testing data we reviewed, the AWARA Natural Hybrid Mattress enjoyed consistent opinions from owners, including the fact that the mattress was a suitable fit for couples because it is versatile and appeals to the typical sleeper, whether belly, back, or side, likely due to the universal appeal of the natural latex.
Using a 9” pocketed coil system also allows side sleepers to enjoy better spine alignment, though it may not be ideal for lightweight sleepers. We advise that the best application might be for sleepers weighing 130-225 lbs. overall. This will provide good immersion and proper push back from both the coil system and the 4” natural latex layer and deliver the best benefit.
The AWARA Natural Hybrid Mattress seems to also have performed pretty well when tested for edge support, repositioning, transferring in and out of bed, and for maintaining a color sleep temperature. Generally, pocketed coil mattresses don’t do well with motion transfer, but because of the wool and cotton topper section and the 4” natural latex layers, there is a nice buffer between the coil unit and the sleep surface, reducing the motion transfer issue.
Pocketed coils, when combined with natural latex directly above, can offer the most motion silencing feeling you will experience in a mattress, and the AWARA mattress will cost far less than comparable brands.
For setup, the AWARA Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress can be used on many surfaces, including a separately purchased box support sold on the AWARA web site, a bed frame, platform bed, or adjustable bed frame. The company does sell a foundation for the bed as well as an adjustable base, but you are not obligated to use their product, and this will not affect the warranty.
Remember that the AWARA is a tad heavier than the typical bed in a box due to the natural latex, a queen weighing in at about 140 pounds. Once it arrives at your door, and is dropped off in boxed form by your UPS or FedEx driver, you may need some help carting it to your bedroom.
One nice feature you can add on: Awara offers white glove delivery services for $149. The option includes setup of the mattress and haul-away of your old mattress along with the packaging materials from the Awara. The service is totally worth it, according to reviews we read about the mattress installation.
So, Who Is The Best Match For An AWARA Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress?
Applications and personal fit for a mattress can vary, but generally we advise purchasing an AWARA mattress if you:
Are primarily a back or side sleeper 130-225 lbs.
Like to sleeper or at the edge of your mattress
Prefer a taut, yet buoyant feeling or want to have a sense of flotation while on top of your mattress
Prefer eco-friendly materials, organic materials, natural ingredients
Enjoy a mattress with some bounce and personality
One thing we should note, after having used all kinds of certified and organic materials in the construction of our own mattresses, is that the outer cover of the AWARA Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress is made with organic cotton and organic New Zealand wool, and the Dunlop latex used int he design is certified for its sustainability by the Rainforest Alliance, a third party watchdog group that evaluates sustainable and recyclable textiles and materials.
AWARA also donates a portion of their sales to an organization called Trees For The Future for each mattress sold, allowing each customer to contribute to important reforestation projects in Africa.
Of course, as a latex hybrid, the mattress stands out for its bounce factor, instantly recognizable to those who have owned a natural latex mattress before, making it a popular option for people who hate feeling trapped or stuck in the middle of their bed and need to be able to move freely during the night.
Restless sleepers find natural latex to be to be one of the best options prioritize a mattress that’s easy to move on top of. The natural latex 4” layer in the mattress provides subtle body contouring to relieve pressure and sleeps cooler than most mattress surfaces, too.
Compare To Sealy And Simmons Black Mattresses Selling For $3,000 And Up
We believe that the AWARA mattress offers excellent value for its price, considering what you would pay for if you shopped other brands made by Sealy, Simmons, And Serta. Their “Black” series of mattresses with similar ingredients generally sell for $3,000 and up.
The AWARA mattress also includes a 365-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty to offer customers reassurance that they’ll be satisfied with the mattress over a long period of time, and offering a full year to try one out is an excellent little perk.
Want to learn more about natural latex and why it is an ideal fit for anyone who wants to improve to upgrade their sleep hygiene regimen without the use of petrochemical ingredients? Check out the following pages on our site for more enhanced information
All About Natural Latex: The Difference Between Natural Latex And Synthetic Blends Of Latex
Chemical Free Sleep: Toxic Mattresses: What To Avoid