Simba Hybrid Pro mattress review – the best night's sleep I've had in years

This Simba Hybrid Pro mattress review puts the brand's mid-range hybrid mattress through its paces. 

Alongside its competitor Emma, Simba is one of the best known bed-in-a-box companies on the market. The brand's Simba Hybrid Original mattress has been a bestseller for years, with Simba proudly declaring on its website that over 1/2 a million have been sold. And we can see why, with the Simba Hybrid Original currently our top-rated mattress in Ideal Home's best mattress guide. Our reviewers tried, tested, and loved it.

The Simba Hybrid Pro is the next step up from the Hybrid Original in terms of specifications and price point. If you're looking for a double mattress, then prices for the brand's entry level hybrid Simba Essential, as of writing, start at £899. A double of the Hybrid Original will set you back £1089, and a double of the Simba Hybrid Pro currently retails for £1609. Next you jump up to £2309 for a double in the Hybrid Luxe, or an eye watering £3809 for the Hybrid Ultra. Although, with Simba regularly running discounting events on its mattresses, it's unlikely you'll ever actually need to pay full price.

Still, for most of us, if we're considering which is the best Simba mattress to buy, it's likely to be a decision between the Simba Essential, the Simba Hybrid Original or the Simba Hybrid Pro. And the jump in price from the Simba Hybrid Original to the Simba Hybrid Pro is considerable. So what do you get for the extra money? 

Compared to the Simba Hybrid Original the Simba Hybrid Pro offers a wool layer designed to add breathability and better temperature regulation for a cooler sleep, and double layer of micro coil springs, meaning that depending on the size of mattress you opt for, you get up to 5000 springs in the Pro compared to 3000 in the Original. 

I’ve been testing out the Simba Hybrid Pro for several months now to see what that means in terms of comfort, breathability, and motion transfer, and whether the Simba Pro is worth the premium price tag. 

I bought the Simba Hybrid Pro after sleeping on an Eve Original mattress for over six years. I was suffering from back and neck pain which wasn’t being helped by sleeping on an all-foam mattress that had started to dip and sag regardless of how often I turned it. Not to mention that I sleep very hot, so I was finding that my sleep was disrupted by waking up feeling like I had left the heating on. I was really excited to try the Simba Hybrid Pro to see whether the hybrid mix of springs and memory foam would help ease my pain and leave me feeling better rested each morning. Here's what I found.

Simba Hybrid Pro mattress review

Specifications

• Type: Hybrid
• Construction materials: Memory foam, titanium springs, British wool
• Number of springs: 4000
• Memory foam: Yes
• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Superking
• Comfort level: Medium-Firm
• Height: 28cm
• Side handles: Yes
• Flip or rotate?: Rotate
• Manufacturer sleep trial: 200 nights

How I tested

Rachael Phillips

Sleep position: combination sleeper, but mainly side
Tension preference: medium firm
Sleep problems: hot sleeper, lower back and neck pain

I’m Rachael, a freelance reviewer who helps the Ideal Home team put all manner of products through their paces to find the top recommendations for our readers. For this review, I tested the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress in a king size on a traditional slatted bed base. 

I purchased the Hybrid Pro to replace my previous all-foam Eve mattress and have now slept on it for around six months. As a combination sleeper, its comfort levels have been put through their paces in various different sleep positions, and, as – much to my partner's annoyance – I tend to move around a lot at night, I was able to test out the Hybrid Pro's ability to isolate motion to the max. 

I also tested this mattress during the height of the summer when we experienced a mini heatwave, so I’ve been able to get a good idea of just how well it does when it comes to regulating temperature.

Construction

One of the first things you might notice about the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress is its depth. At 28cm this mattress is a little deeper than the average 25cm mattress, which could mean it's a good option for anyone who struggles to get in and out of bed. (Just make sure you have a bottom sheet that is a suitable depth too, otherwise it will drive you crazy when it keeps popping off!). 

What you won't see at first glance is the mattress' construction. The Simba Hybrid Pro's 28cm depth is constructed from eight layers, combining foam and springs to create a mattress with a mix of cushioning and support. 

First up is the fabric top cover or 'sleep surface' as Simba likes to call it. This can be unzipped, removed and machine washed, so you can easily keep your bed feeling clean and fresh. 

Next is a wool layer. Wool doesn't feature in the construction of the Simba Hybrid Original mattress and has been added to the Hybrid Pro to increase breathability, with wool's naturally thermoregulating properties designed to help with temperature regulation. 

The third layer is what Simba calls 'open cell graphite infused Simbatex®' which is essentially a memory foam layer but with less density than old-school memory foam to allow for more air flow and therefore a cooler, less sweaty sleep than memory foam traditionally delivered. Simba says that graphite infusion also aids temperature regulation, stating, 'graphite is a natural heat conductor which helps excess warmth and humidity flow away from the body'.

The fourth and fifth layers are dedicated to a double layer of titanium alloy Aerocoil® micro springs, meaning the Hybrid Pro mattress has an extra layer of springs compared to the Hybrid Original mattress. Simba says, 'each spring compresses individually in response to body weight', with 'thirteen support zones to mirror areas such as hips and shoulders'.

The sixth layer is a 'stabilising core foam layer' made from open-cell CertiPUR® foam layer that the brand says provides 'structural support and extra airflow.

Seventh is a 'SupportCore™ sprung base' with 'up to 1000 pocketed tempered steel barrel springs for firm edge-to-edge support with no roll-off' which means if you tend to gravitate towards the edge of the bed at night then it won't dip and make you feel like you might roll out. Simba also states that using barrel springs for the edge support reduces the foam content of the mattress.

The eight and final layer is a 'Simba ReGen™ foam base' which Simba says is made from surplus CertiPUR® foam and 'works with the SupportCore™ base to deliver stability and support while reducing foam content'. CertiPUR® means that it's a certified polyurethane foam that meets rigorous standards for emissions, content, performance, and durability.

As per Simba's usual modus operandi, it's a lot of fancy terminology. But how would the mattress perform in practice? I rolled up my mattress testing sleeves and got ready to find out.

Delivery

Despite the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress having springs, it's delivered rolled up in a box. Delivery from Simba is free and should you wish to return your mattress within the 200-night trial period, they won’t charge for the return. You can also opt to have your old mattress removed and recycled for a charge of £50.

Perhaps a little unusually, in my case the mattress was delivered by AO.com, despite ordering directly from the Simba Sleep website. 

The delivery process was quick and easy and it took around three working days for my mattress to be delivered. I received a text message on the morning of the delivery giving me an hour's time slot so I was able to prepare myself. 

The box is reasonably compact, and there’s no extra packaging other than the thick plastic that the mattress is sealed in. But it is very heavy. There are cutouts on the box so I was able to drag it inside, but it was awkward to get it over the step and into my home. 

The next challenge came when it was time to take it up the stairs to our bedroom. The king size mattress weighs in at 43kg, so you will definitely need someone to help manouevre this mattress, especially if your bedroom is on anything other than the ground floor. 

I have to say, we are pretty strong people, but we really struggled to get this mattress up the stairs. We left it in the box to take it up, which could’ve been our mistake as taking it out of the box may have meant we had a bit more room for manoeuvre. Although, its boxed design is useful if you have awkward access or narrow corners to get the mattress around. 

If you know you'll struggle to move a mattress, or you just don't want to put your back out, then Simba do offer 'VIP delivery'. This means that your mattress will be delivered to the room of your choice, and the delivery team will install the mattress on your bed and remove all the packaging. This costs just £50 and had I known how cumbersome it would be getting the mattress up the stairs (I had clearly forgotten from the last mattress I had delivered) then I’d have opted for this service any day of the week.

The next step was getting the mattress out of the box and onto the bed. This wasn’t too bad compared to getting it up the stairs, although, trying to remove the plastic wrapper whilst the mattress is unfurling is a bit of pain. Also, it’s worth noting that this plastic packaging isn’t recyclable, despite Simba boasting that their mattress uses recyclable materials. 

I was lucky, my mattress was delivered early in the morning which meant that it had a good amount of time to expand before we slept on it for the first time. Simba claim that it can be ready for sleep in as little as three to six hours, but it can take up to 72 hours before it fully rises. 

I left the windows open as a precaution, but, despite its memory foam construction, I was pleasantly surprised that there was no real off-gassing smell once the Hybrid Pro was unpackaged.

Comfort

I’ve reviewed plenty of mattresses over the years, so I know that the first sleep isn’t always indicative of how comfortable the bed will be in the future. Especially when it comes to memory foam as it can be tricky to get used to initially. 

Simba rates this mattress as a medium-firm on the firmness scale, but I found it to feel more medium. It's soft enough that I felt comfortable and cosy, but definitely firm enough that it offers full support. However, if you prefer a firmer sleep then you may find this mattress too soft because the springs do give it a fair amount of bounce, especially when moving around. 

However, having gone from a pure memory foam mattress (with no springs in sight) to this hybrid mattress was game-changing for me. I had the best night's sleep from night one with this mattress. I hadn't realised just how much I missed that bit of bounce that is offered by springs. 

For me, the added depth of the Simba Hybrid Pro also made a huge difference, compared to my older, thinner mattress. At 28cm deep, and with that extra spring support to stop us sinking deep into the mattress like we did with the all-foam, I didn’t feel as though I was too low down whilst I slept. 

The eight layers employed by the Simba Hybrid Pro also did their job well because the last time I slept on a mattress with springs I could feel every one of them. I was very pleasantly surprised that sleeping on this mattress I didn't notice the springs at all, just the comforting feel of the memory foam. Also, there’s no sink or sag with this mattress thanks to the springs and various layers of support foam throughout the mattress. This meant that I felt like I was lying on the bed rather than sinking into it, so I found it a lot more comfortable than our old all-foam mattress. 

As I'm a combination sleeper, I often start off the night resting on my side and will wake up on my back or stomach. Because of this, I've discovered all-foam mattresses don’t suit me, as their sink-in design isn't great for back or front sleepers who need a firmer sleep surface. But, because this mattress incorporates springs, it didn’t matter what position I woke up in. Plus, I didn't wake up at night struggling to turn over because I'd gotten stuck in a dip like I used to with my old all-foam mattress. 

In fact, I pretty much stopped experiencing the aches and pains I had with my last mattress within days of sleeping on this mattress. My usual back and neck pain was instantly reduced after a few night's on the Simba Hybrid Pro, which was a huge relief. I no longer felt pain and stiffness because the foam layers contoured my body while the spring coils offered support. 

Temperature regulation

Simba says that the Hybrid Pro has been designed for hot sleepers, just like me. 

Now, if you’ve ever slept on an all-foam mattress then you’ll know how just how hot they can get. I’ve slept on the Simba Hybrid Pro now through some of the hottest and coldest months of the year, and I can honestly say I’ve not woken up too hot once, which is amazing for me because I really do run warm at night.

The Hybrid Pro's construction incorporates several layers that contribute towards keeping this mattress cool to sleep on. Firstly, that layer of wool. Wool is one of those fibres you think about in the winter months but it works well in the summer to keep things cool. It’s a naturally breathable material and can wick away moisture to create a drier environment, which of course, means less getting hot and sticky at night.

There is then the open-cell Simbatex® foam. Unlike dense old-school memory foam, Simba says Simbatex® has a more open texture, so it can offer the pressure relief of memory foam, but still allows air to circulate within the mattress, meaning the heat created by your body overnight can disperse rather building up like it tends to on denser memory foam. If you’ve ever slept on an Emma Original mattress then you’ll know what it’s like for the mattress to feel hot to touch when you get out of it in the morning. 

Simba says that the extra layer of Aerocoil® micro springs it's added to the Hybrid Pro (compared to the Hybrid® Original) also aid air circulation, stating the tiny titanium alloy coils 'gently push fresh, cooling air through the mattress as they compress'. 

For anyone who sleeps hot, like me, this mattress really is a must buy, because when you’re cool and comfortable at night, you sleep better and deeper, which of course will lead to you feeling a lot better too.

Motion isolation

If it wasn't already clear, after sleeping on this mattress for multiple months, I've been very impressed by the Simba Hybrid Pro's sleep comfort. However, the one area it didn't perform quite so well in is motion isolation. 

As a combination sleeper I tend to move around a lot at night, but pair that with a partner gets up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, and two naughty terrier dogs who sometimes think their dog bed isn’t quite comfortable enough, and low motion transfer is a must for us. It was part of the reason we chose our old all-foam mattress, as the lack of springs meant it did a great job of dampening movement within the bed.

Sleeping on the Simba Hybrid Pro instead, there are times when we both felt a little movement coming from the other side of the mattress. Usually when it’s a flopping into bed situation. 

I wouldn’t say the motion transfer is bad enough to wake you up if you’re in a deep sleep, but light sleepers may find that they do occasionally get disturbed. 

Overall, the motion transfer is pretty good though, and the springs and cushioning foam do a good job of absorbing most of the movement.

Edge support

Simba says the Hybrid Pro features their 'SupportCore® base, with 1000 pocketed barrel springs to ensure 100% edge-to-edge support'. These springs are a bit bigger than the double layer of Aerocoil® micro springs used in the centre of the mattress, and help to reinforce the outer edges.

I naturally like to sleep on the edge of the bed, and this mattress has such good edge support that I feel protected and haven’t once felt like I was about to roll out. It doesn’t matter how close to the edge you lie or even sit, it doesn’t slope, it just effortlessly holds the weight.

For anyone who has mobility issues, the edge support on this bed is perfect as it has enough support on the edges that it’s easy to just push yourself up and out of bed without feeling like you’re going to sink in or fall.

I'm ashamed to say that my home workout game is weak so I don't have any weights to place on the bed to show you just how good the edge support it. However, as you can see by the image, my two dogs, who are solidly built (weighing 18.5kg combined) barely make a dent on the edge of the bed.

Additional features

Because it has a memory foam upper layer, the Simba Hybrid can't be flipped upside down, but the brand recommends that you rotate it at least once a month for the first three months. 

After that Simba suggests rotating it every three to six months so that wear and tear is distributed evenly across the mattress surface to increase its longevity. 

There are side handles on the mattress to make rotating it easier, but as I mentioned at the start of this review, this is a heavy mattress so you may want to call in backup when it’s time to turn. 

Another thing that I love about this mattress is that the top cover can be removed and washed. You don’t need to lift up the mattress to take the whole cover off, just zip the top off. The cover is small enough (even with a king size mattress) to fit in a regular washing machine, and it dries really quickly. 

Obviously, I’ve not cut this mattress open and had a good dig around inside but my impressions are that it's made using high-quality materials. Even after six months daily use it still feels like a brand new mattress.

There is also a 200 night sleep trial available when you buy a Simba mattress direct from Simba itself. Whilst this isn’t quite as long as the 365 nights offered by Nectar, it's on a par with the likes of Emma and Brook + Wilde, and is plenty of time to work out whether the mattress suits you or not. And, unlike some memory foam mattresses, this one doesn’t take too much time to get used to sleeping on. 

Third-party reviews

It's not just me that's a fan. The Simba Hybrid Pro mattress seems to score exceptionally well with reviewers across the board. 

Customers who purchased the mattress via Amazon have given it an average of 4 out of 5 stars, with happy owners mentioning how comfortable it is and praising the mattress for helping alleviate their back pain. Although some reviewers have noted that their mattress had a strong off-gassing smell, which I didn’t experience. 

Simba also get rave reviews on TrustPilot where the brand has 4.5 out of 5 stars. Customers have highlighted how good the customer service is and also praised the returns process. Some customers also say that depite the purchase price being a little high, for the quality of the goods they feel Simba mattresses are worth it. 

The only negative reviews I could find seem to be based more around the Simba bedding, with one customer finding that his Simba pillows gave him neck issues. I actually have the Simba Hybrid Duvet which I use over this mattress, and although at first I thought that its 10.5 tog rating was going to be a little too thin, it’s actually done as it promises and kept me cool in the summer and warm and cosy in the winter.

Simba mattress deals

If you're keen to invest in the Simba Hybrid Pro then the good news is that Simba regularly runs sales throughout the year, meaning you'll never have to wait long to bagsy a discount. 

That said, there are a few key times of year when Simba discounts tend to be bigger than usual, including Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and the Boxing Day and January sales.

After keeping track of discounts for several years, in our experience, Black Friday tends to be when Simba offers the biggest savings of the year, with up to 60% off selected lines in 2022, and up to 55% off selected lines in 2023.

Throughout the rest of the year, your best bet for a lower price is to keep track of our round up of the best mattress deals each month, or use one of Ideal Home's exclusive Simba discount codes.

Verdict

If it’s not already clear, I absolutely love the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress. I’ve reviewed multiple mattresses over the years, and this is by far my favourite. 

Comfort wise this mattress gave me all the right support, in all the right places. It eased my back and neck pain which I think were made worse by the lack of springs and dense sleep surface of the all-foam mattress I was sleeping on previously. 

As a hot sleeper, it’s also kept me cool at night, even in the hottest of months of the year. Overheating during the night can mean you sleep less deeply, resulting in us feeling tired and sluggish the next day, this mattress does a great job of keeping the air circulating to dispel hot air and moisture away from the body. I certainly found I slept right through the night on this mattress. 

The only slight downside is some motion transfer if you sleep with a partner, but I wouldn’t say that it’s too much of a negative unless you’re a light sleeper. If so, it could be worth looking at a mattress with extra foam layers. The Tempur Sensation mattress in particular is great at dampening movement, although it's memory foam construction does mean it sleeps warmer than the Simba Hybrid.

Of course, this is just one of five hybrid models in the Simba Hybrid range, with the Simba Hybrid Pro sitting bang in the middle of the collection price wise. 

There's the entry level Simba Hybrid Essential which is 20cm deep and offers a four layer construction with up to 1500 titanium alloy Simba Aerocoil® microsprings and a recommended retail price of £899 for the double. 

Then the Simba Hybrid Original with its 25cm depth, six layers that add in a 'stabilising core foam layer' and a 'supportCore™ sprung base' with an additional pocketed barrel springs for edge support, and up to 2000 Aerocoil® micro springs for an RRP of £1089. 

As discussed, the Simba Hybrid Pro has a 28cm depth, eight layers including that breathable wool layer and the double layer of Aerocoil® micro springs, making up to 4000 springs in all for an RRP of £1609.

Then there are two more premium mattresses in the Hybrid range. 

The Simba Hybrid Luxe is 31cm deep, has 11 layers including an additional 'bamboo infused wool layer', a triple layer of Aerocoil® micro springs, making up to 6000 springs in total, and costs £2309 for a double.

And finally, there's the top end Simba Hybrid Ultra mattress, which, as you might have guessed, has even more layers, making it a considerable 34cm deep. Those 13 layers include a 'wool, bamboo, charcoal and kapok' temperature regulating layer, two layers cushioning Simbatex® foam, 'Support boosting PureLift™' which is a mix of latex and coconut designed to give the mattress more elasticity, and another layer of Aerocoil® micro springs, making 8500 springs in total. Prices start at £3809 for a double mattress, putting the Simba Hybrid Ultra into the ultra-premium price bracket.

Whilst I haven't tried out the more premium versions of the Simba Hybrid, I can honestly say, I don’t feel I’m missing out. For me, this mattress does all I want it to and more. And although it's mid range price point isn't cheap, I snapped it up with 45% off, making it far more affordable than it may first appear.

Is the Simba Hybrid Pro worth the extra investment of nearly £600 more than the Simba Hybrid Original? That I'm not sure. I'm a hot sleeper, so I appreciated the extra breathable wool layer in this mattress, and the double layer of Aerocoil® micro springs that increase the air circulation within the mattress (or at least they seemed to do the trick for me). If you're not a hot sleeper, then it's likely you could be just as happy with the Simba Hybrid Original, and save yourself some dosh. 

However, in my opinion, this is the perfect all round mattress. It's ideal for any type of sleeper who wants a medium-firm mattress that feels cushioned and comfortable whilst still offering optimum support. And if you're a hot sleeper like me, then it will likely help you to sleep deeper by regulating your temperature well too. I really can't fault it other than that minor motion isolation niggle.