SIMBA’S Original Hybrid has earned a serious following, with glowing reviews and a clutch of awards to its name — but does it actually deliver better sleep?
I swapped out my mattress and put it through its paces to find out.
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Simba Original Hybrid Mattress, from £649
I looked at the stuff that really matters day to day: pressure relief, support, temperature regulation, motion isolation and edge support.
The early verdict: this is the closest I’ve come to “best sleep in years.”
It’s still a considered purchase, though, so before you spend your hard-earned cash, here’s my honest take on what it gets right, where it could do better and who it’s perfect for.
Pros
- Excellent delivery service
- Easy-to-follow instructions and “setup”
- Supportive
- Comfortable
- 200-night trial
- 0% finance option
- 10-year guarantee
Cons
- Very heavy, especially when in the box
- May require deep-fitted sheets
- Plasticky smell when first unboxed
Rating: 4.5/5
Simba Hybrid Mattress review: quick summary
After an extended period of insomnia, I was unsure if the lumps and bumps stopping me from sleeping were due to my mattress or the slats under my bed.
Therefore, when I was given the opportunity to do a Simba Hybrid Mattress review, I thought it was the perfect chance to get to the bottom of it once and for all.
After a week of sleeping on the Simba Hybrid, I had my answer — the lumps and bumps were definitely from my old mattress. The Simba eradicated all the issues I’d previously experienced, and I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in years.
Simba Hybrid Mattress review: the nitty gritty
First impressions
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Simba Original Hybrid Mattress, from £649
Simba provided me with an allocated delivery time slot and sent me regular text updates, which made the arrival of the mattress easy to organise.
Be warned, though; a boxed mattress is pretty heavy when it arrives, so you may need to enlist a friend/partner/Sherpa to get it up the stairs.
The instructions were clear and easy to follow, which made the unboxing process painless.
The plastic cutter also made it very straightforward to remove the packaging.
Within minutes of the mattress being free from the box and its wrapping, I could see the mattress start to expand and take shape.
It took around 3 hours to develop enough to be slept on and around 24 hours to expand fully.
Simba recommends waiting 3-6 hours to sleep on your mattress and says it can take 72 hours for it to expand fully.
When putting the sheets on the bed, I noticed that the mattress was a lot thicker than my previous model.
Though my regular sheets did fit (snugly), I decided to purchase deep-fitted sheets to ensure a more comfortable fit.
My bed is pushed against the wall, which made fitting the sheets tricky and really highlighted the weight of the mattress.
I struggled to lift the corners by myself, which might be worth keeping in mind if you live (or fit sheets) alone.
However, if your bed is in the middle of the room, or you can easily access 3-4 sides of the bed, I imagine this wouldn’t be an issue.
As mentioned in the instructions, the mattress gave off a plasticky smell when it was first unpackaged.
I wasn’t too bothered by it, though, and it disappeared within a few days.
Does it deliver?
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Simba Original Hybrid Mattress, from £649
I’d always been told new mattresses need a week or two to bed in, but I slept brilliantly on night one.
It does feel a touch firmer than I’m used to, yet the top Simba-Pure foam layer takes the edge off and gives you that gentle contouring around shoulders and hips.
As a side sleeper part-time, I noticed less pressure build-up on my shoulder, and when I flipped onto my back, the Aerocoil springs kept my spine nicely aligned without that sinking feeling.
Combination sleepers should get on well too — it’s responsive, so turning over is easy, and motion transfer is minimal, which meant I wasn’t bounced awake by a restless partner.
Edge support is solid enough to sit or sleep near the side without sliding off, and after about a week, it feels subtly softened into that sweet spot between cushioned and supportive.
Temperature-wise, it runs cooler than my old memory foam mattress thanks to the breathable cover and those titanium micro-springs, so I’m not waking up overheated — though if you run particularly hot, Simba’s Pro or Luxe lines add more advanced cooling tech.
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How much is a Simba Hybrid mattress?
Prices for the Simba Hybrid mattress start at £659 for a single and go up to £1,129 for a super king.
There are eight different mattress sizes to choose from, which is far more than most bed-in-a-box companies offer. The sizes and prices are as follows:
Single (W90, L190, D25 cm): £659
EU Single (W90, L200, D25 cm): £729
Small Double (W120, L190, D25 cm): £869
Double (W135, L190, D25 cm): £869
EU Double (W140, L200, D25 cm): £949
King (W150, L200, D25 cm): £999
EU Queen (W160, L200, D25 cm): £1,049
Super King (W180, L200, D25 cm): £1,129
The original Simba Hybrid is more expensive than its competitors. For example, Eve Sleep’s original hybrid mattress and Emma’s Original cost £699 and £499 respectively (for a double).
If you were to opt for the Simba Hybrid Pro mattress instead, which has temperature-regulating layers, you’re looking at around £300-£600 more for the equivalent size.
And if you were to opt for Simba’s top-of-the-range model, the Luxe mattress, you’d be looking at up to £1000 more for the equivalent size. If you’re interested in the top-of-the-range model, you should read our Simba Hybrid Luxe review.
Simba regularly has discounts on its mattresses, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for a deal.
Where can you buy a Simba Hybrid mattress?
Apart from the brand’s official website, you can also buy Simba mattresses from the following places:
Generally, the best offers tend to be found on Simba’s website, but John Lewis will price match. However, be sure to shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Littlewoods also sells Simba products, but since it tends to be the most expensive place to purchase, I don’t recommend shopping with them.
What are some alternatives to the Simba Hybrid mattress?
If the Simba Hybrid isn’t quite the right fit — or you just want to compare like-for-like options before you buy — there are plenty of hybrids that deliver a similar blend of contouring foam and supportive springs.
Start with your priorities: do you want a softer cradle for side sleeping, a slightly firmer, bouncier feel for back support, or extra cooling and freshness from the cover and foams?
Price, trial length and warranty can differ, too, so it’s worth shortlisting a couple and weighing up what matters most to your sleep style and budget.
Below are solid alternatives that hit similar performance notes while offering distinct feels:
The verdict: Are Simba mattresses good?
In my opinion, the Simba Hybrid mattress isn’t good; it’s excellent.
The mattress has transformed my sleep, and I feel more rested than I have in years.
I would (and have) recommend this mattress to close family and friends, especially since the 200-night trial and 10-year guarantee mean you can always return it if you don’t love it as much as I did.
Simba Hybrid Mattress review FAQs
How thick is the original Simba mattress?
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Simba Original Hybrid Mattress, from £649
The Simba Hybrid mattress is 25cm thick for all sizes.
It’s thinner than both the Pro mattress, which is 28cm thick, and the Luxe mattress, which is 31cm thick, due to their extra layers.
Although a standard fitted sheet should fit your mattress, you may find (like I did) that a deeper sheet fits more comfortably.
Is a Simba hybrid mattress good for back pain?
I’m not a medical expert, and therefore I can’t provide you with any concrete evidence that Simba mattresses help with back pain, nor do I have any firsthand experience to share.
However, at the time of writing, there are over 10,000 reviews of the Simba Hybrid mattress, which state specifically that it has “significantly improved” back pain.
One review reads, “I’ve struggled for a while with back pain and done extensive research on the best mattress around, the Simba kept coming up, and without a doubt the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had. Highly recommend”.
Where are Simba mattresses made?
According to the Simba website, all Simba mattresses made for the UK market are manufactured in the UK.
The materials are sourced and made in Europe, though the steel springs are made in Leeds, and the wool used in the Simba Pro is British too.
Are Emma and Simba mattresses the same?
No. Emma and Simba are different companies; however, they both sell bed-in-a-box mattresses.
Emma has three mattresses available for purchase at the time of writing – the Emma Original (memory foam), Emma Premium and Luxe Cooling Mattress.
You can check out our Emma Original mattress review here.
