Summary: Nest’s Owl mattress with an internal split option is an extremely comfortable and nontoxic solution for me and my partner, who have different preferences for softness and sleep positions. It’s a sleep solution I didn’t know existed, and one that it turns out we really needed! With prestigious, top-tier certifications and flexible exchange and warranty options, Nest makes sleep as natural, luxurious, and tailor-made as possible. More Zzzs incoming!
Pros
- My Nest mattress and pillows are extremely comfortable and make me feel luxurious, like I’m in a fancy hotel and about to order room service.
- Because for the last 20+ years, I’ve likely been cozying up in a pile of chemicals every night. I love that Nest is about everything nontoxic and sustainable — made with CertiPUR-US certified chemical-free materials and OrganiCotton toppers.
- Nest has some great ways to feel confident in your purchase and adjust if it’s not to your liking, including a lifetime warranty, 365-night trial program, and a Lifetime Renewal Exchange (which means Nest will send you a new foam topper once yours wears out, really extending the life of the mattress).
Cons
- The split option is only available in King and California King sizes.
- Nest is definitely more expensive than competitor bed-in-a-box offerings, but understandable due to all of the certifications and perks that Nest offers.
- Because it’s so densely packed, the mattress is very heavy and a little cumbersome to bring in and set up. (Advice: Have someone who is not pregnant help you with that!)
While I hate to admit it, my mattress history can be told in a succession of lumpy Ikea, secondhand, and bargain-basement beds mostly bought by ex-boyfriends or donated from old roommates. Not ideal, but being a young, broke writer in LA, I was pretty used to surviving and making things “work.” Fast forward to me in my bedroom in March 2025, sleeping on a mattress that was sold to my partner by an actor friend back in 2017. He absolutely loved the firmness and size of the mattress, but admittedly, I wasn’t quite as smitten. “That’s Laura on TV!” He’d say, as we both lay on the California King whose former owner had just stormed out of a cocktail party on an episode of “Younger.” “Wow,” I’d say, laying on the overly bouncy, firm-ish mattress, secretly wondering when we’d have the all-important couples’ “mattress talk.”
“I finally came clean to my partner and, most importantly, to myself: I needed a better mattress.”
Turns out, a positive pregnancy test accelerated the timeline of that talk. At that point, I finally came clean to my partner and, most importantly, to myself: I needed a better mattress. Doing some sleep-based soul searching, I realized the beds I slept best in mostly existed in hotels; that what I was really craving was a soft mattress, one that was supple, pillowy and would support my body as it changed in crazy ways I could not yet imagine (insert sleeping for two joke here). Perhaps most ambitiously, I also wanted a mattress that was environmentally friendly, easy to move to different rooms and/or apartments, and wouldn’t break the bank.
While completely supportive, I could tell my partner was also a little bummed — he loved his summer camp-style medium firmness life, and my first trimester-self was clearly over it. But after some research, I found Nest’s internal split mattress, which has two firmnesses built into one. We realized that in one mattress, we could both have exactly the sleep experience that we wanted — and more.
About Nest
Admittedly, I hadn’t heard of Nest before looking for a new bed. But when I did find it, the company felt right up my alley. Founded in 2011, Nest is family-owned and all their products — which began with mattresses, pillows, and bedding and has since expanded into bed frames, sheets, and protectors — are made in the USA and distributed out of my home state of California. Despite the products on their website looking luxurious, all of their projects emphasize sustainability. Their mattresses are made with CertiPUR-US certified chemical-free materials and OrganiCotton toppers. (Quick fun fact: Less than 2% of mattresses on the market actually receive organic certifications, and Nest has ‘em!) Nest’s bamboo bedding is FSC Certified and their silk products are 100% Mulberry Silk, adhering to the highest quality standards. Nest also employs renewable designs for longer mattress lifespans, which is good for the earth (and for my bank account).
“Nest is family-owned and all their products — which began with mattresses, pillows, and bedding and has since expanded into bed frames, sheets, and protectors — are made in the USA.”
In 2021, Nest became the world’s first mattress company to offer a Lifetime Renewal Exchange, which means when your Nest mattress starts to get too soft or the foam top layer shows wear and tear, you can get a new layer of foam sent to you for free to help extend the life of the bed.
Why try Nest?
Before I get into my actual review, I have a few thoughts about why I was attracted to Nest — and why you might be, too. First, the direct-to-my-door mattress experience has always felt very easy (and luxurious) to me. My days of borrowing a truck or lugging an old mattress home are truly behind me. (Bless!)
“I was thrilled that they could solve my sleep softness ‘creative differences’ with my partner, offering split options so we could each pick our own softness.”
But that, of course, was just the beginning. I loved Nest’s commitment to chemical-free materials and their variety of beds and bedding — but above all, I was thrilled that they could solve my sleep softness “creative differences” with my partner, offering split options so we could each pick our own softness.
I had no idea what softness would really work for me (and I’m admittedly a product commitment-phobe) so I also appreciated their lifetime warranty and 365-night trial program, which meant I could easily exchange or return the mattress if it didn’t work for us.
My review of Nest’s Owl split option mattress:
I placed my order for Nest’s Owl Natural Latex Hybrid in King with high hopes — choosing the split option of plush/medium, with additional natural pillows and an OrganiCotton mattress protector. (Using old pillows on a new mattress is like putting used tires on a new car — like what are we doing here, people?!)
The mattress retails for $2,666, which felt steep, but the warranty and Lifetime Renewal Exchange made me feel better about the price. (Note also that only King and Cali sizes are available for a split option, so that explains the cost too.) Plus, I loved the company’s vibe and what they prioritized: Comfort, family, and high-quality, earth-friendly products. Ikea who?
Delivery and setup
Ok! Review time! I didn’t physically try the mattress until it arrived, but I did stalk the Nest website to get a sense of what I was in for. The pillows actually arrived first (giving me a little preview of the comfort that was to come) and, two days later, the mattress arrived. Both the pillows and mattress arrived wrapped in plastic and delivered in a recyclable cardboard box.
The pillows were easy to open and bring inside, but the mattress was a different story. Because it’s so compacted and packed tightly for shipping, it was very dense and heavy to carry inside. (Needless to say, as a pregnant person, I left it to my partner to take care of that part!)
Once he dragged it in, it was a process unpacking and cutting away the thick plastic protecting it. Thankfully, the mattress didn’t smell like plastic at all once we did free it from its translucent shackles. My partner immediately noticed that the mattress had handles, so there would be no lugging it around if we moved or adjusted the bed in our current space — so even before laying in the bed, he was impressed.
Then, we laid the rolled-up mattress down and let it find its shape. This took about an hour or so, and was pretty cool to watch — the rolled-up, dense, foamy caterpillar transformed into something resembling a very comfortable bed!
First impression and sleep
The mattress felt very comfy and luxe — and it was easy to distinguish which was my side and which was my partner’s side from a quick lay-down. Once we set it up on the bedframe, we popped on some nice sheets and, of course, Nest’s pillows, which were much denser and larger than the pillows I’m used to.
The mattress did not have to be broken in at all, and the first night with my Nest mattress, I immediately curled up on my side, head on my new pillow. It was very new to me…in an amazing way. Because I’m a side sleeper, my side of the mattress felt like a cradle, and the large pillow helped support my head and neck for all kinds of bedtime activities — reading, watching TV, sleeping, etc.
“The mattress felt very comfy and luxe — and it was easy to distinguish which was my side and which was my partner’s side from a quick lay-down.”
As I got used to my new mattress normal, I slept better and generally felt more excited to hang out in bed. My bed felt like a more special, restful place, and — while I can’t totally attribute it to the Nest mattress — the annoying headaches I’d often get when I woke up were greatly reduced. (Again, no scientific evidence of this, but it was a positive change I did notice!) My partner loves his side, too, which is surprising because it’s just a touch softer than what he’s used to. Goes to show, we’re all on our own mattress journeys.
The pillows were also a really important piece to the puzzle and definitely contributed to how great I felt about my mattress shift. My old pillows were even older than my old mattress (embarrassing) and I didn’t realize how much they were bringing the quality of my sleep routine down. Weighty and soft, the Nest pillows were really perfect for the way I sleep and spend time in bed. They also didn’t lose their shape over the course of a night, a week, a month and general heavy use. Nest emphasizes that it’s really important to update your pillows when you get a new mattress — and that message is received loud and clear!
So, is Nest worth it?
I love how luxurious I feel in bed — and that I finally have a mattress that fits what I like and actually need. My sleep is no longer built on what’s around and convenient. But also, because of the split softness, my partner has the same experience I’m having in the exact same bed.
Nest’s lifetime warranty, 365-night trial program, and Lifetime Renewal Exchange all ensure that I’ll be satisfied with my product, which is a great thing, because this mattress is not cheap! At $2,600 for a King, it really does feel like both a luxury item and an investment in your own sleep health. I get how that might be more than some might want to spend, but for all the certifications, I understand the price point.
Nest’s split softness mattresses are particularly good for couples with varying softness preferences who don’t want to sacrifice softness for quality, durability, or price. When my partner and I both get sleep is when we’re at our best. Also, with a long pregnancy ahead of me, it was truly time to level up!
“Nest’s split softness mattresses are particularly good for couples with varying softness preferences who don’t want to sacrifice softness for quality, durability, or price.”
I will say, this product is not a fit for people who are budget-forward (think me, not too long ago), or who don’t need some of the features of the Nest experience that I personally love (for example, if you sleep alone). Overall, there’s a lot to love about my new Nest mattress, and I’m so glad I went with the company on both the mattress and pillow fronts. The product is great, high-quality, and natural — and while it was a little annoying to bring into my home and unpack, the work was absolutely worth it and has made my (growing) household very happy and rested.
THIS STORY IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR FRIENDS AT NEST
Rebecca Leib is a writer, podcaster, and comedian who’s appeared in the AV Club, Bustle, and Marie Clare. Her writing is in VICE, Reductress, LAist, Los Angelino, LA WEEKLY, Art Etc. and on NatGeo, NBC + NBC Digital, Disney, Investigation Discovery, and CBS. Most recently, she worked as a writer/producer on National Geographic’s “Brain Games” reboot with Keegan Michael Key. Check out her comedy/history podcast, “Ghost Town,” and find her on Instagram and X at @RebeccaLeib.
