Thank you for this GREAT resource. I have read the blog, forum and tutorial as aids to help me zero in on options that catch my attention. I would welcome insight/considerations for pros/cons between the Alexander Hybrid and the Alexander Latex Hybrid mattress. Appreciate insights!
Hi kbayless,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
You’re welcome!
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.
I [quote]
would welcome insight/considerations for pros/cons between the Alexander Hybrid and the Alexander Latex Hybrid mattress
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Here are the specifications of the Nest Bedding Alexander Signature Hybrid:
1.5" Soft Quilted Cover
2" 3.5 lb Copper Infused Memory Foam
2" of our SmartFlow Foam (1.8 lb porous, punched polyfoam)
7" 5 zone pocketed coil unit with Edge Support.
While I can’t speak to how a mattress will feel for someone else … in terms of the quality and durability of the materials … the 3.5 lb memory foam would be generally be a slightly lower quality/density and less durable material than 4 lb memory foam and would be “on the edge” or slightly less than the minimum foam density guidelines I would normally suggest so I would be cautious for anyone that is in a higher than average weight range or BMI.
The innerspring is zoned which would affect the feel and performance of the mattress and may make it more suitable for a higher percentage of people but there is also a reduction in the type and amount of specialty foam materials in the comfort layers above the spring as well so the mattress would have less of a memory foam “feel” with the thinner layer of memory foam and the more resilient “feel” of the polyfoam underneath it.
The soft version of the Nest Alexander Signature Series uses …
1.5" polyfoam quilted to the cover
2" 4 lb gel memory foam
2" 4 lb memory foam
3" 1.8 lb hole punched polyfoam
4" 1.8 lb polyfoam.
The medium version uses …
2" 1.5 lb. polyfoam quilted to the cover
4" 4 lb gel memory foam
1" 4 lb memory foam
2" 1.8 lb hole punched polyfoam
4" 1.8 lb polyfoam
The luxury firm version uses …
1.5" polyfoam quilted to the cover
2" 4 lb gel memory foam
3" 1.8 lb hole punched polyfoam
4" 1.8 lb polyfoam.
All of these are good quality materials that would be suitable for more average weight ranges but I would be cautious for those that are in higher weight/BMI ranges (a BMI of 30 or more).
The medium version also uses a little thicker 2" quilting layer and I would normally suggest no more than “about an inch or so” of lower quality/density layers in a mattress and once there is about 2" or more of lower quality/density foam (less than 1.8 lb density for polyfoam in a one sided mattress) or “unknown” materials in the upper layers of a mattress then the odds of premature foam softening and breakdown would be a little higher.
Assessing the durability of a mattress is just a matter of knowing the density of the memory foam and polyfoam in the mattress and comparing them to the quality/durability guidelines here.
All the layers and components in a mattress affect the feel and performance of all the other layers and components both above and below it and the mattress “as a whole”. In terms of “comfort” firmness and PPP the only way to know whether one design of the Alexander would be better or worse for you would be based on your own personal experience. For some people it may be a better “fit” and for others it may be worse depending on their body type, sleeping style, and their own specific needs and preferences.
If you can’t test the mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart and who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the properties and “feel” of the materials they are using (fast or slow response, resilience, firmness etc.) and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked or other mattresses you are considering that they are familiar with, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs, options, and firmness levels to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences (or to other mattresses that they are familiar with) than anyone else.
Their detailed knowledge of their mattresses and how they fit with different body types and sleeping positions along with your feedback from local testing, a customer base of many people that they can use as reference points, and any exchange, return, or any options they have available to customize a mattress after a purchase can help lower the risk of an online purchase. These online retailers or manufacturers can also be a good “value reference” for local purchases to make sure that if you are paying a “premium” for a local purchase (in exchange for the kind of “in person” guidance, service, and value that comes with dealing with a local retailer that can help you make more “accurate” choices that you have tested in person) is not too high.
Nest Bedding has a great return policy that lets you test the mattress in your bedroom instead of a showroom to find out whether it’s a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP with little risk outside of the time you spend sleeping on it or returning it should that be necessary.
As you may know, Nest Bedding is a member of this site which means that I think highly of them and I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency.
I look forward to learning about your progress.
Phoenix
The Alexander Hybrid has “updated” and is now listed as using memory foams down to 3lb…would these be “weak links?” Thanks in advance!
Hi sweetandsourkiwi.
You are correct, it looks like NestBedding recently reworked the design and layering for this bed so we’ll be reaching out to them to get more information and confirm the changes.
Phoenix
Thank you! I’ve taken it out of the running for now. Is the 1.5lb polyfoam in the top cover of the Nest Latex Hybrid a weak link?
Hi sweetandsourkiwi.
Luckily for you, there is no reason to take Alexander Hybrid “out of the running”. Nest just followed up on your post and got back to us. The webmaster skipped listing the density of TitanChill which is 4lbs/ft[sup]3[/sup]. They were grateful for the feedback and being kept on their “toes” :cheer: and have listed it promptly on their site here.
As usual, I am very impressed with their responsiveness and what I like to call “consumer-centric” approach.
This is directly from NestBedding’s CEO
“we use 4lb foam there is no 3lb memory foam in the bed. We use Energex which comes out to 3lbs but Energex, of course, is not memory foam it’s closer to latex in character and isn’t judged by memory foam standards.”
They also mentioned that with the addition of the zipper to the quilted cover top of this mattress they also changed “each top layer of foam to a solid piece of 3” at 4 lb/ft[sup]3[/sup]. TitanChill Endurance Foam".
Here are the updated specs of the (14") Alexander Signature Hybrid
.25" 4 lb. Gel Infused Memory Foam & Soft Quilted Thermic Phase Change Fabric
3" 4 lb/ft[sup]3[/sup] Medium TitanChill Endurance Foam®
1.5" 3.5 lb/ft[sup]3[/sup] Copper Infused Energex Foam
1" 3 lb/ft[sup]3[/sup] SmartFlow Support Foam
8" Quantum Edge Pocketed Support Coils
I remember that you have some health conditions that are more restrictive but I hope this helps with your search for a suitable mattress.
Phoenix.
Thank you Phoenix! I’m glad to hear they aren’t lowering their standards.
Do you consider the 1.5lb polyfoam in the cover of the Hybrid Latex a weak link?
Going off my memory, this means they increased the Medium Titan Chill Endurance foam from 1.5" to 3" in Nest Alexander Hybrid. So this would make more of a “memory foam” feel in the bed, right? My main concern was sinking in and getting memory foam “hug” (which I strongly dislike) and the fact memory foam and regular foam can feel “hard” after a few hours to me. I thought the Energex might negate that somewhat, but it sounds like it’s getting more buried…so I think I’m still headed in a latex direction. Thank you for helping me narrow it down!
Hi sweetandsourkiwi.
This is not a week link as you can see in the durability guidelines here
Nest’s old version (13.5") Alexander Signature Hybrid, was not much different from the newer (13.75") … as it had 2 x 1.5" inch of Energex instead of the 1 x 3" of Energex they are using now.
Latex seems to be a great direction for you to move into for you … just for the sake of “straightening up” some misconceptions about the Energex … this is a high-quality polyfoam, one of the newer generation of what I term “high-performance polyfoams” The foam is also more immediate in its response and not have the “hug” and “memory foam feel” quality you strongly dislike. These high-performance polyfoams also tend to be extremely durable and some of them are engineered to provide feels that are somewhat similar to latex, others similar to memory foam, and others simply versions unto themselves. TitanChill should be one of these high-performance polyfoams you’ve seen mentioned on the site described as hyperelastic which would have all the conforming qualities but less the “dead” feel that is characteristic to memory foam.
Hope this helps
Phoenix
Thank you Pheonix! The Energex sounds amazing. I’m not quite sure I understand what the TitanChill is…it’s memory foam but has a shorter-term memory?
Hi sweetandsourkiwi.
You are welcome!
As NestBedding mentioned in their answer in the earlier post … there is no Memory Foam in this mattress … TitanChill as described by NestBedding’s CEO… is a high-quality polyfoam
“we use 4lb foam there is no 3lb memory foam in the bed. We use Energex which comes out to 3lbs but Energex, of course, is not memory foam it’s closer to latex in character and isn’t judged by memory foam standards.” ,… one of the newer generation of “high-performance polyfoams”
Phoenix
Thank you Pheonix! I think Mr. Alexander was saying there is no 3lb memory foam in the bed, not NO memory foam whatsoever. That or their website is wrong, which says “memory foam” right at the top of the specs. “4 lb. Gel Infused Memory Foam & Super Soft Quilted Thermic Phase Change Fabric.” It sounds like maybe there is thin layer of memory foam?
I was pulled hard in about 5 directions but needed to just take a leap of faith…so given my love for latex, need for a stretchier cover for my shoulder, a desire for a pre-designed bed that felt a bit more traditional, the great regard here given to Nest as a company, and finally the money back guarantee should I need it (really, really hope not), I FINALLY ordered a Nest Natural Hybrid Latex in Medium this morning.
It doesn’t check off every box on my perfect list (would have preferred to get more natural latex and I wish the Eco-flex was made from light latex instead of polyfoam, but felt the stretchier cover and transition to firmer latex was more important), but I am really hoping it’s a good decision that winds up working well for me. I suppose if not, I will have learned more preferences and prioritize to incorporate into the next choice and might feel brave enough to DIY or go with a fee-return brand, but until it gets here I am very hopeful this is the end of my mattress obsession for the next ten years!
I will report back once I’ve spent some time with it. Thanks for all the help and resources!
CRAP. I was just reviewing my purchase when I saw a review pop up on the product page tonight that said one customer had to pay $160 to finalize her return to Nest when she couldn’t find a charity. I would really hope to not have to utilize this, but I chose them because they listed free returns on their site. As of today, the copy that used to begin “While we hate to lose you from the Nest family” is gone and replaced with a much more vague return policy. It used to sound like they would provide recycling if you couldn’t find a charity who would pick it up, so either way it would be free. I am now very concerned my purchase is not as protected as I thought. I have already paid $99 to return one mattress and cannot afford another “mistake.”
For now I have reached out to them to cancel my order if this is indeed the case, but my cautious excitement has evaporated as I may need to choose something else.
Congrats on your purchase, sweet! We’re four months in with our Nest Bedding Hybrid Natural Latex (Medium), and still continuing to love it.
And I wouldn’t be too concerned with the return policy, though it’s good to confirm with them. We had a return with our first latex hybrid with them (former version), and they took care of the return without any hassle. Also, with our other mattresses, the Salvation Army took care of our mattress pick-ups without any issue. So if you have a Salvation Army near you, you should be set there.
Hopefully, though, your new Nest Bedding mattress does the trick like it has for us. Again, definitely give it a 2-3 weeks to break in. And my sense is that if the medium proves too firm for your pressure points (we’ve both been fine with the medium so far), then swapping out the latex layer for the plush version should take care of any pressure issues.
Looking forward to hearing how your new mattress goes, and hopefully your mattress journey is finally wrapping up!
Thank you, NestHaven. I will post the concerning review for anyone interested; it sounds like Salvation Army may not be a choice (I have heard other reports that they can take it, but often not for a few months.) I did already get a response from the company, but it concerns me that their policy didn’t appear to extend to this customer. (I know that reviews are subjective for feel but as this one pertains to the company either not honoring a policy or changing a policy, I am bringing it up.)
I don’t like that I’m even thinking as far down the line as a return, but after the experience I’ve had with Zenhaven where I was so sure it would be perfect, I’ve realized that all the research in the world still leaves you making a shot in the dark into how the bed feels and performs. I’m not ready to pull the trigger on another bed that doesn’t have a free return right now. I know returns are hard on everyone, but I want to go with a company who has already built that cost into their business model and pricing. If I didn’t, it seems like I could create a similar (if not the same) latex hybrid with APM or Flexus for under $1k.
Still mulling over what to do. The CS response didn’t put me totally at ease.
From the product page on Nest’s website: “I bought the king size hybrid latex mattress in the medium firmness and after about a couple of months I felt like it was not right for me, and possibly becoming less comfortable over time. It is best for back sleeping, somewhat OK for side sleeping, but was giving me pretty bad back pain with stomach sleeping since there is not much lower back support. It also would transfer a lot if motion if someone is moving at the other end. The latex foam layer was also 2.5 inches instead of 3 inches which can make a difference in the feel of the mattress, but probably would not have affected the comfort level when stomach sleeping (I had originally emailed them a picture of this and received no response). I decided I wanted to return it since it was within 100 days. I sent them all the pictures needed to show that the mattress was in good, donatable condition and it was sitting on a good base. They do not come to pick up the mattress themselves. I needed to find someone to accept the donation of the mattress and give me a valid donation receipt, and then take a picture of them putting the mattress into the truck before I could get my money back. This needed to be done within 30 days or I do not get my money back. I wasted a ton of time calling different charities and unfortunately there was no charity accepting used mattresses. Salvation Army was specifically not accepting latex mattresses! I was stuck and finally decided to pay a disposal company to come take the mattress, which cost me $160, a cost that Nest Bedding was not willing to reimburse me for! They only reimburse disposal if someone lives in a rural area which is not fair since no official charity was willing to accept the donation and give me an official receipt. It was definitely not a free return as advertised!”
CS response (excerpted): “In the event of a return, we will ask you to donate or freecycle the mattress and would most likely even have a pick up option in the event you can’t find a good home for the mattress.” (Emphasis mine.)
I am going to confirm that “most likely” can mean “most definitely.”
Still haven’t confirmed totally but got this nice response from the company.
"I have asked my back office to check availability with a pickup in your area. We will still prefer a donation or freecycling because the pickup goes to a landfill and we just prefer that not to happen. We aren’t doing this to make it inconvenient to anyone or frustrating, but if the mattress doesn’t work out for you, we’d like to see it still go to a good home. Between donation, freecycling and our pickup option, we almost always are able to find something. In every single case where we’ve run into problems, we’ve been able to work with our customers to find a good alternative. I’ve never had an instance of anyone being stuck. As for the review, it seems like this person decided to set up this haul away and pay for it without discussing that with us first. That is asking us to pay for something we didn’t authorize. While I understand their frustration, it doesn’t sound like they tried to work with us on the issue.
I hope that helps but you can absolutely feel free to throw any further questions my way. I’d love to assist you with this and make sure you have peace of mind before receiving your new mattress. "
@NestHaven, I was curious if your foam also measured 2.5" like the reviewer? I thought that was odd; I saw that in one other review as well. Thank you for all your help. I am a dedicated thrifter/freepiler and these expensive purchases that can have such an impact on quality of life send me into an absolute tailspin of ridiculous anxiety. I would love my mattress journey to wrap up!
Hi sweet - glad Nest Bedding was able to follow up with you. As for our latex insert sizes, we hadn’t checked as the mattresses have been working so well for us. I just measured our queen mattress, and the insert is indeed 3 inches.
As for Salvation Army, they don’t typically take back all-latex mattresses. However, the foam ones we needed to donate for our returns with other companies (Leesa and Serta), as well as the latex hybrids (Avocado), were all picked up by Salvation Army within a few days. They even have easy scheduling on their website.
And we can echo Nest Bedding’s response to you - as long as the customer is willing to talk with them to resolve the issue, Nest Bedding is more than willing to find a suitable solution. They did with us. Again, they’re one of the best companies we’ve dealt with.
Hope that helps, and please don’t hesitate to ask us anything else…
Thank you so much for your calming support, @Nesthaven! And for taking the extra time to measure your insert, how kind. That is all reassuring. The agent followed up as well and while I’m still apprehensive, I am hoping to not even need to explore any return options. I am so ready to just take a bed for granted again! 
I’m a bit embarrassed at how overdramatic/anxious I am about this purchase. The cost and hassle is one thing, but the fibro is another. As I’m sure you’re well aware, ANY little change with fibromyalgia can kick off a monster flare, and lost sleep is like gasoline on top of the fire. For me I flared up just moving my mattress from the foundation to the floor and back again…so I really want to minimize how often I have to break in a mattress by making as good a choice as possible. I salute you for making it through 10 mattresses, but that situation scares me!
It is also part of why I tried so ridiculously hard to get the Zenhaven to work even while shopping around, because if there was any way to tweak it to working, that would be preferable to a big change. Regrettably, I didn’t discover how much better putting it on the floor worked for me until it was too late.
Noted on the 3 weeks. I am braced for some break in! I plan to let the bed fully inflate for 48 hours and walk on it every day to help speed that along. I am surprised how much the Zenhaven changed and molded over 4 months, but it really wasn’t noticeable until the end of the 4 months. That’s part of why I’m reaaaaalllly hoping medium is the correct choice for me…the soft seems too soft based on other beds I’ve tested, and like there wouldn’t be enough time to adequately test another topper, but we’ll see.
I really hope my experience mirrors yours, @Nesthaven! That would be so lovely. Braced for a rough transition, but hopeful for none at all. Thank you for all your help!
Seems like the design of Alexander hybrid was changed again? I feel confused, there is no mention of change anywhere. Their site is showing the composition of:
.25" 4 lb. Gel Infused Memory Foam & Super Soft Quilted Thermic Phase Change Fabric
3" 3.5 lb. Medium TitanChill Endurance Foam®
1" 3 lb. SmartFlow Support Foam
8" Quantum Edge Pocketed Support Coils
1" 3 lb. Base Support Foam
Seems like they did went to 3.5lb in Medium TitanChill Endurance Foam and whole Energex is out. Anyone did have a chance to try it out?
Edit: Live chat is not so helpful, for question “Is the mattress acting different with missing 1.5’’ of Energex?” I got answer: “I haven’t felt it”. Also the person that I chat with gave me information that TitanChill is a memory Foam
Hi oqax,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :).
Thanks for the post. You are correct, Nest did change the specifications of this mattress. Please read my post #6 here as this was pointed out by another one of our wonderful consumers. As Nest is a trusted member of TMU we are able to get a clear response from them explaining the changes.
Thank you again for sending this information in, it’s critical to have these updates, well done! Let us know if you have any other questions.
Phoenix