Simba Hybrid Luxe review: Luxury for less this Black Friday

After launching the excellent Hybrid Pro in 2020, bed-in-a-box manufacturer Simba followed up with another addition to their luxury mattresses in 2021, aptly named the Hybrid Luxe.

Compared with its cheaper stablemate, this mattress adds another layer of springs, bringing the number of spring layers to three. Meanwhile, its sleeping surface is the “thickest and plushest” to date and the wool comfort layer beneath has been combined with bamboo, which Simba calls “the ultimate sleep indulgence”.

I’ve found the Luxe to be a very comfortable mattress indeed, but it’s likely only the right choice for those with the deepest pockets thanks to that steep asking price. To find out more, read on.

Simba Hybrid Luxe review: What you need to know

Unlike the 25mm micro springs you’ll find in Simba’s other mattresses, the Luxe’s third spring layer consists of slightly larger 40mm pocket springs. They might be bigger, but these are still described as a comfort layer (as opposed to a support layer) and come above a zoned supportive foam base and a “high-definition” Simba-Pure foam layer.

On top of these springs, there’s another high-definition Simba Pure layer with built-in edge support. Next up are two 25mm microspring layers, as found in the Hybrid Pro, an open-cell Simba-Pure foam comfort layer and a bamboo wool layer, the latter two both aimed at delivering a cool, comfortable night’s sleep. Last but not least, the removable top cover also provides a soft and breathable sleeping surface thanks to its open-cell design.

It’s a complex construction and, as you might expect, it makes for a mattress that’s a good bit deeper than your average bed-in-a-box mattress. Indeed, at 310mm, it’s 30mm thicker than the Hybrid Pro and 60mm deeper than the regular Simba Hybrid.

The rest is all fairly standard fare as far as a bed-in-a-box mattress is concerned. The layered design means there’s no need to turn the mattress, but it should be rotated every month for the first three months and then every three to six months thereafter.

As with Simba’s other mattresses, the Luxe is protected by a ten-year warranty and it also comes with a 200-night trial so if, for any reason, you’re not happy with it, you can return it for a full refund in that period. Unlike some manufacturers, there’s no need to use a mattress protector for this trial to be valid but it’s probably a good idea in any case.

Simba Hybrid Luxe review: Price and competition

2020’s Hybrid Pro was one of the most expensive bed-in-a-box mattresses we’d ever tested, so it goes without saying that the Hybrid Luxe also falls into this category.

Indeed, following a recent rise in prices across Simba’s mattress range, the Hybrid Luxe is even pricier than it was when we first reviewed it: It now starts at £1,169 for a single (previously £1,100), rising to £1,699 and £1,909 for double and king sizes respectively (previously £1,600 and £1,800). Compared to the Hybrid Pro in a king size, the Luxe is almost £500 dearer. In fact, Tempur’s Original Supreme is the only more expensive mattress that we’ve tested at £2,500 in king size.

However, Simba isn’t the only brand to offer a bed-in-a-box mattress in this price bracket. Brook and Wilde has the Ultima, which is even pricier at £1,800 and £2,100 in double and king sizes. Slightly more affordable is Brook and Wilde’s excellent Elite mattress, which will set you back £1,300 in king size. Meanwhile, Eve’s Premium Hybrid is another great hybrid mattress at £1,128 in king size.

The best alternatives and where to buy them:

• Simba Hybrid Pro | Buy now from Simba
• Eve Premium Hybrid | Buy now from Eve

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Simba Hybrid Luxe review: Performance and comfort

Where many bed-in-a-box mattresses expand very quickly once cut free from their vacuum packaging, the Luxe was comparatively slow to rise, at least at initially. After unboxing the mattress at lunchtime, however, it had still fully expanded and was ready to be slept on by that evening, so I can make no complaints on that front.

Also pleasing was the relative lack of “off gassing” odour emitted by the Simba Hybrid Luxe. Simba claims its Simba-Pure foams are free from chemicals such as “TCPP, phosphates, parabens, biocides and persistent organic pollutants”. This not only makes the foam more environmentally friendly but might also explain the relative lack of bad smell that you sometimes get with memory foam products.

As for the mattress’ firmness, the Hybrid Luxe feels a little softer than the Hybrid Pro when pushing down on it and when you lie on it. The top layers also feel noticeably more accommodating and sumptuous than those on the Hybrid Pro. This makes for a mattress that better suits sleeping on your side, as there’s more give around your hips and shoulders.

In spite of this, the Luxe still offers excellent levels of support when lying on your front and back, and, thanks to its thicker design, I also found it plenty supportive and stable when used on a sprung slatted foundation. To give a little more context with regards to its firmness, I’d say it’s a touch firmer than the Brook and Wilde Elite that I tested most recently.

Overall, then Simba has managed to deliver a very happy middle ground where there’s plenty of comfort without compromising on support. Although the three layers of springs give the Hybrid Luxe a certain amount of bounce, though, it still feels more like a foam mattress than a pocket sprung one in that you’re never really aware of the springs. That’s not a bad thing but worth being aware of nonetheless.

READ NEXT: Best mattress for side sleepers

As for temperature control, I found the addition of the bamboo to the wool layer made little difference to Luxe’s cooling properties. Like the Hybrid Pro, the Luxe does a great job of keeping things cooler than some foam mattresses but perhaps because of its softer nature, which can make you feel more enveloped in the comfort layers, it still falls short of a traditional pocket sprung mattress with solely natural fillings.

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Simba Hybrid Luxe review: Verdict

So should you buy it? If you can afford it, the Luxe is the best mattress Simba has made to date, without question. It offers extra comfort compared with the brilliant Hybrid Pro, while still managing to deliver support in every sleeping position. In that sense, you really can’t fault it.

The question is whether you need to spend so much to find a mattress you’re happy with. On this point, Simba is its own worst enemy, because the Hybrid Pro is so good – and still offers that wool comfort layer on top.

In other words, £500 is a significant price hike for a mattress that’s a little more sumptuous and a little better suited to side sleeping, but that otherwise performs similarly. If you sleep mainly on your side, it might be worth looking into the Brook and Wilde Elite, which is priced similarly to the Hybrid Pro and our top pick in this category.

Having said all that, if money is no object, this is a very good mattress indeed. It’s for that reason that I’ve still scored it 5 stars, but downgraded it from a Best Buy to a Recommended award. If you still go for the Luxe – and there are plenty of reasons to – I expect you’ll be very satisfied indeed.