If you’ve been shopping for an affordable memory foam mattress, you’re probably already familiar with the Nectar mattress brand. Nectar is one of the most popular products on the online foam mattress market at the moment, so you’ll most likely have seen it being talked about during the course of your research. The Nectar mattress gives you all the benefits of memory foam with a slightly bouncier feel and at a reasonable price.
However, if you’re considering buying the Nectar, another mattress brand you might want to look at is Indigo. Indigo also make memory foam beds but give you the option to customize the firmness.
To help you choose between these two great options, we’ve created an easy to understand mattress comparison guide to help you get to grips with everything you need to know about Indigo vs. Nectar.
You May Also Read: Is Nectar Mattress Good for Fat People?
Indigo vs. Nectar Construction
There are some similarities between the construction of the Indigo and the Nectar mattress. Both are made using highly adaptable gel infused memory foam. However, the construction of the Indigo and the Nectar mattresses differ in some key ways.
Nectar Construction
The Nectar mattress is made using three different layers of foam. These work in combination to provide optimal comfort and support when you sleep on it. The foams used in the Nectar mattress include open cell technology. This means that the Nectar foams are more breathable than traditional memory foams, which goes some way to solving the issue of sleeping hot which is so common with memory foam beds. The foams used in the Nectar are also very responsive, which prevents your body sinking too deeply into the mattress when you sleep on it, and could otherwise cause you to get very hot. Let’s take a close look at the construction of the Nectar mattress:
Supportive base layer
The Nectar mattress has a base layer made of very dense and firm foam. This is similar to the construction of the Indigo mattress. It helps to make the bed very supportive and keeps your spine in a healthy alignment.
Transitional layer
This layer bridges the gap between the firm base layer and the upper layer. It is still relatively firm, which helps with the mattress’ responsiveness and adds further to the level of support.
Upper layer
The topmost layer of the Nectar mattress is made from soft and adaptable memory foam. This material has the ability to conform to the individual curves of your body and makes the bed extremely comfortable to sleep on. Nectar infuse their soft memory foams with gel, a cooling material which helps to stop you overheating at night.
Breathable cotton cover
The Nectar mattress comes with an environmentally friendly cotton cover which is soft to the touch. The cotton used in the cover is blended with another fabric called Tencel. Tencel helps the cover stay cooler in the night than cotton alone.
Indigo Construction
Like the Nectar mattress, the Indigo has three separate layers. However, the key difference is that you can flip the top layers of the Indigo over to change the firmness depending on whether you want a softer or firmer mattress. This makes it a good choice for people who are unsure which firmness they need or whose sleep needs are likely to change over time. The Indigo mattress is constructed as follows:
Supportive base layer
The support layer of the Indigo mattress is made of 6 inches of highly dense and supportive foam to provide stability and good support for your joints and back.
Firm mid layer
The middle layer of the Indigo mattress is made of high-quality firmer memory foam. This helps to improve the responsiveness and adaptability of the Indigo mattress.
Upper layer
The topmost layer of the Indigo mattress is manufactured using high quality gel infused memory foam. This helps the mattress to sleep cool while giving the ability to conform closely to the shape of your body, giving the mattress is a soft and cosy feel.
Indigo vs Nectar Firmness
One of the first things you should take into consideration when you’re thinking about buying a new mattress is how firm you need it to be. If you don’t pick the correct firmness, your mattress will feel uncomfortable and you can’t expect a good night’s sleep. So, it is a good idea to take some time to figure out which firmness is best for you.
It is common for people to buy a mattress that is actually too soft for their needs in the belief that a softer mattress equals better comfort. However, optimal comfort is more complicated than this. Softer mattresses are generally most suitable for people who sleep on their sides because they can adapt well to the curve of the side of your body and allow you to sink in comfortably. That being said, a soft mattress won’t provide the support needed by people who are front or back sleepers. People with back or joint problems also tend to need firm mattresses.
The Nectar mattress measures around 6.5 on the firmness scale, which qualifies it as a medium mattress. This level of firmness should be comfortable for the vast majority of people. Indigo give you more flexibility when it comes to firmness because its firmness level is customisable. The top two layers of the Indigo mattress are called the comfort layers by the manufacturer. By turning the comfort layer over, you can choose between a soft and a firm feel. The comfort layer is also split down the middle, so this allows partners who have different sleeping needs to select a different firmness for their side of the bed.
Which mattress is best for my sleeping position?
It is a little-known fact that your sleeping position makes a huge difference when it comes to which mattress you should choose. This is because your sleeping position has a direct impact on the level of firmness that your body needs for a comfortable and supportive sleep. So, should you choose the Indigo or the Nectar mattress for your sleep position?
Both mattresses can be a good choice for most sleeping positions. The Nectar mattress is generally very suitable for people who sleep on their side because the medium feel memory foam does a great job at conforming to the side of the body and relieving pressure, especially at the hips and shoulders. However, side sleepers should also find the soft side of the Indigo comfort layer adaptable and comfortable.
While the Nectar mattress is supportive enough for most people who sleep on their front and back, the firmer side of the Indigo mattress may feel more supportive for some people, especially those who sleep on their front. This is because front sleeping is an unsupportive position, so a firmer mattress is better at supporting your spine and relieving aches and pains.
Both mattresses are worth considering if you and your partner sleep in different positions. The medium thickness of the Nectar mattress is sometimes known as universal comfort, which means it should be comfortable for the majority of sleeping positions and should accommodate both you and your partner well. However, the Indigo mattress allows each partner to choose their own firmness level, which may give it the edge if you and your partner have very different ideas about what feels comfortable.
At the end of the day, both mattresses are supportive and good at relieving pressure, so which one feels best to you comes down to individual taste.
Which mattress is better for back and joint pain?
If you suffer from back or joint pain during the night, its only natural that you will want a mattress that can help ease your discomfort. The good news is that choosing the right mattress can help ease pain caused by a range of conditions and can even have a preventative effect.
The Nectar mattress is well-designed for helping with back pain thanks to its highly supportive base layer. This helps to encourage your spine into a healthy alignment, which is a key factor in easing back pain at night. The gel-infused memory foam also has the ability to relive pressure on sore and aching joints, making it a good choice for people with painful joint conditions such as arthritis, especially if they sleep on their sides.
The Indigo mattress is also well-designed when it comes to eliminating back and joint pain. The dense foam in the base layer provides an excellent level of back support and the gel-infused memory foam comfort layers relieve pressure well, especially around the hips and shoulders.
Therefore, either mattress is an excellent choice when it comes to soothing a sore back and joints.
Which mattress sleeps cooler?
Sleeping cool is important for getting a good night’s sleep, especially if you’re regularly disturbed by overheating at night. Some people, for example women during the menopause, are more likely to overheat at night than others. Traditional memory foam tends to sleep hot, which can be an issue for people who want the pressure relief that comes with memory foam but don’t want to spend their nights hot and bothered.
Indigo have counteracted this common problem by including gel in their memory foams. Gel is a cooling material which helps to draw heat away from your body while you sleep, keeping you at a cool and comfortable temperature.
However, when it comes to sleeping cool, the Nectar mattress probably just about pips the Indigo to the post. Nectar also use cooling gel in their memory foam. However, they make their foams using open-cell technology, which aids with air circulation throughout the mattress and helps heat to escape more easily. The inclusion of Tencel in the cotton cover also helps to keep the mattress as temperature neutral as possible.
That being said, both mattresses are generally good at sleeping cool.
Indigo vs. Nectar Price Comparison
If, like most people, you’re shopping for a mattress on a budget, price will pay a key deciding role in which mattress you choose. Both the Indigo and the Nectar mattress provide good value for money given the features included in the mattresses.
The Indigo mattress is the cheaper memory foam mattress option at $549 for a queen size with a split comfort layer (although you can purchase the same size with a solid comfort layer for $499). The Nectar mattress usually costs $799 for a queen size, although you can purchase it for $699 through their website at the time of writing in their January sale. Every mattress purchased from Nectar comes with 2 free pillows, which have an estimated retail value of $150.
Another key factor you should take into consideration when comparing the cost of these two mattresses is the fact that Indigo give you the option to replace just the comfort layer when you need a new mattress, so you continue to use the same supportive base layer. This means that refreshing your mattress is a fraction of the cost and reduces the amount of waste going to landfill. When your Nectar mattress needs to be replaced, you’ll have to buy a whole new mattress.
Before you purchase either mattress, it’s a good idea to check out the prices on third-party retailers such as Amazon to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal (just make sure the terms and conditions are clear before you buy). If you’re not in a hurry, it could be worth waiting until regular sales periods like Black Friday, as you may well get a good discount either through the manufacturers’ websites or another retailer.
Both Indigo and Nectar offer financing options if you buy a mattress online through their website. This is an advantage for the many shoppers who can’t afford to buy a mattress in a one-off payment. You should always make sure that any financing arrangement is affordable for you before you commit.
Trials and Warranties
Trial periods and warranties are important when you’re shopping for a mattress, especially if you buy online. Sleep trials are a must for online shoppers as they allow you to use the mattress for a set period of time and return it if you’re unsatisfied for any reason. If you buy a mattress online without a sleep trial, you’re taking a huge risk because you won’t be protected if it turns out you don’t like it.
When it comes to sleep trials, the Nectar comes with the most generous trial period at 365-nights as opposed to Indigo’s 100-nights. This is one of the longest trial periods currently available for online memory foam beds and could give the Nectar the edge if a long sleep trial is important to you.
The Nectar also comes out top when it comes to warranty length as it comes with a ‘forever’ warranty. This means that you’ll be protected against manufacturing flaws for as long as you decide to use the mattress. The Indigo, on the other hand, comes with a 10-year warranty which is the usual warranty length in the mattress industry.
Indigo vs. Nectar Certifications
Both the Indigo and the Nectar mattress are Certi-Pur certified. This means that you can rest assured that neither mattress will emit any harmful chemicals into your sleeping environment which could otherwise pose a health hazard. This certification means that the Indigo and Nectar mattresses are:
- Ozone-depleter free
- Manufactured without the use of hazardous flame-retardants
- Made without heavy metals
- Formaldehyde-free
- Phthalate-free
- Emit very low amounts of VOCs
Shipping Information
Indigo offer free shipping via FedEx to the USA and offer free returns. You can expect your mattress to arrive in approximately 2 business days. It’s important to be aware that Indigo don’t currently deliver to Hawaii, Alaska or internationally.
Nectar also offer free shipping and returns to the USA. They pack their mattresses in bed-in-a-box packaging, which means that the mattress is tightly compressed and rolled up into a small box. This makes it easy to move the mattress around your home following delivery.
Where to Buy
Both mattresses are available via their company websites and on Amazon. Before purchasing any mattress on Amazon, it’s important to check that the delivery information, returns policies and terms and conditions match those offered if you buy the mattress direct.
Nectar also sell their mattresses in selected retail stores. You can locate a stockist near you by following this link: https://www.nectarsleep.com/store-locator
This could be an advantage if you’re nervous about purchasing a mattress online and want to try before you buy. If you want to, you could always try the mattress instore and then look online to see if you can find a better price once you’re sure you want to purchase.
Both Indigo and Nectar offer a range of pillows and sheets to go with your new mattress. However, you will probably find more affordable bedding options available if you shop around as these are quite pricey. Nectar also offer a range of frames including an adjustable bed base on their website. However, either mattress can be used on your existing bed frame as long as the size is the same.
Which mattress is best for me?
Now you know all the key information when it comes to Indigo vs. Nectar, it’s time to finally figure out which is the best option for you. Don’t worry, we’ve made this easy by creating this summary explaining which bed best suits which type of sleeper. This should help you decide whether the Indigo or the Nectar mattress suits you more.
Buy the Nectar if:
- You need a long sleep trial
The Nectar’s 365-night sleep trial is significantly longer than the one offered by Indigo (100 nights). Sleep trials are important to many mattress shoppers because they allow you to try out the mattress risk-free. If you want as long as possible to make up your mind, the Nectar could be the best mattress for you.
- You sleep hot
Although both mattresses do a pretty good job of keeping you cool during the night, the Nectar uses the greatest range of sleep technologies to keep you at a comfortable and neutral temperature. Their gel memory foam is made using open-cell technology which helps wick away heat during the night and makes the bed very breathable. The Tencel cover also helps to keep you cool while you sleep.
- You want a medium firm mattress
Medium firm mattresses are comfortable for most sleeping positions and allow your body to sink in comfortably. They’re especially suitable for people who sleep on their sides, although most front and back sleepers should also find the Nectar suitable for their needs.
Buy the Indigo if:
- You’re on a tight budget
If saving money is your primary concern, an Indigo mattress is significantly cheaper than a Nectar. It’s also worth bearing in mind that the Indigo mattress gives you the option of buying a new comfort layer for much less than it would cost to replace an entire mattress. This means that you could make significant savings when the time comes for a new mattress later down the line.
- You want customisable firmness
Unlike the Nectar, the Indigo mattress allows you to flip the comfort layer to choose between a softer and a firmer side. This means that you can select a different firmness for you and your partner because the comfort layer is split down the middle.
- You’re concerned about landfill
When it’s time to replace your mattress, you can cut down on waste significantly by just replacing the comfort layer of your Indigo mattress. This means less waste going to landfill, making it a more environmentally friendly option.
The bottom line
Both the Indigo and the Nectar mattresses are a good choice if you’re looking for an affordable memory foam mattress. Which you prefer comes down to your own sleep needs. Hopefully, now you understand everything there is to know about Indigo vs. Nectar, making the decision between the brands should be reasonably simple.
Before you buy any mattress online, it’s important to do plenty of research to make sure the one you ultimately choose meets your needs properly. A great way to do this is by reading expert reviews and buyers’ guides on dedicated websites such as Sleep Aim to help you make an informed decision.
