Disclaimer: This is a long review. The Simba Ultra mattress was just one month old when I found myself looking for a replacement for my old pocket sprung, this is my first mattress that isn't exclusively springs. Given that most people spend a huge 26 years in bed in the average lifetime, it pays to get something durable, supporting and most of all at this price - Comfortable! So how does the Simba Hybrid do, is it worth the price? Well I'll let you know, this review is going to be written on my experience shopping, delivery and use of the mattress - even if I end up sending it back I'll let you know how it felt 'to me'. At the time of writing this, I'm awaiting delivery. This review will be long, and it will take me weeks to write and at different periods, before delivery, just after delivery, first night and review after. So why am I doing this? Because like you, yes YOU - this is a big change for me too, and I'm riddled with questions that seem too obvious for normal reviewers to answer, and I know that you're just the same - you're wondering questions that haven't been asked, you're wanting to know as much as you possibly can before you commit yourself to buying a pretty hefty mattress. I wish you luck and comfort, and as I sit here on this old 18cm deep, pocket sprung mattress that's developed the annoying habit of stabbing me with loose springs - I kind of wish 'me' luck too, I'm notoriously fussy. I couldn't in good conscience just say "really comfy 10/10" and hope I'll get a discount code, if I'm reviewing it I want to impart at least one piece of info about this product that you can't find elsewhere. Buying from Simba - Buying from Simba is simple as can be, the checkout is simple and easy. There are plenty of options for payment or payment plans, the incorporation of a tool to estimate if you'll get credit is nice, though I did not use this as I bought outright. (Blimey!) Other options are nice too, options to buy custom beds, grab bedding and interestingly - a zip cover with Stratos cool technology, or without. (The mattress comes with one automatically) Here I must bring one slight issue up - The site does not tell you in 'Order Details', any more than the mattress, the size and the price. The option of "breathable zip cover" or "breathable zip cover with Stratos heat tech" is nowhere to be seen in "Order Details", email confirmation and even when you add to basket. So I'm not actually sure which is the cover that came with the mattress I ordered. If you want to alter this however you'll need to steel yourself for a shock - as Simba's "X% Off" offers (there's always some kinda sale on) - do not apply to the second cover, so if you want one, you'll be paying the full price for the Zip cover WITHOUT Stratos (currently). I can't say as it's a dealbreaker but I would prefer it with Stratos, and I'm not sure if that's the mattress that was on offer when I ordered as it seems to be only one at a time and I'm sure they've swapped. I'm convinced WITH Stratos was the expensive one when I ordered, regular was the one I got. I'd like to be wrong. This is a niggle at best, and if you're careful and watch what you're buying and don't do it at 3am half asleep like me - you won't have this "issue". Delivery - Twice. Yes that's right I said twice! Here's how the process goes - you make your order, and you're hopefully excited to give it a go and not depressed and worrying about your next bank statement like me, now is the hardest part - the waiting. Admittedly I ordered during Black Friday so I imagine an influx of orders came in, and it took just over 24 hours to be dispatched, sort of. (2 working days… sort of, it was dispatched 8am) However it wasn't dispatched to me, it was dispatched to Rhenus Home Delivery, the current VIP Delivery agents. This took just over 1 working day and then they contact you to arrange delivery. If you don't like being on the phone I've got some good news as it's an online form. Check your emails once Simba have dispatched and wait for your 'Delivery Notification' (Check Spam, if you gave your phone number in checkout and have WhatsApp you may get messaged there as well as email, I did) - it will give you a link to click and to select a date of delivery, day after next was the quickest for me. Hit submit and they will give you a 3 hour window, 24 hours before delivery. On the day of delivery you can track the progress live, seeing how many stops they are away (Like Amazon, except these guys come a long way!) I was stop 13, they got to me just before 12pm. They called me to make sure I was in 5 mins before arrival, which is a nice heads up. The drivers were nice, and they brought the mattress up the stairs to the right room, removed the packing and took that with them. Friendly, pleasant, courteous and by the end - knackered. I think Rhenus must shed tears when they see they've got one of these coming because this mattress is a beast! 5/5 for the VIP delivery. So on first inspections this mattress is an absolute unit - it's so bulky I'm amazed the springs can handle it, but they can! The cover is a new design (not diamond stitch) and I thought I preferred the old type, but this has a very cool look to it, this cover is twice as thick as the ordinary Simba mattresses and it's removable to wash. Feeling it I'm not 100% sure but I think this is the cover without Stratos tech, so keep an eye on which is on offer if this matters to you. The mesh section in the middle which is new to the Simba range is very good, designed to keep air flowing freely, it's also currently helping to make sure there's almost no off gassing (release of VOC's in the air, happens with all new foam mattresses) The smell is fine, I feel like I could sleep on it right now and barely notice! It's been here a few hours at this point. Laying on the mattress for the first time the thing you notice first is the softness. This is a very soft mattress (yet feels so firm, I'll cover firmness below) and with all those comfort layers it's hardly surprising. If it wasn't so soft I would consider it very firm, but the softness seems to offset this and it just feels comfortable. The best way of describing it is that you don't sink in, the mattress is firm enough to support you where you lay, but the support is softened by the comfort layers which are a pleasure to lay on. Honestly it feels like a crime to put a sheet ontop of this soft cover. All mattresses have a break in time, can be anything from a week to 90 days before the mattress feels the way it's going to. Simba advise this could be up to a month, but it's ready to sleep on from just a few hours, this is accurate - this isn't a case of it being uncomfortable until then however. This mattress is even more ready to go than Simba's usual ones as it's not rolled up, which is brilliant. It's now been several weeks since I wrote the above, time for an update. Firstly the smell, the mattress has almost no VOC's (smell) for the first few hours, after that it began to release the smell, I decided to give it a day in the spare room, when I brought it through my Dyson fan picked up the VOC rise, to yellow, it filtered them and within an hour it was back to normal. If the smell is important due to allergy or VOC sensitivity then give it a day and bare in mind if you move it it'll release a burst. So all that rabbiting on here's the answer to the question you're asking - is it really worth the price tag? Absolutely. I've been on the mattress for several weeks, it was a nightmare to shift due to its bulk, and I felt oddly panicky on my first sleep because of how expensive it was and not wanting to stain it or anything, but once I got over that weird thing - I absolutely love it. Right now I'm laying on it and typing this on my phone, I can feel the comfort of the soft top layers on my feet, lower back and shoulders. Every now and then you'll just notice that and it's a pleasant feeling. I've had some very deep sleeps on this, and I use it as a bit of a sofa in the daytime it's working perfectly for that too. I have to be honest I broke my bank buying this, because I genuinely believe for something you spend so much time on you should get the best, and I don't regret my decision even if I am flat broke now. Least I've got somewhere comfortable to sit and cry while doing banking!! Firmness - how firm is firm? Well if you stand next to it and push your palm on the bed, you'll think it's extremely firm as you won't get more than an inch or two into the depth. But don't let that fool you, climb on and lay down and you'll discover just how truly soft the top layers are, it is a sensation as if you're sinking, but also feeling secured in place. It's actually quite hard to describe, but it's absolutely wonderful. The springs make the mattress firm, the foam makes the mattress soft. It manages to be both at the same time. I truly wasn't sure I would like it, but I really do. It is a lot of money and the reason for this is that this mattress was only released in October 2023, it's new - so it's gonna be pricey, I'm sure it'll decrease in time but it'll always be expensive because a lot of tech has gone into it. I can attest for the comfort layers being something everyone will enjoy, and the support layers seem to be doing a perfect job, there's been no dips of any kind. The only problem I have with the mattress is finding sheets deep enough to cover the whole thing, 34cm is a lot even for my old 31cm sheets. But I don't mind too much as I like encouraging air flow. I am a hot sleeper and when I get too hot I can't sleep, I used to be on a pocket sprung mattress and of course the air flow through that was superb, so how does this compare? Well, the mattress does feel warm, unlike my old one it doesn't seem to suck heat away from my body, but it doesn't reflect it back at me either, it seems to maintain the right temperature wherever I am in contact with it. I imagine summertime may be a different story, it's currently December 2023 and I'm still using a 1 tog duvet with the window open! So I don't think a mattress exists that would keep me cool enough for me to not complain without an inbuilt fan. But the temperature regulation in this is impressive. The airflow too, I expected it to be far less breathable, I put my mouth to it and breathed through it and there was only slight resistance, for foam that's rare. If you're using a spring mattress it'll be a slight warming change, if you're used to a foam mattress it may be a cool change. It really isn't an issue, the mattress seems to know what the right temperature to be is, it wicks moisture which is good for days when I sweat (yes even with the window open and a 1 tog in the dead of winter) I can say that I notice the difference with the tech they've put into this. Overall I am extremely impressed with the Simba Hybrid Ultra, the thirteen layers may not stand out individually when you lay on it, but they all contribute to a soft mattress which actually relaxes you from how soft it is, while being firm enough to support you. I would absolutely buy this again and with a ten year guarantee, I can confidently say Simba will be seeing me again. One happy customer. So trying to come up with the negatives to list in case any of these apply to you… - The weight - it's a necessary thing, even with reduced foam mattresses it's a heavy beast, please do consider how you're going to turn the mattress every month (part of the warranty!) There are handles which are basically essential, but please ask for help if you can't manage it! - The height - 34cm is high, get a measuring tape and see just how high, sitting on this my legs no longer touch the floor, I'm absolutely fine with this but some may not be, so bare in mind that you may need a new bed frame if height is very important. Personally I just call this my new treehouse bed! Sheets are something to consider too, your current bedding may not fit! - The price - it's not cheap, I suspect it never will be, but I can attest that it is absolutely worth every single penny. I had forgotten what it was like to enjoy being in bed, and now Simba have given that feeling back to me. Honestly…that's it, that's all I can think of. Here are a few things that I didn't think fit in with the review, but they're things I researched, questions I wanted to know about or general observations. It's not menory foam - it's foam. Memory foam refers to a specific makeup of foam, with specific properties. High density and low density foam are very useful in mattresses - and Simba have gone one better and been developing their own blends (Simbatex foam infused with graphite) For those who don't know how these foams are made I'll discuss memory foam briefly as an example, it's made of polyurethane plastic mixed with two petroleum based chemicals which react with each other and melt. Air is then added by whipping the mix up, it then resembles something akin to dough, it's then moulded (which is actually pretty complex, one wrong move and you've ruined the foam!) Usually it ends up as large blocks, which are cut then to size, like a giant loaf of bread, and each slice forms a slice of your mattress. Memory foam which we probably all remember under its former name "Tempur" (Remember the adverts?) is a specific 'recipe', other foams can mimic its properties, but adding extra ingredients like graphite stops it being memory foam by definition. So how much "like" memory foam is this mattress? Well if you want it to cup exactly to your shape like memory foam then you need to look elsewhere, this is very much a hybrid in that yes, you sink into it, but it pushes back due to the springs and it almost instantly gets its shape back when you rise. Of course weight is an issue with this, the heavier you are the more difficult it is for the mattress to spring back, I'm around 11 stone and I'm not having much of an issue, if you are concerned about weight I would get in contact with Simba and ask. I slept on a memory foam mattress at my grans and I found that it was too hot, memory foam is high density and that means airflow is harder. With the foam in the Ultra, air flows freely. It's also worth noting that though foam may sound like some frankensteins creation with plastic and chemicals it's actually a very standard material, very safe and stable. The only issue is the same as ALL foam products. "Off gassing" all foam products give off a smell for a while after they're first exposed to the air - this is perfectly normal, and will fade quite fast. You're unlikely to have any reaction to this but if you are concerned or very sensitive to allergens filters such as the Dyson Air filter will remove VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds in the air) and higher end models detect what level they're at so you can feel secure, but off gassing is only a problem for a day or so. If you're concerned stick the mattress in a room for a few days with the window open and the door shut. It's what I did and I didn't have a smell in my room for more than an hour and this was almost non existent. One issue with foams is that there's no standard measure of firmness, springiness, airflow etc - instead you tend to see "high density foam" and "low density foam" - the higher the density the more firm it will feel and the more pressure it can withstand. The lower the density the less pressure or weight it can handle and the softer it will feel. Now we have one slight issue - There's no information given on the density of these foams so I will be back in a few days or the next paragraph to give you my best estimate based on feel. And here I am, I would estimate that they are medium to low density based on the cushioning support and the airflow, which I didn't mention before. High density foams like memory foam generally have poorer airflow. Honestly Simba have managed the perfect blend in my eyes, perfect support and airflow. The High Carbon Steel Layer Exclusive To The Ultra? If you've been agonising over which mattress to get, you'll no doubt have noticed in the promotional materials the third layer of small springs, the High Carbon Steel springs - are described as "exclusive to the Ultra", yet the Luxe has a layer of High Carbon Steel springs in the same place, how can this be? Well the difference is size, and numbers. If you examine the videos closely you'll see that the High Carbon Steel springs in the Luxe are larger than the Aerocoil's - but in the Ultra, they're much much smaller, and much more numerous. The Luxe says it has "1000" of these larger springs, but the Ultra has "3500", more springs more bounce? Well, here's what I found in practice. Testing against my dad's old Hybrid Pro I found that my mattress has more spring to it, and motion transfer is absolutely better on mine. More small springs will give you more pushback than lots of big springs, it's not something you'll really notice too much, as both this layer and the dual layer of Aerocoils are layers you don't feel, but they do offer support and that you can feel, the support of this mattress is exceptional. Spring count - "3500 springs" is likely the average count for the largest size, so if you're getting a double or a single, of course there will be less springs, but - if you think not of a specific count, but how many there are every few cm in a square - I find this more helpful visualising the layout. You're getting a level of comfort and support that doesn't vary between the single and the king size. A single is just as good as the king size, only smaller. I paid for a top quality mattress and that's exactly what I got, I can't fault it on anything. The only slight negatives are side effects of even more positive things, the weight from so many comfort layers for example. Overall I am extremely satisfied with the mattress, the tech is superb and you really can feel it. I wondered how Simba could manage to make any money while offering a full 100 days return - I don't wonder that anymore, because the matters is so comfortable that I think it'll suit everyone. I came from a lifetime of pocket sprung mattresses and I will never be looking back, Simba have a customer for life. So which Hybrid should you get? Well, as I've said I believe that getting the best is the right thing to do, there's no such thing as being "too comfortable" on these, if you can afford it I would go for the top of the range, you may think that the Luxe is almost the same as the Ultra and that may be true - almost. I paid for the upgraded version, the latest tech (and also not having it squashed into a box!) and I'm very satisfied with the support and the comfort. So this is my review for the Simba Hybrid Ultra, I hope it's been useful to you in some way, answered a question or given you some background info. I hope that whatever mattress you decide to buy you are comfortable and happy with it, and on that note I wish you all a very good, and comfortable night.
