Memory Foam Mattress Match Up: GhostBed vs. Leesa Hybrid

The average person will spend more than one-third of his or her life sleeping. Since sleep is such an important part of our daily lives and overall health, it is crucial to invest in a high-quality mattress that caters to your individual size, preferences, and support needs. One of the latest innovations in mattress technology is the hybrid mattress. Both Leesa and GhostBed offer compelling hybrid mattress options, but you may be wondering how they stack up against each other. So we decided to take a look at GhostBed vs Leesa in this head-to-head comparison.

GhostBed vs Leesa Hybrid Mattress

This article pits two of the top brands in memory foam mattresses against each other: The Leesa Hybrid mattress and The GhostBed Classic mattress. The two mattresses will be rated on many factors until a clear winner is established.

Leesa Hybrid Mattress (image courtesy of Leesa)

Comfort Level: Firmness

What is a hybrid mattress? A hybrid mattress combines memory form with either a coil spring or a latex interior. The Leesa Hybrid mattress is a combination of traditional coil springs and memory foam technology. The Leesa hybrid is a little bit firmer than their flagship Leesa product. It is a medium-firm mattress. The Leesa Hybrid mattress ranks around 6.5 out of 10, with 10 being the maximum firmness on the scale. This is hovering around average firmness by industry standards.

By contrast, the GhostBed is a 7 out of 10 in firmness. The GhostBed is a hybrid of memory foam and latex cushioning. It is firmer than average, and an added topper may provide the buffer needed to maximize comfort. It has an overall balanced foam feel with the latex layer adding an extra springiness. It is not difficult to move around on the GhostBed. The top layer of latex makes it easy to roll from side to side. The top two layers bounce back quickly when pressed down with the hand. The thickest layer on the bottom prevents the mattress from prematurely sagging and sinking.

These two mattresses are basically on par when it comes to firmness so this may not be the deciding factor for buyers.

Responsiveness

Responsiveness describes to what degree a mattress has that memory foam feel. A mattress may have a fast response and immediately bounce back after pressure. It may also have a slow response and it will take a few seconds for it to return to shape. Being that the Leesa Hybrid mattress combines coils with memory foam, it has both a little bit of bounce and a little bit of that melting into the mattress feel. There is some buoyancy to the top layer of the mattress when it is lightly pressed with the hands. This quality is related to that latex-like foam upper region. Overall, when reclining, you don’t get that slowly melting into the bed feel as you would with a traditional memory foam mattress. When plopping down with full weight, the springs do provide a nice bounce, although not to the same extent of spring back as in a connected coil mattress. This is normal, as pocketed coils don’t generally bounce quite as much.

The Leesa hybrid has an overall shallow cushioning depth, which means you are not going to get that feeling of being cradled or hugged by your mattress. It is a great fit for people who like the feeling of floating on top of their mattress.

If you press down gently on the top layer of the GhostBed, the latex provides a very fast and buoyant response. Once you press more firmly on the mattress as you would with the heavier parts of your body, you activate the memory foam layer beneath the latex. When the memory foam layer is rebounding it has a slow response. If you really enjoy the classic memory foam feel, you are not going to get the full experience with this mattress. The mattress provides a shallower cushioning, which does not conform fully to the body.

Unsurprisingly, the coil within The Leesa Hybrid helps it take the lead in this category. With higher responsiveness, you will enjoy excellent elasticity and a springy feel in this mattress.

Leesa Hybrid Mattress (image courtesy of Leesa)

Back Support and Pressure Relief

When lying supine (on your back) on the Leesa hybrid, you can expect excellent back support with good spinal alignment. The lumbar region is well-cushioned, and the hips sink into the mattress just enough to keep the lower back in a proper neutral position. It is a mattress that will fit the needs of most back sleepers. In the stomach position, you will not sink too far into the mattress to cause the overarching of the back. The mattress does a great job of preventing that. As a result, the Leesa hybrid is a great bed for any stomach sleeper, including heavier sleepers. Heavyweight sleepers who weigh less than 300 pounds will find that the Leesa hybrid is perfect for back sleeping.

On the Leesa hybrid, lightweight back and stomach sleepers will benefit from plenty of pressure relief as well as suitable spinal support. Side sleepers may experience some discomfort. The mattress firmness does prevent you from really getting down into the mattress in your pointy parts. Despite this, there is no sensation of pressure points. The top three layers provide excellent pressure relief in the side position.

By comparison, the Ghost Bed offers less support for lighter-weight side sleepers.  When a mattress exerts pressure against the body with force in a concentrated area, it can lead to pain, discomfort, poor circulation, and increased tossing and turning. Generally, such pressure points are a problem for side sleepers. The pressure-relief rating of any given mattress will vary depending on the sleeper. Most average-sized people between 130-230 pounds will find the mattress to be satisfactory to excellent quality. Side sleepers with wider shoulders and/or hips are more likely to experience excessive firmness.

A small percent of large people (over 230 pounds) may experience excessive softness or lack of support.  Petite people under 130 pounds may find Ghostbed excessively firm because they do not put enough pressure on the mattress to access the deeper conforming and pressure relief layers. If you are petite, the bed will feel firmer to you.  It is not the best for lightweight side sleepers. Lightweight side sleepers may feel added pressure on the shoulders and the hips. It provides good spinal alignment and pressure relief for average to heavyweight side sleepers. The GhostBed is great for average-weight back sleepers and conforms well to the lumbar region. However, for a lighter person, it might feel too firm for back sleeping. It is not ideal for average to heavy-weight stomach sleepers.

Because the Leesa Hybrid is better suited for a wider range of sizes and sleep-side preferences, it moves even further ahead of the Ghost Bed in our match-up.

Temperature Regulation

People often avoid mattresses with memory foam due to their tendency to trap heat.  Overheating is unlikely to occur with the Leesa Hybrid mattress because you will not get a lot of conforming to the body despite it having memory foam. Additionally, the perforations in the top layer will create a little bit of airflow and the pocketed coils allow for a lot of airflow.

Similarly, there are no concerns with overheating with the GhostBed relative to traditional memory foam mattresses. The memory foam is an inch and a half down in the mattress, and it is gel memory foam which is slightly cooler than conventional memory foam. The gel bead infusion further helps with cooling by drawing heat away from the body. Latex mattresses are known for sleeping quite cool, and this mattress does not trap as much heat.

In terms of overall temperature regulation, the Ghostbed offers more cooling features and is a better option for those who sleep hot.

Motion Transfer

If you sleep with a partner, you may also want to consider motion transfer. Are you going to feel motion on the other side of the bed? When firm pressure is placed on one side of the mattress, as when tossing and turning, there is sometimes disturbance on the opposite end.

The Leesa hybrid mattress does not transfer motion easily because of its pocketed coils and performs better than a standard memory foam mattress in this category. It has excellent motion isolation, and if you sleep with a partner, you will not be awakened if they jostle their side of the mattress to get up or adjust their sleeping position. This makes the mattress an accommodating mattress for couples and light sleepers.

The GhostBed does not isolate motion too well. This is not very surprising given that it has latex right on top. Springier materials like latex are not the best at handling motion transfer. This bed may not be the best option for couples, because another person’s movements can be detected and may awaken you. For couples concerned about motion transfer while sleeping, the Leesa Hybrid is the clear choice over the GhostBed.

Maintenance and Durability

When shopping for a mattress, longevity matters. Leesa is very open about the foam densities used in every layer of the Leesa mattress. With such high densities, the layers are more enduring than the foams used in less expensive mattresses. As a result, you can expect the Leesa Hybrid mattress to last approximately 10 years before you need to purchase a new one. You do not need to flip the Leesa Hybrid mattress at any time, and it is not recommended. The materials inside were structured in a way to work best in the order they are in. You cannot place the cover in the laundry, but you may spot clean your mattress with warm water and detergent.

On the other hand, the Ghostbed mattress is expected to last around 6 years. It is easy to keep the memory foam clean, which extends the mattress’s lifespan. The polyester cover is removable and may be spot cleaned using cold water and detergent. Although GhostBed is not designed for flipping, rotating the mattress head to toe every six months will maximize durability. GhostBed mattresses must be placed on a solid foundation or slatted bed frame in order to prevent sagging. The mattress can be paired with a regular box spring or a box foundation.

The Leesa requires less maintenance and is expended to last longer than a GhostBed, making it the obvious choice for the long-term.

Price/Warranty

The Leesa Hybrid is available in sizes ranging from twin to California king. Depending on size, the prices range from $1199 to $2099. However, the website frequently runs sales with discounts worth hundreds of dollars. Furthermore, military, first-responders, students, and teachers qualify for significant discounts from Leesa all year round. You can try the mattress risk-free for a whopping 100 nights before making a final decision. Returns are free, and they will even come and pick up the mattress directly. Your Leesa Hybrid mattress purchase is backed by a 10-year limited warranty.

The GhostBed is the more economical choice with mattresses ranging from $662 to $1200 depending on size. By utilizing a synthetic latex foam, it brings the cost down and makes it more affordable than mattresses that utilize natural latex in their comfort layers. If you buy a mattress directly from GhostBed, you can try the bed risk-free during a 101-night sleep trial. The GhostBed company also offers a 20-year partially-prorated limited warranty.

Both mattresses offer a lot of bang for your buck, but for budget-conscious buyers, the GhostBed is the better choice.

Edge Support

Edge support is another important mattress characteristic. This is the level of security and support you feel when sitting or lying down at the edge of the mattress. The border coils reinforce the structure of the Leesa hybrid, leading to a high degree of edge support. You can sleep all night along the fortified edge of the bed without the feeling that you might roll-off. Sitting alongside the edge of the mattress leads to only minimal dipping.

With the GhostBed, you will not feel like you will roll off or onto the floor when sleeping on the edge. It is a relatively firm edge that allows for structured support when lying down supine on the edge. However, there is a potential for a significant dip that can occur along the edge, especially for heavyweight individuals. A heavier individual will notice sinking when sitting along the perimeter, which may cause some challenges when standing up from the bed or bending over to tie your shoes, for instance.

Due to this drawback, the Leesa Hybrid takes the edge in this category.

Leesa Hybrid Mattress (image courtesy of Leesa)

GhostBed vs Leesa: the Final Verdict

Beating out the GhostBed in 5 out of 8 categories, the Leesa Hybrid is our clear-cut winner in the head-to-head over memory foam mattress superiority. With solid construction and proven technology combined with a solid reputation and money-back guarantee, there is no question that the Leesa Hybrid is a great investment for sleepers all over the world. As an added incentive, the company donates 1 bed to children for every mattress sold. It is a good feeling to invest in socially responsible companies. If you make the leap onto one of these mattresses, you can trust that your quality of sleep and inevitably quality of life will improve. Given the importance of restful and recharging sleep, this is one purchase you will be sure to never regret.

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