A Simba mattress that isn't memory foam?! My husband and I put the brand's wool and spring sleep surface to the test

In this Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress review, I put the brand's entry-level natural hybrid mattress through its paces to see how it compares to the best mattresses Ideal Home has tested.

In a nutshell

Unlike the mattresses Simba is best known for – namely the Simba Hybrid Mattress and Simba Hybrid Luxe Mattress, which have both scored highly with Ideal Home's review team – the Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress doesn't employ the brand's signature 'Simbatex' memory foam.

Instead, this mattress focuses on wool comfort layers and spring support; hence its 'natural' product name.

In practice, I found this meant exceptional breathability and temperature regulation – if you're a hot sleeper, you'll love the cooler sleep this wool padding offers. My husband and I also found those wool top layers were great at absorbing movement; we couldn't feel when one of us rolled over in bed.

However, after giving the Simba Hybrid Luxe Mattress almost full marks for side sleeping support when I tested it recently, I did find the Natural Hybrid Source very firm in comparison.

Simba says the Natural Hybrid is medium-firm, but my husband and I definitely rate it firm; in fact, my husband dubbed it 'too firm', especially for side sleeping where it lacked enough cushioning for our hips and shoulders.

That said, if you're a hot sleeper who enjoys a firm sleep surface, this could be a great choice for you. It's a well-made mattress made from great quality materials, and I think it will suit back sleepers (who tend to need less cushioning than most side sleepers) well. It also comes with Simba's generous 200-night sleep trial.

Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress review

Specifications

• Type: hybrid (springs + natural materials)
• Construction materials: British wool and Hampshire wool, "Aerocoil" micro springs, "Coremax" steel sprung base, viscose cover
• Sizes: single, double, king, super king
• Tensions available: medium-firm
• Height: 28cm
• Side handles: yes
• Flip or rotate: rotate
• Manufacturer sleep trial: 200 nights

1. Comfort

The Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress is a hybrid wool and spring mattress made up of eight layers. These eight layers amount to an overall mattress depth of 28cm which, for me, was a comfortable height to sit on and get into and out of bed.

Simba says the Source is designed to feel medium-firm, but as I've mentioned, I found its tufted wool top to feel much more on the firm side. Unlike the memory foam Simba Luxe I recently tested, I didn't feel 'hugged and cradled'. Instead, I felt I was sleeping on top of the firm sleep surface, rather than sinking in at all.

This meant my husband and I found it too firm for comfortable side sleeping, as it lacked cushioning around our hips and shoulders. I found it to be more comfortable on my back but, again, I didn't feel hugged. My husband, who is 6ft 4in, dubbed it 'too firm' all round.

I also asked my mum to assess the comfort of the Source Mattress. A little bit of info: mum is 5 ft 3 in, likes a firm tension, is a back-sleeper, and will only sleep on a mattress made from natural materials. The verdict? She, of course, loved the Source, saying it provided 'wonderful' support for her back.

It just goes to show, we're all different. So whilst I found the Source too firm to be totally comfortable, for back and front-sleepers, however, sleeping on this mattress could be a dream – it's certainly got all the qualities of support and breathable materials.

2. Motion isolation

I found that the Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress has exceptional motion isolation, no doubt thanks to the 'Aerocoil microsprings' working together inside it to absorb movement.

I didn't feel the mattress move when my husband climbed in and out of bed. Similarly, I didn't get disturbed when he switched up sleeping positions through the night. From my husband's point of view, he concurs that he couldn't feel me shape-shift through the night.

Collectively, we can also confirm that we didn't roll into the middle of the bed either; we both stayed on our respective sides of the mattress.

3. Responsiveness

One of the things I've always loved about Simba's memory foam hybrid mattresses is the amount of bounce in the Simbatex foam the brand uses. In comparison, the wool and spring layers of the Source mattress feel quite "flat".

This mattress doesn't instantly spring back into shape when I press down on it, instead, any weight is more gently nestled and absorbed by the surface of the mattress before regaining its shape.

Personally, I would have liked a little more give and bounce-back, as this is one of the factors that made it feel too firm for my liking. However, my two kids still found it a great mattress to bounce on (albeit not as high as they've managed on Simba's memory foam mattresses!).

4. Temperature regulation

With no memory foam and only natural material used in the making, I can comfortably say that the Simba Natural Hybrid Source mattress has exceptional temperature regulation.

Throughout the 10 nights of testing this mattress, neither my husband or I woke up overheated. Equally, as we were sleeping on our back or side neither did we feel hot and uncomfortable.

The construction of the Source mattress ultimately plays a huge role in the temperature regulation. Multiple layers of British wool promote cooling breathability, and cushioning Hampshire wool assists with air circulation. And Simba Natural Hybrids have microspring Aerocoil layers at the top of the mattress too which are designed to keep you feeling comfortable, supported and cool.

5. Edge support

Simba says that the reinforced frame on the Natural Hybrid Source Mattress helps to limit roll-off and, therefore, encourages good edge support as you launch out of bed every morning.

To test, I sat on the edge of the bed. I found that the sides collapsed only a little as I perched. It was then easy enough to get up from the side of the bed, which has a mattress depth of 28cm so my feet could be firmly on the floor also, which I'm sure helps.

And whilst lying on the mattress, I found that I could enjoy the entire surface of my side of the bed without any danger of it dipping at the sides. Even after a night with my youngest child pushing me to the edge, I could still sleep in comfort without falling out of bed.

6. Sleep trial

Simba offers a 200-night sleep trial when your mattress is delivered to give you plenty of time to get used to your new mattress, and decide if it's for keeps. If within 200 nights you decide that your Simba mattress isn't for you then you can request to return your mattress.

This trial period is highly competitive with other brands such as Emma and Origin offering the same duration. In comparison, Nectar and DreamCloud have the longest sleep trial in the business, with a generous 365 nights to try out their mattresses.

7. Ease of care

The Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress is an easy(ish) one to care for, as you don't need to flip it.

Instead, to maintain optimal performance and longevity, the brand recommends that the mattress be regularly rotated. There are two strong handles on either side of the mattress to help with this, but you will need another strong person to help turn it 180 degrees because it is heavy.

And unlike other Simba mattresses, the cover is not removable so I'd highly recommend a mattress protector to help keep the Source is tip-top condition. For example, I bought the John Lewis Natural Cotton Quilted Mattress Protector for £50 (super-king), so I could still benefit from the breathability of this Natural Hybrid mattress.

8. Delivery

Because Simba's Natural mattress range is handmade in the UK, the Source took a little longer to be delivered than the brand's super-speedy memory foam collection. However, it still arrived within a few days of the order being placed.

The day before the mattress delivery, I received a phone call from the courier company asking a few basic questions, such as: which floor should the mattress be delivered to? Is there a lift? Do I have a mattress bag for the old mattress?

Then, on the day of delivery, I received a phone call in the morning to say that they will be arriving at 1 pm that day (traffic delayed things somewhat so it was more like 1.30pm in the end).

I'm used to Simba's memory foam mattresses being delivered rolled and in a box, so I was actually quite surprised to see the Source was delivered flat. As such it was a little trickier to get up our stairs, and I was beyond relieved that the courier company was the ones lugging this super-king mattress up to our bedroom.

It did not look easy. Cardboard was wrapped around each of the four corners of the mattress, secured by large plastic sheeting that was wrapped around the mattress (I could see at least three layers). This made it difficult for the mattress to be manoeuvred up the stairs, so the delivery drivers removed the packaging so it could be manhandled more easily.

On the plus side, the mattress was ready for immediate use. It didn't require any inflating, and there was no mattress off-gassing (although if you were to press your face into the plush pillowtop you'd get a hint of "farm" thanks to the wool fleece used in its construction).

I also opted for the removal of our Simba Hybrid Luxe Mattress at the same time. I would have loved to keep it, but it was a king mattress, and we've just upgraded to a super-king bed, so, sadly, it had to go. The courier company took care of it by zipping it up into a mattress bag and carrying it out of the house, which couldn't have been simpler.

9. Third-party reviews

The Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress is available direct from Simba or third-party websites including Mattress Next Day, Mattress Online and Bensons for Beds. All the sites that this mattress can be bought from collate user reviews, and it's worth noting that Bensons for Beds pulls through reviews left direct with Simba.

That said, Bensons for Beds has an overall rating of 4.7-out-of-5 stars for this mattress, with 85% awarding it the full 5 stars. Recent reviews shared that it is "So comfortable – getting a great night's sleep, and waking up with no aches or stiffness at all. Love it!" and "My husband wanted an all natural material mattress that also delivers comfort & we've got exactly that we couldn't recommend it enough!". Also: "It's definitely firm. I'm so light, so hardly make a dent. I was able to feel where the tufts are, but this has evened out, even after a few days." (this was a five-star review).

The majority of reviews that were fewer than three stars were mainly reflecting on the delivery service or that they hadn't yet tried the mattress out. However, one review to note shares that they found it to be a "very hard mattress".

Mattress Online just has the one, five-star review which says: "I was a bit daunted at first as it's quite a deep and solid mattress, but my goodness we've been getting the best continuous nights' sleep we've had in a long while. My back issues have disappeared, too. There was very little odour and what there was was natural. The feel of it is that you feel as though you're very well and firmly supported but there's a softness to the top layer. Very pleased." I agree: it does look deep. However the plush-top makes it look like a thicker mattress and it'll still, just about, fit into standard-sized fitted sheets.

And with Mattress Online the one and only review is a 4-out-of-5-star rating which shares that "its' a very firm mattress great for my wife but not for me but overall good quality." It seems as though the medium/firm tension is subjective, since is can depend on preference, sleeping position and body type.

10. Environmental impact

As a brand, Simba is certainly making more efforts than most mattress brands to be environmentally conscious. Through using CertiPUR foam and recycled materials where possible, and recycling or refurbishing old Simba mattresses, they're taking action to turn their manufacturing processes into a circular economy, where no Simba mattress enters landfill.

The brand will also recycle your old mattress, regardless of the brand or size, with no Simba purchase necessary, which is awesome. For £50, their specialist mattress removal and recycling service will collect the mattress for you. Working with their UK-based partners, they'll carefully strip down mattresses into their component parts at a rate of about 12,000 mattresses per week.  All components will then be sorted and sanitized before a check and redistribution to their next life.

The Simba Natural Hybrid Mattress also uses Hampshire and British wool, keeping emissions down and supporting UK farmers.

By continuing to do its bit to protect the planet, Simba is also doing all it can to be Net Zero by 2030. It's also proud to be a B Corp, which means that it's been verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

11. Value for money

Simba has a mattress to suit all budgets. From £699 for a double Hybrid Essential Mattress to £2,399 for the Hybrid Ultra Mattress, there's a mattress to suit everyone.

The Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress is bang in the middle of the Simba price range, costing £1,299 for a double. This is more affordable than the Simba Hybrid Luxe (my favourite Simba mattress thus far, and a dream for side-sleeping comfort), which costs £1,699 for a double, and blends memory foam, springs, wool and bamboo for its construction.

The Source is the entry-level non-synthetic mattress in the Natural Hybrid mattress range by Simba. A step up would be the Escape, which is a 30cm-deep mattress with 10 layers of wool and up to 4,800 springs, that'll cost £1,799 for a double. Then there's the Apex, a 32cm-deep mattress with a total of 12 layers of Hampshire wool, silk, cashgora and up to 6,700 springs, that'll cost £2, 199 for a double.

So is the Source good value for a natural-fill mattress? I'd say it's about average. Our testing team found the Hypnos Pillow Top Select mattress to be one of the most comfortable natural mattresses they've tested. That costs £1469.65 for a double as of now, but it has a cushioned pillow top that's much more comfortable for side sleeping

However, if you're a back sleeper who prefers a firm, all-natural sleep surface, I think the Source could prove good value for money, and that sleep trial does lessen the risk of testing it out for yourself.

How I tested

Jennifer Oksien

I’m Jennifer, a mother of two and a product reviewer who helps the Ideal Home team put mattresses through their paces to find our top recommendations. For this review, I tested a super king size, Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress on an upholstered divan bed base. I slept on it alongside my husband and toddler, who's a big fan of helping me to test mattresses.

My sleep stats:

Sleep position: back or side
Tension preference: medium/firm
Sleep problems: shoulder and/or neck pain and occasional pins & needles
Height & weight: 5"8 and 12 stone, 7lbs

In putting the Simba Natural Hybrid Source Mattress through Ideal Home's mattress testing process, I assessed eleven factors that we deem vital to any mattress purchase.

I tested the mattress for comfort, motion isolation, responsiveness, temperature regulation, and edge support. This means that my husband and I (and our toddler) slept on the mattress for a minimum of two weeks before I wrote my review.

I also took into consideration ease of care, any sleep trials available, the delivery process, its value for money, and, where possible, researched the mattress's environmental impact and any third-party customer reviews – to see if they aligned or were at odds with my own experience – before writing my own review and giving this mattress a star rating.