Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress review: Our sleep reporter's top pick of all time

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I've tested more than 80 mattresses for our guide to the best mattress, and none are better than the Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress. It's an incredibly well-designed mattress with outstanding edge support and motion isolation for couples, medium firmness that caters to most sleeping styles, and a combination of pocket springs and foam that provide support and breathability.

We have yet to find a mattress that tops it, and after many years of testing, it remains the best overall pick in our mattress buying guide, as well as our guides to the best mattress for back pain, the best hybrid mattress, and best mattress in a box. 

While we've tested almost all of Leesa's mattresses (read our Leesa mattress review) and many of its bedding accessories and have always had positive experiences with them, the Sapira is by far our favorite product from the brand. Read on for our experience testing it, and why it earns our pick for the best mattress you can buy. 

Setup

The Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress arrived in a heavy box the size of a mini fridge. The king-size mattress I tested weighs 142 pounds, so you may want a couple of friends to help you move the mattress and set it up. My wife and I carried it up a winding staircase to our second-floor bedroom, but it took several breaks and more curse words. Unboxing the mattress, removing the plastic, and positioning it on the foundation took about 15 minutes.

I was surprised by how odor-free the mattress was once removed from the packaging (some smell quite plasticky). Before sleeping on the mattress, you should allow it to air out for at least a couple of hours, if not a couple of days.

Construction

Hybrid mattresses feature individually wrapped coils and layers of foam, and the Leesa Sapira is the best hybrid mattress I've tested. The 11-inch-thick Leesa Sapira Hybrid has five layers: the cooling foam top layer, contouring memory foam, and a 6-inch pocket coil system sandwiched between two layers of core support foam. 

The feature that stood out to me most was the pocket spring coil system. You can feel the springs along the sides of the Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress. Why does this matter? When you have springs that go right up to the edge, you can count on excellent edge support. This allows you to make the most of the entire area of your bed without feeling like you're going to fall off. In my experience, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid provided superior edge support to anything else I've tested.

Comfort, firmness, and motion transfer

The individually wrapped coils also kept motion transfer to a minimum and offered firm support. Although I'm a light sleeper, if my wife had to get up early or our 4-year-old jumped into bed with us, I would rarely wake up. To put the motion transfer to the test, I dropped a 20-pound weight from 3 feet above the bed, approximately 12 inches away from a can of soda. I did this several times, and the can didn't move.

On a firmness scale of 1-10, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid is closer to a five, providing the comfort and support I need as a side sleeper and someone who moonlights as a roller derby player, cyclist, and runner.

After heavy exercise, I often can't sleep because of the pain, but I haven't had any trouble falling asleep on the Leesa Sapira Hybrid. My wife has had a similar experience. This soothing comfort led us to give this mattress top honors in our guide to the best mattresses for back pain. Of course, if you do suffer from back pain, I highly recommend you have someone else set up this hefty mattress for you.

I didn't find that the Leesa Sapira Hybrid trapped heat, a common problem with memory foam. I'm a hot sleeper, and we were using the mattress during the height of summer heat. Regardless, I did not experience night sweats, which are an occasional problem for me.

Trial period and warranty

Leesa offers a 100-night risk-free trial period and suggests that buyers try their mattress for at least 30 nights. If you aren't satisfied, they will coordinate the pickup of the mattress or foundation. You don't have to worry about attempting to fit everything back into the box. There is no return fee unless you're in Alaska or Hawaii, which will cost $100.

There is also a 10-year mattress warranty. The warranty is limited to physical flaws in the cover or mattress craftsmanship and mattress deterioration that results in an indentation of more than an inch. The warranty covers the full replacement, but the buyer has to pay for shipping.

Leesa offers in-home setup as an add-on option. For an extra $160, a two-person team will deliver your mattress and foundation, unbox it, set it up, and remove the packaging. For $40 more, they will remove your old mattress and box spring, which is helpful since most municipalities charge extra for disposing of mattresses.

Cons to consider

The Leesa Sapira Hybrid is outstanding and finding flaws was difficult.

Though I think it is worth it, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress is more expensive than most online mattresses. However, it is a hybrid bed, and they tend to be more expensive than ones with just innerspring or foam. Considering that the mattress can last you for more than a decade, the expense is reasonable, though still an expensive investment.

Another concern is how incredibly heavy and unwieldy the mattress is. If you move frequently, you may want to enlist the help of professionals when it comes time to move this massive mattress.

What are your alternatives?

There is no one-size-fits-all mattress. You may want a firmer, softer, or adjustable mattress, depending on your sleep style and preferences. We've outlined mattress picks for every type of sleeper in our guide to the best mattresses.

If the Leesa Sapira Hybrid is out of your price range, consider the DreamCloud Premier Mattress, our former best mattress pick. It's about $600 cheaper and is a little bit firmer, catering more to back and stomach sleepers.

The bottom line

Because of my job, I've tested more than 80 mattresses, but the Leesa Sapira Hybrid is my main bed. The edge support is outstanding, and there is very little motion transfer if my wife decides to get up before me. I haven't had any trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and it's by the most comfortable mattress I've tested.