Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro review: it’s certainly firm, but I have no more niggly aches and pains
THERE comes a point in life when a stiff back and hip pain in the morning just needs sorting out.
Life’s too busy to be waking up achy and robbed of sleep because of an old mattress.
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro, from £950
So I jumped (well, hobbled) at the chance to review the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro.
Its combination of memory foam and pocket springs promises to relieve my pressure points and greatly improve my sleep; I slept on it every night for a month to see if it delivered.
Pros
- Comfort cool bamboo top
- Really supportive
- Open-cell structure memory foam ensures breathability
- Antibacterial
- Thermoregulating, 1,500 individual pocket springs, removable cover is machine washable
Cons
- Much firmer than I was used to, which took some adjustment
- Heavy to move
- Price
Rating: 4/5
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro: quick summary
I received a double Panda mattress and it was delivered rolled up and shrink-wrapped.
Two very helpful delivery men carried my new mattress up the stairs and placed it in position on the bed, before freeing it from its packaging, which they also very helpfully took away with them.
The mattress immediately began to swell in size but, as recommended, I left it for several hours before trying it out.
I hadn’t realised how soft my old mattress was until I slept on this one.
It rates a seven out of 10 on the firmness scale, and was much harder than the one I’d been sleeping on before, so it took a bit of getting used to.
That said, the next morning I didn’t feel as achy as I usually do upon waking.
It took a couple of weeks, give or take, to feel totally at ease on the Panda Hybrid.
I like the support it gives without scrimping on comfort. I don’t sink into it but neither am I perched on top of it; instead, I feel the mattress shapes to me, whether I’m sleeping on my back, front or side (I do all three).
Overall this is a real improvement on the mattress it replaced and I don’t think I could go back to a softer one.
If you’re already in the firm camp then you will likely love this.
If not, you may find it takes time to get used to it — but once you do, there’s no looking back.
How I tested the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro
After the mattress was unwrapped, I left it several hours to reach its full thickness before even sitting on it.
When I was sure it had finished expanding, I tested it out – the top felt really soft and luxurious to lie on, I guess because of the tactile top bamboo cover.
After that first night, I continued to sleep on the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro for four or five weeks before writing this review.
I move around a lot in my sleep, from back to side to front and back again, and I had no issues with the mattress, most times I didn’t even wake up, which is pretty good as I’m such a light sleeper.
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro review: full review
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro, from £950
First impressions
My bed-in-a-box arrived wrapped in plastic, and looked so thin that I struggled to believe it would end up looking like the mattress on the website.
Delivery is to your room of choice, which in my case — funnily enough — was the bedroom.
Two extremely helpful guys carried the mattress upstairs, placed it on the bed and cut away its plastic wrappings.
Once liberated and lying flat on the bed, my doubts as to its thickness resurfaced, but I knew better than to fret about it and just left the room – I could always worry about the thickness later.
The delivery men took away all of the plastic wrapping, which was a welcome touch as I wondered where I was going to put it all.
I needn’t have worried. At bedtime a few hours later, the mattress was looking much fuller.
There was a slight plasticky odour, but I’d been expecting it so there was no issue and the smell was gone within a couple of days.
My first night sleeping on my new mattress was… different. The firmness took a bit of getting used to but the next day I did notice my back felt okay and I didn’t feel stiff getting out of bed.
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Performance
A lot of thought has gone into the design of the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro.
It’s made up of six layers that all work together to cradle your body without you feeling like you’re sinking into the memory foam, keeping your spine in alignment and you comfortably asleep.
The top layer of BioCell foam encourages airflow thanks to its open structure. It is infused with bamboo, which is antibacterial and thermoregulating so the two together help keep you cool.
An OrthoAlign layer supports your back, keeping your spine in an optimum position and together with the spring layer relieves any pressure points.
The seven zones of pocket springs reduce motion transfer, so if your partner is restless during the night you won’t be woken up by any movement of the mattress.
Below this, the comfort base is composed of high-density memory foam, which also helps reduce any movement effects, as well as being supportive.
The base of the mattress is non-slip so it won’t move around on your bed and the top is made of bamboo fabric, which feels beautifully soft to the touch and helps keep you cool, as bamboo is thermoregulation.
The cover is also removable for washing, which is a big bonus.
All together the various layers make for a restful night’s sleep.
Though I hadn’t realised until I tested the Panda, my old mattress had been on the soft side so this new one felt a little too firm at first.
However it was just a case of getting used to something new and after a week or two of sleeping on the Panda I couldn’t imagine sleeping on anything else.
It was and still is, supremely supportive yet comfy at the same time. It doesn’t matter if I’m sleeping on my side, front or back, I sleep soundly and wake up rested the next day.
It made me wonder also if my backache had been down to my old mattress being too soft. Ah well, you live and learn as they say.
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro, from £950
How much is the Panda mattress?
The Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro currently starts from £950 for a single.
I received the double mattress to test and this retails at £1,290 so not cheap, but an investment if you’re after a firm, breathable mattress that will last you years.
The washable cover means you can freshen up the Panda Hybrid when needed or, heaven forbid, if you should spill something on it.
It’s worth keeping an eye on the Panda website for any discounts and special offers. Panda does have sales from time to time – its website mentions its summer sale which usually begins in July and includes bedding, toppers and duvets, as well as discounts on its mattresses.
Where to buy the Panda mattress
The Panda website is the obvious destination for buying a Panda mattress, but you will also find the brand’s mattresses at several well-known retailers.
We’ve seen the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro (and the Panda Hybrid Bamboo, which is a less expensive version with up to 800 pocket springs rather than the 1,500 max in the pro) on sale at:
Panda mattress alternatives
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress, from £649
Panda offers an alternative to its Pro mattress – the Hybrid Bamboo Mattress. It starts at £649 for the single version so is more affordable.
Hybrid mattresses that come in a box or rolled up are also available from other mattress retailers, including Simba, Emma, Eve and Zoma – a US brand recently launched in the UK.
To find out more about mattresses from these brands check out our best mattress feature.
All hybrid mattresses blend a layer of springs with several layers of memory foam for comfort and support.
They vary in details, such as whether or not the cover is removable for washing, the number of foam layers, the number of individual springs and their technical aspects, but all of them deliver a restful night’s sleep.
The verdict: is the Panda mattress any good?
In a word, yes!
I found it incredibly supportive and comfortable. I wasn’t too hot sleeping on it as the BioCell memory foam has an open structure to increase breathability and is infused with antibacterial bamboo, while the soft bamboo cover adds to the coolness.
It did take me a bit of time to become accustomed to the firmness after sleeping on a soft mattress for so long, but I don’t think I would go back now.
My niggly aches and pains aren’t so niggly these days and I can only put that down to the combination of memory foam layers and the many pocket springs that not only support me but relieve pressure points and keep my body in alignment as I sleep.
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress Pro, from £950
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