Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress review: A plush but pricey hybrid mattress

For those who haven’t heard of Panda London before, the brand specialises in bamboo bedding and bathroom products – most notably its memory foam pillows and mattress topper (both of which have been tested here at Expert Reviews). Now, Panda has joined the hybrid mattress market with what it calls “the world’s most advanced, breathable bamboo mattress”.

The mattress is opulent in many ways, with multiple layers infused with bamboo, taking advantage of its hypoallergenic and antibacterial properties. This includes the cover and “BioCell Foam” layer below to help keep your temperature regulated, with a zoned spring layer under that to offer support in the right places.

It’s certainly a valiant first effort for a hybrid mattress, but it might be too firm for lighter users. And considering Panda isn’t the only bamboo-infused option on the market, the high asking price (which starts at £950 for a UK single) is off-putting, especially in a world where huge discounts are readily available elsewhere.

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Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress review: What you need to know

As with any modern bed-in-a-box mattress, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress is a multi-layer affair, with six different sections all doing something different to keep you comfortable and cool.

The top cover of the mattress is infused with bamboo: a hypoallergenic, naturally antibacterial and temperature-regulating material. However, this isn’t all that unique, with rivals including Otty and Simba using it as an ingredient in their mattresses. So, if bamboo happens to be on your list of must-haves, the Panda Hybrid mattress isn’t your only option.

Admittedly, this cover looks a little ugly (like a sheet of kitchen roll), but it feels incredibly soft and luxurious to the touch, even with a sheet over the top (although this feeling will diminish somewhat if you use a mattress protector).

Should you want to wash it, the top cover is easily removable: simply unzip it from the darker bottom section, which has an anti-slip layer to stop the mattress moving around on your bed frame. Panda recommends washing the cover at 30 degrees and advises against tumble drying.

The cover technically makes up two layers in Panda’s counting, so that leaves four inside. Starting at the top, you’ve got a typical memory foam layer, made with “open-cell technology”, which is also infused with bamboo for breathability and odour-resistance.

Underneath this is an orthopaedic grade “OrthoAlign Foam” layer, followed by a layer of pocket springs (up to 1,500 in the Emperor size) divided up into seven zones, and then finally a “Comfort Base” made from a denser Visco memory foam to absorb movement and distribute body weight evenly.

It’s worth noting here that Panda claims that all foam in its mattress is 100% recyclable, as is the packaging – even the polythene the mattress comes wrapped in, which is made from 40% post-consumer waste.

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Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress review: Price and competition

As I’ve already alluded to, the Panda Mattress is not a budget-friendly option. Prices start at £950 for a single and stretch to £1,390 and £1,550 for a king and super king respectively. And the largest size, emperor, will set you back as much as £1,750. It’s also available in EU sizes single, double and king.

So where does this place the Hybrid Bamboo mattress in the market? It’s cheaper than Simba’s Hybrid Pro at its list price, but discounts must be taken into account. Taking a king size, for instance, the Panda is £1,390. And while the Simba Hybrid Pro is £1,749 at full price, a not unusual discount of 40% off takes it down to a much more reasonable £1,049. And it’s not only Simba that’s offering hefty discounts: you can often save on hybrid mattresses from Brook + Wilde, Emma and Eve, too.

With the Panda mattress being relatively new to the market, it’s unclear what a typical discount on the mattress might be in the future. So far, at the time of writing, a comparatively tiny 10% offer only takes it down to £1,251.

If you’re looking for a cheaper hybrid mattress then you should consider the Otty Original. Though prices have crept up over the years, it’s still cheaper than all of the above with prices starting at £750 (and that’s not taking regular discounts into account).

Discounts aside, the Panda Mattress comes with a 100-night trial, which although decent is half the length offered by Simba, Emma and Brook + Wilde, and significantly less than the full year-long trials offered by Eve and Nectar.

On the plus side, you get free room-of-choice delivery and optional free mattress recycling if you want to get rid of your old one. Furthermore, Panda works with charities including Single Homeless Project, JOY and various panda-protecting organisations.

There’s a ten-year guarantee but this doesn’t cover things such as accidental damage and deterioration caused by sunlight, moisture, body salts and acids of perspiration – so don’t expect a replacement if you spill a glass of wine in bed. For more information on Panda’s guarantee, see the brand’s website.

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Best alternatives and where to buy them

• The best hybrid with a 200-night trial: Simba Hybrid Pro
• The best hybrid for side sleepers: Brook + Wilde Elite Mattress
• The best value hybrid mattress: Otty Mattress

Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress review: Performance and comfort

Like any bed-in-a-box mattress, the Panda Bamboo Hybrid arrives vacuum packed and will need a few hours to expand and breathe back into its normal shape before use. Like many memory foam mattresses, it also has a fairly strong chemical smell upon unpacking, but I found that this dissipated quite quickly compared to some of its rivals.

Note that hybrid mattresses like this are heavy, and the Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress is no exception. It comes in at 25.2kg for the smallest size (a little heavier than the equivalent Simba Hybrid Pro), so I’d recommend taking advantage of the room-of-choice delivery.

I found it easy enough to unbox and put onto a bed frame on my own but anything bigger than a single will be a lot easier with two people.

The Panda Bamboo Hybrid mattress has a firmness level of 7/10, with the brand describing it as “medium firm”. Due to its sturdy nature, you should be able to use it on a sprung base without issue. I tested it on a solid slatted base and would say the brand’s firmness rating is accurate. As with any hybrid mattress, there’s a balance to strike between the soft, “sink into it” comfort and support and I think Panda leans slightly more towards the latter.

That said, the top is sumptuous and inviting and, when you lie down, there’s a real sense of those seven zones of springs providing the right amount of support in different areas. Rivals typically achieve zoned support with a foam layer (the “wave technology” layer in the Brook + Wilde Elite, for instance) so it’s unusual to use springs for this purpose. The zones are arranged in a symmetrical pattern, so it doesn’t matter which way round the mattress is positioned. Higher tension springs are used at pressure points to provide the correct amount of support for your head, hips and lower back.

I’m around 75kg and over 6ft in height and the medium firmness suits my personal taste. I typically fall asleep on my side, but do lie in a range of positions throughout the night and always found it comfortable and supportive. That said, I’d argue that it’s less likely to be comfortable for smaller, lighter users.

I tested the mattress throughout a fairly cold January so I can’t fully attest to the effectiveness of the temperature control, but in the warmest room in the house and with a double duvet to myself (plus pyjamas and thick socks), I didn’t overheat during the night.

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Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress review: Verdict

Overall, Panda’s first mattress is a success, delivering on its aims to serve up a hybrid mattress that’s high quality and comfortable for a range of sleeping positions.

It strikes a balance between cosy, inviting comfort and solid support and handily has a washable cover that’s hypoallergenic and naturally antibacterial. There are turning handles but these are located on the underside of the mattress and aren’t particularly strong.

More of a problem is the high asking price, particularly when it’s not discounted nearly as heavily as rivals such as Simba, Emma and Brook + Wilde. This means that, for now, you’ll have to splash out to get the supposed benefits of bamboo – or look elsewhere.

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