Sweet Zzz Mattress Review: Is the Honey Hybrid Any Good?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress is a good quality, fully certified organic and non-toxic mattress at a competitive price.

Our testers spent more than 6 months sleeping on the mattress and were surprised at how well it performed considering the price. There are some potential drawbacks, and the mattress may not suit everybody, but overall, we were impressed.

This Sweet Zzz mattress review examines the pros and cons, key features, and helps you decide whether this is the right mattress for you.

What Are the Pros and Cons of The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid Mattress?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is a good option if you want certified organic materials, four firmness options, and a price that undercuts most organic hybrid competitors.

Here are the pros and cons that stood out during testing.

Is the Honey Hybrid mattress worth the money?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is worth the money for anyone shopping for a certified organic hybrid.

Mattresses with the same combination of GOLS latex, GOTS cotton, and GREENGUARD Gold certification typically retail between $2,000 and $5,000, and the Honey Hybrid sits well below that range.

The comfort and support were on par with latex mattresses we have tested at more than twice the price, which is the real measure of value at this level.

What are the common complaints about the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress?

The most common complaints about the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid are its weight, a roughly two-week break-in period if you're coming from memory foam, and the fact that you have to commit to your firmness choice when you order.

The mattress is dense, so unless you're feeling particularly strong, I recommend you don't try to wrestle it into place on your own. Ask a friend or your partner to help with the unboxing. Alternatively, the setup and removal service costs an extra $99, for which they will move the mattress wherever you want and remove your old one.

If you've been on memory foam for years, you may find the latex and coil feel unfamiliar for the first week or two. It's bouncy and responsive, and doesn't permanently contour the way foam does. But most people soon get used to it and end up preferring latex.

The firmness "lock-in" is the one to think hardest about before you check out, because if you order Medium-Firm and decide a month in that you'd actually prefer Medium-Soft, your only path is to return the mattress and reorder. If you already know how firm you want your mattress, this isn't an issue.

Who is Sweet Zzz and where are their mattresses made?

Sweet Zzz is a US mattress company based in Chicago, Illinois. They make handmade mattresses using a mix of domestic and imported parts. The Honey Hybrid is their flagship model and their best-seller, and it's the one we tested for this review.

Sweet Zzz is a member of both 1% for the Planet and the Sustainable Furnishings Council, both of which outline their commitment to sustainability.

Does the Honey Hybrid mattress come with a warranty and sleep trial?

Yes, the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a limited lifetime warranty.

The sleep trial requires a 30-night minimum before you can return the mattress. The warranty covers the original purchaser only and is non-transferable.

What is the price of the Honey Hybrid mattress in queen size?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid in Queen costs between $1,199 and $1,299, depending on which firmness you choose.

The Medium-Firm and Firm models are both $1,199, while the Medium-Soft and Plus Extra-Firm models are both $1,299.

To see what you're getting for that money, look at what's inside the mattress.

What Is the Honey Hybrid Mattress Made Of?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is an organic latex hybrid mattress made of five layers, all of which contain only natural materials.

1. Outer Cover: Quilted GOTS organic cotton, with hand-tufting on the Plus Extra-Firm model.
2. Fire Barrier: Wool from New Zealand Calmera® sheep. Wool meets federal flammability standards on its own, so the mattress passes the required safety regulations without any chemical treatment.
3. Comfort Layer: GOLS-certified organic Dunlop latex, with the feel shifting between the four firmness options.
4. Support Core: 1,584 individually wrapped coils in the Queen, made from tempered, recycled American steel, with thicker coils around the perimeter for edge support.
5. Base Layer: An organic cotton and wool blend that sits beneath the coil unit.

Those five layers stack up to a 10-inch (25.4 cm) finished mattress on the Medium-Firm, Firm, and Plus Extra-Firm models, and an 11-inch (27.9 cm) mattress on the Medium-Soft.

Is the Honey Hybrid Mattress Non-Toxic?

Yes, the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress is non-toxic. It contains no polyurethane foam, no fiberglass, no chemical flame retardants, and no glues, and is backed by three product-level certifications.

• GREENGUARD Gold: tests the finished mattress for chemical emissions and confirms it meets strict limits on VOCs and other airborne contaminants.
• GOLS: restricts pesticides, synthetic additives, and harmful processing chemicals in the Dunlop latex comfort layer.
• GOTS: restricts toxic dyes, bleaches, and finishing chemicals across the organic cotton cover and base.

In my experience, this is a good combination of certifications, which gives me full confidence that this is a non-toxic product.

Does Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid have an off-gassing smell?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress has no chemical off-gassing smell after unboxing. We didn't notice any smell of any kind.

Because of the GREENGUARD certification, I would be comfortable using the mattress on the same day, as soon as it finishes expanding.

Does the Honey Hybrid mattress contain fiberglass?

No, the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress does not contain fiberglass.

Some mattresses contain fiberglass because it's an inexpensive fire barrier to meet flammability standards. But the Honey Hybrid has a natural wool fire barrier, so it doesn't need fiberglass.

This is just one of the benefits of buying a good quality mattress.

Are Sweet Zzz Mattresses Good Quality?

Sweet Zzz mattresses are good quality. The Honey Hybrid is hand-built with American tempered steel coils, organic Dunlop latex, and a quilted organic cotton cover, and the Queen has a 1,584-coil count that beats most mattresses I have tested at the same price point.

Mattresses with comparable third-party certifications and natural materials typically sit in the $2,000 to $5,000 bracket, so the Honey Hybrid punches well above its price range for build quality.

Do they offer good performance and durability?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid offers strong performance and durability. The mattress has been LGA durability tested through 60,000 compression cycles at around 330 lbs (150 kg) of force.

I can see why the brand feels confident offering a lifetime warranty. After more than 6 months of testing, ours still shows no visible indentations and no soft spots. It still looks and feels just like it did on day one.

Although it's advisable to rotate your mattress regularly, this is built well enough to be forgiving if you happen to forget.

Do they offer edge support performance?

The edge support on the Honey Hybrid is good for the price, but not class-leading. Sweet Zzz uses thicker coils around the perimeter, which hold up well enough when we sit on the edge to put on shoes or when one of us moves close to the side overnight.

It is not in the same league as the reinforced edges on the Naturepedic EOS, Amerisleep Organica, or Birch Natural. If you sleep or sit right on the perimeter night after night, expect to feel a slight roll-off here that those three do not have. For most sleepers using the full surface, this is not noticeable.

If you need strong edge support, the Honey Hybrid may not be right for you, but it is a good choice for other use cases.

Is the Honey Hybrid Mattress Right for Me?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid suits most sleep positions, with multiple firmness options that cover side, back, and stomach sleepers from lightweight to heavier body types.

What is the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress firmness level?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid is sold in four firmness levels, rated by the brand on a 1 to 10 scale.

• Medium-Soft Mattress: 3 to 4 out of 10.
• Medium-Firm Mattress: 5 to 6 out of 10.
• Firm Mattress: 7 to 8 out of 10.
• Plus Extra-Firm Mattress: 8 to 9 out of 10.

Mattress firmness ratings are subjective. There is no universal standard scale. However, based on our experience of testing over 100 organic mattresses, I consider Sweet Zzz's firmness ratings to be in line with most other manufacturers on the market.

Is the Honey Hybrid mattress good for side sleepers?

The Honey Hybrid is good for side sleepers, especially in the Medium-Soft or Medium-Firm models.

Dunlop latex offers good pressure relief and cushions the hips and shoulders. Individually wrapped pocketed coils are responsive and yield at the shoulder and hip, where the body presses hardest. These are features that many of the best side sleeper mattresses commonly have.

When I sleep on my side on the Medium-Firm, my shoulder sinks in enough to keep my spine in line, and my hip is supported without pinching. Side sleepers who weigh under 150 lbs (68 kg) do better on the Medium-Soft, since the Medium-Firm feels firmer at lower body weights.

Is the Honey Hybrid mattress good for combination sleepers?

The Honey Hybrid suits combination sleepers well, with the Medium-Firm being the most versatile choice. The Dunlop latex surface is responsive rather than slow-recovery, so you do not sink in and feel stuck when you roll from one position to another.

When I shift between my side and my back through the night, the mattress springs back quickly and does not hold the body's outline the way memory foam mattresses do.

Is the Honey Hybrid mattress good for back pain?

Honey Hybrid can help with back pain, especially the two firmer options. The combination of a supportive coil core and Dunlop latex on top is good for spinal alignment, keeping the spine in a neutral position with no hip sag.

On the Medium-Firm, I found that my lower back stays settled rather than stiffening up by morning.

People with chronic or acute back pain should still speak to their doctor or physical therapist to find the best back pain mattress for their condition.

Is the Honey Hybrid mattress good for hot sleepers?

The Honey Hybrid is a good pick for hot sleepers because it is made entirely from breathable materials. Organic wool wicks moisture. The Dunlop latex layer is far more breathable than memory foam. Individually wrapped coils allow plenty of airflow space between them.

Living in central Florida, I am a hot sleeper by both temperament and zip code, and the mattress does not get hot under me through the night. The surface stays close to room temperature even in summer, and I have not had the overheating I used to get on the memory foam mattresses I tested before this one.

Does the Honey Hybrid mattress have motion isolation for couples?

The Honey Hybrid has good motion isolation for a hybrid mattress. Each coil in the core is individually wrapped, so it compresses on its own without transferring force to the surrounding coils.

When Mrs. M gets out of bed in the morning, I rarely feel it on my side. Latex hybrids do not absorb motion quite as completely as a pure memory foam mattress, but the Honey Hybrid sits at the better end of the hybrid range for partner disturbance.

Its weak area is the lack of edge support. The edge support on the Honey Hybrid is average, so couples who like to sleep close to the edge of the bed to maximize the available space may find they roll back towards the center.

Does the Honey Hybrid have support for heavy people?

Yes, the Honey Hybrid supports heavier sleepers, particularly in the Firm or Plus Extra-Firm models. The thicker support coils stay supportive under load and do not bottom out under heavier hips and shoulders.

For sleepers over 230 lbs (104 kg), I would recommend the Plus Extra-Firm, since the surface needs to push back firmly enough to keep the spine aligned at higher body weights. Couples with a significant weight difference also benefit because each side of the bed responds to its own load.

After fit, the other question most buyers ask is how the Honey Hybrid compares to the bigger non-toxic bed-in-a-box brands.

How Does Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid Compare to Other Bed-In-A-Box Mattresses?

Sweet Zzz's Honey Hybrid is one of the more affordable certified-organic latex hybrid mattresses on the market. Other organic latex hybrids cost more, and most mattresses at this price contain polyfoam.

It is helpful to compare the Honey Hybrid against similar products from other mattress brands, such as Avocado, Birch, and Nectar. Avocado and Birch are direct organic latex hybrid alternatives, and Nectar is the memory foam pick at a similar price.

The table compares the Honey Hybrid with these three popular alternatives.

To see key data and our use case recommendations for other brands, see our non-toxic bed-in-a-box mattress guide.

Here's a brief overview of how the Honey Hybrid compares, starting with the closest direct competitor, the Avocado Green Mattress.

Honey Hybrid vs Avocado Green Mattress

Avocado is a well-established sustainable brand with many more third-party certifications. The Green Mattress is their flagship product. Both mattresses are GOLS and GREENGUARD Gold certified, but Avocado's GOTS certification applies to the entire finished mattress, while the Honey Hybrid's GOTS applies only to the cotton.

Avocado also holds OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class I, EWG Verified, MADE SAFE, UL Formaldehyde-Free, and FSC certifications. The Avocado sleep trial is 365 nights compared to 100 nights for the Honey Hybrid.

The Honey Hybrid costs less and has more firmness options.

Choose the Avocado Green Mattress if:

• You want a mattress with comprehensive third-party certification, including finished-product GOTS and five additional non-toxic standards
• You want a 365-night trial to be sure of the feel before committing

Choose the Honey Hybrid if:

• You want the same organic latex hybrid build at a lower price
• You want more choice in terms of firmness

Honey Hybrid vs Birch Luxe Natural Mattress

Birch Luxe has two layers of GOLS-certified latex, a firmer base layer and a softer top layer, beneath an organic cotton Euro top. An optional graphite cooling layer is available at extra cost for hot sleepers.

The Honey Hybrid has a single GOLS-certified latex comfort layer beneath a quilted organic cotton cover, with 1,584 individually wrapped coils in the Queen support core compared to up to 1,000 in the Birch Luxe.

At Queen size, the Honey Hybrid costs $670 to $770 less than Birch Luxe at the sale price, and $1,325 to $1,425 less at MSRP. Sweet Zzz sells the Honey Hybrid in four firmness levels; Birch Luxe is sold in one (Medium).

Choose the Birch Luxe Natural if:

• You want a Euro-top organic latex hybrid mattress with two layers of GOLS-certified latex (a firmer base and a softer top)
• You sleep hot and want the option to add a graphite cooling layer

Choose the Honey Hybrid if:

• You want an organic latex hybrid build at a lower price
• You want to choose from four firmness levels rather than a single Medium

Honey Hybrid vs Nectar Premier Hybrid

Nectar is one of the best-known bed-in-a-box brands in the US, primarily for memory foam mattresses. The Premier Hybrid is their mid-tier hybrid model. The biggest difference between the two mattresses is that the Nectar Premier Hybrid has a memory foam comfort layer instead of latex.

The Nectar Premier Hybrid is CertiPUR-US certified, which covers foam emissions and content, but it lacks organic certification and isn't GREENGUARD certified either.

Choose the Nectar Premier Hybrid if:

• You prefer the body-hugging memory foam feel over a more responsive latex
• You want a longer 365-night trial before committing

Choose the Honey Hybrid if:

• You want organic latex and natural materials over memory foam
• You want third-party certifications across the materials and finished mattress
• You want to choose how firm your mattress is

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the overall satisfaction score for the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress has an average customer rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars based on more than 3,800 reviews on the Sweet Zzz website.

The strongest themes in those reviews are pressure point relief and spinal alignment across all sleep positions, cool sleep relative to memory foam, and no chemical off-gassing on unboxing.

What are the best alternatives to the Honey Hybrid mattress?

The best alternatives to the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid are the Naturepedic EOS, Avocado Green Mattress, and Birch Living Natural, all of which are organic hybrid mattresses built around natural latex, organic cotton, and pocketed coils.

For more options, see my full guide to the best organic mattresses.

What foundation do I need for the Honey Hybrid mattress?

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress works with any flat, supportive foundation, including adjustable bases, slatted wood frames, box springs, platform beds, or directly on the floor.

The foundation must be in good condition to keep the lifetime warranty valid. For slatted frames, slats should sit no more than 3 inches (7.6 cm) apart.

My guide to the best eco-friendly bed frames covers compatible options.

How do I unbox and set up the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress?

To set up the Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress, place the rolled mattress on your foundation, cut away the outer packaging, and let it expand. The mattress reaches its full height within a minute of unpacking and can be slept on the same night. The full setup involves four short steps.

1. Move the unopened box to your bedroom, as the mattress is heavy.
2. Place the rolled mattress on your foundation, label-side up.
3. Cut the outer plastic carefully and unroll the mattress.
4. Remove the inner vacuum-seal plastic and allow the mattress to expand.

See my guide to expanding a vacuum-packed mattress for more information on how the process works.

The Final Word

The Sweet Zzz Honey Hybrid mattress is one of the best hybrids in its price bracket.

After more than six months of testing, the build, certifications, and feel hold up against mattresses we have tested at more than twice the price.

If you can live with the locked-in firmness and the edge support sitting just below best-in-class, this is an easy mattress to recommend.