These two end up on the same shortlist constantly, and for a reason: both sell memory foam at prices well under a traditional showroom brand, and neither asks you to visit a store. Novaform is Costco's house brand, so you can at least lie on it next to the rotisserie chickens. Nectar ships compressed in a box and gives you months at home to decide.
They are closer in feel than their marketing suggests. The real differences are in how you buy them, what happens if you want out, and how much cooling and support you get for the money.
The quick verdict
Buy Novaform if you have a Costco membership and want the lowest reasonable price on a memory foam bed. It is the better pure value play, especially for a guest room, a kid's room or a first apartment.
Buy Nectar if you want a longer, more structured risk-free window at home, the option of a genuinely cooler model, or a hybrid version with coils. It costs a bit more at most sizes and gives you more room to change your mind.
Novaform vs Nectar at a glance
| Novaform | Nectar | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | All-foam. Gel-infused memory foam over a high-density polyfoam core. | All-foam flagship, memory foam over polyfoam. Hybrid versions with pocketed coils offered. |
| Feel and firmness range | Classic slow-sinking memory foam, medium to medium-firm. | Memory foam, more responsive on newer tiers. Medium-firm house feel. |
| Best-suited sleeper | Back and side sleepers who like to sink in; budget-first shoppers. | Side and combination sleepers wanting contouring plus a long trial. |
| Motion isolation | Excellent, as all-foam beds generally are. | Excellent on all-foam models, very good on hybrids. |
| Cooling | Gel infusion helps, but it runs warm for hot sleepers. | Base model runs warm. Upper tiers add cooling covers and phase-change materials. |
| Edge support | Soft edges, typical of all-foam. | Soft on all-foam models, better on coil versions. |
| Typical price tier | Entry-level. | Entry-level to mid-range depending on tier. |
| Trial and warranty | No separate sleep trial; Costco's return policy applies. | One of the longest sleep trials in the category, plus a lifetime warranty. |
| Where to buy | Costco warehouses and Costco.com; membership required. | Direct online, plus some third-party retailers. |
Novaform on its own terms
Novaform is made for Costco rather than by Costco, and the value is real: a competently built gel memory foam mattress, often with a thicker comfort layer than competitors charge extra for, at a price that undercuts most online brands at the same height.
What it does well: price, obviously. Motion isolation is excellent, so it suits light sleepers sharing a bed. The ComfortGrande line gives you a lot of foam for the money, and pressure relief at the hips and shoulders beats any innerspring in the same bracket.
Where it falls short: it sleeps warm. Gel infusion slows heat buildup, it does not prevent it, and a thick foam bed in a Los Angeles apartment without great airflow holds your body heat. Edge support is soft, which matters if you sit on the side of the bed or sleep near the perimeter. And there is no structured sleep trial. Costco's return policy is generous, but it is a store policy rather than a mattress guarantee, and hauling a king back to a warehouse is its own project.
Nectar on its own terms
Nectar built its business on removing the risk of buying a bed you have never touched. The sleep trial covers a full change of seasons, the warranty runs as long as you own it, and returns are handled rather than left to you.
What it does well: the risk-free window is the strongest part of the offer, and it is not a gimmick. Memory foam takes weeks to break in, so a trial measured in months is more useful than one measured in weeks. The lineup also scales: upper tiers add cooling layers, and hybrid versions add pocketed coils for better edge support and a more buoyant feel.
Where it falls short: the entry model is not notably better than Novaform's for the extra money, and the lifetime warranty is a long document with exclusions around sagging depth and proper support, as nearly all mattress warranties are. The brand also discounts so continuously that list price is close to meaningless.
How to choose between them
If you are a side sleeper
Both contour at the shoulder and hip, which is what side sleeping needs. Nectar's upper tiers fit slightly better because the comfort layer is deeper. Above roughly 230 pounds, skip both all-foam options for a hybrid, since foam alone lets the hips settle too far.
If you sleep hot
Neither base model is the answer. This is the most common regret with budget memory foam, and worse in Southern California where bedrooms stay warm into October. Step up to one of Nectar's cooling tiers, or move to a hybrid, where airflow through the coil layer does more than any gel infusion.
If you share the bed
Both isolate motion well, so a restless partner will not wake you on either. The tiebreaker is edge support: if you both sleep near the edges of a queen, the coil versions are worth it. Our guide to memory foam versus hybrid covers that trade-off.
If you have back pain
Medium-firm support with proper spinal alignment matters far more than the brand name. Both land in roughly the right band, but all-foam beds soften over time and a sagging core is a common cause of returning back pain. A hybrid holds its support longer.
If budget is the deciding factor
Novaform wins, assuming you already have a Costco membership. If you do not, the membership fee narrows the gap enough that Nectar's trial is the better use of the money.
What we would put you on instead
We do not carry Novaform or Nectar, so take the above as an honest read rather than a sales pitch. What we can offer is what neither brand can: twenty minutes lying on the mattress before you commit.
If what you like about these two is the bed-in-a-box value proposition, we stock three online-native brands you can test in our showrooms. Helix is the closest match in spirit, with models tuned by sleep position, and the hybrids solve the cooling and edge-support complaints that follow all-foam beds around. Brooklyn Bedding builds in its own factory and lands in a similar price tier with a firmer feel. Birch uses natural latex and wool instead of petroleum-based foam, and sleeps considerably cooler than either brand here.
If you want deep, slow contouring without the heat and the sag, that is Tempur-Pedic territory, and Stearns & Foster if you prefer that support from coils under a plush top. Both cost more and both last meaningfully longer, which changes the math more than the sticker price suggests. Our guide to how long mattresses last covers why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Nectar mattresses good?
Yes, for the right sleeper. Solid memory foam contouring, excellent motion isolation and an unusually long risk-free trial, which is the main reason to choose one. The weak points are heat retention on the entry model and soft edge support, both typical of all-foam builds.
Is Novaform a good mattress?
For the price, it is a lot of mattress. The gel memory foam layers relieve pressure well and motion transfer is minimal. Strong choice for a guest room, a teenager or a tight budget; weaker if you sleep hot or need firm edge support.
Do Novaform or Nectar mattresses contain fiberglass?
Fiberglass is sometimes used as a flame barrier in budget foam mattresses, which is why this comes up so often. Neither brand advertises fiberglass in its construction, but materials change between production runs, so check the law tag and the manufacturer's current materials disclosure for the exact model you are buying.
How long do Nectar mattresses last?
Expect roughly six to eight years from an all-foam model before the comfort layer stops recovering, which is normal for the category rather than a knock on the brand. Hybrid versions run longer. Rotating head to foot a few times a year and using a proper foundation both help.
Where can I try a Nectar mattress before buying?
Nectar sells primarily online, so in-person testing is limited to a handful of third-party retailers. The practical move is to try comparable mattresses in person and apply what you learn about firmness and feel. We stock Helix, Brooklyn Bedding and Birch, which cover similar ground, in all five of our Los Angeles showrooms.
Can you flip a Novaform or Nectar mattress?
No. Both are one-sided, with comfort foam over a support core, so flipping one puts you on the hard base. Rotate head to foot instead to even out wear.
Lie on it first, then decide
Buying memory foam from a photograph is where this decision goes wrong most often, because firmness labels mean different things brand to brand and heat is something you only notice at 3am. Take our sleep quiz for a firmness starting point, or come try the memory foam and hybrid options side by side at any of our five LA showrooms. Same-day delivery covers most of Los Angeles, and our free 120-night comfort guarantee means the decision is not final the moment the truck leaves.
