Is this bamboo & charcoal mattress a sleep gimmick or a game changer?

Since being one of the pioneers of the hybrid mattress in 2016, Otty has continued to pave the way for other mattress manufacturers by creating a winning combination of foam and springs. The latest Otty Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal really does give the impression that sleep science is finally moving beyond the pocket sprung mattress created by James Marshall in 1899. Question is, is there substance to this ‘science’?

You might think that I am being a bit cynical with certain parts of what I’ve said so far. You would be right. But as the self proclaimed leader in the search for the best mattresses you can buy, I do get a little nauseated by the overuse of buzzwords such as bamboo and activated charcoal in modern products. They are thrown around in the same way that tech companies nowadays describe everything as having ‘AI’. Honestly my toaster was doing just fine with a timer, I really don’t need it to adjust the toastedness based on the weather tomorrow.

I suppose that makes it all the more impressive that I actually am quite a fan of Otty. The brand is enticing and modern, and as hybrid mattresses go, I will say this is the most comfortable that I have slept on. That’s a simple opinion based purely on my sleeping experience. I am not alone as Otty has garnered over 10,000 excellent reviews on Trustpilot and are showing no signs of slowing. All the same, I have quite a lot to say on the bigger picture. So tuck in as I brief you on everything I think you should know about the Otty Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal before you click ‘buy’.

Specifications

Opening Note

Buying a mattress is not an everyday task. Everyone will have a first time buying one, and for all of you out there who this applies to, I want to put your mind at ease. Otty has a 100 night mattress trial. This means if, after all of your research (that should definitely include our tips for buying a mattress), you place all your hopes on the Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal and the firmness is not quite right, you could send it back on day 99. Whilst you couldn’t use that trial on the next one you buy, it is hoped that you only need to make a minor adjustment to the firmness to achieve perfection. Fair enough in my book.  

One small detail I want to make you aware of. The trial is only available for one person per household. So if you are a family or share a house and order 3 at the same time, only one will be able to be returned. So I guess take inspiration from the Bucket family in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and all share the bed at the beginning.

Comfort

First and foremost, comfort. Speaking generally, if you’re in the market for a new mattress but unsure whether you should be looking at soft, medium or firm I’ll point you in the right direction. Nearly ¾ of sleepers opt for medium. This all links back to the tension in the springs, foam or fibres. A mattress is trying to give you the perfect level of support with the ultimate goal of good spinal alignment. That translates into comfort for you. If you’re slightly heavier or lighter than average you might fall into the soft or firm categories. Best case scenario speak to the Otty customer services. They will listen to what your needs are and be able to advise accordingly.

Otty has done things differently with regard to their product lineup. The Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal only comes in one firmness, 7/10 which is around that medium firm region. You can get this in a variety of sizes but if you want a different firmness you’ll have to pick a different model - an unusual structure really. If I wanted a firmness at 5/10 on their in-house scale, then the Bamboo and Charcoal is not an option to me. When picking from the other models you do have a choice ranging from 5/10 up to 9/10 (extra firm). I guess a 10/10 firmness is just a slab of concrete so not offered.

As is commonplace these days, mattress toppers are very much encouraged by Otty. If you’ve read any of my other reviews you’ll know that I am anti-topper and think you should just buy the right mattress in the first place. However. I was sent the mattress topper to try, and I will say it is incredible (you can read more about it in Laura's full OTTY Bamboo Topper review over here). So if you don’t have the budget for a completely new mattress, look no further. Or, if you are in need of temporary softness as a consequence of aches and pains (not caused by your normal mattress) then this is also a great option.

As I said earlier, Otty is definitely more comfortable than its hybrid peers. I recruited backup for this test to really put it through its paces and can confirm it is more than suitable for side and back sleepers alike. I am 75kg and found the memory foam and pocket spring combination to be very nice. Whilst the initial impression is that it feels firm, when lying down it translates to a hugging but not suffocating feeling, like some memory foam can be. Well done Otty, so far so good.

Support and type

In my experience I have found that non-pocket sprung mattresses tend to struggle with edge to edge support. Memory foam doesn’t have the structural integrity to fight back, this has resulted in reinforced panels around the sides. Is this a good solution? I’m not so sure. I was very curious to try another hybrid for myself to see whether this particular issue had been addressed on the Otty Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal.

I personally have no complaints. I found it supportive from edge to edge. I would have exposed a weakness if it was there. That said, I should mention that after scouring the Trustpilot reviews there are a few customers who did find it to be a bit of a problem. I can only assume that these people opted for a different mattress to me, maybe they had the softest version and were slightly heavy for it, I don’t know. In any case, if you are unable to test one before buying and it becomes a problem, send it back. Simple.

If, like me, you suffer from lower back pain you may be curious to know how the Otty feels. Typically a medium firm mattress is better for alleviating this. I was a little worried that the presence of the foam might cause excessive sinking and be too soft. Alas, I was wrong to worry, this was the best of all the memory foam and hybrids I’ve tried. The perfect balance.

The last small thing to comment on here is the motion isolation. This is referring to how much you can feel the movement of the person you are sharing your bed with. Again, top marks, I would have barely noticed there was anyone else with me.

Scent

My last few mattress reviews have been on natural, hand-made, pocket sprung mattresses. In these articles I am quick to raise the health concerns associated with memory foam. Otty do state that their foam is CertiPUR and Europur approved, meaning that both the quality and the toxicity of the foam have been tested time and time again and pass the highest standards set by the governing body - in their words.

They also state that the products are fully compliant with the UK fire regulations but don’t talk about natural methods to achieve this. At the end of the day, the process to create a foam mattress involves lots of chemicals, you probably already know this and are okay with it, I’m just reminding you.

More often than not memory foam mattresses have a strong chemical smell when new. The Otty Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal was nearly odourless. This stayed true throughout all my testing. Perhaps times are changing as technology is advancing, the activated charcoal in the foam is said to be odour-eliminating. I once again can’t find fault with my personal experience here.

Delivery

Well I gave the game away in my introduction. The Otty Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal is a mattress in a box. You can choose from a range of delivery options including free - to your door all the way up to £60 to your room of choice, unpacked and taking away your old mattress. After delivery the Otty has to decompress over 24 to 48 hours. This can be the case with pocket sprung mattresses too so nothing out of the ordinary.

At the time of writing Otty is stating a delivery time of around 2 weeks. This is probably helped by the third party delivery company. The speed is the only benefit in a situation like this as other customers have found out. High standards can easily slip resulting in mattresses being left by doors and services not feeling so personal as with other companies.

Each mattress comes with a nice mattress bag for you to transport it in the future. I love this as someone who has lost count of the number of mattresses I have gotten dirty when moving house or even rooms.

Temperature Regulation

On this topic I think it’s important to say that I am testing in November in the UK. Needless to say, it is cold. One of the main concerns with foam is overheating, not something I am well-equipped to comment on outside of summer. 

Luckily, however, some of our other expert testers have slept on this over the summer. Laura, used this with the OTTY Topper from June through to September and she is a self-proclaimed hot sleeper. "With any foam mattress, I expect to sleep a little hotter. When foam gets hot, it gets softer, so you end up sinking deeper into the foam, and get hotter. It's a vicious cycle," she says "whilst I did find the OTTY was hot to sleep on compared to other mattresses, it's one of the cooler foam mattresses. I wouldn't recommend it if you suffer from night sweats, but if you desperately need the pressure-relief of a foam mattress and you're a hot sleeper, this is probably your best bet.! 

Otty has taken the overheating into consideration with the Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal. The natural bamboo is fully breathable, moisture-wicking wicking and temperature regulating. They have also incorporated holes in the edges for airflow and according to other customers who have used the mattress in Summer, this really works.

Guarantee and durability

The Otty Pure Pro Hybrid Bamboo & Charcoal comes with a 10 year guarantee on the mattresses, 1 year on the mattress covers and 1 year on the pillows and toppers. They actually also specify depths for sagging caused by standard use, 25mm in 12 months, 35mm in 12-24 months and so on. Worth a read if you’re hardcore.

Importantly you must rotate your mattress once a month for the first 12 months and then once every 3 months after that. If you don’t rotate it, apparently Otty can tell and your guarantee will not be valid. From reading the reviews I do get the impression that Otty mattresses are a little more sensitive than others, something to bear in mind.

Eco-credentials

Well I have one good thing to say here. The old mattress recycling is great. There aren’t too many details about it so I imagine a few end up in landfill in the event they aren’t made from natural materials. Other companies make it clear they can’t recycle memory foam so won’t take them from you, Otty doesn’t seem to account for this. If they are all recycled then it should be something they shout about since as far as the rest of the industry is concerned, it’s not a viable option. I should say that it may be possible for Otty to recycle their mattresses or at least parts of them including the pocket springs.

I don’t love the implication that bamboo foam means it’s okay. It’s not. The process of creating foam mattresses whether it’s from bamboo or rainbows and unicorns involves lots of chemicals and is not in any way good for the environment. If you are set on foam, then this is the best you will find for the planet. If you truly want to do better for the environment, then turn to pocket sprung non-hybrids.

Value

With the current deals at the time of writing, the price is good. You are getting a very comfortable mattress at a price that isn’t going to upset your bank manager. Otty seems to have lots of deals and offers so it is probably best to wait for one of those to come around before going ahead.

If I have to compare it to luxury pocket sprung mattresses I have reviewed in the past with price tags up to £2,000, it really does seem good value.

How we test

Why can I speak objectively about mattresses? You may be wondering. Well, as I write, I have 4 of them in my house that I am testing. This doesn’t include all the others I have tested before, and all that are to come next. When you start testing mattresses you realise that the words “I slept like a log” are not the result of chance, the calming podcast you listened to, or the cheese board you didn’t eat, but the bed you lay on.

Given that mattresses are neither seen nor heard (usually), you’ve probably never really broken down what separates a good mattress from a great mattress. Well I’m here to tell you the criteria and set you off on your journey as a newly qualified siesta scientist.

The top two most important factors I consider are comfort & support. These are closely followed by the type of mattress and the smell (yes you read correctly). Then we have delivery, temperature regulation, warranty/durability, earth friendliness and value. These last five don’t impact your sleep unless you really overpay and lie awake at night worrying. I also place lower significance on temperature regulation because in my opinion a duvet and your boiler system have a bigger part to play here. Of course a deep memory foam is going to be warmer than a firm pocket sprung, but you get my point.

You can find out more on our dedicated page for how we test mattresses.