Amerisleep AS3 vs Bear Original: Which Foam Mattress Wins?

Two all-foam mattresses, two different promises. The Amerisleep AS3 is a medium-feel foam bed built around plant-based Bio-Pur memory foam, a Refresh cooling cover and HIVE targeted support, sold as Amerisleep’s most popular model and voted Newsweek Readers’ Choice Best Mattress of 2026. The Bear Original is a medium-firm foam bed built on cooling gel swirl memory foam over a high-density foundation, positioned for value seekers and anyone wanting stable support for everyday aches. Both are fiberglass-free, both ship free, and both aim at sleepers who want foam contouring without a sagging base. Skip the AS3 if you need a trial longer than 100 nights or lifetime warranty coverage; compare the Bear Original instead. This comparison settles which one fits which sleeper.

A strong alternative

Saatva Classican innerspring option if you want coil support instead of all-foam

• 365-night home trial
• Free white-glove delivery and old-mattress removal
• Lifetime warranty
• Three comfort levels: Plush Soft, Luxury Firm and Firm

Check today’s Saatva price →

Which mattress should you choose between the Amerisleep AS3 and the Bear Original?

The short answer: pick the Amerisleep AS3 if you want a medium feel with a cooling cover and an open-cell foam designed to sleep cooler, and pick the Bear Original if you prefer a medium-firm feel, a 365-night trial and a limited lifetime warranty at a value price. The AS3 leans balanced for all sleeping styles; the Bear leans stable and supportive for back and side sleepers. Everything below explains why, decision axis by decision axis.

Who is each mattress for?

The Amerisleep AS3 is built for sleepers who want a balanced medium feel that works across positions. Amerisleep describes it as balanced comfort and support perfect for all sleeping styles, and it layers plant-based Bio-Pur memory foam with HIVE technology for targeted support. The Bear Original names its own audience directly: value seekers and anyone who needs stable support and relief for everyday aches and pains, with a 6.5 to 7 out of 10 medium-firm feel that Bear calls ideal for most back and side sleepers.

Who should buy the Amerisleep AS3: sleepers who switch positions through the night, hot sleepers who want a cover engineered to pull heat from the skin, and anyone who prefers a true medium feel rather than a firm one. The AS3 is also the choice if you want the option to step up to a hybrid version, since Amerisleep sells the AS3 in both all-foam and hybrid builds.

Who should buy the Bear Original: budget-focused shoppers, back and side sleepers who like medium-firm, and people who value a longer trial window. Bear pairs a 365-night sleep trial with a limited lifetime warranty, and the mattress is fiberglass free, GREENGUARD Gold certified and made with CertiPUR-US foam.

Specifications side by side

How do the two mattresses feel and support you?

The AS3 is a medium feel at a 12-inch profile, and Amerisleep frames it as the balanced option for every sleeping style. Its support story comes from HIVE technology, which Amerisleep describes as delivering targeted support alongside maximum airflow, sitting under a comfort layer of plant-based Bio-Pur memory foam. Bio-Pur is engineered to snap back to its original shape in seconds, so the brand positions it as buoyant rather than the slow sink of traditional memory foam.

The Bear Original is firmer on paper, rated 6.5 to 7 out of 10. Bear describes quilt foam and memory foam comfort layers that gently hug your curves while a high-density foam foundation reinforces the bed, so you never feel unstable. That foundation is also marketed as promoting proper spinal alignment and resisting sagging over time. The practical difference: sleepers who want cushioning and a true middle feel should lean AS3, while sleepers who want a structured, firmer platform should lean Bear.

Which one sleeps cooler?

Both mattresses put cooling front and center, but they take different routes. The Amerisleep AS3 uses a Refresh cover made from a fiber with high energy transfer that draws heat from your skin for a cool-to-the-touch feel, with Amerisleep stating the surface stays on average 7 degrees cooler over an eight-hour night. Underneath, Bio-Pur’s open-cell design lets more air circulate than traditional foam. Hot sleepers can weigh the AS3’s stated surface temperature claim against Bear’s gel and infrared cover approach.

What do trial, warranty and shipping look like?

This is where the two diverge most clearly. The Amerisleep AS3 carries a 100-night sleep trial, a 20-year warranty, and free no-contact fast shipping with easy and free returns. The Bear Original carries a 365-night sleep trial, a limited lifetime warranty, and free shipping with free returns, shipping within 5 to 8 business days. Bear also offers a selectable in-home setup and removal option at checkout, while Amerisleep emphasizes no-contact delivery. Shoppers who prioritize a long trial window and lifetime coverage will find Bear’s terms stronger on paper; shoppers who want a 20-year warranty from a brand with a Newsweek Readers’ Choice win will find the AS3 compelling.

How do the prices compare?

The Amerisleep AS3 all-foam is listed at Queen: $1,149, with the AS3 Hybrid at Queen: $1,349. The Bear Original’s price is not published here, so no value conclusion can be drawn between the two on price alone. Bear does market itself to value seekers and runs promotional codes on its own page, but without a stated figure for the size you want, compare the two on trial length, warranty and feel instead of dollars.

Who should NOT buy which mattress?

Skip the Amerisleep AS3 if you want a firm, structured feel, since it is a medium feel aimed at all styles rather than a firm platform. Skip it if you want a trial longer than 100 nights or lifetime warranty coverage. Skip the Bear Original if you sleep in many positions and want a true medium feel rather than medium-firm, if you want a hybrid coil option in the same model line without stepping up to the Original Hybrid, or if a 12-inch profile and a stated cooling cover claim matter more to you than trial length.

Is the Saatva Classic a good alternative to either foam mattress?

Yes, for sleepers who do not want foam at all. The Saatva Classic is an innerspring mattress with a dual-coil design of triple-tempered recycled carbon steel coils, a 3-inch Euro pillow top, and patented Lumbar Zone technology for spinal alignment. It comes in Plush Soft at 3 out of 10, Luxury Firm at 5 to 7 out of 10, and Firm at 8 out of 10, so it covers a wider firmness range than either foam mattress here. It carries a 365-night home trial, free white-glove delivery with in-room setup and free old mattress removal, and a lifetime warranty. If you want foam contouring, stay with the AS3 or Bear; if you want hotel-style cushioning over coils, the Classic is the alternative worth a look. You can also read our Saatva Classic review for the full breakdown, or our Saatva Contour5 review if you want a foam option from Saatva instead.

World Sleep Almanac score: 7.6/10 for this comparison, judged on price at equal size, trial and returns, warranty, materials and construction, and public review standing. The AS3 earns points for its stated Queen price and Newsweek Readers’ Choice 2026 win, and loses points for a 100-night trial against Bear’s 365 nights. The Bear Original earns points for its limited lifetime warranty, GREENGUARD Gold and CertiPUR-US certifications, and AARP’s Best Value Memory Foam Mattress pick, and loses points because its price is not published here for a like-for-like comparison. Neither mattress is disqualified on materials, since both are fiberglass-free. The score reflects the balance of these criteria across both products, not a hands-on test.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Amerisleep AS3 softer than the Bear Original?

Yes, on the brands’ own descriptions. The AS3 is listed as a medium feel, while the Bear Original is rated 6.5 to 7 out of 10, which Bear labels medium-firm. Side sleepers and combination sleepers who want more give should read that gap as favoring the AS3.

Which mattress has the longer trial, the AS3 or the Bear Original?

The Bear Original, with a 365-night sleep trial. The Amerisleep AS3 carries a 100-night sleep trial. If you want a full year to decide, Bear is the clear pick on that single axis.

Do both mattresses come with free shipping?

Yes. Amerisleep lists free no-contact fast shipping with easy and free returns on the AS3. Bear lists fast, free shipping with free returns, shipping within 5 to 8 business days, plus a selectable in-home setup and removal option at checkout.

Can I get a hybrid version of either mattress?

Both brands offer one. Amerisleep sells the AS3 Hybrid, a foam plus coils build, alongside the all-foam AS3. Bear offers the Original Hybrid, which adds individually encased coils for increased comfort and deeper compression support.

Verdict: which all-foam mattress wins?

The Amerisleep AS3 wins this face-to-face for sleepers who prioritize feel and cooling, while the Bear Original wins for shoppers who prioritize trial length and warranty coverage. Choose the AS3 if you want a medium feel, a Refresh cooling cover with a stated 7-degree average surface difference over eight hours, HIVE targeted support and an all-sleeping-styles design. Choose the Bear Original if you want medium-firm stability, a 365-night trial, a limited lifetime warranty and certified clean materials. Neither is the wrong answer; they serve different priorities. For sleepers who want coils instead of foam, the Saatva Classic remains the alternative worth checking.

A strong alternative

Saatva Classicthe coil option when neither foam mattress feels right

• 365-night home trial
• Free white-glove delivery and old-mattress removal
• Lifetime warranty
• Chiropractor approved with Lumbar Zone technology

Check today’s Saatva price →

Want the full picture on either contender? Read our Amerisleep AS3 review or our Bear Original review.

Reviewed by the World Sleep Almanac editorial team, updated October 2026.