logo
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress review 2025: The perfect Panda for tighter budgets

Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress review 2025: The perfect Panda for tighter budgets

Tom's Guide07-05-2025

Today's best Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress deals
The Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress is the cheaper of two mattresses made by Panda. Offering many of the features found in the brand's more expensive mattress, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pro mattress (which we reviewed in 2023), the Hybrid Bamboo comes in considerably cheaper than its older sibling but lacks some of its advanced orthopaedic materials. The Hybrid Bamboo Pro is our best mattress pick for hot sleepers, but how does the Hybrid Bamboo compare in this and other crucial categories?
Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress specs
(Image credit: Panda London)
Type: Hybrid
Materials: Bamboo, memory foam, orthopaedic grade memory foam, pocket springs
Brand-rated firmness: 6.5/10
Depth: 25cm
Trial period: 100 nights
Warranty: 10 years
Price: from £649 at Panda London
Our main tester is a combination lightweight sleeper who often experiences lower back pain and is constantly on the hunt for the perfect mattress to both ease aches and pains and provide enough cushioning for her pressure points.
She was initially concerned that the Panda Hybrid Bamboo would be a little soft, as the brand rates it at 6.5 out of 10. However, she found the mattress firmer than this, rating it 7.5 out of 10 and her light to average weight husband agreed that the Panda was firmer than advertised.
The mattress immediately impressed when it came to lumbar support, particularly for back sleepers who will find their lumbar regions well-supported and spines kept aligned. But, despite the foams softening up a little bit over time, the Hybrid Bamboo mattress is a little on the firm side for lightweight side sleepers, who aren't going to find enough cushioning for their pressure points.
On the flip side, it's likely that heavier weight stomach sleepers in particular won't feel well enough supported by the Panda, with hips dipping too far into the mattress for support. You may like
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge)
For most sleepers, though, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo is a mattress that's pretty comfortable from the off, delivering a great combination of support and comfort from the first night. The other big selling point of the Panda is its excellent temperature regulation.
Like many hybrid mattresses, the Hybrid Bamboo is made from a combination of foams and coils, which helps with breathability. But Panda also utilises bamboo, which is naturally breathable (as well as hypoallergenic and antibacterial).
The mattress has a bamboo cover along with the brand's patented BioCell foam: open-cell memory foam infused with bamboo to help keep air flowing through the bed and stop heat being trapped in the foams. There's also a layer of springs that enhance airflow within the mattress.
Edge support is fair, and motion isolation isn't bad, although we did notice a little touch of motion transfer when the more restless of our testers turned from side to side on the mattress. Overall though, this is an impressive mattress for its price. Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress: price & trial Good range of UK and EU sizes on offer
Panda sales aren't common
Free white glove delivery and old mattress recycling
Panda mattress sales aren't as common as with many other brands, although we think the Hybrid Bamboo is competitively priced even at full RRP. It's at the top end of the mid-range price bracket at full price.
We do occasionally see 25% discounts on the mattress, generally around major sales events, and you may also find a 10% saving applied from time to time. It's not always easy to predict these sales, though, so make sure you bookmark our mattress sales page if you're looking to grab a bargain.
The Panda is available in a range of UK sizes, but you'll also get EU options as well, including an Emperor for those seeking maximum bed space. Here's the pricing for all sizes of the Panda Hybrid Bamboo as of May 2025: Single: £649
£649 Small Double: £789
£789 Double: £799
£799 King: £889
£889 Super King: £959
£959 EU Single: £659
£659 EU Double: £829
£829 EU King: £899
£899 EU Emperor: £1,050
Extras-wise, you'll get a fairly standard 100-night trial and 10-year warranty with the mattress. Still, this is plenty of time to try the bed out and, as 10 years is around the maximum lifespan of most mattresses, the warranty should cover any problems. Panda does offer a very generous white glove delivery, with free delivery to a room of your choosing, along with a free old mattress removal service if required. You'll also get free returns if you decide that the mattress isn't a great fit. Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress: materials & design A 25cm high mattress with four layers and a top and bottom cover
Bamboo-infused foam for comfort and temperature regulation
Hypoallergenic bamboo cover
(Image credit: Panda London)
Like the best hybrid mattresses, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo is crafted from coils and high-quality foams. The Hybrid Bamboo is also a great choice for the ethically conscious — it's made with only ethically sourced organic bamboo that's been grown pesticide-free, and at the end of its life, Panda will collect the mattress and recycle or repurpose it.
All foams in the mattress are CertiPUR Certified, meaning they're free from heavy metals, harmful dyes and ozone depleters. And the packaging is recyclable and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.
Starting at the top of the mattress you'll find a bamboo cover that's hypoallergenic, antibacterial and naturally breathable. It's also removable for washing at 30C, although do be warned that it's a bit of a faff to get on and off.
The cover feels soft and smooth to the touch — you almost want to lie directly on it. Directly underneath this is the brand's patented BioCell foam — an open cell foam infused with bamboo that's both odour-resistant and extremely breathable.
Next up is a double layer of Panda's DualFlex foam. This patented orthopaedic memory foam is designed to be extra-resilient, so it can offer plenty of support without sinkage. Underneath this are up to 800 individual pocket springs to add more support and minimise motion transfer, and there's a high-density memory foam base underneath to keep the mattress supported and distribute your body weight.
The whole thing is finished off with an anti-slip layer that, as the name suggests, prevents your mattress from sliding around on your bed base.
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge) Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress: comfort & support Panda rates it as 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale
We rate the mattress at 7.5 out of 10
Fantastic lumbar support for back sleepers
Panda suggests that the Hybrid Bamboo is slightly softer than its Hybrid Bamboo Pro mattress, but our main tester disagreed with this assessment. Having tested both mattresses, she felt that they were both of a similar firmness.
Our tester is of a lighter weight, which can influence how firm a mattress feels. So she asked some heavier sleepers for their opinion. Most also rated the mattress at 7.5 out of 10, although a few felt it was nearer to a 7. What does this mean in more practical terms? As a true medium firm mattress, we felt that the Panda Hybrid Bamboo was suitable for most sleepers, barring very lightweight side sleepers and heavier stomach sleepers.
The Panda excels when it comes to providing decent lumbar support for back and stomach sleepers. The slightly firmer feel of the top layers means that you don't sink into the mattress but rather feel it contouring gently around you.
This means that the lumbar region is fantastically supported, with the spine kept aligned and the hips lifted. Our main tester had recently slept on the DreamCloud Hybrid mattress, rating it highly for easing lower back pain, but after sleeping on the Hybrid Bamboo, she felt that this was an even better choice for those suffering with aches and pains. As a combination sleeper, our main tester felt comfortable sleeping on her back from day one.
When it comes to side sleeping, the Panda is a mattress that rewards a little patience. If you're a heavier sleeper, it's likely you'll enjoy side sleeping from day one. However, it may take a little time for average weight sleepers to adjust.
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge)
Once the Panda foams had softened up, our secondary light to average weight sleeper found sleeping on his side extremely comfortable. However, we did feel that the mattress was a little too firm for lightweight side sleepers — our main tester occasionally woke up with a little discomfort in her hip.
Although the mattress is firmer than you might expect, we still don't think it will be supportive enough for heavier stomach sleepers in particular, who are likely to end up sinking onto the coils. Instead, we'd recommend a firmer option, such as the Otty Firm mattress that will keep the hips lifted and supported.
We also conducted a sinkage test, placing a 20kg weight in the middle and seeing how much it sank in. Sinkage was 9cm, exactly the same as the aforementioned DreamCloud and around what we'd expect for a medium firm mattress. Remember, of course, that firmness is subjective – that's why it's so important to buy a mattress with a lengthy trial period. Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress: performance Good motion isolation, but very light sleepers could be disturbed by a restless partner
Excellent temperature regulation thanks to the bamboo and open cell foam
Edge support is fair, with a little bit of sinkage when sitting on the bed
Our main and secondary tester slept on a UK Panda Hybrid Bamboo mattress for a month, inviting other adults of varying body types and sleeping styles to try it out to get a wider view of how the mattress feels. As well as recording our own personal experiences, we also carried out a number of tests to gauge motion isolation, temperature regulation and edge support. Motion isolation
If you share your bed with a restless sleeper or are a light sleeper yourself, you'll know the importance of buying a mattress with decent motion isolation. Motion transfer can reverberate across the whole mattress and disturb sleep.
Fortunately, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo has pretty good motion isolation that should suit most sleepers. However, we did notice a small amount of motion transfer when our more restless sleeper turned from side to side, but this is only likely to disturb the lighter sleepers among us.
We also carried out an objective drop test, using an empty wine glass and dropping a 4kg weight from a low height to simulate a sleeper's movement at night. There was no movement at 60cm, but we did see a very slight wobble at 25cm, followed by the glass falling over at 10cm.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge)
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge) Temperature regulation
We tested the Panda Hybrid Bamboo in spring with a breathable wool winter duvet (10 tog) over the course of a month. Overnight temperatures were changeable, varying from 2C up to 10C.
Our main tester always sleeps cold, but her husband is a hot sleeper who is used as the guinea pig for these tests. He was impressed with the temperature regulation on the mattress, never overheating or feeling too warm.
The Panda mattress utilises bamboo, which is naturally breathable as well as being hypoallergenic and antibacterial. Alongside a bamboo cover, there's also a layer of the brands' patented BioCell foam – a unique open cell structure that's infused with organic bamboo.
This does an excellent job of keeping sleepers cool overnight. Finally, you also have a layer of individually wrapped springs to help with airflow.
Score: 5 out of 5 Edge support
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge)
Edge support on a mattress is important as it helps us get in and out of bed, increases the sleeping area of the mattress, helps prevent premature sagging around the perimeters and allows you to sit comfortably on the edge of the bed.
The edge support on the Panda was a bit of a mixed bag. When we were lying on the mattress, it felt stable at the edges and our testers felt able to use the full width of the mattress.
However, when sitting on the edges, sinkage was more noticeable – a fact backed up by measuring this with our 20kg weight. Whilst sinkage in the middle of the mattress was 9cm, it increased to 11cm around the edges. It's still easy to sit on the bed, but you will notice a little dipping.
Score: 4 out of 5 Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress: delivery & setup Free white glove delivery
Free old mattress removal
Takes around six hours for the mattress to inflate enough to sleep on
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge)
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge)
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge)
The Panda delivery experience was seamless for us and one of the best we've come across in the UK market. Once you've purchased the mattress, you'll be given a delivery date (don't worry, you can reschedule if that doesn't suit.)
On the morning of my delivery we were given a two-hour time slot for delivery and once the mattress arrived, it was carried straight to our bedroom. Do note that the mattress arrives rolled and in a box. Delivery takes between three to seven days from purchase.
Once the mattress has arrived, the delivery team will take away all the packaging, along with your old mattress if required. But, in the name of fully testing the mattress process from beginning to end, we unpacked the mattress ourselves.
As with all rolled mattresses, it's just a case of carefully cutting through the plastic packaging and waiting for the bed to inflate. We did notice that this took a little longer than with some mattress in a box options, with the mattress being inflated enough to sleep on after six hours.
When we tested this mattress' big brother, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pro, a few years ago, off-gassing was an issue, taking a while to fade. But things have improved since then and the fairly faint off-gassing smell was gone within 24 hours.
Just a note on Panda's excellent eco credentials here when it comes to packaging – the mattress boxes are made from a minimum of 80% recycled materials and are themselves 100% recyclable. And the plastic packaging contains 40% recycled material from post-consumer waste and is also 100% recyclable. Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress: customer reviews Panda has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on TrustPilot
The Hybrid Bamboo averages 4.68 out of 5 on the Panda website, based on 22 reviews
The mattress is praised for instant comfort
As well as sleeping on a mattress ourselves, we also look at customer reviews to get a broader picture of the brand. Panda has a mainly positive rating as a brand, with an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5. However, this is for all products, not just the mattress. On Panda's own website, there are 22 specific reviews for the mattress, with an overall rating of 4.68 out of 5.
Searching through all the reviews, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo is constantly praised for its temperature regulation and instant comfort, with many customers also praising its ability to help with aches and pains. There are some customers who praise the firmness of the mattress, while a few also complained that it was too firm (which is as we would expect.)
On a wider note, the only niggles with Panda seem to be some people finding the mattress cover a little slippery (which isn't something we noticed) or having issues with the delivery service. But, overall, the Panda is an extremely popular mattress.
(Image credit: Future / Jo Plumridge) Should you buy the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress?
If you're looking for a high-quality mattress that will keep you cool and refreshed at night, the Panda is an excellent choice. The bamboo does a fantastic job of keeping sleepers cool and comfortable throughout the night as well as wicking away any moisture build-up.
The Panda is one of those mattresses that feels pretty comfortable from the off, although lighter sleepers like our main tester may find it takes a little while to soften up sufficiently. Lumbar support is particularly good, and we'd recommend this mattress to those who suffer with aches and pains.
However, it is likely to be a little too firm for lightweight side sleepers and, conversely, heavier weight sleepers probably won't find it quite supportive enough. Its big brother, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pro, does offer a little more overall support for back pain with its seven zoned spring layer and orthopaedic foam but, if you're on a tighter budget, this is a fantastic mattress to invest in. Panda Hybrid Bamboo Mattress: alternatives

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fred Espenak, astronomy's 'Mr. Eclipse', dies at 71
Fred Espenak, astronomy's 'Mr. Eclipse', dies at 71

Yahoo

time16 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Fred Espenak, astronomy's 'Mr. Eclipse', dies at 71

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomy has lost one of its most assiduous calculators of eclipses with the passing of astronomer Fred Espenak. On April 15, 2025, Espenak announced on his Facebook page that he had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, his health was declining rapidly, and that he would immediately be entering hospice care. Doctors determined that the disease had progressed too far for a lung transplant. He passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 1 at his home in Portal, Arizona. He was 71. Fred was a well-known and highly regarded expert on eclipses, so much so, that he became almost as well known by his nom de plume, "Mr. Eclipse." He first got interested in astronomy when he was 8 years old. "I was visiting my grandparents on Long Island when a neighbor boy invited me to see the moon through his new telescope. Just one look and I was hooked! After a relentless six-month campaign, my parents conceded to my request and I received a 60 mm Tasco refractor for Christmas," Espenak wrote in his biography on Fred first became attracted to eclipses, when, at the age of 9, he witnessed a partial eclipse of the sun from the New York metropolitan area. Seven years later, on March 7, 1970, when the moon's dark shadow tracked along the Atlantic Seaboard, he was able to coerce his parents to borrow the family car where he traveled by himself to North Carolina and witnessed his very first total solar eclipse. Initially, he expected it to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but when totality ended, Fred knew he had to see another total eclipse. Indeed, that 1970 eclipse would be the first of 31 totalities he would journey to see during his lifetime. And yet, while Fred ultimately grew up to become a full-fledged astronomer, his professional research didn't actually involve eclipses. He earned his bachelor's degree in physics at Wagner College in Staten Island and later obtained his master's degree in Ohio at the University of Toledo, based on studies he did at Arizona's Kitt Peak Observatory of eruptive and flare stars among red dwarfs. Thanks to his background in physics and computer programing, Fred landed a job with a software company holding NASA contracts. That led to his writing data analysis programs for satellites and a stint as a telescope operator for NASA's International Ultraviolet Explorer spacecraft. From this, he was hired by the Infrared Astronomy Branch at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Fred's research focused largely on planetary atmospheres using an infrared spectrometer that he and his colleagues took first to Kitt Peak in Arizona and then to NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. He coauthored papers on winds on Titan, ethane in Jupiter's atmosphere, ozone on Mars, and hydrocarbons in the outer planets. Fred retired in 2009. But he truly made his mark as a tireless calculator of eclipses of both the sun and moon. Up until 1994, the U.S. Naval Observatory routinely issued special circulars in advance of major solar eclipses. When funding for these circulars came to an end, Fred picked up the eclipse baton and with the help of Canadian meteorologist Jay Anderson, produced their own eclipse circulars, funded under the auspices of NASA. Together, they published 13 circulars which contained timings, for hundreds of locations, predictions for what the moon's edge would look like, and maps that showed the path of totality. Distribution of these free circulars ended with Fred's retirement from NASA. But it didn't stop there. Fred then turned to private publishing as well as setting up three websites, and which to this day all remain invaluable resources with extensive information about numerous celestial phenomena, including detailed maps and timing of past and future lunar and solar eclipses. Fred gave public lectures on eclipses and astrophotography. Astronomical photographs taken by him have been published in National Geographic, Newsweek, Nature, and New Scientist. For his astronomy and solar eclipse outreach, the International Astronomical Union named Asteroid 14120 Espenak after him in 2003. Fred also teamed up with another remarkable eclipse calculator, his long-time mentor and friend, Jean Meeus of Belgium and together in 2006 they published the Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses, which covers all types of solar eclipses from 2000 BC to AD 3000, and the similar Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses in 2009. And many other eclipse guides — 30 in all — followed. Among them, the Guide for the Total Solar Eclipse of 2045 which highlights a long-duration (6+ minute) solar eclipse that crosses the United States from coast-to-coast. Fred was also the progenitor of the U.S. Stamp which commemorated the "Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017." And earlier, in 1997, Mongolia used an image of his eclipse track from a NASA Circular in a commemorative of the 1997 eclipse. If you asked him which of his 31 eclipses was the most rewarding, he would point to the one that occurred over India in October 1995: "I chanced to meet a high school chemistry teacher named Patricia Totten. Now I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to the fairer sex, so it took me a few years to fully appreciate this remarkable woman. She shared my passion for eclipses, science and photography as we traveled the world together. Long story short, we eventually got married in 2006." It was Pat who encouraged Fred to find a place with dark skies for a retirement home, so he bought property at Arizona Sky Village in Portal and spent most of his free time under the starry skies visible from his Bifrost Astronomical Observatory. On a personal note, I first met Fred about 50 years ago at a function that was held at the Wagner College Planetarium in Staten Island, where he served as a volunteer. At the time, I was doing something similar at the Hall of Science Planetarium in Flushing, N.Y. But it wasn't until years later, when Fred began, in earnest, to publish and circulate his eclipse bulletins, that I became aware of his expertise in eclipse calculations. I owe him so much for helping me in my own attempts to educate the public about the phenomena of eclipses. My greatest regret is that we never had the opportunity to spend time together in the moon's umbra. I'm sure it would have been a blast! I wish you Godspeed my friend. I know you have taken a safe voyage and I hope to see you again someday. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and other publications.

When the sun dies, could life survive on the Jupiter ocean moon Europa?
When the sun dies, could life survive on the Jupiter ocean moon Europa?

Yahoo

time16 hours ago

  • Yahoo

When the sun dies, could life survive on the Jupiter ocean moon Europa?

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Can life survive in the solar system once the sun dies and becomes a red giant star? New research suggests there may be a narrow window of possibility for life to persist on the icy moons of the outer solar system. It's not exactly clear where the habitable zone of the red giant sun will be, but it could possibly reach the orbit of Jupiter. Although the planet itself won't be habitable because it will still be a giant ball of hydrogen and helium gas, Jupiter's moons might become promising homes for life. That's according to researchers at the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, who reported the theory in a paper accepted for publication in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. In about 4.5 billion years, the sun will enter the final phase of its life. Its core of hydrogen fusion will expand and, in doing so, inflate the outer atmosphere of the star into gross proportions. It will swell and become a red giant star that will engulf Mercury and Venus and incinerate Earth. In the best-case scenario, all that will remain of our planet will be a lump of smoldering iron and nickel. In the worst-case scenario, it will be obliterated. The sun's habitable zone — the band where the influx of radiation is just right to support liquid water on the surface of a planet — will steadily march outward as the sun begins this new phase of life. Jupiter's ice-covered moon Europa will get a lot of heat. Not only will the giant sun be bearing down on it, but Jupiter itself will become hotter and reflect more sunlight, which will provide its own source of heat to the little moon. The researchers found that the icy outer shell will sublimate and the oceans underneath will evaporate. The most sublimation will occur on the side of Europa facing Jupiter because it will receive the most heat. And because of circulation and convection, the equatorial bands that face opposite Jupiter will also suffer significant water loss. RELATED STORIES: —Good news for the alien life hunt: Buried oceans may be common on icy exoplanets —Jupiter's ocean moon Europa may have less oxygen than we thought —10 weird water worlds in the solar system and beyond However, northern and southern latitudes on the anti-Jupiter side of Europa will have a more modest rate of water loss. The researchers found that this could provide a tenuous atmosphere of water vapor that could persist for up to 200 million years. That's a blink of an eye compared with the opportunities life has had to thrive on Earth — but it's not nothing, and Europa may become the home for any life that remains in the solar system in that deep future. The researchers also found that we might be able to find biosignatures on (formerly) icy moons around red giant stars. We have yet to have any confirmed detections of exomoons, but there are several promising candidates. Future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope or the planned Habitable Worlds Observatory might have the resolving power to examine the atmospheric features of these moons. Although it might be an unlikely scenario to find life, it does widen the possible locations for our search, as there may yet be refuges around stars that are nearly dead.

After record-breaking Everest climbers revealed they use hypoxic tents to get altitude ready without acclimatizing on the mountain, we look at how the technology works
After record-breaking Everest climbers revealed they use hypoxic tents to get altitude ready without acclimatizing on the mountain, we look at how the technology works

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

After record-breaking Everest climbers revealed they use hypoxic tents to get altitude ready without acclimatizing on the mountain, we look at how the technology works

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Around 800 people attempt to climb Mount Everest each year, braving extreme conditions for the chance to say they've stood on top of the world. Along with rigorous physical and mental training, hopefuls need to prepare for the harrowing effects of altitude atop Earth's tallest mountain, where the amount of oxygen taken in with each breath is drastically lower than at sea level. Traditionally, climbers have acclimatized by spending significant time in the mountains, heading up and down to prepare their bodies for the dizzying heights, and reducing the impact of altitude sickness. This tried and tested method has proven effective for the past 70 years of Everest expeditions, but comes with one major drawback: time. Without four to six weeks to dedicate to acclimatization, many Everest hopefuls are now turning to modern technology to help them prepare, sleeping and exercising in specialist acclimatizing 'hypoxic' tents, which do away with the need to spend months in the mountains. 'You sleep like garbage if you're not acclimatized, you lose your appetite, so you wither away Brian Oestrike, CEO of Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems As alien as it may sound, hypoxic tents, otherwise known as altitude tents, have become increasingly common in recent years, used by alpinists and climbers to prepare for harsh conditions. This year, a group of British veterans in their forties and fifties used hypoxic tents in combination with controversial Xenon gas to speed-climb the mountain, summiting a record four days after arriving in Nepal and effectively going from sea level in London, to the highest peak on the planet in 5 days. The very next day, US-Ukrainian climber Andrew Ushakov claimed to have broken their record, after spending over 400 hours acclimatizing in a hypoxic tent. Ushakov says he went from New York to the Everest summit in just 3 days, 23 hours, and 27 minutes. So what are hypoxic tents, and how can they help climbers achieve these once-unthinkable feats? Read on for everything you need to know. Put simply, hypoxic tents mimic the low oxygen levels of high-altitude environments. The air at sea level contains 20.9% accessible oxygen, a number that drops dramatically the higher you get. At Everest base camp, it falls to around 10.4%. By the summit, it's down to just a third of the accessible oxygen quotient at regular sea-level. In healthy individuals, blood oxygen saturation levels sit around 98% to 100% at sea level. At altitude, that number drops to roughly 87% to 92% This has a weakening effect and can cause altitude sickness. Hypoxic tents simulate this mix with a generator or pump, which removes oxygen and replaces it with nitrogen, reducing the amount of oxygen in the air to high-altitude levels. Sleeping in the simulated altitude conditions of a hypoxic tent triggers your body to saturate your blood oxygen levels, releasing red blood cells and ready your system for conditions at 20,000ft (6,096m). 'As you expose yourself to altitude, your kidneys release EPO [erythropoietin], which starts this physiological change that leads to an increase in red blood cells, but more so into a better ability to transport and utilize oxygen,' Brian Oestrike, CEO of Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems tells us. Climbers like Ushakov use hypoxic tents to ready themselves for the unforgiving mountain conditions atop the globe's tallest peaks. Saturating your blood oxygen levels can be beneficial in several ways, reducing the risk of altitude sickness and preparing your body for the tiring effects of altitude. 'You improve your comfort and safety margin as you're ascending up through the mountains,' Oestrike explains. 'You sleep like garbage if you're not acclimatized, you lose your appetite, so you wither away as those things happen. By acclimatizing beforehand and using this equipment, you can offset your expedition, it improves your safety and your comfort margin.' By mimicking arduous alpine conditions, hypoxic tents can reduce the time it takes to acclimatize. 'Most people, if they're going to the Himalayas, historically have a six to eight-week expedition itinerary,' continues Oestrike. 'It takes that long for your body to slowly adapt and build the red blood cells that carry oxygen and allow you to climb safely." Ultra-running superstar Kilian Jornet slept inside a hypoxic tent for eight weeks before his maiden ascent of Mount Everest, mimicking altitudes of 13,000ft (3,962m) to 16,000ft (4,877m) without leaving sea level. He then became the fastest man to climb Everest alone and without oxygen, summiting the 29,000ft (8,850m) behemoth in just 26 hours. Although they're becoming increasingly popular with climbers and other extreme athletes, hypoxic tents do have their limitations and experts say they cannot be trusted as the sole method for acclimatization. "It's not the full acclimatization. I would say it's the first step," says Grégoire Millet, Professor of Exercise Physiology at the Institute of Sport Sciences in Lausanne, France. He explains that, even after months of sleeping in a hypoxic tent, "you will use some acclimatization, but not the full spectrum. You can be fully acclimatized in the tent, and not acclimatized to the real mountain". In other words, hypoxic tents cannot fully prepare the body for the rigours and difficulties of climbing at very high altitudes. In the Himalayas, elite climbers (and paying clients) on expeditions aiming for the highest peaks enter what is known as the Death Zone, an extremely dangerous zone above 26,247ft (8,000m), where besides having to deal with temperatures potentially tumbling to -31°F (-35°C) and highly technical terrain, the oxygen in the air is so low it's impossible for humans to survive for long. "You have to go to the real mountain for at least a few days before you travel," advises Millet, an expert in acclimatization technology. He advises climbers to use the tents in combination with traditional acclimatization methods, like sleeping atop smaller mountains, before tackling any major peaks. "It's better to use the tents, and then before you go to the Himalayas, it's recommended that you go for at least a few days to the Alps," he says. He says your body acclimatizes differently at real altitude and, despite their many benefits, hypoxic tents cannot fully replicate the tough conditions and and lack of oxygen in the mountains. It's not just mountaineers who put hypoxic tents to good use. All manner of sports people, from swimmers to footballers, use simulated altitude environments to expand their physical capabilities and access the benefits of altitude training. 'If you can transport and utilize oxygen better, that leads to better performance benefits, and literally just more ability to consume oxygen,' says Oestrike. "Most of the elite athletes, they have a hypoxic chamber at home," adds Millet. "It's not a tent, but it's a real chamber. It's the same idea, you decrease the oxygen concentration in the room." By training and sleeping at altitude, athletes can increase what's known as their hemoglobin mass, which boosts the amount of oxygen they can utilize during exercise. As Millet explains, this requires considerably more time than mountain acclimatization: "Every 100 hours sleeping in the tent, you will increase your hemoglobin by one percent." Every member of the US Olympic rowing quad who won gold at the Paris 2024 games reportedly slept in hypoxic tents for six weeks before racing. Although they're designed for elite athletes, hypoxic tents can be useful to outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities, helping to build fitness and intensify workouts. When it comes to climbing, Oestrike suggests that hypoxic tents are even more useful to amateurs than professionals. 'Most people who are committed to an 8,000m (26,247ft) peak know what they're getting into, they know what the training looks like, and they know what it takes to prepare. 'High-level athletes are already training super intensively. So the person that's more modest and maybe needs to lose a little weight, they're going to see a greater upside.' Of course, hypoxic tents are not required for easy-to-medium-difficulty ascents. Nor are they absolutely essential to climb giants like Mount Everest. Traditional, slower, acclimatization has proven itself as an effective, stress-tested method of alpine preparation. Rather, hypoxic tents are an additional and convenient method of acclimatizing, to be used along with high-altitude climbing and intensive training. You can read our exclusive interview with Andrew Ushakov here. For more on climbing preparation, check out our expert guide. The best ice axes: for tackling frozen terrain The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store