Buying a new mattress, thinking Brooklyn Bedding BME, was also considering T&N or Casper Mattress

JCapZano · December 22, 2015, 11:07pm

Thanks, that’s very helpful!

Phoenix:

Hi JCapZano,

I would keep in mind that the perception of firmness/softness is relative and can vary from person to person. For most people the Tuft & Needle would probably feel a little firmer than the medium BME but there are no “standard” definitions or consensus of opinions for firmness ratings and different manufacturers can rate their mattresses very differently than others so a mattress that one manufacturer rates as being a specific firmness could be rated very differently by another manufacturer.

Different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.

Phoenix

I actually perceive the T&N as being a little softer, but I think you’re right that most people would think it feels a little more firm, because I asked my girlfriend and she said the T&N is definitely more firm. After I told her what I thought she said the T&N is “definitely more firm, but at the same time it feels a little softer.” I think that perception of it being soft must have more to do with the feel of the material, and less with the actual firmness. Luckily we both agree we like the T&N more.