Softest/Most Plush Mattress - Casper vs. Leesa vs. Tuft & Needle

Hey all,

  1. I am moving into an apartment in a big city and want an easy mattress to move around, thus I was considering mattresses within the Casper/Leesa/Tuft & Needle category. I know Tuft & Needle has updated the materials/composition of their mattress and just wanted to better understand which of the three mattresses above is the softest/plushest?

  2. What are the pros/cons of putting a mattress directly on the floor? What option would feel the softest for a memory foam mattress that I am considering. From what I understand, a firm flat surface (i.e. - not a box spring) is best, slats arenā€™t necessarily more flat or firm than the floor so I was figuring the floor might be a good option for me, but wanted to better understand the implication of putting mattresses directly on the floor.

  3. Any other factors/differences between the mattresses that I should take into consideration are appreciated too.

I just got a Tuft and Needle and got to try a Casper that a friend has. You can read my review and a short comparison (they are so different though, itā€™s hard to compare) if you go to the ā€œThe 10 in. Tuft and Needle Diaryā€, one of the recent threads on this forum. (sorry I donā€™t know how to do links to threads like Phoenix).

Hi J-Dude,

NOTE ADDED: In addition to this reply ā€¦ there is more about the ā€œsimplified choiceā€ or ā€œone choice fits allā€ mattresses in this topic that includes more information that can help you make more meaningful comparisons between them.

Softness and firmness is very subjective and is also relative to the body type, sleeping positions, and sensitivity of the person. There are also different types of softness/firmness that different people will be more or less sensitive to (see post #15 here). Because of all the variables involved ā€¦ different people would probably have different opinions about the relative softness or firmness of two different mattresses. In the case of a mattress that uses memory foam in the design then the softness or firmness of the mattress can also be affected by temperature, humidity, or the length of time that the memory foam is compressed over the course of the night.

The only way to know which mattress would feel softer or firmer for you (regardless of whether it would feel softer or firmer for someone else) would be comparing them in person in side by side testing but since this probably isnā€™t possible the only way to know whether a mattress would likely be the ā€œrightā€ softness/firmness for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) would be your own personal sleeping experience. I would also keep in mind that a mattress that is too soft (in either the comfort or support layers) can also be a very risky choice in terms of alignment regardless of how soft it ā€œfeelsā€. It would also be worthwhile talking with any online manufacturer or retailer that you are considering (none of these are mattress manufacturers) so that they can give you some idea of the relative softness/firmness of each of their mattresses compared to other mattresses that you may be considering or have experience testing or sleeping on that they may be familiar with.

Some of the members here that have tried more than one of them (and hopefully see your post) may also be able to tell you which one felt softer to them but most people would only be familiar with the one they actually purchased.

There is more about the risks of using a mattress on a solid surface (such as a floor) that doesnā€™t provide any airflow under the mattress in post #10 here. There is also more about the types of support systems that generally do best with different types of mattress in the foundation post here (and the two links in the second paragraph) but most foam mattresses (memory foam, polyfoam, or latex foam) will generally do best with a firm non flexing support system that is similar to the floor in terms of firmness and how it feels but has some ventilation and will raise the height of the sleeping surface to a more suitable level (although thatā€™s a preference) and not a box spring with actual springs that flex underneath the mattress.

All three of the mattresses you are considering use different materials and components and the type of materials or the type of foam that you tend to prefer sleeping on is a personal preference that only you can decide.

There is more about the most important parts of the ā€œvalueā€ of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help you ask (and hopefully answer) the most important questions when you are purchasing a mattress and make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses. There is also more about the different ways to choose a mattress (online or local) in post #2 here that can help make sure you have realistic expectations about each type of purchase and help you minimize the risks of each type of mattress purchase as well.

In terms of how they compare based on the type and quality of the materials inside each of them ā€¦

ADDED:
http://www.kissmattress.com/ is another new entrant in this category that is made by SleepEZ and is another true factory direct manufacturer with its own factory and is also a member of this site. They have two firmness choices to also cover a broader range of the bell curve that will fit most people than a single firmness choice with one choice on the plush side of medium and the other on the firer side of medium. They use 1.5" of blended Talalay latex over a 1.5" transition layer of 4 lb high performance polyfoam which they call float foam which has the conforming properties of memory foam without the slow response and very low resilience of memory foam which can lead to the ā€œstuckā€ feeling that is common to many memory foams. The comfort and transition layers are on top of a 7" base layer of 2 lb polyfoam for deep support which is a higher quality material than you would normally find in this category. The cover is a high performance rayon/polyester blend. These are all very high quality materials and this is also a mattress that has no weak links in the design and would be suitable for any weight range without any qualifications. They also offer a pillow bonus to the members of the forum.

ADDED:
The Love Bed by Nest Bedding is another new entry in this category. They have three firmness choices (soft, medium, and firm) so they will also cover a wider range of the bell curve that would be suitable for different people than a single firmness choice. They use 3" of blended Talalay latex on top of a 7" 2 lb convoluted polyfoam. The cover is a bamboo blend fabric and is quilted with about 1" - 1.5" of polyfoam (depending on the firmness choice) for a total height of about 10" - 11". They are also a member of this site. These are all high quality and durable materials and there are no weak links in this mattress and it would be suitable for any weight range.

Tuft & Needle in the 10" version has about 3" of 2.9 lb high performance polyfoam on top of a 7" 1.8 lb polyfoam support core. A forum search on Tuft Needle (you can just click the link) will bring up much more information and feedback about them ā€¦ although some of it will be about their previous mattress design and you can read more about their new materials and design which uses higher quality/density material in their comfort layer in posts #2 and #6 here. There are no weak links in terms of the quality/durability of the materials in their mattress either.

Casper has a combination of 1.5" of synthetic Dunlop latex over 1.5" of 4 lb memory foam over a 7" 1.8 lb polyfoam support core. The latex provides some surface resiliency and freedom of movement while the memory foam underneath it provides some additional softness and contouring and motion isolation. While it would certainly be in a better quality/value range than most mainstream mattresses it may not be in the ā€œbest value rangeā€ compared to some of the other mattresses that are available to you (based on the information and sources on this site) that use the same or higher quality materials, are in a similar or lower budget range, and have more options both before and after a purchase to customize the mattress to your unique needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences). Having said that ā€¦ there are no obvious weak links in the quality or durability of the materials as long as you arenā€™t in an unusually high weight range that may do better with higher quality/density materials. You can read more about Casper in post #2 here and the posts it links to.

Leesa is a new entry in the so called ā€œone size fits allā€ mattresses and you can read about them in post #2 here. Their mattress includes 2" of 3.75 lb high performance polyfoam over 2" of 3 lb memory foam over a 6" 1.8 lb polyfoam support core. As you can see ā€¦ I would be cautious with a mattress that used 2" of 3 lb memory foam in the comfort layers which could be a weak link in the mattress in terms of longer term durability.

ADDED:
Yogabed is another new entry in the ā€œone choice fits allā€ category of mattresses. Their mattress is made up of .75" of ā€œinstant responseā€ (which is most likely some type of high performance polyfoam) over 1.75" of ā€œYogagelā€ (which would be some type of gel memory foam) over 6.5" of a ā€œbreathable foam baseā€ (which would also be some type of polyfoam) over a 1" support base (which again would be some type of polyfoam). There is some information about them including their replies to some questions about their mattress in this topic and as you can see they have chosen not to disclose the quality/density of the foams they use and like any mattress that doesnā€™t provide enough information to make an informed choice about the quality and durability of their materials I would avoid them completely.

UPDATE: One of the forum members was a little more persistent than I was about asking for their foam density information (see post #6 here ā€¦ and thanks toddstrawser :)) and they use a .75" layer of 5 lb high performance polyfoam over a 1.75" layer of 4 lb gel memory foam over a 6.5" layer of 1.8 lb polyfoam core over a 1" layer of 1.8 lb polyfoam so there would be no obvious weak links in this mattress although although they do use less of the more premium (and more costly) specialty foams in their 2.5" comfort layers than the other ā€œone choice fits allā€ mattresses which use between 3" and 4" of specialty foams in their comfort layers.

ADDED:
4sleep.com is another new entry in this group of ā€œsimplified choiceā€ mattresses. They use 1.5" of 3.5 lb gel memory foam on top of 1" 3 lb high performance polyfoam and 1.5" 3 lb high performance polyfoam. Their support core is 7" of 1.8 lb polyfoam with firmer edge support. There is a little more information about them in posts #4 and onwards in this topic. I have talked with Lori and she and her husband are committed to being transparent about the materials they use and providing good service and a good quality/value mattress to consumers. Like many in this category of mattresses they are working directly with a manufacturer in the design and construction of their mattress but they are not a manufacturer themselves. Kevin has years of experience in foam manufacturing and Lori has many years of experience in brand building and marketing. They use good quality materials and there are no obvious weak links in their mattress in terms of durability for those that are in more average weight ranges but with 3.5 lb memory foam and the 1.8 lb polyfoam I would be a little cautious if you are in a higher weight range (more than the low 200ā€™s or so) where I would look for higher density and more durable materials to reduce the risk of foam softening and break down over the longer term. Like the others in this group they have a great return policy as well and are certainly in a better quality/value range than most of the mainstream mattresses made by the major manufacturers.

This topic also includes some brief replies from Casper, Leesa, and Tuft & Needle along with Dreamfoam (which is a sister company to Brooklyn Bedding) about what they believe sets them apart from their competition which may also be worth reading.

There are also some comments about these mattresses that would be relevant for those that are in higher weight ranges in post #3 here.

Hopefully you will also have read the mattress shopping tutorial so you will realize that there is no such thing as a mattress that is ā€œuniversally comfortableā€ or the best match for a majority of people because each personā€™s needs and preferences and the mattress that is best for each person in terms of PPP can be very different from someone else.

One of the attractions of the newer breed of ā€œall or nothingā€ or ā€œone firmness choice fits allā€ mattresses that are being introduced in the market where there is only one firmness option available is that they simplify the buying and decision making process without having to spend time testing different mattresses which can be very attractive to some people but you will generally find that these types of mattresses will be the ā€œbestā€ match for a relatively small percentage of the population, a ā€œgoodā€ match for a larger percentage, and an ā€œOKā€ match for a larger percentage yet. The only way to know which group you fit in will be based on your actual sleeping experience but for those where itā€™s not a ā€œgood enoughā€ match then they all have a great return policy that lets you start all over again with choosing another mattress with little risk outside of the time you spent trying the mattress or returning it.

If you are considering one of these mattresses then itā€™s important to set aside the marketing information that you will find on most of their sites and make your choices based on more factual information so you can choose a mattress that is the best match for you in terms of PPP and on all the the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. If one of these is more attractive to you than the many other options you have available (after excluding any that have a potential weak link in the mattress) then at least there is little risk in trying them.

Phoenix

I have slept on both the 10" Tuft and Needle (previous model) and the Casper. One of the biggest reasons I tried these mattresses is because both companies have nailed down the mattress buying experience in terms of the trial periods, the entire return process, and the overall customer service experience. Below are my specific explanations for why they didnā€™t ultimately work out for me (it always comes back to PPP).

I tried the previous Tuft and Needle 10" and I ultimately ended up ā€˜returningā€™ it (donating it to the local furniture bank). My biggest problem was my hips sank too much compared to the portion of my upper body around my rib cage, so my low back would over extend. Iā€™m 6ā€™3", 225 # and a former collegiate athlete (discus/shot put), so I have quite a bit of weight in my hips/legs (Iā€™m also mainly a back sleeper and occasionally rotate to my sides). It would be interesting to know if the newer model would have been a better fit. On a side note, one of my former teammates (a smaller sprinter) likes his T&N a lot (previous model).

Iā€™m currently in the last few weeks of the Casper trial period and Iā€™m probably going to return it. Iā€™m having similar issues as the Tuft and Needle (back hyperextension). I like the overall feel of this mattress better and the back issue isnā€™t as noticeable as in the T&N, but itā€™s enough to make we want to look into other options.

I would still recommend both mattresses to people looking for a simple mattress buying experience with the hassle-free ā€˜returnā€™ process. At worst, you have interim options that free up time to do more research if needed.

Hi smjaffee,

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments and feedback ā€¦ I appreciate it :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Phoenix - Thanks so much, you are awesome!!! I read up on the links that you suggested and i will try to stick to members of the site for my business. As you can probably tell, this is my first ever mattress purchase. I take the quality of my sleep quite seriously as I work crazy hours and try to make the sure the small amount of Zzzā€™s I actually catch are of high qualityā€¦

After a bunch of reading today, I am thinking that a latex bed is probably a good fit for me (I will of course, check and experiment to confirm, but itā€™s always good to know where to start your search!). My priorities are pretty simple - I want something with lots of plushness (i.e. - pressure relief), but something that is also lively (i.e. - good material for sex). off the top of your head and just for assistance in searching around (the plethora of options can be frustrating and overwhelming) are there any brands around the same price range as the casper (under $1k for a queen) that would might be a good fit these specifications?

Iā€™ll keep the Casper in my back pocket as a backup - guess I could do worse with the material (as you mentioned) and should be decent balance with pressure relief and liveliness due to its make-up (foam & latex). Thanks again!!!

smjaffee,

Thank you for the reply. Funny you mention this - Iā€™m an ex-track guy as well. I was a sprinter, but a ā€œheavierā€ sprinter at around 200 lbsā€¦as I mentioned above Iā€™m going to look around because I still have some time, but may go with the Casper if I canā€™t find anything betterā€¦I am very attracted by the simple buying process, although I understand there is a trade-off between a mattress that will meet your specific needs and engaging in an oversimplified buying process. The Casper seems very portable (at least at first when it shows up in a box) as well which is nice being in a big city but I must say Iā€™d rather deal with the pain of moving a mattress that I absolutely love once a year (at most) rather than having a little easier move once a year with a mattress that is just ā€œgood enoughā€.

Be aware that the mattress fits in that box because it is compressed. Once you take it out of the box and cut open the wrapper it expands, and itā€™ll never be that small again, so thatā€™s really only a one-time benefit.

Hi J-Dude,

There is more about mattresses and sex (particularly in relation to less resilient materials like memory foam) in post #2 here.

Some of the better latex and/or latex hybrid options Iā€™m aware of that are in lower budget ranges are listed in posts #3 and #4 here. I donā€™t consider the Casper to be a ā€œlatexā€ or a latex hybrid mattress because there is too little latex in the mattress to put it in that category and with the memory foam under the latex it would also have less of the more resilient ā€œfeelā€ of latex as well (although there are some people who may prefer a combination of latex and memory foam because the choice of materials is always a personal preference).

I would add a ā€œdittoā€ to tamaracks comments here as well.

There may also be some local options that are well worth considering as well (or that may be good choices for testing different materials or types of mattresses) and if you let me know your city or zip code Iā€™d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities Iā€™m aware of in your area as well.

Phoenix

J-dude- I donā€™t think the Tuft and Needle would be for you if you are looking for a lively mattress. The Casper that I got to lie on for about 30 minutes, is quite ā€œspringyā€ and has a pretty lively top. The Casper is all foam, and does have a different feel than an innerspring mattress, if thatā€™s what youā€™re used to.

Depends on how much work you want to do. You may have some good local options. The Tuft and Needle and Casper options are ā€œeasyā€, but more risky as you havenā€™t tried, but both have good return policies. The ordering, delivery and setup process are super easy for Casper and for Tuft and Needle.

I had really wanted latex, but Iā€™m one of the people that doesnā€™t like latex very much (my last mattress was latex, and I have spent a few hours in local ā€œorganicā€ mattress stores testing other versions, and none of the mattresses worked for me). Even on the Casper, I could feel the latex qualities that I donā€™t prefer. But a lot of people love latex, so itā€™s such an individual choice. If you are considering latex, and have local options check out what latex feels like- you may find a mattress you love locally.

My friend will be returning the Casper- itā€™s just not for her- a little too firm. Casper had sent her a free memory foam topper to try, but now she feels the mattress is too soft. The return policy is easy- they send someone out to pick the mattress up, and it will get donated to a local charity. Refund of 100%. But a lot of people love the Casper.

I, on the other hand, am on my 3rd night of the Tuft and Needle and so far really like it. But if you are looking for a springy, plush, lively, Tuft and Needle I donā€™t think is what youā€™re after. The Casper is closer to what you may be looking for, but itā€™s hard to say, we all respond to a mattress differentlyā€¦

Phoenix - Thank you, I will check out the links. Iā€™m from the Detroit area, but am moving to Chicago.

Sheep123 - Thank you for the input, I will definitely try to put the Latex bed to the test prior to purchasing, but Iā€™m definitely going to stay away from Tuft & Needle at this point, if I end up going with the generic buy online route - Iā€™ll go with Casper.

Hi J-Dude,

Subject to the guidelines here ā€¦ the better options or possibilities Iā€™m aware of in and around the Detroit area are listed in post #2 here and for the Chicago area are listed in posts #2 and #4 here.

Phoenix

J-Dude

Sounds like you have a good plan in place. If you are able to put more time in up front to find the mattress you will have for the next 10+ years, then you are in a great spot. Good luck with the rest of your search.

Just wanted to say thanks to the site and especially you folks who were responsive here in helping me purchase a mattress. I ended up going to a local store (member of the site) and trying out a Pure LatexBliss bed which I ended up purchasing from the store. I was more comfortable with purchasing this bed rather than taking a chance with something online that I couldnā€™t try out prior to purchase. I went with the ā€œNaturalā€ model though I considered the ā€œBeautifulā€ as well. Both felt great, but I figured the Natural was a safer bet b/c I flail around and end up on my stomach sometimes and I can always get a topper to make the bed softer if need be, but not vice versa.

Appreciated the collection of information on this site and the guidance from members. Otherwise I would have probably ended up with a lower quality mattress due to purchasing based on brand, randomly trying out a mattress in store without a true understanding or knowledge of the mattressesā€™ construction, or just blindly ordering online. Thanks again and happy holidays to all.

Hi J-Dude,

As you probably know from your reading here I think very highly of Jeff at Matt-To-Go (which is where Iā€™m assuming you made your purchase) and you certainly ended up choosing a high quality mattress.

Iā€™m glad the site could help you ā€¦ and congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I hope you have the chance to share your comments and feedback once youā€™ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

smjaffee,

Did you find a new mattress option? Weā€™re a month in on our Casper and itā€™s not working for me (6ā€™4, 200) - Iā€™ve consistently woken up with a lot of upper/mid back pain. The firmness doesnā€™t bother me, I just find that my upper body does is not getting any pressure relief.