The 10 in. Tuft & Needle Diary

Initial Thoughts:

  • Ordering/Delivery experience has been great. Fast responses to emailed questions, faster than expected delivery (based on their estimates), and was easy to set up the mattress.

  • Feels like a quality product beyond the $500 cost (queen 10-inch).

  • Actually softer than I expected. From all the “firm, too firm” feedback, I was expecting something even firmer.

  • Interesting to me is the feel is definitely different from mattresses I’ve slept on in the past. I’m assuming it’s because it’s 100% foam rather than the springs, or springs + thin memory foam layer mattresses that I’m used to.

Overall positive; will see how things go in a couple weeks.

Hi jplase,

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback … I appreciate it :slight_smile:

Phoenix

Just curious, what makes T&N’s polyurethane foam different from other polyurethane foams out there?
Their website lacked any detailed information.

Also their claim of perfect firmness and universal comfort for all body types and sleeping positions seems a little suspect.
Although the reviews on Amazon seem to back that claim for the most part, so maybe this is some kind of newfangled polyurethane foam.

Hi gme,

There is nothing unusual, unique, or “newfangled” about the polyfoam they use. They use 3 layers of polyfoam that are between 1.8 lbs and 2 lb density. What makes their mattress (or any mattress) unique is the design and layering of the materials inside it. Different layer thicknesses and firmness levels along with the specific properties of each polyfoam layer and the type of cover and quilting a mattress uses all combine together to make each mattress different from other mattresses that use similar materials.

Since Tuft & Needle only offers a single firmness level it would be an “all or nothing” choice that will be the “best” choice for a relatively small percentage of the population, a “good choice” for a slightly larger percentage, an “OK” choice for a larger percentage yet and for those that it’s not a “good enough” choice they also have a great return policy so there is little risk in trying it.

Phoenix

Just ordered a king 10 today. New to any type of foam mattress but price point of T&N and return policy makes the trial possible so hoping to be a convert.

Hi rputnam,

You may have read this already but you will be among the first few that order their new design with their new higher quality/density comfort layer (see this topic).

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your feedback on their new design when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it.

Phoenix

I am probably going to be ordering a 10" T&N this week.

I wrote a long e-mail message to Tuft and Needle, and had a reply within a few hours. So far I’m impressed, they answered every point of question that I had.

And just wanted to relay a few things:

  1. As Phoenix stated, they are using a new 2 layer (instead of 3 layer system), using 3.5 lb density foam for the top comfort layer. Rachel (the rep who responded) said they made this change because they were getting feedback that the mattress was too firm. Supposedly the new foam will provide more pressure point relief, but still provide firm support.

Phoneix- how can a denser foam be “softer”. I can’t wrap my head around this- their old comfort layer was more like 2.0 lb wasn’t it?

  1. I asked if flame retardants used in the foam- and Rachel confirmed there are no flame retardant chemicals in the foam.

  2. Some people may have a “firmer experience” on the 5" vs. the 10" due to feeling the foundation through the bottom layer of foam. ( Maybe heavier people?).

  3. Shipping date can be chosen (I like this since we will be out of town until December 14, but having guests Dec. 30- and I will get kicked out of the guest futon for 4 days- I no longer can sleep in my normal bed- like to have something to try for a week and a half before guests arrive!)

Hope this helps. I didn’t post the entire message- it’s very long, trying to address my health issues. Figure the mattress is worth trying, one of the things that makes me cringe about buying a mattress from many places is the return policy- and T&N is certainly generous. I seem to prefer polyfoam over other foams, so this seems like a good option to try.

Does anyone know if we still can request the 60 day return period for being on MU? I don’t know if I’ll need it, but I’m thinking about mentioning it when ordering.

Hi sheep123,

Any density of polyfoam can be made in a wide range of firmness levels or ILD/IFD’s so a lower density foam could be anywhere between ultra soft or ultra firm and a higher density polyfoam can be in the same range. This is part of the chemical formulation of a foam which can create stiffer cells or softer cells. Density can play some role in firmness in some cases because higher density foams tend to have a higher compression modulus which means they get firmer faster as you compress them more deeply than higher density foams (so they can also be more “supportive”) but this isn’t always the case either because once again it depends on the chemical formulation of the foam. There is also more in post #4 here about the different specs that can interact together and affect how soft or firm a foam feels. Their old foam layers were about 2 lbs yes.

Fire retardant foams are not particularly common in mattresses which most often use barrier systems to pass the fire regulations. They are much more common in furniture.

Yes … heavier people would be more likely to experience this. There is more about the effect of thickness in post #14 here.

Yes … if you let them know you are a member here then you would be entitled to the 6.5% discount that they provide to the forum members here (unless there is a sale that is larger than the discount) and the trial period would also be extended to 60 days.

Phoenix

Thank you Phoenix for making this more clear to me.

And thank you for clearing this up for me- I was under the impression that most polyfoam in mattresses had flame retardant chemicals like couches do. The “organic” mattress industry sure leads us to believe this, and make a big deal about their latex foams not containing chemical flame retardants, and the wool/cotton covering being the fire barrier. I am comfortable with T&N’s use of rayon/silca as a fire barrier, unlike some of the websites online would lead consumers to believe this is dangerous…

Thanks.

Hi sheep123,

As you can see at the end of this article and in post #2 here … I would have no concerns with the safety of this type of fire barrier either.

Phoenix

I received the 5 inch Queen last week (pre-updated model).

I’ve had good nights of sleep, but I have woken up with a severely sore neck and back 2 or 3 times.

I am now trying to decide whether to simply add a mattress topper or possibly try their updated version.

It would be nice if some company offered a trial period for a mattress topper as well (without having to pay return shipping fees that nearly equal the cost of the topper).

Not sure what to do, but at least I have a few more weeks for the T&N trial.

Despite the soreness, sleep quality has been above average compared to my recent IKEA mattress. I also love the Spartan-ness of having a 5" mattress.

Rocketship- Someone else in this long thread mentioned trying a different pillow if your neck hurts. I very much agree. I mostly sleep on the guest futon these days, but if I move into the firmer master bedroom bed, I have to change pillows (for me, on the firmer surface I need a firmer pillow that keeps my neck up higher, on the softer futon, I can use my squishy old pillow that isn’t as stuffed). If it’s your upper back/neck that hurts, a pillow can make a big difference, and it might not be the mattress at all.

Did you confirm with T&N that this was their older mattress version? I wrote back and asked when they switched over to the new mattress, and the answer was November 17/18, and they had sold all the old versions before starting to ship the new ones.

I’ll be ordering a Ten later this week to replace our horrible mattress. If we like it, we may order a Five for the guest room!

Edited to add: if you tell T&N that you are a mattress underground member, you can request an extended trial period of 60 days.

Hi rocketship,

There is more about the initial break in and adjustment period for any new mattress and some additional suggestions that may be helpful in post #2 here

There is also more about the most common symptoms that people may experience on a mattress and some of the more common reasons for them in post #2 here. I also agree with sheep123 that head and neck issues are often related to the pillow you are using because if you are sinking in more or less to a new mattress compared to the mattress you are used to sleeping on you will often need a new pillow that is either thicker or thinner as well.

[quote]I am now trying to decide whether to simply add a mattress topper or possibly try their updated version.

It would be nice if some company offered a trial period for a mattress topper as well (without having to pay return shipping fees that nearly equal the cost of the topper).[/quote]

There can be some uncertainty and trial and error involved in choosing a topper that is a good match for both you and the mattress you are using because of all the many variables involved but if you do decide to try a topper then post #2 here and the additional topper guidelines it links to can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point or pointer to choose the type, thickness, and firmness of a topper that has the best chance of success. It also includes a link to the better online topper sources I’m aware of and a list of suppliers that have a good return or exchange policy.

Phoenix

I’d decided about a year ao that my next mattress would be Tuft and Needle and now that I’m moving to a new place it;s time to finally order one. And now I see that the price has increased by $100 for the 10" queen. Ah well, my last mattress was that much and not especially good, so I;m looking forward to joining the family

I’ll be sure to let you know how it works out!

Hi tishaLA,

Yes … they changed the design in mid November and are now using more costly materials than they were previously. You can read a little more about the different design in this topic.

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix

Going to give ordering the Ten a shot tomorrow, nice to see that I didn’t imagine the price increase. Although as I’d originally thought I needed a queen when measurments show we’ve only got a full my expected costs haven’t changed. Guess I should really find myself a new foundation too while waiting for the mattress to ship, currently there’s a box spring of unknown age but I’m comfortable saying it’s old enough to drink :blush:

Hi Pizzapotamus,

Congratulations on your new mattress :slight_smile:

I’m looking forward to your feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

The foundation post here has more information about support systems that would be suitable for different types of mattresses and some sources for each of them.

Phoenix

After to many hours researching and reading on the computer, I was leaning heavily towards buying a Casper this weekend, even though it’s a bit more than I would like to spend. Now that I see here (great site, btw) that Tuft & Needle have revised their mattress, I think I will hold off. Looking forward to seeing what you all think of your new beds!

Hi doghouse,

There are certainly many great quality/value options that are available to the members here in every price range that can sometimes make it very difficult to decide on which of many good options would be best for you.

I would keep in mind that one person’s experience on a mattress can be very different from someone else so using someone else’s experience as a guideline for how you may feel on a mattress can sometimes be very misleading (see post #13 here about mattress reviews) but having said that … I’m also looking forward to some of the feedback about their new design.

I’m also looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding.

Phoenix

This thread has been really helpful in my decision to purchase a 10 from T&N. I am really excited to get my new mattress!