Hi everyone, I was at T&N today…I live in the Phoenix area, to test out their new 10" mattress.
I am a back sleeper and at 5’2" and 134 pounds I sunk in and didn’t feel like there was much support.
When I rolled over to my side, where I don’t usually sleep, it felt like a dream. I’m not so sure that there is such a
thing as a one type fits all. I wish they would offer a mattress for back sleepers…less top cushion for more support.
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for your feedback … I appreciate it :).
[quote]I am a back sleeper and at 5’2" and 134 pounds I sunk in and didn’t feel like there was much support.
When I rolled over to my side, where I don’t usually sleep, it felt like a dream. I’m not so sure that there is such a
thing as a one type fits all. I wish they would offer a mattress for back sleepers…less top cushion for more support. [/quote]
The Tuft & Needle is in a firmer range so there are many back sleepers (and stomach sleepers as well) that are very happy with their Tuft & Needle. Having said that … a mattress that is a perfect match for one back sleeper may be completely unsuitable for another back sleeper because each person is unique and can have very different needs and preferences from someone else even if they have a similar body type and sleeping position.
I also agree with you that there is no such thing as “one option fits all” regardless of someone’s sleeping position. In most cases you will find that a single firmness choice will be the “best” match for a relatively small percentage of people, a “good” match for a larger percentage, and an "OK match for a larger percentage yet and for those where the mattress isn’t a “good enough” match they have a great return policy so there is very little risk in trying it.
One of the attractions of the “one firmness choice for everyone” style of mattresses is that they simplify the buying and decision making process which can be very attractive to some people and may be one of the most important parts of their “personal value equation” so it’s unlikely that they would offer multiple choices (other than thickness) because this could defeat the purpose of having a single choice in the first place but for those that are looking for more firmness options or for different types of mattresses there are many other manufacturers that offer it (including many in the Phoenix area).
Phoenix
I ordered the T&N ten inch yesterday after extensive reading. I anguished over if I should by the T&N or the Casper. I am a side sleeper and the reviews indicating the T&N is firmer than the Casper made me worried that it might be too firm, which is the case with our current spring mattress.
After considering all the details, and emailing back and forth with T&N customer service, they assured me that I could give it a try and rely on their liberal and free return policy if it turns out to be the wrong choice of mattress for me.
I am pleased to learn from this website that the newer version of the mattress that is currently shipping has been designed to be softer than their previous version, at the same time being more supportive. Win win!
I will post a review once the mattress has arrived and I get a chance to give it a go. Thanks for providing great information to help make this decision easier.
Hi dwzemens,
Congratulations on your new mattress 
I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback as well once you receive it.
Phoenix
I’ve had my mattress for over 56 days now. And so far I like it more than the Casper mattress I had previously, which I found soft but not supportive enough and found my hips sinking into too much and woke up with hip pain.
The new Tuft and Needle mattress is softer than their first, which I also tried but found to firm and while I like the support T&N mattress has, I still find it a tad to firm. I don’t wake up in pain, I find myself stiff in the should and hips. Once I get get of bed it usually goes away.
This mattress number 4 for me and I really don’t want to return it and I am instead thinking of purchasing a latex topper. However I am not sure how thick or what ild. Right now I am thinking 1 inch 14 ild from sleeplikebear or a 1 inch 18 ild from sleeponlatex.
Do you any thoughts on this Mr.Phoenix?
Thanks
Hi dbison,
Thanks for the update on your Tuft & Needle mattress.
It’s at least good to see that your mattress is “closer” than the other 3 mattresses you tried even though you may still need some additional fine tuning.
Post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help you use your actual sleeping experience on your mattress as a reference point and guideline for choosing the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the best chance of success and also includes a link to the better topper sources I’m aware of as well.
Phoenix
I want to thank everyone for the valuable information I’ve found in this thread!
I have been sleeping on a horrible inner-spring mattress for years. I utilized the forums on Mattress Underground to glean information about a new mattress purchase. A couple of weeks ago I purchased a Novosbed Classic mattress. This is my first experience sleeping on a memory foam mattress and I REALLY wanted to like this mattress. I’m a back and side sleeper and for the first few nights, it was great. It seems to be fine for the time I sleep on my side, but after 5 nights I started having neck and mid back pain every morning when I sleep on my back. The back pain continues throughout the day, so I’m going to contact Novosbed for a return as soon as my 60 day trial period ends.
Now I’m looking into purchasing a mattress that’s not memory foam, but also not inner spring. I narrowed my options down to the Tuft & Needle 10 and the Casper. After reading your comments, I think I need to go with a firmer mattress and plan on purchasing the Tuft & Needle this afternoon. I will post again after it arrives.
Hi Watson4321,
I’m sorry to hear that your Novosbed Classic didn’t work out for you as well as you hoped. It uses high quality materials but of course that has little to do with whether a mattress will be a good match for you in terms of PPP. It’s fortunate that you purchased a mattress that had a good exchange/return policy so that you had good options after your purchase and the risk of trying it was low.
The other two mattresses you are considering (the Tuft & Needle and Casper) also have very good return policies as well so the risk of trying them would also be low as well.
It’s possible that both of your “symptoms” may be pillow issues. If the pain continues throughout the day and doesn’t diminish after you get up and throughout the course of the day it’s also possible that there may be other causes involved besides your mattress. There is 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.
As you know I think you are making another good quality/value choice … and congratulations on your new mattress
I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit as well.
Phoenix
Phoenix, Thanks for your comments. After doing additional reading on the forums, I think you’re correct, memory foam in general and maybe the Novosbed classic just doesn’t match me in terms of PPP. I think that the memory foam isn’t a good match for me for a couple of reasons. Not only am a back sleeper for the majority of the night, I also don’t move much - especially on my back. When I lay on my back, I sink and the contouring nature of the memory foam magnifies that effect. And then I feel like I’m laying in a hole without any back support.
I’m sure my symptoms are not a pillow issue. I have slept on a high quality contoured memory foam pillow for years. I, of course, slept on the Novosbed with this pillow with the same achy pain in my neck and back. Novosbed also sent us contoured memory foam pillows with our mattress. They seem less dense than my pillow and are also not as tall/deep. Once I realized I was sinking into the Novosbed when I sleep on my back, I switched to the Novosbed contoured pillow - thinking that since it wasn’t as tall, it would align my neck and spine better than my original pillow. Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed any difference when using their pillows.
I’m also convinced it’s not an injury or any other external problem that’s causing my pain. I’m in my 40’s I have no ongoing symptoms or issues throughout the day. I’m stiff and achy in my mid/upper back when I’m laying on the mattress as well as once I am up. I hope the firmness of the Tuft & Needle will give me the back sleeping support I need as well as enough 'give" for pressure relief when I sleep on my side. I placed my order and now I must wait until it’s delivered.
Hi Watson4321,
If you don’t generally have any ongoing issues with your mid/upper back throughout the day then the odds would certainly be higher that the mattress just isn’t a good “match” for you and trying different pillows with the same result also increases the odds that it isn’t a pillow issue as well.
I also hope that the Tuft & Needle works out well for you and I’m looking forward to your feedback when you receive it.
Phoenix
I am this close to purchasing the Tuft & Needle 10" today after waking up yet again with back pain. My issues are currently caused by the age of my worn-out innerspring mattress, I’m sure – it’s about 8 years old, a Stearns and Foster (don’t recall the model). My problem has been that my boyfriend is a bit heavier than me (he’s close to 200lbs and I’m more like 120). The hammock effect caused by the worn out springs and his weight have been wreaking havoc on my back. I feel like I’m fighting to not roll into the divot that his weight creates. The pain is in the middle of my back on the side that is closer to him when I sleep on my back. I also sleep on my side but there is no position that helps. It’s bad enough that I’m getting up in the middle of the night to sleep on the couch several times a week. 
I’m hoping that a firm foam mattress like the T&N will have less of that hammock effect. Is that just wishful thinking? Surely our weight difference isn’t that unusual and mattresses exist that can handle it… I’m just so frustrated from bad sleep that I’m really worried about never finding something that works.
Thanks so much for this forum; I’ve learned a lot about mattresses already!
Yes, I ordered the 10 in. Tuft and Needle yesterday, but I did so without talking with my spouse about other non-inner spring options. My spouse was concerned about purchasing a foam mattress like the T&N - especially the durability factor. Would it dramatically soften after a few months or weeks? Would it sleep differently after a year? After discussing other options - specifically the Casper and the Leesa - I have cancelled our order with T&N. At this point I’m leaning towards the Casper because it contains a top layer of latex and because the company has been around longer than Leesa. Once I receive a cancellation confirmation from T&N, I will order the Casper.
Watson4321-
If you had read through this topic, you would see that the Tuft and Needle uses high quality foams- 3.5 lb density for the top layer, 1.8 density for the support layer. Both are highly durable, and there will be no sagging after a year like many of the mainstream innerspring mattresses you are used to.
I have had the Tuft and Needle 10", since mid-December. It was really firm when first arriving- and after talking to Tuft and Needle, realized this is because the foam was cold (after sitting in a truck during shipping) and also the new foam had to break in. It softened just a little bit over the first 3 weeks, but should not continue to soften.
I’ve gotten to lay on the Casper- and it is completely different feel than the Tuft and Needle. Both use good quality foams.
The good thing is that both have a generous return policy, so if you try one and don’t like it, you can get your money back and explore other options.
kkaz-
I don’t know if this helps, but my husband is about 165 and I’m about 130. We have a Tuft and Needle since mid-December. The only time I feel like I’m getting sucked into his side of the mattress, is if we are really close- like maybe 2 inches away close. Otherwise, if we stay on our sides of the bed, I feel no effect from his weight.
Sheep123, I’m very unhappy with how the Novosbed classic ‘sinks in’ when I’m on it. Can you expound a bit on what you wrote above? In what way does the Casper feel completely different than the Tuft & Needle?
Watson4321,
Very hard to explain in words the differences I felt between the Casper and the Tuft and Needle.
On the Casper, I felt like I was more “cradled” in the mattress. The mattress top is a little springy. I also felt a familiar latex feel- latex, on my body, seems to have a “pushback” feel on my muscles, although not everyone seems to feel this like I do. My lower back really liked the Casper, but my shoulders got pressure point pain after about 15 minutes when I was on my side. My friend and her husband ended up returning the Casper. Casper was great though, after they reported they felt the mattress was not to their liking (she was getting lower back pain, he was getting shoulder pain), Casper sent them a free topper to try. My friends were getting better sleep, but weren’t in “love” with the mattress, and after they found a mattress locally that they liked more, they returned the Casper. Casper arranged pickup of the mattress, and donated it to a local charity.
The Tuft and Needle feels like I’m “floating” on the surface of the mattress, more than sinking in, even though if I run my hands along my body, I can feel that I am “sunk” into the foam. I actually didn’t like the sensation in the beginning, but after a couple of weeks, got used to the feeling and don’t feel that anymore. The surface is not lively- in that respect, if’s probably more like memory foam, although it is not memory foam- as memory foam continues to warm, some people feel they sink deeper and deeper in at night- the TN does not do that since it’s not temperature sensitive. The TN does not make body impressions like memory foam- as soon as you roll over, the foam pops back into shape. When my husband gets out of bed, I don’t feel motion transfer. For me, personally, the Tuft and Needle is pretty much perfect in terms of what Pheonix talks about “PPP”. This is the first mattress I’ve been able to sleep on my back without a pillow behind my knees. I have no pressure point pain at all on my hips nor shoulders like many mattresses. And for the first time in years, I’m not waking up with any pain at all. However, take this information with a grain of salt, all of us have different requirements for a mattress, and our bodies experience a mattress differently.
Both Casper and Tuft and Needle are on the firm end of the spectrum, but both feel different than a firm innerspring, which many of us are used to. Both have great return policies, so trying either one comes with no risk of getting stuck with a mattress you don’t like.
In either case though, it can take a few weeks to adjust to the new mattress. Although I wasn’t getting pressure point pain and was sleeping okay from the beginning, I wasn’t in love with the TN the first 3 weeks or so. But now I absolutely love it. I think it took a few weeks for the foam to break in, and my body to adjust to a completely different feel after sleeping on innerspring mattresses for decades.
Good luck!
Sheep123, the information and descriptions you gave were very helpful. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my question! Now to pass this along to my spouse and make a decision…
Hi kkaz,
After 8 years the odds are high that your Stearns & Foster is close to the end of its useful life and there are many people replace them much sooner than that because they tend to use lower quality materials in the comfort layers that can soften or sag prematurely which is most likely the reason for your discomfort.
While the only way to know for sure whether any mattress would be a good match for both of you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) is based on your actual testing or sleeping experience … there is little risk in trying it because they have a great return policy. The Tuft & Needle also uses higher quality materials in the comfort layers and unlike your Stearns & Foster … there aren’t any lower quality materials or “weak links” in the design.
If you do decide to pull the trigger then I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback once you’ve received it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix
Hi Watson4321,
The Tuft & Needle mattress uses high quality materials and there certainly aren’t any lower quality materials or weak links that would be subject to premature foam softening or sagging in their design.
You can read a little more about their new design in posts #2 and #6 here.
You can also read a little more about how Casper, Tuft & Needle, and Leesa compare in post #3 here and the rest of the same topic.
Phoenix
Thanks, Phoenix, for the additional information and for the links. I’ve been reading for days, ok weeks, and think it’s time for me to try out some mattresses IRL. As I’ve seen you write many times, PPP is different for every person. I happen to prefer a firmer mattress, but what I consider firm, someone else may think is soft. At this point, I know I don’t want a mattress an inner-spring mattress or one with memory foam in the top comfort layer, but otherwise, I’m still stuck. I’m still interested in the Tuft & Needle 10 in, the Casper and the Leesa, but I’m going to hold off ordering another mattress. I know all three companies have great return policies, but I’d rather not purchase and then return any more mattresses. Again, thanks.