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We compared Casper's foam mattress to its new hybrid mattress to determine which bed you should buy
We compared Casper's foam mattress to its new hybrid mattress to determine which bed you should buy
James BrainsJun 16, 2019, 03:30 IST
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Casper established itself as one of the best mattress brands thanks to its excellent customer service, 100-night risk-free trial, and 10-year warranty.
Though I preferred the Casper Hybrid because it was more comfortable for my body type and sleeping style, I think most people will prefer the Casper flagship mattress because of its superior edge support, motion transfer isolation, and lower price.
A good mattress will last you for decades, and you'll spend a third of your daily life on it. When considering such an important purchase, you should be able to spend significant time sleeping on the mattress. Fortunately, Casper allows you to test drive all of its mattresses for 100 nights risk-free, and the company now has samples all over the country - at Target and in their own brick-and-mortar stores - for you to see and feel in person.
Recently, Casper updated its flagship mattress and introduced the Casper Hybrid mattress. The updated flagship Casper features a new zoned support foam layer that focuses on providing pressure relief and support that is firmer under the hips and softer under the shoulders.
The new Hybrid also has the zoned support layer along with the other three foam layers found in the updated Casper. What sets the Casper Hybrid apart is its individual coil springs designed to provide added lift and increased airflow.
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Casper recently sent me both mattresses to test. Each has weaknesses and advantages. Below, we compare the updated all-foam Casper mattress to the Casper Hybrid mattress in a few key categories: price, style, return policy, warranty, set-up process, comfort, edge support, and motion transfer.
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The Casper Hybrid and the flagship all-foam Casper share several features, but there are a few differences. The biggest one is that the Hybrid has coiled springs, while the regular Casper mattress is all foam.
Since you are adding individually-wrapped pocket coils, the Casper Hybrid mattress is more expensive than the updated Casper mattress. If you are purchasing the Twin-sized mattress the difference in price is only $155, but if you want a Cal King or King, you can expect to pay an extra $400 for the hybrid experience.
You should look at costs when buying a bed, but don't make price the most important factor. Keep in mind that you will spend a significant part of your life on this mattress. Over the lifetime of the bed, differences in price work out to only a few cents per day. Also, if money is a concern, Casper allows you to pay for its mattresses with monthly payments at 0% APR.
If you plan on sleeping alone, a Twin, Twin XL, or Full mattress is your best bet. Twin works for smaller individuals, Twin XL is for taller folks, and Full is best if you are on the huskier side. Couples can share a Queen, King, or Cal King, though if you are a bigger couple go with a King. Taller couples will benefit from the Cal King.
As for looks, the mattresses are nearly identical. Both have gray sides with the all-foam Casper a slightly lighter gray. Both are white on top. The cover is removable and washable. However, you'll still want to use a fitted sheet.
Winner: This is a draw. Casper offers the same return policy and warranty for all of its mattresses.
Though the return policy and warranty are not good ways to differentiate these mattresses, it's important for you to know what's available. You can try out both mattresses with Casper's 100-night risk-free trial. If you don't like the mattress for any reason within 100 nights of its arrival, you can let the company know, and it will send out a local charity or recycling center to take it away for you. You then get a full refund within two weeks.
The mattresses are also backed by 10-year limited warranties. So, if you find any manufacturing defects, physical flaws, or the mattress just experiences significant (an inch or more) indentation, Casper will fix or replace your mattress. The warranty is only valid if you use a supportive foundation, care for the bed properly, and if you use it normally.
Set-up process compared
Winner: The flagship Casper mattress wins by a hair in terms of set up because it weighs less and seemed to have less odor.
Before I dive into my experiences setting these mattresses up, I want to point out that you can pay Casper to set up your mattress for you. For a fee ($149 where I live in Lansing, Michigan), the company will send someone to deliver, unbox, and set up your mattress and bed frame. They will also remove the packaging, your old mattress, and foundation.
I didn't go this route. Instead, I did it all myself. Both mattresses come with instructions for how to unbox and set them up. The mattresses took five minutes to completely unpackage. Then, I let the mattresses air out for a couple of days before using them because memory foam tends to have an odor associated with it.
The queen-sized Hybrid weighs 106 pounds, while the all-foam Casper weighs 85 pounds. The light weight and firmness of the all-foam mattress made it easier to set up. Additionally, I never noticed any odor from the all-foam bed, while the Hybrid did have a noticeable odor.
Comfort compared
Winner: As a side sleeper, I found the softness of the Casper Hybrid served me better than the firm original Casper.
When it comes to mattresses, comfort depends on a lot of factors that vary from person-to-person. Heavier individuals, back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and people with back pain generally benefit more from firmer mattresses. Lighter people and side sleepers tend to feel more comfortable on softer mattresses.
I'm telling you all of this because — unless you're 6-feet tall, weigh 250 pounds, and sleep on your side — you should take my preferences with a grain of salt.
For me, the updated Casper mattress is too firm. It wasn't comfortable sleeping on my side. Instead, I was forced to sleep on my stomach, which I naturally do part of the time, but it was unfortunate that I couldn't switch it up with some side sleeping. The Casper Hybrid is more of a "Goldilocks-fit" for me. The softness makes side and stomach sleeping comfortable.
I'm a hot sleeper and both mattresses did a good job of dissipating heat, but the all-foam Casper slept cooler than the Casper Hybrid. When temperatures dipped into the 30s at night, I found I actually had to add an extra blanket. With the Hybrid, I felt just right with one blanket, even when the mercury fell. If you are a hot sleeper, the all-foam Casper may be a smart choice during the hot summer months.
Edge support compared
Winner: The firm memory foam layers of the flagship Casper mattress extend all the way to the edges offering superior support.
Edge support is important for a number of reasons. First, you don't want your mattress to sag on the sides and give you the feeling you might fall off. It's hard to sleep like that. Secondly, it's nice to sit on the edge of the bed, whether you're putting your socks and shoes on or slowly transitioning from laying to standing.
Both mattresses offer good edge support, but the all-foam Casper mattress is better. I laid on the very edge of the flagship mattress and was actually comfortable there. I didn't feel like I was about to fall. Whereas with the Hybrid, I could feel more give on the edge. However, when I shared the Hybrid with my wife, I never felt like I might fall off, despite her attempts to annex my side of the bed.
Motion transfer isolation or dampening is an important mattress feature because it will help you get a good night's sleep even when your partner is tossing and turning. The fewer times you wake up, the more productive your sleep will be.
Based on my research, I created a makeshift motion transfer test with the materials I had available. First, I placed a 12-ounce can of soda upright on the center of each mattress. Then, I dropped a 20-pound weight from four feet above the mattress so that it landed 12 inches from the can. If the can stayed upright after several iterations, the mattress has good motion transfer dampening properties. If the can fell over consistently, the mattress has poor motion transfer properties.
In my tests on the Casper all-foam mattress, the can remained upright each time. With the Hybrid, the can always fell over. My subjective experience backed these results up. I shared the Hybrid bed with my wife, and she occasionally woke me up with her sleep troubles — a common problem for her.
Though I did not share the all-foam mattress with my wife, I did have a stream of pets walking on it while I slept. They didn't wake me up. The only evidence I had that they were there were random toys and occasionally they would be asleep next to me when I awoke in the morning.
These results tell me that the Hybrid may be better for individuals who mainly sleep alone or are heavy sleepers. The all-foam Casper mattress does a better job of isolating motion transfer, which is ideal for couples sharing a bed.
I also want to point out that poor motion transfer isolation usually translates to more bounciness. Bounce is nice to have when engaged in intimate activities. Yet, neither mattress exhibited much bounce. This may have been due to the foundation (i.e., our floor) having zero give. The all-foam Casper was nice because it did allow for easier movement on top of the mattress, which is helpful for a variety of reasons.
The bottom line
Overall winner: Though I personally would choose the Hybrid, I think the overall better mattress is the all-foam Casper.
During my testing schedule, I found myself looking forward to sleeping on the Hybrid but not the flagship Casper mattress. In the above categories, the only one in which the Hybrid is the clear winner in comfort, but that is an important enough factor that it beats out all others in my opinion. But, keep in mind that I'm a heavy person who sleeps on his side.
If you are a back sleeper, stomach sleeper, are carrying a few extra pounds, or have back pain, you might benefit from the all-foam Casper. This is especially true if you share a bed with someone and want good motion transfer isolation. You can also save hundreds of dollars by going with this option.
You could conceivably try one mattress for up to 100 days, and if you don't like it, return it and try the other for up to 100 days more.
If this seems a bit extreme, I recommend setting up an appointment for a 30-minute nap session at one of Casper's many locations across the United States. Casper is also available at Target stores everywhere.
As you may have gathered, the best mattress is a matter of personal preference. If you look at the above categories and some are more important to you than others, use the important categories to guide your buying decision. You can always return your mattress if you don't like it.
A great mattress can be the difference between a good night's sleep that results in a productive day or a horrible night that makes you feel like you didn't sleep at all.
We've tested a lot of mattresses to find the best ones you can buy online, and these are our picks:
