Why You Can Trust CNET Tuft and Needle Original Mattress Review: No Frills, Just Comfort
The Tuft and Needle mattress isn't loaded with bells and whistles, but that's all a part of its charm. It's just meant to be comfortable and affordable.
Tuft and Needle
Score Breakdown
Like
- Wallet-friendly price
- Neutral-foam feel that's not divisive like memory foam
- Medium firmness level to fit most sleeping positions
Don't like
- Not ideal for sleepers over 230 pounds
- Edge support isn't great
Product details
- Type Poly foam hybrid
- Firmness Medium or 5
- Trial 100 nights
- Warranty 10-year limited warranty
Tuft and Needle is a well-known bed-in-a-box brand that you might've seen before via a commercial or an Instagram ad. It's up there with the likes of powerhouse brands such as Casper and Purple, and for good reason. A lot of us don't need extra bells and whistles on our mattress, just a comfortable bed that won't break the bank. That's where Tuft and Needle fits the bill.
Tuft and Needle's popularity can partly be attributed to its budget-friendly cost and generally comfortable feel that's hard to dislike -- like puppies or pizza. While the bed doesn't boast any extra dressing or crazy features, I'd argue that's just a part of its charm. In this Tuft and Needle mattress review, we'll dive into the pros and cons of the brand's flagship mattress and advise on whom we think it'll be most accommodating for.
First impressions
This mattress was delivered in my mailbox. Well, not quite, but it arrived in a surprisingly compact container.
Clean, basic and comfy were a few of my first thoughts upon starting my Tuft and Needle mattress review process. It looks kind of like a big, rectangular marshmallow on top of the bed frame. The cover is textured in bright white, giving it a fresh, aesthetically pleasing look. I noticed a zipper which means you can remove the cover from your Tuft and Needle Original, but I honestly wouldn't recommend it as it's not the most fun to put back on. Also, beware of throwing it in the washing machine. It might be tempting, but if it shrinks, the struggle will be real when you try to put it back on.
Video: Tuft and Needle Original Mattress Review
Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole review the Tuft and Needle Original mattress.
Tuft and Needle feel and firmness
What does Tuft and Needle feel like?
If you're somebody who's turned off by the feel of memory foam mattresses, I think you'd be a fan of the Tuft and Needle Original bed. Instead of molding around your body and almost giving you a sinking feeling, it gently hugs you and responds quickly to pressure, allowing you to move around easily.
How firm is the Tuft and Needle mattress?
It's also plush, yet supportive at the same time, a great middle ground to accommodate a wide range of sleepers. That's why I rated the Tuft and Needle Original mattress around a medium on the firmness scale, or a 5 out of 10, with 10 being the firmest.
Construction
The Tuft and Needle Original bed is 10 inches thick, which is pretty standard compared to your average bed-in-a-box mattress. However, it only has two layers, whereas the average bed has three. I'm not knocking its construction, though. Like I said earlier, it's simple and gets the job done nicely for people who don't need additional support.
- At 7 inches tall the bottom layer is the thickest, made with firm polyurethane foam, and it's the main foundation for the mattress.
- The top layer is responsible for providing comfort. It's made with graphite-infused foam called T&N Adaptive foam, and cooling gel is added to help maintain a neutral temperature.
The cover is made with a knitted material that feels really soft. Still, it's breathable, not warm and cozy like your favorite knitted sweater.
Thanks to Tuft and Needle's foam construction, it's great at isolating motion.
Tuft and Needle mattress performance
Motion isolation
This bed's foam construction makes it great at absorbing motion. If you sleep with a partner (or a large animal), it's nice to get a mattress that won't bounce or shake when they move in the middle of the night. Tuft and Needle definitely excels in this category!
Edge support
During my Tuft and Needle review I found the edge support isn't great. It's not going to give out on you and send you flying off the edge of the bed, but it doesn't feel the most supportive if you're pushed to the edge. Nonetheless, I wouldn't call it a deal-breaker for this bed. I don't expect anything stellar from a two-layer, wallet-friendly mattress.
Temperature
Tuft and Needle markets its mattress as a cooling mattress, but I wouldn't necessarily agree. It does help regulate temperature better than traditional foam mattresses, but you won't feel a cooling sensation, nor is it as breathable a bed as, say, the Purple mattress.
Durability
The Tuft and Needle original mattress is a two-layer foam mattress, making it less durable than hybrid mattresses or thick foam beds. Your Tuft and Needle mattress should last around five years, or more if you take good care of it. That means yearly mattress deep cleans, regularly washing sheets, rotating every six months and avoiding spills in bed. If you want a more supportive and durable mattress, opt for the Tuft and Needle Hybrid.
Off-gassing
Bed-in-a-box mattresses omit a new mattress smell, similar to a new car smell. After being manufactured and compressed into an air-tight seal to fit inside of a box, your Tuft and Needle will off-gas once you unbox and free it from its packaging. However, it won't last more than two or three days, and I recommend opening a window to help air it out.
I think the Tuft and Needle mattress will be best for people who weigh under 230 pounds.
Who is the Tuft and Needle mattress best for?
Not every bed is one size fits all. While it's a good mattress, it might not be the most comfortable or accommodating bed for everyone. Here's who I found sleeps best on it during my Tuft and Needle mattress review.
Position
Considering its medium firmness level, I'd recommend it to most sleeping positions. It's soft enough to give pressure relief to side sleepers, but firm enough to support most back and stomach sleepers. It's quick to respond to pressure when switching positions, which is a plus for combination sleepers.
The only exceptions would be plus-size back and stomach sleepers, or small side sleepers.
Body type
This bed is two layers thick and only made of foam materials. For that reason, I think people over 230 pounds should consider the Tuft and Needle Hybrid mattress. It has a lot of the same qualities, is still affordable, and is more supportive for heavier body types. Or, you can check out our other top favorite hybrid mattresses on our best mattress for heavy people list.
If you weigh under 230 pounds, the Tuft and Needle Original mattress is a perfectly suitable option.
Tuft and Needle mattress pricing
| Size | Measurements (inches) | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | 38x75 inches | $645 |
| Twin XL | 38x80 inches | $695 |
| Full | 54x74 inches | $795 |
| Queen | 60x80 inches | $895 |
| King | 76x80 inches | $1,095 |
| Cal king | 72x84 inches | $1,095 |
We've been hyping this bed's low price for long enough, so now let's get into its value. Prices start at $645 for a twin and go up to $1,095 for a California King. Since prices are already low, the company doesn't always run discounts. However, we might be able to provide you with one, or you can watch out for major holiday sales. You can also consider the more premium Mint mattress if you're looking to spend a little more money on a new bed.
If you've been thinking about buying, now's the time. Tuft and Needle is offering generous Cyber Monday savings that will knock hundreds of dollars off the price of this mattress.
Trial and warranty
As far as company policies go, the Tuft and Needle Original will be shipped to your home for free, rolled up inside a cardboard box. All you have to do is unbox and unroll. Tuft and Needle will give you the chance to test it for up to 100 nights, and if you decide you don't want to keep it, you can get a full refund for your purchase.
For those who buy and decide to keep it, the bed will be backed by a 10-year limited warranty.
We also want to give you a heads-up about a little thing called off-gassing. It's the odor that'll come from your mattress once you unbox it. It's smelly, but don't worry. It won't last for long. Give it about 24 to 48 hours, and the scent will dissipate. This is standard for most bed-in-a-box mattresses unless they're made with natural and organic materials like the Avocado mattress.
The final verdict
To encapsulate our impressions of this mattress to round out our Tuft and Needle review, these are the pros and cons of our experience.
You might like this mattress if:
- You're on a budget.
- You dislike the feel of memory foam.
- You weigh under 230 pounds.
- You want a medium firmness level to offer simultaneous pressure relief and support.
You might not like it if:
- You're looking for more support.
- You want a very soft or very firm mattress.
- You are a petite side sleeper.
- You are more than 230 pounds
Other mattresses from Tuft and Needle
Tuft and Needle Nod
The Tuft and Needle Nod bed is an ultra wallet-friendly mattress, even more so than the Tuft and Needle Original. It's available on Amazon and is perfect for college kids, young children and budget shoppers who just need a simple, affordable mattress. It has a neutral, responsive feel like the Original model so it's easy to switch positions on. It's also rated a five on the firmness scale, making it suitable for all sleeping positions.
Tuft and Needle Mint
Side sleepers will love the soft profile of the Tuft and Needle Mint mattress. It has a similar neutral-foam feel to the other Tuft and Needle beds, but it's rated around a four on the firmness scale. It offers ample pressure relief for the hips and shoulders, making it best for people who want a lighter, plusher firmness level. Although, it is a little more expensive than the flagship model.
Tuft and Needle Hybrid
Tuft and Needle designed its mattresses to have a similar accommodating and neutral feel, and the Tuft and Needle Hybrid mattress is no different. The main differences between the hybrid model and the original is that Tuft and Needle Hybrid has a bottom support layer made of pocketed steel coils. This makes it more supportive, durable and long-lasting. I recommend this bed to people around over 230 pounds or more who want the Tuft and Needle feel with extra reinforcements.
How does Tuft and Needle compare to other beds?
Here's how Tuft and Needle stacks up versus other big-wigs in the industry.
Tuft and Needle vs. Nectar
The Nectar is one of the most popular memory foam bed-in-a-box mattresses and it's made several of our best lists, including Best Firm Mattress and Best Memory Foam Mattress. It has a dense, firm memory foam feel similar to Tempur-Pedic, but it's a fraction of the cost. Compared to Tuft and Needle, it's much slower to respond to pressure, rated a six out of 10 rather than five and it's a little more expensive. I think Nectar is best for back, stomach and combination sleepers who love memory foam.
Tuft and Needle vs. Casper
The Casper mattress is arguably the brand that brought bed-in-a-box beds to the mainstream, while Tuft and Needle is another veteran in the industry who helped shift the market towards online shopping. They both have similar neutral-foam feels and both are rated around a medium of the firmness scale.
Casper is just a little more elevated with a zoned-support design to help provide support and pressure relief where you need it most. It's also thicker and a little more expensive.
Tuft and Needle vs. Purple
The Original Purple mattress is unlike many beds out there, including Tuft and Needle. T&N is a more safe pick, while Purple is meant for people who are sick of memory foam and traditional beds. Purple's secret sauce is its Purple Grid, a gel-like layer in the top of the mattress that's soft and supportive at the same time. It contours around your curves but immediately springs back to its original shape once pressure is removed. It also sleeps cooler than foam mattresses because the grid design allows for maximum airflow.
Tuft and Needle, on the other hand, feels like your regular foam mattress and runs for a more affordable price.
Tuft & Needle mattress FAQs
Do Tuft and Needle mattresses sag?
Most foam mattresses will start to sag over time, but you'll have a solid six years or so until you start to notice significant wear and tear (like sags) on your Tuft and Needle bed.
Are Tuft and Needle mattresses made in China?
Tuft and Needle is owned by bedding veterans Serta Simmons, and all of their mattresses are made here in the United States.
How firm is the Tuft and Needle?
It's rated around a medium firmness level or a 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, meaning it's right in the middle between firm and soft. It offers enough pressure relief for most sleepers, unless you're a strict side sleeper under 150 pounds. In that case, you might want a more plush mattress.
Are Tuft and Needle mattresses healthy?
Yes. The Tuft and Needle mattress doesn't boast an organic certification, but it is CertiPUR-US and GREENGUARD gold certified. This means the bed was made following strict chemical emission standards, the foam is low in VOC's for indoor air quality and the it doesn't contain harmful chemicals like ozone depleters or carcinogens.
Which is better, Casper or Tuft and Needle?
That depends on budget and design. Both are made from all foam and have medium firmness levels, but Tuft and Needle is a more wallet-friendly mattress. Casper, on the other hand, is made with more foam layers and contains a Zoned Support layer which is ergonomically made to provide targeted support and pressure relief where it's most needed.
Does the Tuft and Needle need a box spring?
No, most bed-in-a-box mattresses don't require that you use a box spring. In fact, your mattress will be sitting high in the air if you one. Go with a bed frame instead, whether it be slatted, adjustable or a flat foundation.
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