The Bear Mattress and the Tuft & Needle Original Mattress are all-foam mattresses that provide affordable, cooling, medium-firm sleep experiences. The subtle differences in their construction will help you decide which one is better for your sleep personality.
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Bear vs Tuft & Needle Mattress Comparison
Comparing Bear and Tuft & Needle Mattresses
Both of these mattresses are great memory-foam picks. The Bear Mattress is a memory foam mattress that was specifically designed to suit athletes, combination sleepers, couples and hot sleepers who want a cooling, medium-firm sleep surface that will aid in muscle recovery and relaxation. The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress consists of proprietary Adaptive foam and high-density support foam. It’s a slightly more affordable sleep option for back and stomach sleepers, as well as for couples and those who tend to sleep hot.
Differences
- The Bear Mattress is slightly firmer than the Tuft & Needle Original Mattress.
- The Bear Mattress’s top foam layer helps athletes with muscle recovery.
- The Bear incorporates traditional memory foam into its construction, whereas the Tuft & Needle uses proprietary Adaptive foam that is both durable and breathable
Similarities
- Both mattresses come with a 100-night sleep trial period and 10-year limited warranty.
- Both mattresses cooling technology that is great for hot sleepers.
- Both mattresses will accommodate couples because of their ability to reduce motion transfer.
The Original Bear Mattress
Designed for people with active lifestyles, the Original Bear mattress is Bear’s flagship model. It features foams that work well for sleepers of all positions and sizes and a standout cover whose fabric blend includes Celliant, which converts body heat into infrared energy to promote muscle recovery.
Score
4.8
/
5.0
Firmness
7
Trial period
100 nights
Reason to buy
Promotes muscle recovery
Who the Bear Mattress is Best For
Best For…
- Hot sleepers
- Combination sleepers
- Couples
- Athletes
-
May Not be Best For…
- Heavier framed individuals
- People who don’t like traditional memory foam
- People who prefer ultra-firm mattresses
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Read our full Bear mattress review to learn more!
Tuft & Needle
The Tuft and Needle mattress is perfect if you want to avoid the hassle of mattress shopping and prefer the option to return the mattress if it doesn’t work. If you are on a budget but still want a good quality foam mattress, this is a great choice for you.
Score
4.7
/
5.0
Firmness
6
Trial period
100 days
Reason to buy
Quality foam mattress on a budget
Who the Tuft & Needle Mattress is Best For
Best For…
- Back and stomach sleepers
- Hot sleepers
- Couples
May Not be Best For…
- People who prefer traditional memory foam mattresses
- Side sleepers
- People who want a softer sleep surface
-
Read our full Tuft & Needle mattress review to learn more!
Deciding Between Bear and Tuft & Needle
Firmness / Feel
All mattresses are rated on a firmness scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the most firm. Side sleepers typically prefer a mattress on the softer side to provide cradling support for their hips and shoulders. Back sleepers and stomach sleepers desire mattresses on the firmer side because they can support their hips, shoulders, and neck while they rest. The Bear Mattress rates at 7/10 on the firmness scale, making it preferable for combination sleepers. The Tuft & Needle is slightly softer at 6/10, making it ideal for back and stomach sleepers.
Motion Isolation
Motion isolation is a mattress’s ability to reduce the amount of movement across the surface when someone changes sleep positions or gets in or out of bed. For couples who share a bed, motion isolation is a major factor to consider when shopping for a mattress. Both the Bear and the Tuft & Needle have excellent motion isolation, although the Bear is slightly better in this department due to its higher firmness level. The Bear’s high density support foam should absorb motion better than the Tuft & Needle, but as memory foam mattresses both will isolate motion pretty well.
Edge Support
Edge support refers to the layer of firmness and response around the border of a mattress. When a mattress has great edge support, it makes getting in and out of bed easier on our bodies. Both mattresses deliver quality edge support, but the Bear’s higher firmness gives it a slight edge. As memory foam mattresses, both are susceptible to sagging over time.
Pressure Relief
Depending on the material of the mattress as well as your sleep position, different mattresses will offer varying degrees of pressure relief. The Tuft & Needle’s Adaptive foam allows it to give back sleepers and stomach sleepers good pressure relief, but the Bear Mattress also deserves recognition for its pressure relieving abilities, with responsive transition foam contouring around the shoulders and hips. One consideration to keep in mind is that the Bear might feel slightly firmer than the Tuft & Needle, so it may not be the best choice for lightweight sleepers looking for a really cushioning feel.
Spine Alignment
One of the keys to having a good night’s sleep is to have a mattress that promotes spinal alignment. If you’re a back or stomach sleeper in need of a mattress that will keep your spine aligned, we recommend the Tuft & Needle. If you’re a combination sleeper who likes to constantly shift throughout the night, we advise you to go with the Bear.
Related: Best Mattresses for Back Pain
Durability
You want a mattress that is designed to last for a very long time, which is why durability is a vital factor to consider when mattress shopping. Both mattresses are designed to last for quite a while, thanks to their durable, dense support foam layers.
Temperature
It’s very difficult to sleep on a hot mattress, which is why so many manufacturers nowadays integrate cooling technology into their designs. Bear and Tuft & Needle have designed their mattresses to keep extra cool throughout the night, so hot sleepers have their pick of the two. The Bear incorporates graphite and gel into its top layer to wick away unwanted heat. The Tuft & Needle relies on cooling gel beads in the top layer of the mattress. It also uses heat absorbent graphite.
Bear vs. Tuft & Needle: We compare the construction of the Bear mattress (left) to the Tuft & Needle (right).
Bear vs. Tuft & Needle Mattress Construction
| Bear Mattress | Tuft & Needle Original Mattress | |
| Cover | Celliant fibers | Cotton cover |
| Comfort Layer | Graphite gel-infused foam | Adaptive foam |
| Response Layer | Bouncy response foam | N/A |
| Transitional Layer | Transitional foam | N/A |
| Support Layer | Support foam | High-density support foam |
| Mattress Thickness | 10 inches | 10 inches |
Bear Construction
The Bear Mattress consists of four layers of memory foam with a Celliant fiber cover that absorbs heat and reflects infrared light. This redirection of energy encourages blood flow and circulation and promotes faster muscle recovery (making it great for athletes). The first memory foam layer is infused with graphite gel that also absorbs heat and wicks it away from your body to keep you cool while you rest. The next layer of foam is bouncy and responsive, so it will relieve pressure from your hips, shoulders, and back, and will help with spinal alignment. The third foam layer is the transitional layer, which further assists with pressure relief while also providing support to the overall mattress. The final layer is made of dense foam to deliver extra strength and durability.
Tuft & Needle Construction
The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress features a basic construction of two layers of foam encased within a cotton cover that is both soft and cooling for a better night’s sleep. The top layer is made of proprietary, open-cell Adaptive foam, which is ultra-responsive and adjusts to your body shape as you move throughout the night. This means you always get pressure relief exactly where you need it. The base layer consists of high-density foam, which helps the overall mattress maintain its structure and shape for a long time.
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Shipping and Returns for Bear and Tuft & Needle
Bear
Bear ships its mattresses to the continental 48 United States at no charge to you. Once you place your order, you can expect your new mattress to arrive compressed into a box within 4 to 7 business days.
Bear offers a 100-day sleep trial period on its new mattresses. If for any reason you’re unhappy with your mattress during that time period, you can request a return completely free of charge.
Tuft & Needle
Tuft & Needle offers free shipping to all 48 continental United States via FedEx Ground. Once an order is placed, the new mattress will be delivered within approximately 3 to 7 business days (or slightly longer if you live in Alaska or Hawaii).
The 100-night sleep trial on your Tuft & Needle mattress means that you can test it out for up to 100 days to see if it’s right for you. If you’re unhappy during that time frame, you can return it at no cost to you.
Bear Pro Mattress
The Bear Pro is one of Bear's newer all-foam mattresses. With four foam layers, including a copper-infused comfort layer designed for enhanced cooling, the Pro offers more of a cradling feeling than the original Bear mattress.
See our Bear Pro Mattress Review to learn more.
Bear Hybrid
The Bear Hybrid mattress captures all the most coveted features in a mattress and jam packs them into this state-of-the-art hybrid. The cooling gel memory foam continuously carries away heat, promising you a cooler, more restful night’s sleep.
See our full Bear Hybrid Mattress Review to learn more.
More Tuft & Needle Mattresses
Tuft and Needle Hybrid
Tuft & Needle was one of the first online, direct-to-consumer mattress operations in the game. The company says it had a large hand in teaching consumers not to settle for sleight-of-hand sales techniques at mattress stores and providing quality sleep products at good prices.
Tuft and Needle Mint
While not actually considered “memory foam," the Mint is an excellent all-foam mattress. Made with their proprietary Adaptive Foam layers that protect the back and cradle the hips, the Mint is an appealing all-foam option—not to mention its layers are infused with heat-wicking graphite to maintain a cool sleeping surface.
Read our full Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress Review to learn more.
Still Can’t Decide? Check out some of our other mattress comparisons:
Our Bear vs. Tuft & Needle Final Review
The Bear Mattress and the Tuft & Needle Original Mattress share many similarities, but certain sleepers will prefer one over the other. The Bear Mattress is ideal for combination sleepers and athletes who tend to sleep hot. The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress is better suited for back and stomach sleepers who want to save a little money on their purchase, but also want a high-quality, cooling sleep experience.
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