The Casper Original and Casper Wave beds are both known for their ergonomic support that works for every sleeping position. But depending on your comfort preferences and sleeping habits, one of these beds is likely better for you than the other.
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Casper Original vs. Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress Comparison
Comparing Casper Original Mattress & Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress
The Casper Original is Casper’s flagship memory foam mattress and has earned the brand countless lifelong customers. The Casper Wave Hybrid is Casper’s most luxurious mattress, designed for greater support and pain relief.
The Casper Original is an excellent affordable mattress for shoppers who love the feel of a balanced all-foam mattress. It’s the most affordable Casper mattress and boasts a layer of Zoned Support foam for added cushioning at the shoulders and support along the body’s trunk. The Casper Wave Hybrid is a thicker mattress with a more luxurious, body-hugging feel. With an additional ergonomic support layer and innerspring coils, it’s the most supportive of the Casper mattress and is a great mattress for people with back pain or achy joints.
Differences
- Feel: The Casper Original is an all-foam mattress with a balanced feel that falls between sleeping “in” and “on” the surface. The Wave Hybrid is a softer mattress with thicker foam layers that conform more closely to the body.
- Construction: The Casper Original is made from three layers of foam, while the Wave has five layers of foam and a support layer of innerspring coils. The Wave is 2” thicker than the Original.
- Pricing: The Casper Original mattress costs a fraction of the price of the Casper Wave Hybrid.
- Temperature regulation: The Casper Wave Hybrid mattress is Casper’s coolest-sleeping bed. The breathability of the innerspring coils paired with cooling gel along the Wave’s surface makes it better for hot sleepers than the Casper Original memory foam mattress.
Similarities
- Sleep position suitability: Because both mattresses have Zoned Support and a surface that facilitates ease of movement, both work for combination sleepers, back sleepers, side sleepers, and stomach sleepers.
- Best for lightweight and average-weight people: Both of these beds are best for sleepers who weigh less than 230 lbs. Heavier folks may sink in too far to the Wave Hybrid and might find the Original doesn’t provide sufficient support.
- Good for couples: Both beds do an exceptional job limiting motion transfer, so light sleepers don’t wake up to their partner’s every move. Additionally, neither makes noise when you move around and both have above-average edge support.
Casper Original
Who Should Buy this Mattress?
- Couples who share a bed
- Budget shoppers
- People who like a balanced all-foam feel
Firmness
6
Trial period
100 nights
Warranty
10 year warranty
Price
$$$
Who the Casper Original Mattress is Best For
Best For…
- Couples who share a bed: The Casper’s all-foam construction means you’ll barely feel your partner move. Additionally, because the Casper mattress offers good support for every sleeping position, couples who typically prefer different beds can find an excellent compromise.
- Budget shoppers: The Casper is one of the most affordable beds and is designed with ergonomic support zones.
- People who like a balanced all-foam feel: The Casper’s medium-firm surface—with softer foam at the top and bottom third and extra support along the middle—delivers contouring without excess sinkage. This balanced feel is preferred by many.
May Not be Best For…
- Heavyweight people: The Casper is an all-foam bed that simply doesn’t have thick enough comfort layers or a supportive enough base for people who weigh more than 230 lbs.
- Hot sleepers: While the Casper has an open-cell foam design along the top layer, it doesn’t have innovative cooling technology or a breathable coil layer. As such, it’s not the best mattress for hot sleepers.
- People who like being “hugged” by their mattress: The Casper is a memory foam mattress, but it doesn’t hug the body in a deep cradle like traditional memory foam beds. Instead, it slightly contours around the body and has a balanced foam feel.
Read our full Casper mattress review to learn more!
Casper Wave Hybrid
Who Should Buy this Mattress?
- People with back pain
- Side sleepers with joint pain
- Hot sleepers
Firmness
5
Trial period
100 nights
Warranty
10 year limited warranty
Price
$$$$$
Who the Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress is Best For
Best For…
- People with back pain: The Casper Wave Hybrid contains the most advanced ergonomic support of all the Casper models. Zoned memory foam is paired with patented gel pods that gently keep the waist supported for superb spinal alignment in every sleeping position. The Wave Hybrid is one of the best mattresses for people with neck or back pain.
- Side sleepers with joint pain: Thanks to the Wave’s zoned support and plush foam along the top layer, it readily cushions pressure points like the hips and shoulders. Side sleepers with arthritis or achy joints may find some relief on this soft, enveloping surface.
- Hot sleepers: Casper incorporated advanced cooling materials in the Wave Hybrid. A layer of cooling gel along the top brings a cool-to-the-touch feel. And with the breathability of innerspring coils and three layers of perforated foam, the Wave Hybrid is one of the best mattresses for hot sleepers who like the feeling of being hugged by their bed.
May Not be Best For…
- Plus-size people: While the Wave Hybrid is a good choice for side and back sleepers who weigh less than 300 lbs, heavier folks are likely to find the surface too soft. Stomach sleepers over 230 lbs need a firmer feel and added support.
- Budget shoppers: The Wave Hybrid is Casper’s highest-end mattress, and its price point is over double that of the average Queen size mattress.
- People who like a bouncy feel: Even though the Wave’s support system incorporates innerspring coils, the thick comfort layers dampen the springiness, so the Wave Hybrid is not as bouncy as some hybrid and innerspring beds.
Read our full Casper Wave Hybrid mattress review to learn more!
Deciding Between Casper Original & Casper Wave Hybrid
Firmness / Feel
Both the Casper Original and the Wave Hybrid are medium-firm mattresses. On the 1-10 firmness scale, where 1 is the softest and 10 the firmest, the Original earns a 6/10 and the Wave Hybrid a 5/10. Despite their similar firmness levels, the feel and sleeping experience are vastly different.
The Casper Original is a three-layer foam mattress with Zoned Support that offers cushioning at the shoulders and head and firmer support along the spine and hips. Because this bed has thin comfort layers, it has a noticeable contour without a deep sinkage into the foam layers.
In comparison, the Wave Hybrid is a luxury bed with thick comfort layers. The top layer of plush foam is supported by responsive latex foam and contouring memory foam. With four foam layers atop individually-encased coils, the Wave Hybrid has a cloud-like feel that hugs the body while still supporting the heavier zones thanks to Zoned Support. This feel is preferred by most side sleepers and people who like a luxury foam sleeping surface. Despite a layer of coils, the Wave’s surface is only slightly springier than the Original Casper.
Casper Original Performance By Sleeping Position:
| Body Type: | BACK SLEEPERS | STOMACH SLEEPERS | SIDE SLEEPERS |
| Lightweight (< 130 lbs): | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Average weight (130 – 230 lbs): | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Heavyweight (> 230 lbs): | 4 | 2 | 4 |
Casper Wave Hybrid Performance By Sleeping Position:
| Body Type: | BACK SLEEPERS | STOMACH SLEEPERS | SIDE SLEEPERS |
| Lightweight (< 130 lbs): | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Average weight (130 – 230 lbs): | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Heavyweight (> 230 lbs): | 4 | 2 | 4 |
1 = Very poor, 2 = Not good, 3 = Fair, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent
Motion Isolation
Both the Casper Original and Casper Wave Hybrid absorb motion rather than spreading it from one side of the bed to the other. The Original’s all-foam construction means no springy coils to spread movement, while the Wave’s coils move independently and are encased by thick foam layers that dampen any spring-induced motion. Light sleepers who share their mattress with a partner, child, or furry family member are likely to sleep well on either of these beds.
Edge Support
Both of these beds have average edge support, with the edges secure enough to lie along without feeling like you might fall. However, the Casper Wave Hybrid’s ultra-thick foam layers and plush feel mean that heavier people are likely to feel pretty unsteady when sitting on the edges. The Original’s edges are sturdier for sitting thanks to a firmer feel and thinner comfort layers.
Pressure Relief
The best mattresses are supportive while still being able to cushion sensitive areas like the hips and shoulders. Both the Original and Wave excel at relieving pressure and pain thanks to their Zoned Support, which brings softer foam to the shoulders. However, the Wave Hybrid’s thick comfort layers do provide even greater cushion and pressure-relieving properties than the Casper Original. As such, we recommend the Wave Hybrid over the Original for side sleepers with joint pain.
Spine Alignment
Supporting healthy spinal alignment is all about balancing support and cushioning at the right areas so that the spine can maintain its natural curves. Both of these Casper mattresses were engineered with ergonomic support that helps support the spine whether you’re sleeping on your back, side, or stomach. However, the Wave Hybrid has the most advanced ergonomic support and is the mattress we’d recommend for anyone with back pain.
Durability
We expect both the Casper Original and the Casper Wave Hybrid to last around seven to 10 years. Because of the firmer foam along where your heavier lumbar region lies, these beds are less prone to body indentations than the average all-foam and hybrid mattresses. However, foams do soften with time, so we’d be surprised to see either bed last much more than 10 years while maintaining optimal comfort.
Temperature
The Casper Wave Hybrid is a cooler mattress than the Casper Original. The flagship Casper is an all-foam mattress whose only cooling features are a perforated top foam layer and breathable mattress cover. The Wave Hybrid not only has innerspring coils that increase air circulation, but Casper incorporated a layer of cooling gel that sits right below the moisture-wicking mattress cover for a feel that’s refreshingly cool to the touch.
The Casper Original mattress is a three-layer mattress with a medium-firm feel. The top layer is Casper’s proprietary Airscape foam, a pressure-relieving polyfoam with holes throughout to support airflow. The second layer boasts ergonomic support, with firmer memory foam along the body’s trunk, sandwiched by softer foam at the top and bottom of the mattress. Finally, a layer of durable base foam brings excellent motion isolation, edge support, and durability.
Casper Wave Hybrid Construction
The Casper Wave Hybrid is a six-layer hybrid mattress with a conforming yet supportive feel. Casper creates a cooling surface by pairing moisture-wicking wool with a thin layer of cooling gel. Underneath is a top layer of plush polyfoam supported by contouring and responsive latex foam. The next two layers incorporate ergonomic support zones, including patented gel pods that gently support the waist for outstanding spinal support. The support system includes pocketed coils that evenly distribute weight and a thin durable foam layer to increase longevity and dampen motion.
Sizing & Price Comparisons
| Mattress Size | Casper Original Price | Casper Wave Hybrid Price |
| Twin | $595 | $1,495 |
| Twin XL | $695 | $1,695 |
| Full | $995 | $2,395 |
| Queen | $1,095 | $2,595 |
| King | $1,295 | $2,995 |
| Cal King | $1,295 | $2,995 |
For the best price on a new Casper mattress, see our Casper mattress coupons.
Shipping and Returns for Casper
Casper mattresses are shipped for free to customers in the 48 contiguous states and parts of Canada. At this time, only King and California King size Wave Hybrid mattresses are eligible for Casper’s free white glove delivery. If you order one of these beds, a Casper team sets up your new mattress and takes away your old one. Casper can ship to customers in Alaska and Hawaii. The shipping fee is calculated at checkout.
Both of these Casper beds come with a generous return policy. A 100-night sleep trial begins the day you receive your new bed. Unlike other popular bed-in-a-box-mattress brands, Casper accepts returns at any time during the trial period. While the brand doesn’t require you to wait 30 days to adjust to the new mattress, it’s still a good idea to give it at least two weeks. It takes some time for your body to get acclimated to the feel of a new bed.
Returning a Casper bed is easier than you might expect. Casper sends someone to your doorstep to pick up the mattress, pack it up and deliver it to a local charity. If they cannot find a charity to accept the bed, they take it to a recycling center. You can expect a full refund within two weeks from the date your bed is picked up by Casper.
Casper Element
The Element is Casper’s most affordable mattress. It’s a two-layer, all-foam bed that pairs Casper’s pressure-relieving and breathable Airscape foam with a supportive base foam for a balanced medium-firm feel. The Element is excellent for back sleepers, and we believe it’s a good bed for growing kids, dorm rooms, and guest rooms.
See our Casper Element mattress review to learn more.
Casper Hybrid
The Casper Hybrid mattress is a hybrid version of the Original Casper. It has the same comfort system, which marries cushiony Airscape foam with ergonomically-zoned memory foam for a balanced feel that works for every sleeping position. The supportive base is made from pocketed coils, which makes the Casper Hybrid cooler and bouncier than the Original.
Read our Casper Hybrid mattress review to learn more.
Casper Nova Hybrid
The Casper Nova Hybrid is an ultra-plush bed that pairs generous comfort layers with two ergonomic support foams and innerspring coils. The result is the softest Casper mattress that still boasts the superb spinal alignment that Casper beds are known for. The Nova is the best Casper mattress for lightweight side sleepers and anyone who prefers a bed that’s much softer than average.
Read our Casper Nova Hybrid mattress review to learn more.
Haven’t made a decision yet? Check out these other comparisons:
Our Final Take
The Original Casper mattress is the most affordable Casper bed with ergonomic support, making it an excellent budget-friendly all-foam bed for every sleeping position. The Casper Wave Hybrid is slightly softer and deeply cradles the body, offering even better pressure relief and spinal alignment. The Wave Hybrid is our pick for luxury shoppers who experience body aches and pains.
