Sleep Number vs. GhostBed Mattress Comparison

Sleep Number may be a more established brand than GhostBed, but don’t count GhostBed out just yet. Which one is better for you? Let’s find out. We personally tested both beds and this comparison will deep dive our findings side by side.

Sleep Number vs. GhostBed Overview

The Sleep Number mattress is an air bed that offers customizable comfort and firmness based on your Sleep Number score. The GhostBed is an all-foam mattress that provides a combination of firm support and gentle cushioning.

Sleep Number	GhostBed
Couples	Hot sleepers
Back sleepers	Those with back pain
Combination sleepers	Eco-friendly shoppers

Who Should Choose Sleep Number?

• Couples where both people want differing levels of comfort and firmness.
• Back sleepers and lightweight stomach sleepers who need a firm mattress to support proper spinal alignment.
• Sleepers who tend to toss and turn at night and need a bed that will adjust to their shifting position.

Who Should Choose the GhostBed Mattress?

• Hot sleepers who need a breathable mattress that won’t absorb body heat or lead to nighttime overheating.
• Sleepers with chronic back pain who need a nice, supportive mattress that will keep their spine in proper alignment.
• Eco-friendly shoppers looking for a latex mattress that is good for their sleep and for the environment.

Sleep Number vs. GhostBed: Top Similarities 

• Both mattresses are relatively firm, making them a great option for back and stomach sleepers, but less ideal for side sleepers.
• Neither mattress is a classic all-foam mattress, instead they each use unique materials to give you a good night’s sleep.
• Both beds are designed for ideal spinal alignment to prevent back and neck pain while sleeping.

Sleep Number vs. GhostBed: Top Differences 

• The GhostBed is significantly more affordable than the Sleep Number mattress.
• The Sleep Number mattress is customizable and adjustable, while the GhostBed is not.
• The GhostBed is a bed-in-a-box and arrives at your door in a box ready for you to assemble, while the Sleep Number comes with Premium Delivery and Setup by experienced professionals.
• The GhostBed is better suited for hot sleepers than the Sleep Number mattress.

Sleep Number vs. GhostBed: Firmness & Feel Differences

What’s the Firmness Of the Sleep Number & GhostBed Mattresses? 

Both the GhostBed and the Sleep Number mattress are relatively firm, falling just above medium-firm, right around a 7 out of 10, where 10 is the firmest and 1 is the softest. However, the Sleep Number is an adjustable bed and may be able to provide some additional cushioning by lowering your Sleep Number setting, whereas the GhostBed is at one set firmness. 

What Do the Sleep Number & GhostBed Mattresses Feel Like?

Both of these mattresses feel more like you’re sleeping “on” them rather than being hugged by them and sleeping “in” them. GhostBed will have more of a bouncy, hugging sensation than Sleep Number.

What’s It Like to Sleep On the Sleep Number & GhostBed Mattresses?

Because the GhostBed has more responsive layers, it’s going to be way easier for combination sleepers to change sleeping positions on GhostBed compared to Sleep Number. On the other hand, because the C4 bed offers multiple firmness levels, it’ll be easier to find your preferred comfort on Sleep Number.

The Sleep Number vs. GhostBed Mattresses By Body Type

Sleep Number Performance By Body Type & Sleeping Position:

Body Type:	BACK SLEEPERS	STOMACH SLEEPERS	SIDE SLEEPERS
Lightweight (< 130 lbs):	4	5	2
Average-weight (130–230 lbs):	5	4	3
Heavyweight (> 230 lbs):	4	3	3

GhostBed Performance By Body Type & Sleeping Position:

Body Type:	BACK SLEEPERS	STOMACH SLEEPERS	SIDE SLEEPERS
Lightweight (< 130 lbs):	5	5	2
Average-weight (130–230 lbs):	4	4	3
Heavyweight (> 230 lbs):	3	3	3

1 = Very poor, 2 = Not good, 3 = Fair, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent

Average-Weight Sleepers (130–230 lbs)

Average-weight back and stomach sleepers should have no issues with alignment on both Sleep Number and GhostBed. The firmer feel keeps these sleepers elevated on the mattress surface.

When we rolled out our pressure relief map, we noticed that neither the Sleep Number C4 nor the GhostBed relieved pressure well for average-weight side sleepers.

Heavyweight Sleepers (> 230 lbs)

Heavyweight sleepers need a very supportive mattress to stay elevated and get their money’s worth. Ghostbed isn’t supportive enough for heavyweight back, side, and stomach sleepers. Sleep Number offers better support and alignment for heavyweight back sleepers.

Lightweight Sleepers (< 130 lbs)

Lightweight folks tend to feel beds as firmer than average, so both mattresses are good options for lightweight back and stomach sleepers. But because they are so firm, they won’t help lightweight side sleepers keep pressure away from their sensitive joints.

Differences In Mattress Construction 

These mattresses are built completely differently: GhostBed is an 11” tall all-foam mattress that blends memory foam and latex foam. Sleep Number is a 9” tall airbed with adjustable firmness settings.

Sleep Number 360 C4 Materials	GhostBed Mattress Materials
Polyester/polypropelene knit blend	Polyester/viscose blend
Polyurethane foam with 3 “zones of comfort”	Aerated latex foam
24 gauge vulcanized rubber air chambers	Gel-infused memory foam
	High-density polyfoam

Cover

GhostBed has a breathable cover that is ideal for hot sleepers; Sleep Number also features a breathable cover to better facilitate airflow.

Comfort Layers

GhostBed’s layer of aerated latex also provides excellent pressure relief, plus it’s good for the environment. The gel-infused memory foam contours to your body’s shape for better support and comfort.

Sleep Number’s comfort layer is zoned. The zoned foam is great for providing some pressure relief to the appropriate areas, like the hips and shoulders.

Support Layers

GhostBed’s support layer is high-density polyfoam that ensures the mattress will hold up over time, and it gives the mattress a nice, firm feel. Finally, Sleep Number’s support layer doubles as a comfort layer because the air chambers are how the Sleep Number bed adjusts for your comfort level.

Sleep Number vs. GhostBed Pricing

Size	Sleep Number C4 Prices	GhostBed Prices
Twin	$	$
Twin XL	$	$
Full	$	$
Queen	$	$
King	$	$
California King	$	$

For exclusive discounts on GhostBed see our GhostBed mattress coupons.

Sleep Number vs. GhostBed Mattress Performance Ratings & Differences

Temperature

If you’re a hot sleeper, it’s important to consider cooling and temperature regulation before buying a new mattress (to see our full list, check out the best cooling mattresses). The GhostBed sleeps very cool, in large part because one of its key components is aerated latex. This promotes consistent airflow to prevent heat buildup and overheating. 

The Sleep Number mattress had very average cooling. If you don’t tend to get hot at night, you shouldn’t have any problem with a Sleep Number bed, but if you’re prone to night sweats, we would choose the GhostBed every time.

Motion Transfer

Motion isolation is essential for the best mattresses for couples. Basically, you want to prevent motion transfer from one side of the bed to the other so that if one person tosses and turns throughout the night, it won’t wake the other person. 

The Sleep Number mattress has incredible motion isolation thanks to the separate air chambers available in all mattresses Queen size and larger. Each side of the bed has its own adjustable air chamber, and this separation decreases the motion transfer from one side to the other. 

The GhostBed doesn’t have quite the same level of separation, and when we tested it, we actually found pretty high motion transfer. If you’re in a relationship with someone who changes position throughout the night a lot, the Sleep Number is definitely the better choice.

Edge Support

There’s nothing worse than buying a nice, large mattress, only to find that you can’t actually sleep on the whole thing, because if you get too close to the edges, they collapse under you and you slide right off the bed. 

This is why edge support is so important, so you can make the most out of the full surface area of your mattress. Both the Sleep Number mattress and the GhostBed had average edge support. Both mattresses demonstrated some edge collapse when our testers put their weight near the edge of the bed, but there was also some support there.

Pressure Relief

Folks with chronic pain should definitely look for a mattress with excellent pressure relief, one that offers contouring and cushioning the pressure points like the lower back, hips, shoulders, and neck. 

The GhostBed offers decent pressure relief, thanks to the cushioning provided by the combination of the aerated latex layer and the gel memory foam layer. However, it is a little too firm to provide the kind of deep pressure relief chronic back pain sufferers might require. 

The Sleep Number mattress runs into the same problem of being too firm for pressure relief; however, if you lower the Sleep Number setting to make the mattress slightly softer, you may be able to achieve better pressure relief.

Pain Relief

It’s essential that your mattress promotes the natural alignment of your spine in order to prevent pressure from building up in your pressure points, and both the GhostBed mattress and the Sleep Number mattress do an excellent job of this. 

The firmness level of both mattresses is ideal for lightweight and average-weight sleepers who primarily sleep on their back or stomach. However, neither mattress is ideal for side sleepers, who tend to need a softer mattress to keep their spine in alignment.

Durability

The biggest complaint about the Sleep Number mattress is that it’s not very durable. Many people report issues with the remote, the air pumps, and even with the comfort layer. All Sleep Number mattresses come with a 15-year warranty to cover these issues, but dealing with the customer service has been notoriously difficult. 

GhostBed mattresses come with a 20 or 25-year warranty to cover any issues, but we don’t expect you’ll have any. Latex is a very durable material that tends to stand the test of time.

Shipping, Returns, & Warranties 

Sleep Number

The Sleep Number bed is shipped to your house and set up by experienced professionals, and you have 100 nights to test it out and see if it suits you. If you decide it’s not for you, you can return the mattress, though you will be responsible for return shipping fees. If you decide to keep the mattress beyond the trial period, but later notice issues, the Sleep Number mattress comes with a 15-year limited warranty to cover manufacturer’s defects.

GhostBed

The GhostBed mattress is a bed-in-a-box, and arrives at your house in a box, ready for you to unpack and set up yourself. You have 101 nights to try it out, and if you decide you don’t like how it feels, you can return the mattress for a full refund and the mattress will be donated to a nearby charity or recycling center. If you notice problems with the mattress after the trial, don’t worry, 20-year limited warranty is available.

Other Models Available

Our Final Take

If you and your partner have different sleep needs, you really can’t beat the Sleep Number mattress for customization and adjustability, but if you sleep hot, the best option out there is the GhostBed. Both mattresses can help you get a good night’s sleep, but each one is made for different types of sleepers. Neither one is ideal for side sleepers, but if you sleep on your back or stomach, both of these mattresses are a great choice.