Tuft & Needle vs. Puffy Mattress Comparison

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December 20, 2022

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The Tuft & Needle is a medium-firm, all-foam mattress that made our list of best mattresses for those on a budget. The Puffy is also a medium-firm, all foam mattress that we consider to be one of the best memory foam mattresses in the bed-in-a-box market. In this comparison, we’re highlighting these beds’ differences and offering our recommendations for who should choose each.

Tuft & Needle vs. Puffy Overview

The Tuft & Needle has a simple two-layer construction that’s topped with buoyant comfort foam and anchored by high-density support foam. The Puffy is topped with memory foam above two layers of support foam.

The Puffy is best for…	The Tuft & Needle is best for…
Side Sleepers < 230 lbs	Back Sleepers < 230 lbs
Memory Foam Lovers	Combination Sleepers
Couples Concerned About Motion Transfer	Budget-Conscious Shoppers

Who Should Choose the Tuft & Needle Mattress?

Value Shoppers: Budget-conscious shoppers won’t pay more than $1,000 for a Queen size Tuft & Needle original mattress.
Combination Sleepers: The top layer of foam on the T&N is highly responsive, so it rapidly adjusts when combination sleepers change from one sleep position to another.
Back Sleepers: Back sleepers enjoy an ideal balance of cushion and support on the medium-firm foam layers in the Tuft & Needle.

Read our full Tuft & Needle Mattress Review for more information.

Who Should Choose the Puffy Mattress?

Those Weighing < 230 lbs: Lightweight (< 130 lbs) and average-weight (130–230 lbs) side sleepers will sink just deep enough into the layers of foam to alleviate strain on their shoulders and hips.
Those With Back Pain: The memory foam layer on top of the Puffy contours around the natural curves in your spine, which supports your lumbar region and helps to prevent lower back pain.
Couples: The Puffy absorbs most motion before it spreads, making it a good mattress for couples concerned about motion transfer.

Read our full Puffy Mattress Review for more information.

Tuft & Needle vs. Puffy: Top Similarities

Motion Isolation: As all-foam mattresses, the Puffy and Tuft & Needle both do a great job of minimizing motion transfer.
Average Edge Support: We noticed a fair amount of sinkage along the edges of both mattresses, so we gave them only average scores for edge support.
Height: The Tuft & Needle and Puffy are 10” tall, which is best suited to those with lightweight or average-weight body types.

Tuft & Needle vs. Puffy: Top Differences

Pressure Relief: The Puffy is a bit softer than the Tuft & Needle, so it provides a little more pressure relief around pressure points like shoulders and hips.
Feel: The Tuft & Needle has a buoyant, balanced foam feel, while the Puffy has more of a conforming memory foam feel.
Responsiveness: During our lab testing, the Tuft & Needle scored higher than the Puffy for responsiveness, meaning it adapts more quickly to your changes in sleeping position.

Tuft & Needle vs. Puffy: Firmness & Feel Differences

Mattress firmness and the way it feels are major factors in whether or not it will work for you, which is why we’re covering them next.

What’s the Firmness Of the Tuft & Needle and Puffy Mattresses?

Mattress firmness is measured on a firmness scale from 1–10, with 1 being softest and 10 being firmest. The Puffy and Tuft & Needle mattresses both have a medium-firm firmness level, but we think the Puffy is a little softer. During our lab testing, we gave the Puffy a 6/10 and the Tuft & Needle a 7/10.

What Do the Tuft & Needle and Puffy Mattresses Feel Like?

Since the Puffy is topped with memory foam, you’ll notice a slower response time when you change position. It has a doughy feel that’s commonly associated with memory foam. The foam on top of the Tuft & Needle has a much more rapid response time, which makes it a good choice for those who frequently change sleeping positions at night.

What’s It Like to Sleep On the Tuft & Needle and Puffy Mattresses?

The doughy feel of the Puffy means that it conforms to your body while you sleep, cushioning pressure points and contouring under your curves. Memory foam does retain some body heat, so you may need only a light comforter on this bed. The Tuft & Needle cushions your body, but you likely won’t sink as far into the bed. It’s less pressure-relieving to sleep on than the Puffy, but it should stay more temperature neutral.

The Tuft & Needle and Puffy Mattresses By Body Type

Tuft & Needle Performance By Body Type & Sleeping Position:

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

Puffy Performance By Body Type & Sleeping Position:

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

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

Average-Weight Sleepers (130–230 lbs)

The Puffy and T&N both work well for those with average-weight body types, especially back sleepers and side sleepers. These folks are likely to sink deeper into the Puffy than the Tuft & Needle, which means the Puffy offers great pressure relief for side sleepers, but not as much lower back support for back sleepers. The reverse is true for the Tuft & Needle.

Average-weight stomach sleepers will need a firmer mattress to get the lower back support that they need, but they should be OK if they spend only part of the night on their fronts.

Heavyweight Sleepers (> 230 lbs)

Neither of these mattresses is ideal for those weighing over 230 lbs. The Puffy is OK for heavyweight side sleepers, and the T&N could work for heavier back sleepers, but these folks will generally want a taller, more supportive mattress. Stomach sleepers with bigger bodies should definitely look for a firmer, more supportive mattress like those in our best mattresses for heavy people roundup.

Lightweight Sleepers (< 130 lbs)

With a slightly firmer feel, the T&N can work for lightweight stomach sleepers and back sleepers. The Puffy does a better job of cushioning the shoulders and hips of lightweight side sleepers, and it’s also firm enough for back sleepers under 130 lbs, but not stomach sleepers.

Differences In Mattress Construction

Both the Puffy and Tuft & Needle mattresses are made entirely with foam and stand 10″ tall. The Puffy has memory foam, whereas the T&N uses a brand-exclusive comfort foam.

Puffy Mattress Materials	Tuft & Needle Mattress Materials
Stain-Resistant Cloud Cover	Polyester-Blend Cover
Cooling Cloud Foam	Adaptive Foam
Climate Comfort Foam	High-Density Polyfoam
Firm Support Foam

No attachment found (5642)

Cover

Both mattresses have breathable fabric covers. Puffy specially designed their cover to be stain-resistant.

Comfort Layers

The Tuft & Needle mattress is constructed with only two foam layers. The first layer is T&N’s custom-made Adaptive foam, which mimics the feel of memory foam and the springiness of latex. It’s also infused with cooling materials like graphite and gel.

The Puffy mattress is topped with gel memory foam that cradles your body and evenly distributes your body weight, giving the mattress a cloud-like feel. The second layer of foam is slightly firmer and a lot more responsive, which prevents you from feeling stuck in the mattress.

Support Layers

The base layer of the T&N is high-density support foam, which improves stability and prevents you from sinking too far into the mattress. The base of the Puffy mattress is a thick layer of support foam that enhances the structure and stability of the bed.

Tuft & Needle and Puffy Pricing

Mattress Size	Puffy Price	Tuft & Needle Price
Twin	$	$
Twin XL	$	$
Full	$	$
Queen	$	$
King	$	$
Cal King	$	$

For exclusive discounts on both beds see our Puffy mattress coupons and Tuft & Needle mattress coupons.

Tuft & Needle vs. Puffy Mattress Performance Ratings & Differences

Temperature

Foam mattresses generally retain more heat than hybrid or innerspring mattresses, so it’s no surprise that neither of these beds sleeps particularly cool; however, both are designed with temperature regulation in mind.

Related: Best Cooling Mattresses

The Puffy features a breathable mattress cover and gel-infused memory foam, and the Tuft & Needle is infused with gel beads and graphite. Overall, we felt more temperature neutral on the Tuft & Needle, so it’s a better option for those concerned about overheating at night.

Motion Transfer

Motion transfer is really only a problem if you share your mattress. Foam mattresses generally isolate motion well since foam is dense enough to absorb movement. The foam comfort layers on top of the Tuft & Needle and Puffy both keep motion transfer to a minimum, though we noticed this the least disturbances on the Puffy.

Edge Support

If you share your mattress or use the sides of the bed to get ready in the morning, this performance category is for you. As all-foam mattresses, neither the Puffy nor the Tuft & Needle offer exceptional edge support. This is especially true for the Tuft & Needle.

We felt more secure on the Puffy, but if edge support is important to you, we recommend considering a hybrid mattress or one with reinforced edges.

Pressure Relief

We measure pressure relief by lying in different positions on a pressure map on top of a mattress. The map shows us areas of high and low pressure. Ideally, we’ll see very little pressure around sensitive pressure points like shoulders and hips.

After testing both of these mattresses, we think the Puffy provides a little more pressure relief than the Tuft & Needle. That means it’s a better choice for strict side sleepers, since they put a lot of weight on their shoulders and hips.

Pain Relief

Pressure relief and spinal alignment are key to pain relief from your mattress. Spinal alignment is just a technical way of saying good sleeping posture. The Puffy offers better pressure relief, but average-weight side and back sleepers should also get enough cushioning on the Tuft & Needle.

Both of these mattresses do a great job of evenly distributing your body weight, so they promote excellent spinal alignment. Much like sitting or standing, your posture while lying down can have a big impact on your spinal health—and whether or not you experience back pain. The only sleeper type who should avoid both beds is stomach sleepers, especially those over 130 lbs. Instead, choose a better mattress for stomach sleepers, which is one that’s firm and supportive.

Durability

As all-foam beds, both of these mattresses should last at least five years. With that said, the Tuft & Needle is a value mattress, so we think the Puffy may last a year or two longer. Both mattress companies protect their customers against manufacturing defects with warranties.

Shipping, Returns, & Warranties

Tuft & Needle

Tuft & Needle gives their mattress customers in the contiguous U.S. free shipping (deliveries to Alaska and Hawaii incur an extra fee). The 100-night sleep trial begins on the day your new mattress is delivered and includes free returns. You’re eligible to receive a replacement mattress or repairs if yours develops certain manufacturing defects during Tuft & Needle’s 10-year warranty period.

Puffy

Puffy offers free shipping in the contiguous U.S. (extra shipping fees apply to Alaska and Hawaii), as well as a 101-night trial period and free returns. They also protect their mattresses with a Lifetime warranty, which is a big step up from the warranty period for most online mattress companies. As long as you’re the original owner of the mattress, you’re eligible to receive free repairs or a replacement mattress if yours develops certain defects.