Tuft and Needle Mattress Review

SUMMARY

Tuft & Needle began as an idea by two Penn State grads. Back in 2012, one of them had a traumatic experience buying a mattress.

The duo found out the hard way that the mattress industry had turned into the Wild Wild West.  Crazy markups, like five or 10 times the cost of making a mattress. Aggressive sales tactics, like selling the same mattress for $500 more than in another place with a different tag.

Looking for a better way, they ripped apart mattresses to learn what makes them work. They created their own foam to do the jobs of more expensive ones. They ripped apart the sales model and focused online. They turned away investors and threw in their own money. They rebuilt processes like refunds and warranties to make them simpler.

By year’s end, the second direct-to-consumer mattress outfit in the U.S. opened its doors. Tuft & Needle is so successful that, in August 2018, it was purchased by the biggest mattress manufacturer in North America—Serta Simmons Bedding.

Now the current version of the Tuft & Needle mattress is aimed at the average sleeper wanting a budget-friendly choice. It is aimed at anyone who wants to decrease the hassle of buying a mattress, but may be gun-shy about doing that online.

Once the mattress arrives and you have a chance to try it, you’ll find you get a lot of mattress for the price. That right there takes care of the one of the two biggest fears of people looking to buy a new mattress: paying more than you should.

A workable return policy takes care of the other: making a wrong choice and getting stuck with a mattress you hate.

This is a fairly simple, straightforward mattress with no frills, which leads to the lower price point.

HIGHLIGHTS

Here are some things to know about the Tuft & Needle mattress and company:

• Designed to be universally comfortable, i.e. good for the average sleeper
• Uses an adaptive foam T&N developed
• Uses a ceramic gel to increase cooling
• Pressure relief, support of memory foam; bounce & breathability of latex
• Eco-friendly foams are certified by CertiPUR-US
• Retail stores throughout Arizona
• See T&N mattress in select Lowe’s and Crate & Barrell stores
• Buy online at T&N or at Amazon.com, where they get great reviews
• Free shipping (except to Alaska & Hawaii)
• Free returns
• 100-day trial
• Full refund if returned, low risk
• On the firmer side
• Good for back and stomach sleepers
• Made in the USA

FEATURES

Type

The Tuft & Needle is a foam blend mattress.

Cooling

The Tuft & Needle uses a couple on interventions to keep you and the mattress cool. There is ceramic gel injected into the top comfort layer. The fabric cover breathes well.

Firmness

The Tuft & Needle mattress is a medium firm mattress.

Edge Support

Since the Tuft & Needle sleeps fairly firm, you shouldn’t have trouble with edge support. You likely won’t slip off the side if you’re seated there because there is good support in the base layer. And you’ll be able to sleep securely in any position on the edge of the mattress if you’re sharing space with a partner.

Motion Transfer

Any sort of foam mattress normally does a good job keeping one partner’s movement from disturbing the sleep of the other. The Tuft & Needle performs at that level.

The proprietary T&N foam should also support the natural alignment of your spine. If you’re an average sized person, both in weight and shape, the mattress should be appointed well enough to relieve back, shoulder, and neck pain.

CONSTRUCTION

The Tuft & Needle mattress is made of two layers. You will not find traditional memory foam, latex or coils in this mattress.

The top layer is made of a 3-inch slab of the company’s own adaptive foam. The triple-layer formulation feels like some combination of memory foam (responding to your movements and body curves) and latex (some bounce). It is also infused with a cooling gel and graphite that disperses heat and saves you from the discomfort of a hot mattress.

The bottom layer is 7 inches of a high density support foam that most foam mattresses have. The surface is a synthetic rayon/polyester blend.

Sleepers of any size or weight should find it a good fit because the more pressure you put on it, the more it reacts to support you.

SPECS

Here is a breakdown of the Tuft & Needle mattress:

Dimensions

• Twin: 39″ x 75″
• Twin XL: 39” x 80”
• Full: 54” x 75”
• Queen: 60” x 80”
• King: 76” x 80”
• Cal King: 72” x 84”

Weight

72 pounds for a queen size

Thickness

10 inches

BUYING EXPERIENCE

Trial

The Tuft & Needle trial period lasts for 100 days. If you decide to return the mattress you ordered from Tuft & Needle, call Tuft & Needle and they’ll arrange to get it done.

If you want to return the T&N mattress you ordered from Amazon, you will still have a 100-night trial period, but the mattress has to be returned through Amazon.

As always, the company strongly urges you to take at least 30 nights to sleep in the bed before making a decision one way or the other. It does need that time for the mattress to break in and for you to figure out if the mattress is a good fit.

If you decide to return your  mattress within the 100-night trial period, they will work with you to find a local charity who will accept the donated mattress.

Once your mattress is donated, you’ll send them a scanned or photographed copy of your donation receipt via email and they’ll process your refund in full.

Warranty

The Tuft & Needle has a 10-year limited warranty and applies if you purchased it from T&N or an official seller of their products. If you bought it through Amazon, you could be required to follow additional terms or steps to activate the warranty. Read the fine print,

As with most mattresses, the warranty only covers defects, like unexplained indentations of great than 3/4 inch; seams that are coming undone or something that causes the foam to crack or split. It doesn’t cover anything resulting from abuse or wear and tear, like stains or torn fabric or the fact that you just don’t like the way the mattress feels.

Buck up, buttercup. The terms are still pretty fair and standard among online mattress companies.

Delivery & Setup

Tuft & Needle delivers free to the lower 48 states and for a fee to Hawaii and Alaska. You can expect the mattress to arrive in 2–5 business days from the day you order.

Tuft & Needle also offers same-day delivery for customers in certain parts of Phoenix, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. If you qualify for this service, you will see an option for same-day shipping at checkout.

The Tuft & Needle mattress comes compressed, rolled and boxed. You will simply unbox the mattress, unroll it on your foundation, and wait for it to expand. You can handle it. And may take several hours or several days, depending on conditions to reach its full specifications.

Customer service

Tuft & Needle says only 5 percent of their customers return their mattresses. And the returned mattresses are either donated or recycled for other uses.

The company has benefited substantially from very positive online reviews through their selling partners at Amazon. You won’t suffer from a lack of opinions before you choose to buy.

If you still have questions after all of that, you can chat, call or email the company with questions during business hours seven days per week.

Price

mid $ to  mid $$ (See scale below).

The Tuft & Needle mattress is compatible with most bed frames (platform beds, box springs, slatted frames, bunkie boards, and adjustable frames). Just make sure it’s a sturdy foundation. And if you decide to use a slatted platform, just make sure the slats are no more than 5″ apart. It sells metal bases and box foundations if you want those.

CONCLUSION

Any mattress brand who seeks to make one mattress to fit everyone’s tastes and needs is running a marathon uphill. They need to manage those expectations.

But there are scenarios the well-constructed Tuft & Needle, as a mattress and company, can very capably handle. For examples:

• You want to avoid the hassle of mattress shopping, and would return a mattress if it doesn’t work.
• You are on a budget, but still want a good quality foam mattress.
• This is a better option than cheap Chinese foam beds you might find elsewhere online or at Walmart.
• You’re a college student and need a decent mattress for several years.
• You’re a back or a stomach sleeper, or you like a firmer mattress.
• You’re moving to a new place and don’t want to take your old mattress.

Maybe Tuft & Needle mattress isn’t a long-term solution for your bedroom. The company has still done a good job delivering a good mattress with good materials to appeal to a range of people.