Tuft and Needle Mattress Review

The Mattress Nerd’s Take: The Tuft & Needle mattress is a medium-firm mattress that provides good support for your back, shoulders and neck. This all-foam mattress uses a unique design to keep you and the mattress cool, and its foam blend technology helps with motion transfer. The more pressure applied to the mattress, the more support it gives the sleeper, making the Tuft & Needle a good fit for some sleepers of all sizes. Still, heavyweight side sleepers might not get the pressure relief they’re looking for from the Tuft & Needle, and lightweight side sleepers might not find enough cradling comfort for pressure points as well. In this Tuft & Needle Mattress review, we’ll get to the bottom of what makes the T&N Mattress great.

Now, the current version of the Tuft & Needle mattress is aimed at the average sleeper wanting a budget-friendly choice. It was made for anyone who wants to decrease the hassle of buying a mattress but is a bit nervous about doing that online-Tuft & Needle makes it easy! For more budget-friendly choices, see the best affordable mattresses.

Who Is the Tuft & Needle Best For?

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

Not a great fit for the Tuft & Needle? See our best mattresses for plus-size sleepers.

Back Sleepers

The Tuft & Needle shines when it comes to back sleepers. For average-weight back sleepers, the weight is evenly distributed across the entire bed. This prevents pressure from being focused on the lower back and keeps the spine aligned. This mattress is a great blend of support and comfort for lightweight and heavyweight back sleepers as well. For other great options, see the best mattress for back sleepers.

Stomach Sleepers

The top foam layer is what many love about the Tuft & Needle, but it may be the reason it is not the best option for strict stomach sleepers. While comfortable at first, this foam layer lets the hips sink significantly, putting pressure on the lower back. If you are a very lightweight stomach sleeper, this mattress may be okay for you, but we wouldn’t recommend it for average to heavy sleepers. If the Tuft & Needle isn’t right for you, see the best mattress for heavy stomach sleepers.

Side Sleepers

When we first laid down on the side, our team was surprised to feel some pressure on the shoulders. However, after a while, the pressure was relieved and we felt very “hugged” by the mattress. If you are very lightweight, you may not ever sink into the mattress enough to experience this feeling so we wouldn’t recommend. For average-weight sleepers who like a close hug, and heavy sleepers who want something to conform to them over time, this could be a winner. If you are looking for a mattress that relieves pressure on the hips and shoulders, see the best mattress for side sleepers.

Combination Sleepers

As usual, how happy combo sleepers fare on the Tuft & Needle will depend on what their dominant sleeping position is. It was easy enough to move around on this mattress, and we never really felt “stuck.” However, if you lay in one spot the majority of the night and then try to move, you may find it takes a significant amount of effort. If you are mainly an average-weight back combination sleeper, you will do well. If you are mainly a side or stomach sleeper, refer to our advice above: particularly for plus-size stomach sleepers or average-weight side sleepers. For the best responsive mattresses, see the best mattress for combination sleepers.

How Does it Feel? 

Responsiveness, Bounce and Ease of Movement

For an all-foam bed, the Tuft & Needle original is responsive and enables sleepers to change position easily. The T&N Adaptive foam layer mimics the feel of latex, so you most likely won’t feel bogged down in the mattress. That’s great for combination sleepers who move around often or for those who have trouble getting out of bed in the morning. If you are looking for a similar feel, see the best latex mattresses.

How Firm Is this Mattress?

Mattresses here at Mattress Nerd are rated on a firmness scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most firm and one being the softest bed imaginable. The Tuft & Needle mattress is a medium-firm mattress, so we rate it a 7 out of 10 on firmness. It is made with T&N adaptive foam, which closely resembles well-known memory foam but helps create a slightly firmer mattress. We also included it in our round-up of the best memory foam mattresses because it’s great for back and stomach sleepers who want an all-foam bed but still need adequate support. 

Does it Sleep Hot? 

Tuft & Needle uses several construction style choices to keep you and the mattress cool all night long. The ceramic gel and graphite injected into the mattress layers allows the bed to breathe well. But still, beds that have coils tend to be more cooling and breathable – and the Tuft & Needle Original mattress doesn’t have those coils. For mattresses dedicated to sleeping cool, see the best mattress for hot sleepers.

 Is it Good for Couples? 

Since it is a foam mattress, it does a good job keeping one partner’s movement from disturbing the sleep of the other. But it’s still not our top pick for motion isolation or the best mattress for couples, mostly because the bed is so responsive and reacts to body movement quite easily. The proprietary T&N foam should also support the natural alignment of your spines. If you are both average-sized people, both in weight and shape, the mattress should be appointed well enough to relieve back, shoulder, and neck pain. 

How’s the Edge Support? 

Even though the Tuft & Needle sleeps fairly firm, it does not excel in edge support. It is ok for sleeping near the edge of the bed, but if you sit on the edge to tie your shoe, you will probably feel like you are about to fall off. Again, when you use the full surface of the bed, you won’t slip off the side due to good support in the base layer, but be careful about sitting on the edges too much. 

Construction: What’s Under the Surface?

The Tuft & Needle is a foam blend mattress similar to the construction in mattresses like the flagship designs from Casper and GhostBed. It also has some pretty cool materials within its layers: graphite (to absorb heat), ceramic gel cooling beads, open-cell support foam and their signature T&N Adaptive Foam. 

Layer #1: Breathable Cover: The fabric cover of the Tuft & Needle is soft and enhances breathability, with a white patterned design. There isn’t much in terms of cooling on the Tuft & Needle Cover. 

Layer #2: Adaptive Foam: The comfort layer of the Tuft & Needle is a 3-inch slab of the company’s own T&N 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 as delivers close contouring to the body.

Layer #3: High-Density Support Foam: This support layer is 7 inches of a high-density support foam that most foam mattresses have. The surface is a synthetic rayon/polyester blend. The Tuft & Needle Mattress should be a good fit for people of all sizes due to the reactive properties of the bed. With increased pressure on the bed, it increases the support it provides to the sleeper. 

How Much Does the Tuft & Needle Cost?

See our Tuft & Needle Mattress Coupons for the best price on a new Tuft & Needle mattress. For other budget-friendly options, see the Best Mattress Under $1,000.

How Do the Policies Measure Up?

Sleep Trial

Tuft & Needle gives customers a 100-night trial period to test out their new mattress. If you decide to return the mattress you ordered, simply call Tuft & Needle and they’ll arrange to pick it up and have it returned, as well as offer you a full refund. 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. Especially for this mattress, as it starts to conform to your body over time.

Warranty 

Additionally, Tuft & Needle mattresses come with a 10-year warranty. 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.

Tuft & Needle mattresses are available for on their website and also on Amazon.com. If order through their site, it 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.

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. The mattress may take several hours or several days, depending on conditions to reach its full specifications. 

To find our more about the Tuft & Needle models, check out Comparing Tuft & Needle Mattresses.

Comparing the Tuft & Needle Mattress

Tuft & Needle vs Purple

Both are popular memory foam mattresses with slightly different firmness levels and feels. The Purple grid is unique to Purple mattresses, providing increased airflow for hot sleepers and pressure relief for back sleepers.

See our full Tuft & Needle vs. Purple Mattress Comparison. 

Tuft & Needle vs Tuft & Needle Hybrid 

The Tuft & Needle Hybrid mattress is the first hybrid mattress by T&N. This mattress combines Tuft & Needle’s pressure-relieving adaptive foam with a base layer of innerspring coils. The result? A bed that combines cooling comfort and unmatched support. 

Read our full Tuft & Needle Hybrid Mattress Review.

Bear vs Tuft & Needle Mattress Comparison

Similar memory foam mattresses, the Bear is built for athletes or couples looking for muscle recovery and pressure relief. The Bear is also slightly firmer than the Tuft & Needle, both mattresses work well for combination sleepers.

Read our full Bear vs Tuft & Needle Mattress Comparison. 

What’s The Bottom Line? 

Tuft & Needle set out to fulfill a difficult task; make one mattress to fit everyone’s tastes and needs. While this is an essentially impossible task, they got pretty close.

The Tuft & Needle Original mattress is a quality, foam mattress at a great price point, coming in at under $600 for a Queen size. It is the perfect bed for college apartments, first time home buyers, guest rooms, and kids’ rooms. We really liked the way the mattress felt on the back and side, once it started to conform. But if you are an average or heavy stomach sleeper, we’d advise against this one. 

The Tuft & Needle Original is a great, high value option, and while it may not last you the rest of your life if it is used every night, it will appeal to a wide range of sleepers for quite some time.

FAQs 

What Type of Foundation Do I Need to Use? 

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.

Will I experience off-gassing with a Tuft & Needle? 

In short, yes. Most foam beds-in-a-box will come wit some off-gassing smell once unboxed. That being said, Tuft & Needle mattresses off-gassing should not last very long at all. After several hours they should start to disappear. 

What’s the difference between buying a Tuft & Needle on Amazon versus from the brand’s website?

The biggest difference in ordering from Amazon versus the Tuft & Needle website is the return policy. You’ll need to contact the Special Handling Department of Amazon to get help returning the mattress, but you’ll still get the 100-night sleep trial that comes with the Tuft & Needle Mattress.