After sleeping on a bed that was way too firm for about 6 years now, I knew I had to make a change. I can’t say it any other way: I hated my old mattress with a passion. I’d wake up achy and sore, unable to get a good night’s sleep, and couldn’t take it anymore. In recent years, the bed-in-a-box model has become increasingly popular and I’d heard good things about Casper, so we bit the bullet just after Christmas and bought a Casper mattress in the hopes that it would be exactly what my back needed. Did we like the Casper mattress and is this popular bed worth it? Read on for my Casper mattress review!
Casper mattress review: Honest thoughts about this popular bed
So first, a word on our old mattress and why we were in need of a change. We bought our old mattress shortly after moving into our home just over six years ago and within a year or two I realized we were a little too hasty in choosing a mattress. I don’t know what we were thinking when we chose it. It was apparently medium-firm but if you told me it was cinder blocks at this point, I’d believe you. I’m a side sleeper and always felt like it was too firm to get comfortable, like my shoulder and hips were perched on a cement floor and not supported by a comfy mattress.
There was nothing comfy about it and was way too firm for our, well my, tastes. Over the years, we bought different toppers to try to soften it up but nothing could change the fact that I hated our mattress. It really was a shame because 1) the old mattress was not cheap, not by a long shot and 2) I’m someone who really, really likes to sleep 3) the quality of our sleep affects the quality of our life.
Photo credit: Casper.fr
For the record, there was nothing wrong with our old mattress, so I’m not going to name it. I fully acknowledge some people like and need firm support to sleep. Not me. Even growing up, we had Sleep Number beds (wish they were available in France!) that I loved where you could adjust the firmness with a remote. To date, the best bed I’ve ever tried is a Tempur-Pedic LuxeAdapt and those are completely out of my budget at the moment. They’re incredibly plush and soft. I know I’m in the minority of sleepers, but the softer and cushier, the better.
As a fully grown adult, I need eight hours of sleep and if I don’t get it I’m not the most fun to be around. I’m also a morning person and love waking up when it’s still dark. I’ve been consistently waking up aches and pains and having restless sleep and it sets the tone for the entire day.
The other issue with the firm mattress was a pulling feeling in my lower back. When I’d lie down flat on my back, I felt some discomfort in my low back, so I even got one of those wedge pillows to put underneath my knees to alleviate some of the pressure, but it wasn’t a permanent solution.
For me, it comes down to this: When we spend a third of our lives asleep, it’s incredibly important to have a high-quality mattress that meets our needs so we can wake up refreshed, rested, and ready to tackle the day.
The online mattress startups seem to be everywhere these days and I was intrigued. Purple, Casper, Simba, Eve, Emma, Tediber, Hypnia, Tuft & Needle…. the list goes on. The bed-in-a-box model seemed to be taking off in the US and for good reason — affordable, no-risk guarantee, free shipping and returns, and a great selection. I had heard great things about Casper, and to my surprise, the Casper mattress is available in France. When they had a promo for the holidays, I jumped on it and my back did a little happy dance, hoping the Casper mattress would be exactly what it needed.
One of the things that sold me on trying a Casper mattress is that it is risk free. I can’t stress that enough – free shipping and returns with 100 free nights of sleep. You could return it no questions asked. I figured anything would be better than my super firm current mattress that’s been killing my back and shoulders for years, so I ordered it and hoped the Casper bed review I’d been planning to write would be glowing…
Luckily, Tom is really easy-going with sleep and doesn’t care one way or the other if the mattress is firm or soft. But for me, waking up with aches and pains just wasn’t acceptable anymore. What I needed was a softer mattress and I was hoping Casper would be just the trick. I went into with an open mind and no expectations although I was hoping the Casper mattress would be my new favorite thing and a step up from my old bed.
Specs on the Casper mattress
Keep in mind that I bought the original Casper mattress from the French site, as I live in France. While the overall mattress is more or less the same, the European version of the mattress is not 100% identical to the North American version. There are a few technical details that differ between the US version and the Europe one, mainly no zoned support in the Europe version.
Photo credit: Casper.fr
Casper has 3 mattress models at the time of writing this post, 2 of which are available in France. There’s the basic model called The Essential, The Wave, which is a new higher end model not yet available in France, and The Casper, the brand’s signature mattress and the one I bought. The Casper comes in Original and Hybrid, with Original being the most popular and all foam.
The Casper Original mattress is composed of 4 premium all-foam layers. It is 12 inches in height and the foam is breathable so you won’t get hot when you sleep. As their website states, “the foams are certified by the CertiPUR-US® program, meaning they are made without ozone depleting chemicals and regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million).”
The mattress does not need a box spring and can sit on a platform bed, foundation and frame, or an adjustable frame — your choice. Our Queen-size mattress sits nicely on our bed frame and was lightweight easy to maneuver when changing the sheets.
All mattresses have a 10-year warranty, and a 100 night risk-free trial to make sure it’s right for you, and free shipping and returns. All 3 of these things were huge selling points for me. You have nothing to lose by trying the Casper mattress.
Casper mattress setup
My Casper mattress in a box:
The Casper mattress was delivered by UPS in a cardboard box with two cutout handles on the side. The box is white with blue stripes and clearly marked Casper with minimalist marketing aside from the web address. The upright box is quite sturdy. The Queen size bed in the box weights 94 pounds (42 kg) and came up to rib height on me.
It’s pretty bulky, so it’s best to have two people carry it safely inside and upstairs, if necessary. With two people, it was a breeze to get the Casper mattress in a box up into the bedroom.
Now for the Casper bed unboxing. Once you open the top, you’ll find some instructors from Casper along with the compressed mattress. You put the box on its side, pull out the rolled-up mattress and then get it into place on your bed frame.
Then, just cut off the plastic seal and the compressed mattress will promptly puff up. Give it a few minutes and it’s ready to go. The Casper mattress setup was simple, especially since it seemed to weigh a great deal less than our previous mattress. Getting the old one out of the way was more of a hassle than setting up the Casper mattress.
How much does a Casper mattress cost?
The Casper mattress isn’t a budget mattress but isn’t a luxury priced item either.
At the time of writing this, the Casper Original USA pricing is as follows:
- Twin US$536
- Full US$896
- Queen US$986. (I paid 658 € for the Europe-sized equivalent 160 x 200 cm during a holiday promo.)
- King & California King US$1,166
Photo credit: Casper.fr
What does the Casper mattress feel like?
From Casper’s website, the original Casper mattress model is described as “the perfect balance of soft and firm.” It says it offers balanced support, and the US mattress has zoned support so there’s a softer foam area under the shoulders and again under the legs. The mid-section area under the hips has firmer foam to provide extra support for the core. The French site describes it as “not too soft and not too firm.”
OK, let’s talk about Casper mattress firmness. The foam top layer is soft and even bouncy, but how firm is a Casper mattress? For me, it’s too firm. The foam layers under that soft layer you see above with a hand sinking into it are quite firm. The mattress feels medium firm when you lie down and you certainly don’t sink into the bed. It feels supportive. It feels comfortable but I wouldn’t say it was super soft or enveloping by any means.
When lying completely flat on my back, I could feel my lower back pulling a little bit so there’s definitely a Casper back pain issue for me just like my old bed. You won’t sink in. I knew I’d need to bend my legs or put my foam wedge underneath to alleviate the low back strain.
One thing my husband noticed right away was that the mattress lacked edge support. He often sits at the edge of the bed to put on his shoes and noticed the outer edge collapsed a little more than he was used to. It wasn’t a problem but was something he noticed, so if you tend to sleep at the edge of your bed or sit on the edge to do anything, be aware that you might roll off or sink down easily. Apparently, the Hybrid model has better edge support.
Final thoughts: Is the Casper mattress worth it?
Ok, so now is the big reveal part of my Casper mattress review. Did I keep it and is the Casper mattress worth it? No, we did not keep our Casper mattress but I do think it’s worth a try. We didn’t return it because we thought the Casper mattress was bad quality or anything like that. It just came down to personal preference and I know the vast majority of sleepers would be more than happy sleeping on a Casper mattress.
After testing it out, I would absolutely recommend the Casper mattress without hesitation to anyone looking for a balanced, supportive mattress.
Unfortunately, the Casper mattress firmness was just a little too much for my liking and it went back without a hitch. The Casper return process is simple and well organized and the mattress does not have to be wrapped or put back in the packaging. You let Casper customer service know you’d like to initiate a return and the pickup is scheduled in a couple of a days. A delivery person picks it up and then you’re credited within a couple of days. The Casper 100-night trial period — plus the free shipping and return — is fantastic and I found their customer service to be top notch.
I know I’m in the minority of people who wants to feel like she’s falling into a cloud at night. A cushy, soft, dreamy cloud. Any type of bed that is firm or semi-firm and supportive that will appeal to the majority of sleepers is not going to be comfortable for me. I was happy I tried the Casper mattress and went in with an open mind but knew within a couple of days it wasn’t right for me. The bed-in-a-box model is perfect for people with normal, non-specific sleep needs. I’m just someone who is looking for a very specific sort of mattress and Casper wasn’t it.
Photo Credit: Casper.fr
Bottom line on the Casper mattress
It’s a solid mid-range mattress that I know makes a lot of people very happy and I recommend it without hesitation. Casper’s website makes a bold claiming saying the bed is “loved by all sleepers” and while I wasn’t one of them, I do think it’s a well-made product. If you want medium to firm support with a reasonable price, I wholeheartedly recommend trying a Casper mattress. It’s easy to set up, not super heavy, and is a quality product. With the sleep guarantee of 100 nights free plus free shipping and returns, you have nothing to lose by trying it.
For now, I’m adding a memory foam topper to my current bed and saving up for the Tempur-Pedic…
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What about you? Is the Casper mattress worth it? Hope you enjoyed my Casper mattress review!
IN THE USA: Click here to get a Casper mattress discount of 10% on the US site.
IN FRANCE: Click here to get a Casper mattress discount of 10% on the French site.
Disclosure: This is not sponsored and I happily paid for the Casper mattress with my own funds.
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We tried the Casper mattress too. I also didn’t like it. It slept hot, which is what I hated about the tempurpedic and was the same reason we returned that mattress as well (we had a 100 day trial for that mattress too). We did keep the box spring since it’s collapsible and we have a king bed in a narrow house which makes for tricky maneuverability. The customer service was the best – quick credit and quick pick up. In the US they donate the mattress rather than take it back which I loved even more. I know other people that love these mattresses but it just didn’t work for me either.
There’s a new Tempurpedic with major air flow. I tried it in a FL store. Heaven!
Sorry the Casper didn’t work for you either!
Casper didn’t work for he either. Worst sleep I’ve ever experienced. Thanks for the tip on temperpedic.
we bought a Tediber and it’s fantastic, and I’m pretty critical, If it wasn’t excellent, I would say so
Their service is excellent as well, We are buying another one for the 2nd bedroom for guests.