Casper Element (formerly Essential) vs Tuft & Needle

Scott White
Chief Sleep Researcher
Updated 3 Days Ago

The streamlined Casper Element foam provides more support than the original Casper, while the Tuft & Needle foam allows light contouring. Casper Element offers closer conforming for pressure absorption while Tuft & Needle suits those wanting basic cushioning.

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Price

Casper Element is the budget option from Casper, starting at around $600 for a Queen. Tuft and Needle's flagship mattress is similarly priced at about $600 for a Queen.

Size
Tuft and Needle
Casper
Twin
$350 - $650
$545 - $1,095
Twin XL
$395 - $695
$595 - $1,295
Full
$495 - $795
$895 - $1,495
Queen
$595 - $895
$995 - $1,695
King
$750 - $1,050
$1,295 - $2,095
California King
$850 - $1,250
$1,325 - $2,125

Casper Element Vs Tuft and Needle

Tuft and Needle

Tuft and Needle craft mattresses that reflect a commitment to sleep innovation. Their products combine adaptive foam with cooling properties, ensuring nights of comfort and coolness.

Highlights

Offers a range of mattresses with varying comfort levels, all priced affordably under $500. Their pricing is nearly half that of some large brands, making them an excellent choice for budget-conscious shoppers.

Offers an impressive range of comfort experiences, ensuring there's a perfect match for all sleep styles and preferences. This customization helps to accommodate pressure areas and cater to various sleeping positions, enhancing overall comfort.

Best for long term support needed by all sleep styles.

Casper

Casper has made a mark with its innovative designs and exceptional comfort. Each mattress reflects a commitment to sleep science, offering the right blend of support and softness for deep rest.

Highlights

Offers an impressive range of comfort experiences, ensuring there's a perfect match for all sleep styles and preferences. This customization helps to accommodate pressure areas and cater to various sleeping positions, enhancing overall comfort.

Best for long term support needed by all sleep styles.

Infuses their mattresses with natural materialsl. These natural elements help eliminate harmful toxins and chemical flame retardants.

Compare What’s Inside

The Casper Element (formerly Essential) is a quality mattress for people who seek comfort at a cozy price. Tuft & Needle delivers a new level of foam mattress expertise with the use of their unique Adaptive Foam technology. We've compiled a side-by-side comparison of the Casper Element's top competing brands, Tuft & Needle, to see which mattress is the right choice for you.

Casper Element and Tuft & Needle at a glance

As Casper's most affordable mattress, the Casper Element combines Casper's signature Airscape perforated foam layer with a durable base to keep you and your wallet comfortable. While the Casper Element remains one of Casper's most popular and affordable options, is this mattress really worth the hype? Let's take a look at the Casper Element and one of Casper's top competitors, Tuft & Needle, to see which mattress reigns supreme.

Competitor #1: Casper Element

The Casper Element is so popular because not only does it unite affordability and comfort, it also ships directly to your door! The model features Casper's Airscape foam layer which keeps you cool and comfortable at night. The durable foam base layer provides pressure-relieving support and prevents sagging. We've provided a detailed breakdown of the Casper Element's construction below:

  • Sustainable Cover: The Casper Element's soft mattress cover is made with up to 9 recycled bottles, so this is a purchase you can feel good about.
  • Airscape Foam Top Layer: The Casper Element's top layer is made entirely of Casper's signature Airscape perforated breathable foam. This layer increases airflow and improves air circulation to keep you cool while you sleep. Plus, the premium foam top layer conforms to your body to relieve pressure.
  • Durable Base: This model has an ultra durable base engineered to prevent sagging. The durable base supports your whole body regardless of your sleep style.

Prices Start at $545 for a Twin and goes up to $945 for a California King.

Competitor #2: Tuft & Needle

Tuft & Needle is a growing mattress brand that recently partnered with Serta Simmons Bedding, the world's leading mattress manufacturer, to bring 220 years of knowledge to their team. Tuft & Needle and the Casper Element are very similar because both use cutting-edge foam mattress technology. The main difference? Tuft & Needle offers 3 unique models that give even the Casper Element's price point a run for its money. Here's an overview of each Tuft & Needle mattress:

The Original

The T&N Original features 2 layers of supportive foam plus a 3 inch layer of their proprietary, open-cell Adaptive foam with added graphite and cooling gel. The mattress pulls added heat away from your body while remaining cozy and comfy, and is the perfect choice for any sleeping position.

  • Prices start at $350 for a twin to $750 for a California King.

The Mint

The Mint includes 3 foam layers to produce a cradling, supportive feel while adding 5  inches of their unique Adaptive foam technology that supports a comfortable and cool sleep. Designed for maximum pressure relief, this foam mattress proves that luxury doesn't need to be expensive.

  • Prices start at $595 for a twin to $1145 for a California King.

The Hybrid

The hybrid boasts 6 fine-tuned layers of foam support while the mattress's Adaptive foam layer works together with its NanoCoil springs to keep things cool and supportive. It also has a carbon-infused pillow top for added comfort and temperature control.

  • Prices start at $895 for a twin to $1745 for a California King.

Side-By-Side Comparison

Both the Casper Element and Tuft & Needle feature brand-unique, signature cooling foam layers that regulate your temperature as you sleep. Both brands ship free to 48 states, have a 10-year warranty, and are available for financing. So, which should you choose?

We recommend the Casper Element to anyone wanting to experience the Casper brand, without committing to a higher-priced model. The Element is more affordable than any other Casper model, and it still features Casper's unique Airscape cooling technology which ensures a comfortable night's sleep.

If you're looking for a variety of quality options at a price point that's hard to beat, we recommend Tuft and Needle. It's most basic model is still more affordable than the Casper Element, and provides the brand's unique cooling technology while still being a supportive and comfortable mattress.

How To Choose The Right Mattress

First off, if your current mattress is 7-10 years old and you're experiencing more body aches and pains, it's time to buy a new mattress. Getting a good night's sleep is essential in maintaining a healthy body and mind. Choosing the right mattress doesn't have to be a hassle, follow these guidelines to find the right one for you!

  • Choose a mattress based on your individual needs. If you're looking for plushier support that adapts to your body's shape, a memory foam mattress is the best choice. If you want a more firm, traditional, feel an innerspring mattress is what you want. For the best of both worlds, get a hybrid mattress.
  • Get proper lumbar support. The majority of your body weight is positioned in what is called the "center third" of the mattress. Find a mattress that has excellent lumbar support as it prevents and alleviates pain in the back and hips. If you're looking for extra support, Saatva's unique lumbar zone technology might be the best fit.
  • Find a mattress with a long in-home trial. You want to be able to test your mattress over an extended period of time to really make sure this is the right one for you. Look for a company that offers a risk-free in-home sleep trial. Nectar offers a 365-day trial. IDLE Sleep offers a full 18-month trial (the longest in the industry).

Where can I find a great, affordable mattress (in 2024)?

If you're searching for an affordable mattress that offers a wide range of comfort and pressure relief, we've compiled a list of mattresses for you to consider:

  1. Saatva Mattress - fantastic for all sleep positions, and is rated our Best Mattress of 2024.
  2. Puffy - feels like you're sleeping on a cool cloud (at a good price).
  3. Ghostbed - beautiful, plush cover w/ aerated latex and healthy spinal alignment.
  4. Winkbeds - 3-stage back relief with free shipping and returns.

Read our short, well-researched 10 Best Mattresses of 2024, here. Our ultimate goal is to help you pick your perfect mattress online, today!

What people are saying

Verdict

The Casper Element uses fewer foam comfort layers than the Original Casper for more support at a lower price, while the Tuft & Needle has light, adaptive foam contouring. The Casper Element still isolates motion better with closer contouring than the Tuft & Needle. The T&N suits bargain hunters, but the Casper Element provides more pressure relief.