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Casper Mattress Review: An Honest Assessment

Updated
Someone sleeping on a Casper mattress.
Photo: Connie Park
Annie Chou

By Annie Chou

Annie Chou is a writer focused on sleep. She has tested several sunrise alarm clocks, white noise machines, and other sleep-related gear.

Casper transformed the mattress industry a decade ago by selling a single, pared-down memory-foam bed-in-a-box that could land on your doorstep within a few days.

Today, the company offers five all-foam and hybrid models that tout cooling properties and ergonomic support.

Although Casper made its name as an online, direct-to-consumer retailer, you can also try and purchase its mattresses at Casper showrooms and stores like Target.

We’ve tested Casper mattresses with dozens of panelists over the years. Compared with similar mattresses from other companies, Casper mattresses have typically ranked somewhere in the middle.

We recently tested the Casper Dream Max, but we haven’t yet assessed the company’s other recent offerings. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re considering a Casper bed.

What to expect from a Casper mattress

  • Easy to try and buy

    Casper mattresses are widely available to try out in stores. They ship quickly, rolled up in a box.

  • Good trial and free returns

    Casper mattresses come with a 100-night trial and free returns.

  • Minimalist design

    Casper’s mattresses have smooth, gray, sock-style covers, without embellishments like pillow tops or tufting. The beds range from 11 to 14 inches in height.

  • Middle-of-the-road feel

    In group tests, our panelists have typically neither loved nor hated Casper’s mattresses.

To find readers the best mattresses, our sleep-team members take a comprehensive approach:

  • We interview scores of experts in the mattress industry and in materials science.
  • We visit dozens of mattress stores, showrooms, and factories.
  • We pore over the fine print on specifications, warranties, and return policies.

We’ve tested mattresses from Casper since 2019, in group tests and at home.

Casper The OneCasper DreamCasper SnowCasper Dream MaxCasper Snow Max
Mattress typememory foamhybridhybridhybridhybrid
Street price (in queen)$995$1,500$1,700$2,500$2,995
Firmness optionsoneoneoneoneone
Thickness 11 inches12 inches12 inches14 inches14 inches

Casper The One

A Casper One mattress.
Photo: Casper

Casper’s The One is the company’s most pared-down, least-expensive mattress, and it’s the only all-memory-foam model it currently offers. The company says the 11-inch mattress feels medium-firm with a bit of bounce and cushion, and it should suit all sleep positions. It lacks extra features, like zoned memory-foam support or cooling materials found in the rest of Casper’s mattresses. It has a basic knit polyester and spandex cover.

Casper wouldn’t share specific foam densities for any of its mattresses, but it did say that all of the polyfoams it uses have densities of at least 1.8 pounds per cubic foot, and that the memory foams have densities of at least 2.5 pounds per cubic foot.

The One mattress features a layer of memory foam sandwiched between upper and lower layers of polyfoam. Without knowing specific foam densities, we can’t say whether this mattress would be sufficiently durable and supportive for people who weigh over 200 pounds.

We haven’t tested this mattress yet, but we group-tested Casper’s previous basic foam mattress, the Casper Original, several times and slept on it at home. Some testers found it offered a comfortable cradling with some springiness, but others found it to be too flimsy and unsupportive. Several testers noted that the mattress felt uneven below them, and that their body weight was not supported evenly.

Key specs

  • Materials: 1.8 pounds per cubic foot polyurethane foam and 2.5 pounds per cubic foot memory-foam layers
  • Thickness: 11 inches
  • Trial: 100-night home trial
  • Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Casper Dream

A Casper Dream mattress.
Photo: Casper

The Dream is Casper’s basic hybrid mattress. Casper says it feels medium. Like Casper’s The One, this mattress has a layer of memory foam sandwiched between two layers of polyfoam, and it’s encased in a cover made from a polyester and spandex blend. The foam layers sit atop a base of pocketed springs (616, for a queen-size mattress). Casper wouldn’t share specific foam densities, so we can’t say whether the Dream is suitable for people who weigh over 200 pounds.

Hybrid mattresses typically offer a bouncier, more-resilient feel than the body-conforming sink of all-foam mattresses. Casper says both mattresses are suitable for all sleep styles, though the Dream may especially suit side-sleepers.

Key specs

  • Materials: polyurethane foam layer, zoned memory-foam layer, 616 pocket coils (in queen)
  • Thickness: 12 inches
  • Trial: 100-night home trial
  • Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Casper Snow

A Casper Snow mattress.
Photo: Casper

Casper’s 12-inch Snow hybrid mattress is a hybrid with a similar construction to the Dream (a polyfoam layer, a memory-foam layer with lumbar support, and a hybrid base layer of memory foam atop coils), with the addition of so-called cooling technology. This includes a cooling cover, phase change materials, and three aluminum graphite bands, all of which, Casper claims, help remove excess heat throughout the night. The Snow’s cover is made of a polyester, polyethylene, and spandex blend, which the company says enhances cooling. Because Casper wouldn’t share specific foam densities, we can’t say whether the Snow is durable for people who weigh over 200 pounds.

According to Casper, the Snow feels medium, and it will best suit back- and side-sleepers.

Key specs

  • Materials: cooling memory-foam layer, zoned memory-foam layer with flexible graphite thermal bands, polyurethane foam layer, 616 pocket coils (in queen)
  • Thickness: 12 inches
  • Trial: 100-night home trial
  • Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Casper Dream Max

A Casper Dream Max mattress on a bed frame.
Photo: Connie Park

Casper’s Dream Max—marketed as an upgraded version of the Dream—is a hybrid mattress constructed with layers of foam, with traditional encased coils in the base. The 14-inch Dream Max is 2 inches taller than the Dream, and it includes an additional layer of contoured foam. This mattress features the same polyester-and-spandex-blend cover. The Dream Max feels medium (Casper describes it as “medium-soft”), and it should suit side-sleepers and back-sleepers best. Casper didn’t share specific foam densities, so we can’t say whether it is suitable for people who weigh over 200 pounds.

In 2024, we evaluated the Dream Max alongside other hybrid mattresses in a brand-concealed panel test. Compared with the other hybrids we tested, the Dream Max didn’t stand out: No one chose it as a favorite, and only one tester singled it out as their least favorite.  Multiple testers found the edge support on the mattress to be inadequate. There were mixed reviews about the Dream Max’s firmness level—some testers reported the mattress felt too firm, while others found it to be too soft.

Key specs

  • Materials: polyurethane foam layer, zoned polyurethane foam layer, contoured polyurethane foam layer, 616 pocket coils (in queen)
  • Thickness: 14 inches
  • Trial: 100-night home trial
  • Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Casper Snow Max

A Casper Snow Max mattress.
Photo: Casper

Casper’s Snow Max, a hybrid mattress that pairs layers of foam with traditional encased coils in the base, is the company’s most luxe offering. It includes the same “cooling technology” as the Snow, and it has an additional layer of memory foam for extra support, so the Snow Max is 2 inches taller. Like the Snow, the Snow Max includes a cooling cover (made of a polyester, polyethylene, and spandex blend), phase change materials below the cover, and aluminum graphite bands (which are engineered to mitigate overheating throughout the night). Casper didn’t share specific foam densities, so we can’t say whether this mattress is suitable for people who weigh over 200 pounds.

According to Casper, the Snow Max has a medium-soft feel, and it should suit back- and side-sleepers the best.

Key specs

  • Materials: cooling memory-foam layer, zoned memory-foam layer with flexible graphite thermal bands, contoured memory-foam layer, polyurethane foam layer, 616 pocket coils (in queen)
  • Thickness: 14 inches
  • Trial: 100-night home trial
  • Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

This article was edited by Christina Colizza and Courtney Schley.

Do Casper mattresses have fiberglass?

None of Casper’s mattresses contain fiberglass—a component that’s commonly used as a fire barrier in all-foam or hybrid mattresses. In recent years, mattress owners have raised concerns about the potential health risks from airborne fiberglass exposure. Remember, however, that exposure shouldn’t be a problem unless the mattress cover is damaged or removed. Therefore, we recommend that you never remove the manufacturer’s mattress cover; we also recommend that you invest in a mattress protector to keep your mattress clean.

How do you set up a Casper mattress?

According to Casper, you should let the mattress unroll in its plastic casing once you take it out of the box. A mattress will be ready to sleep on within minutes, but it may take up to 72 hours to expand to its true dimensions. (Note that it may take your body a month or so to adjust to a new mattress.)

Casper mattresses are designed to work on a firm, solid surface. Having the correct support ensures the performance and longevity of memory-foam mattresses. With slatted frames, Casper recommends using flat wooden bed slats (not bowed), with slats no more than 4 inches apart. Casper offers a variety of foundations and adjustable bed frames on its site.

Casper also offers in-home delivery and setup within the continental United States, for $199.

Where can I try out and buy a Casper mattress?

Casper mattresses are available to try and buy at more than five-dozen Casper Sleep Shops nationwide. You can also find Casper mattresses at one of the company’s many retail partners, like Nordstrom and Target, among others. (Head to the Casper website to find a retail location near you.)

You can find additional advice on how to shop for a mattress online in our guide to how to choose a mattress.

When is the best time to buy a Casper mattress?

Our Deals team has found that Casper mattresses are usually on some sort of sale. For example, the Dream normally retails for $1,875, but its “street price” (the price you’re more likely to pay) hovers around $1,500 (or 15% off).

If you’re looking for additional savings, we recommend that you hold out for a major sale. Wirecutter Deals editor Nathan Burrow said the best prices on Casper mattresses occur during the month of February and at the end of November. “Sales are so regular that we wouldn’t advise buying at full price unless you need a mattress right away and have your heart set on a Casper,” he said. “Like most mattresses we track, the best prices on Caspers tend to occur during the month of February and at the end of November. Other times to watch for sales include Memorial Day, Amazon Prime Day, and Labor Day.”

Casper’s older models, like the Wave, are available to buy only from partner retailers and Amazon. Note that the return policy is dictated by the seller, not Casper.

How long does a Casper mattress last?

Theoretically, you can expect any new mattress, including a Casper, to last about 10 years—the same length as Casper’s limited warranty. (This is pretty standard among bed-in-a-box companies.)

Here are a few things you can do to increase the odds that your mattress will last that long or potentially even longer:

  • Rotate the mattress at least every six months.
  • Use a mattress protector to keep bedbugs and dust mites at bay.
  • Make sure you have the right bed frame to support the mattress’s weight and keep it from sagging. (This also allows the mattress to “breathe,” thereby preventing mold and mildew from forming underneath.)
  • Vary where you sleep on the bed.
  • Keep it clean. (Here’s how.)

How does Casper’s current lineup compare to its older models?

According to Casper, the newest line is not a direct relaunch of any models from the previous lineup.

However, for those curious how the new line compares to Casper’s previous models, Casper provided us with the following information:

  • The One is similar to the Original (without zoned support) or the Casper.
  • The Dream is similar to the Original Hybrid.
  • The Dream Max is similar to the Nova Hybrid.
  • The Snow (2024) is similar to the older Snow.
  • The Snow Max is similar to the Wave Hybrid Snow.

Meet your guide

Annie Chou

Associate Staff Writer

Annie Chou is an associate staff writer for Wirecutter’s sleep and appliance team. She got her master’s in anthropology from the University of Chicago and worked for years in the restaurant service industry. In her spare time, she hangs out with (and obsesses over) her chocolate lab mix, Mochi Q.

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