Tuft & Needle Mattress Review

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This Tuft & Needle mattress review starts with a question:

Is shopping for a mattress really worse than shopping for a car?

That’s what the founders of the American-made Tuft & Needle mattress found to be true with their purchasing experience. In fact, it seems to be a common theme amongst mattress start-ups.

Their solution? To revolutionize the mattress industry.

“We hate the mattress industry, that’s exactly why we’re in it.”

Launched in 2012, Tuft & Needle set out with the goal of making it possible to find ‘an exceptional mattress at a fair price’. They focused on selling one ‘perfect’ product that offers ideal support, comfort, and breathability.

What they designed is a thoughtfully crafted mattress delivered to your front door without any marketing gimmicks or mark-ups that you’ll find in typical retail stores.

But mattresses are a major investment. You want to sleep on them for many years.

Does this mattress do the job of providing you with sound sleep for years to come?

We’re here to help and have gone ahead and tested this product thoroughly. These tests, combined with our personal experience and those of third parties, have created a 360-degree view and helped us develop an unbiased opinion of what the Tuft & Needle has to offer.

So let’s dive in and see how this mattress stands up against its competitors…

Pricing & Dimensions

• Twin: Price: $350 USD, Dimensions: 39” x 75” x 10”
• Twin XL: Price: $375 USD, Dimensions: 39” x 80” x 10”
• Full: Price: $500 USD, Dimensions: 54” x 75” x 10”
• Queen: Price: $600 USD, Dimensions: 60” x 80” x 10”
• King: Price: $750 USD, Dimensions: 76” x 80” x 10”
• Cal King: Price: $750 USD, Dimensions: 72” x 84” x 10”

Product Overview

What we liked:

• Free Shipping & Returns: no hidden delivery fees to inflate the price
• 100-Day Trial Period: peace of mind when you purchase
• Breathability: great airflow and heat wicking, helping to disperse heat outward and providing you with a cool sleep
• Good Edge Support: better than what we’ve come to expect from foam mattresses; no feeling of ‘falling off’ when sitting towards the ends of the bed
• Economical: one of the least expensive quality mattresses on the market today
• Localized Bounce: good rebound speed minus the “quicksand sink-in” feeling, but still offering a level of support.
• Supports American Manufacturing: all T&N mattresses are designed and crafted in the United States
• Philanthropy & Community Support: No mattress is ever wasted as returns are donated; the company helps out schools and homeless shelters with other donations.
• Very Little Off-Gassing: good initial unwrapping experience and doesn’t stink the room out for a few days
• Innovative: T & N produce their own foam, giving them full control over the materials and the manufacturing process

What we didn’t like:

• One-Mattress-Fits-All: Inability to customize to personal preferences
• Inability to Test Before Purchase: with only two showrooms in Phoenix, AZ & San Francisco, CA, your options to try before you purchase are very limited
• No Flipping: designed with a distinct top and bottom side, the Tuft & Needle mattress sits one way and cannot be flipped
• No Side Straps: to aid in manoeuvring it into place (we’ve found this to be a common theme of the ‘online mattress’ market)

About the Manufacturer

As a bootstrapped start-up in 2012, the Tuft & Needle founders were looking to shake up the industry and change the way that mattresses were designed and sold.

Fed up with the lack of transparency and fairness that was seemingly the norm in the industry, they looked to create a better standard; one that didn’t include overpriced and over-complicated products. They set out to make one perfect mattress, not a hundred mediocre ones; to help you ‘wake up better’.

The first thing you may notice about what they came up with is the price-point; this is at the lower end compared to other online mattresses of similar quality.

Tuft & Needle stands firmly on ‘charging what they need to, not what they can’. After what they witnessed from the big mattress stores (inflated prices, hidden delivery fees, unfair returns policies and salespeople on commissions), they were determined to make fairness a key component in how they run their business.

They ended up pioneering an entirely new mattress-purchasing experience. This is one that many since have followed, bypassing conventional retailers and offering a 100-day money-back guarantee, 10-year warranty, and free shipping to the USA & Canada.

Designed and crafted in the USA, there are only two showrooms in the country: one in Phoenix, AZ and the other in San Francisco, CA.

Why the name ‘Tuft & Needle’?

You may be wondering why the name Tuft & Needle.

Drawing upon a technique used when learning how to make mattresses by hand, the founders liked what the tufting needle represented at the time: authentic, made by craftsmen, original, timeless, and modern.

How We Put the Mattress to the Test

As with all mattress reviews we conduct on this site, we believe in sleeping on this mattress and performing the following tests using more than one sleeper. This gives you, the reader, an accurate assessment of what this mattress has to offer: something that isn’t often done with other Tuft & Needle reviews.

Our two ‘sleep scouts’ are a 120lb female and a 215lb male. We tested the Tuft & Needle mattress for 30 days.

For the results of their tests, keep on reading.

The Basics: An Overview

First Observations: The Unpacking Experience

First things first, the box itself is pretty to look at. Streamlined font, black and white, its design is simple yet handsome. Can a box be handsome? In any case, the package marketing is thoughtful and, surprisingly enough, there is no blue which seems to be the color of choice in the sleep industry (See Casper, Leesa, Endy etc.)

As with other online mattresses, the T & N arrives compressed and vacuum-sealed. Instructions for setting it up are broken down into four simple steps, which can be found on the leaflet included in the box.

Once you break the seal, the mattress expands and immediately takes shape. With very little off-gassing you aren’t left with an unpleasant smell that will stink the room out for a few hours or days – a common attribute of foam mattresses in general.

Typically, when we set up a new mattress to review, it is unpacked on the floor and then moved to our bed frame. However, this time we threw caution to the wind and followed the set up instructions by placing the sealed mattress on the bed frame before unpacking it. This eliminated the need to try and manoeuvre it without any side straps, making set up relatively easy.

What’s in the box?

Aside from the compressed and vacuum sealed mattress itself, you also get a well-packaged booklet that includes the story of Tuft & Needle, mattress specs, care instructions, and contact information.

To aid in setting up your new mattress, they also include a separate leaflet with the 4-step process to get you sleeping peacefully in no time.

Oh, and did I mention stickers? Yep, two of them: marketing gold in my opinion! Who doesn’t love stickers?

The Materials

So what exactly goes into making a mattress that is ‘expertly crafted with everyone in mind’?

There are THREE key components of this mattress: two layers of high-quality, high-performance foam that, together, deliver pressure relief, support, and breathability, wrapped in a soft and durable mattress cover.

Here’s a little more detail about each component:

• Top Layer: T&N Adaptive Foam (3 inches): innovative and unique to Tuft & Needle, this is not latex or memory foam. Instead, it offers support and adapts to individual body size and shape, to provide the ideal level of firmness for your build. The more pressure you apply, the more it adapts to support you.
• Bottom Layer: Dense Support Foam (7 inches): the foundation layer of the mattress, offering strength, durability, and structure.
• Cover: comprised of high-quality rayon and polyester performance fabric, the cover is soft to the touch with the durability to last and the breathability for a comfortable night’s sleep. The T&N logo is lightly woven in as a thoughtful detail.

“More layers means hot sleeping”

Each additional mattress layer adds another layer of glue, which ultimately reduces airflow, and the increased feeling of sleeping hot. By stripping the mattress down to the bare essential two layers, Tuft & Needle have provided a comfortable, supportive sleep with plenty of breathability.

How did the key features measure up?

Sinkage

Tuft & Needle claims that, because of their innovative and unique T&N adaptive foam, this mattress is perfect for all shapes and sizes, conforming to your body so that the more pressure you apply, the more it reacts to support you.

The following information and images detail the results of our tests, using our 25 lb kettlebell to measure sinkage on three different parts of the mattress:

• Middle: 3.25” Sinkage: this demonstrates average sinkage, as expected for a mattress claiming medium-firm sink.
• Middle top: 3.25” Sinkage: again, average sinkage, as expected for a mattress claiming to be medium-firm sink.
• Corner: 3.5” Sinkage: slightly above average sinkage in term of side support, as would be expected for a mattress claiming medium-firm sink.

Note: the above shows the T&N has performed better with sinkage tests than the Casper, Leesa and especially the Endy, offering greater support in all three areas of the mattress.

Firmness

Our kettlebell tests result in an overall firmness of 6.5 – 7.5/10, which is in line with the company claim of providing the ideal firmness for all body types.

The Tuft & Needle, then, is a suitable choice for individuals who prefer a true medium-firm mattress; and it may be a better choice for these people than the Endy or the Casper.

Our Sleep Scouts found that its level of support would be appealing to individuals who sleep with a partner; the mattress adapts perfectly to different body types on either side, offering the right amount of support regardless of the amount of pressure applied.

Summary of sleeping positions

• Back Sleeping: this mattress offers good enough support for this sleeping position, keeping your body aligned while offering pressure relief.
• Side Sleeping: side sleepers generally opt for a mattress on the plusher side that will contour to the body’s curves. This mattress is a little firmer so, although there is a gentle hug, it’s not quite as evident as with some other foam mattresses.
• Stomach Sleeping: this mattress is well-suited for stomach sleeping, offering a medium-firm feel that keeps the spine well supported when lying face down.
• Sitting: there is a minor sinking feeling at the corners and edges, but nothing too uncomfortable or that leaves you with the feeling that you might fall off.

Breathability

Sleeping hot is a common complaint with memory foam mattresses. The nature of the foam which is often arranged in multiple layers (each requiring another layer of glue) tends to impede proper airflow and breathability.

With only two layers, including a layer of unique adaptive foam, and a breathable cover, Tuft & Needle’s mattress provides a feeling of coolness, dispersing body heat and preventing hot spots when you sleep.

Motion Transfer

As with all of the foam mattresses we’ve reviewed on this site, the Tuft & Needle did a great job at absorbing movements. Transfer of motion was non-existent.

This makes it perfect for couples looking for a continuous night’s rest without the potential disruption caused by their partner’s movements.

Durability

The Tuft & Needle mattress’s life expectancy, like most other foam mattresses, is said to fall between 5 and 10 years. With our limited 30-night sleep trial we only see a small snapshot in its overall life, making durability a little tricky to assess.

That said, the Tuft & Needle mattress has been around a little longer than its main competitors (since 2012 rather than 2014/2015) so we can gather a little more information from online reviews.

It is ranked as the ‘Number 1’ rated sleep product on Amazon at present, which says a lot. With over 100 revisions made since its launch, T&N is constantly revamping the mattress to ensure it continues to stand up to the test of time and offers a high quality night’s rest.

With this in mind, there should be few concerns about the mattress lasting the distance, and the generous warranty that backs it up should help to allay any lingering concerns you may have.

Edge Support

Compromised edge support seems to be the norm when it comes to foam mattresses. There is no escaping the fact that they are structurally weaker than their spring mattress counterparts.

Often they can often leave you with the feeling that you are unsupported and might roll off. However, we found the edge support on this mattress to be slightly superior to that of the Leesa, Casper, and Endy.

The Sleep Scouts Standout Feature

An adaptive, supportive sleep with plenty of comfort and cooling.

The Tuft & Needle mattress offers a supportive, adaptive feel no matter how much pressure you exert. This, coupled with a high comfort level and the right amount of rebound, won’t leave you feeling ‘stuck’ with no place to go!

It is a versatile mattress that is suitable for all types of sleepers, although those that prefer sleeping on their back may be especially drawn to its extra firmness. Stomach and side sleepers who don’t mind a slightly firmer mattress will also get on fine with this.

Finally, the lack of extra foam layers and heat-wicking properties of the cover aid in dispersing heat and offering a cool sleep that may well leave you ‘waking up better’, just as the manufacturer promises.

“A New School Approach to Old School Brick & Mortar”

Source: https://www.tuftandneedle.com/phx/

As previously mentioned, there are two Tuft & Needle showrooms in the USA: one in Phoenix, AZ and the second in San Francisco, CA. Both promise to change the way you think about mattress shopping.

Taking the approach that they believe is the future of mattress retail, they’ve implemented the following measures to help customers get to know Tuft & Needle better, without the typical hassles associated with mattress shopping:

• No appointment necessary, walk-ins are welcome
• Non-commissioned personal store guides
• Zero pressure – they only provide information
• Five comfortable, private rooms in which to try the mattress for yourself

Social Good

By taking the view that no mattress should be wasted, T&N has elected to donate all returned mattresses.

The company also helps out local schools and homeless shelters with other donations, in keeping with its philanthropic side.

Warranty

The Tuft & Needle mattress is covered by a 10-year limited warranty.

This applies to any of the standard defects and deteriorations that do not result from improper use or handling.

What the warranty covers:

1. A visible indentation or sag greater than three-quarters (¾) of an inch in the foam material. This refers to an indentation that is visible when no weight is applied to the top of the product. Please note that ‘normal wear’ assumes and requires that your mattress is continuously supported by a proper foundation sufficient to support the distributed weight of your body and the mattress itself.
2. Any physical flaw in the foam material that causes it to split or crack under conditions of normal use or proper handling.
3. Any manufacturing defect in the mattress cover such as the fabric tearing or stitching unraveling.

What the warranty does not cover:

The warranty does not cover changes to your mattress that are caused by, or result from, normal wear and use. Nor does it cover changes caused by, or resulting from, circumstances or uses that go beyond the ordinary, intended maintenance and uses of a mattress – namely, reclining and sleeping.

This warranty does not cover your product if you use it in a manner incompatible with the intended design and use.

Some degree of individualization of your Tuft & Needle mattress should be expected. Imperfections that do not prevent ordinary use and enjoyment of the product by a reasonable person are not considered to be defects.

More specifically this warranty excludes:

• Minor imperfections and slight cosmetic flaws
• Normal wear and tear
• Tears, stains, soiling, burns, and discoloration that occur over time
• Dampness or mold
• Individual or personalized preferences relating to firmness, texture, comfort, etc
• Normal body impressions not greater than ¾” in the mattress as measured below the quilt level
• Individual or personalize allergies and sensitivities
• Naturally occurring cotton or foam aromas

In addition, this warranty does not cover conditions resulting from abusive handling, misuse or neglect. The warranty will be voided if the following circumstances are discovered.

• Any unsanitary condition
• Burns
• Use of the product on an improper bed frame
• Physically abusing the product
• Attempting to clean the product in an inappropriate manner
• Improper store of the product (including storage in damp locations, areas infected with insects or rodents, or any other unprotected storage areas)
• Purchase from resellers who are not authorized retailers.

Returns Policy

Tuft & Needle offer a generous 100-night trial period for testing the new mattress.

If, after the 100 nights, you decide it’s not for you, the company will provide you with a full refund and work with you to donate the mattress to a local charity or non-profit organization.

This helps to mitigate the element of risk that ‘blind’ purchasing of a mattress online entails.

Shipping

Box Dimensions & Weight

• Twin: 44” x 16” x 16” – 50lbs
• Twin XL: 44” x 16” x 16” – 52lbs
• Full: 44” x 16” x 16” – 63lbs
• Queen: 44” x 16” x 16” – 72lbs
• King: 44” x 16” x 16” – 94lbs
• Cal King: 44” x 16” x 16” – 94lbs

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where do they deliver?: Currently they ship via FedEx Ground to USA and Canada, with the exception of Quebec.
• Price of shipping?: Shipping is free with the Tuft & Needle mattress, although Alaska and Hawaii will incur a surcharge due to increased costs.
• How long does it take to arrive?: Deliveries to the USA arrive within 2-5 business days. Canadian deliveries arrive within 3-6 business days.
• Who removes the old mattress?: Tuft & Needle does not presently provide a mattress-removal service. However, if your mattress is still in relatively good condition, try and schedule a pick up with the Salvation Army or find out if your city provides bulk recycling pick-up. Local churches or homeless shelters are also good alternatives.

Bottom Line: Who Should By this Mattress?

Tuft & Needle has succeeded in producing a premium mattress at a fair price that will appeal to the majority of sleepers.

Someone looking to spend under $750 on a medium-firm mattress (albeit a little more firm than other competing mattresses) and with a body weight of between 120-220 lbs should find the Tuft & Needle great value for money.

(Note: the company states that it can handle up to 500lb per individual and 1000lbs per couple but we could not verify this without ordering a lot of pizza!)

Because of its lower price point and versatility it’s also a great option for a spare bedroom or guest space.

The mattress delivers breathability and a firm, adaptive, and supportive slumber. It comes from a company that clearly prides itself on adopting high standards and using quality materials; they even produce their own foam, which gives them complete control over the materials used in manufacturing. This, coupled with top U.S. craftsmanship, right down to the embroidered, soft woven cover, ensures a top-notch product that is deserving of its great ratings.

Considering the no-hassle purchasing process, a great returns policy, and 100-night trial period, trying out this mattress actually seems like a bit of a no-brainer.

However, if you prefer a plusher or very firm feel, or want to customize your mattress, you may want to look elsewhere.

Final say: The Tuft & Needle is a deservedly popular choice for those looking for great value and is ranked highly by the sleep scouts.

Coupons & Discounts

None. The company prides itself on remaining consistent with its price point: no marketing gimmicks: they offer one price, the fair price.

Resources

• General information: https://www.tuftandneedle.com/mattress/
• Shipping information: https://www.tuftandneedle.com/faq/#category:2
• Warranty information: https://www.tuftandneedle.com/legal/warranty/

Our Ratings

The following sets of ratings cover our own assessment of the product and the company, and also provide a guideline for their key third-party ratings.