Casper Mattress Reviewed & Compared

The original Casper mattress is a foam-based mattress that arrives rolled and boxed. Which makes their product a really convenient product as it can be delivered quickly, can be assembled by the homeowner and can be stored boxed up ready to be shipped.

We tested ‘The Casper mattress’, their midrange offering, for two nights on a divan base. Unlike other mattress review sites which have affiliate links with the companies they review; we are totally independent. We receive no kickback or fees from these companies and never will. As the mattress geeks we seek to uncover the truth inside all mattresses for you the consumer.

What is the Casper Mattress?

The Casper mattress is constructed with layers of synthetic foam as both its support layer and top ‘Comfort Layers’. We would class it as a true memory foam construction method where the layers are built up from firm to softer foams. This creates a one-sided polyurethane and memory foam layer bed meaning you can only ever use one side which has its limitations more on that here.

The mattress has 4 different foam layers which we will discuss a little further here:

1.Breathable open-cell foam: This is the primary ‘Comfort layer’ in the Casper mattress. We would guess this is a 50-60kg density foam layer.

2.Responsive memory foam: This provides the slow softer sink in the mattress. This layer of memory foam is heat retentive which is how memory foam works. This would probably be a 60kg layer based on our experience.

3.Adaptive transition foam: We guess this will be some form of firmer foam layer may be a 70kg PU foam?

4.Durable support foam: More than likely this will be similar to a Reflex foam a 30-32kg firm foam layer which gives the mattress its support.

The issue with all of these layers is the lack of detail and data. Without knowing their densities or hardness ratings you have no idea how these compare with other foams. Making it really difficult to know exactly how this will feel for your bodyweight. Casper doesn’t market the foams as soft, medium or firm but states the mattress provides ‘ultimate, signature Casper comfort and support’. So part of our test is to identify with our experience how firm the Casper mattress is and what comfort you’re likely to get.

What you really need to have to hand is the datasheet for these foams. Have a look at the example table below of what you should expect to be able to find out about any foam-based mattress but retailers don’t want to tell you for some reason. This is not just limited to Casper. All the major mattress brands such as Tempur, Eve, Simba and many more don’t openly disclose the key details you will need to accurately compare their mattresses.

What does the Casper mattress feel like?

In our tests, the Casper mattress is a firmer feel for a 12 stone and 13 stone sleeper (our trial subjects of average weight). It does soften as you heat up during the night like most Memory foams and their counterparts. This is because nearly all foams retain heat as part of their softening process, even Hybrid foams.

As with all foam mattresses and Vasco foams you slowly sink into the top comfort layer as you heat up. This then allows you to be held during the night in that position. This helps isolate motion or transference during the night. Unlike open coil mattresses which have the opposite effect of acting like a bouncy castle when one sleeper moves over.

One of our testers reported that the mattress did feel warmer than their existing pocket spring mattress or a Natural latex model. Which would make sense given all synthetic foams are far more heat retentive than Natural Fibre materials such as Wool, Horsetail or Latex.

There was also feedback about the lack of edge support with the Casper mattress. With a Pocket Spring mattress, you can create edge support by adding a firmer row of pocket springs around the edge. This is to stop edge sleeper from inadvertently rolling off the edge of the bed. With foam mattresses this is harder to achieve without building a foam frame around the mattress. So if you’re an edge sleeper then you should be aware of this with the Casper mattress.

As with all foam mattresses, the main complaint other than excessive heat is that it’s harder to move during the night once you’ve moulded to the foam. Casper uses an ‘open cell’ comfort layer to reduce heat (though we still don’t know what this foam is to truly comment on that) but we found this to be just as warm as other Hybrid foams albeit slightly easier to turn over with when compared to traditional slow to react Memory foam.

Benefits of the Casper Mattress

• Isolates motion and transference well
• The convenience of ordering online
• Drop and go delivery
• Simple range of product offerings
• Will suit colder sleepers
• Zip-off polyester cover

Drawbacks of the Casper Mattress

• One-sided meaning it can never be turned
• No real edge support
• 24cm deep so thinner than traditional pocket sprung mattresses
• No customised fillings or support; it is one size fits all
• Retains more heat than a Natural Fibre or Natural Latex model
• Casper doesn’t give enough detail about the foams meaning you can’t as easily compare to other mattresses
• You can get a fully 2-sided alternative pocket spring model for the same price bracket.

What does the Casper compare to?

The Casper mattress has comparisons with a number of other boxed foam mattresses such as Eve, Simba, Leesa and Emma given they are all foam variations layering up from firmer to softer. We are going to provide a comparison for both the price point and overall feel with one of our own mattresses that are hand made here in the UK. So you can compare what you can get for your money and other options that may address some of the drawbacks of foam mattresses. In particular, the fact they are nearly always one-sided and are more heat retentive than say a pocket sprung non-foam mattress.

Similar to Casper based on Feel

The only foam mattresses we make are the Fusion 100% Natural Latex mattresses. We don’t use Memory foam at all in our range. Entirely natural and 2-sided these mattresses are far more breathable than any synthetic foam and can be fully turned over. Our Fusion 3 is a medium to firm feel.

Similar to Casper for the Price Point

The Casper mattress retails for £700 for a king size mattress here in the UK. For the same price point, we would compare our Origins 1500  as a comparison to the Casper mattress. Its construction and fillings however, are vastly different. Our Origins 1500 mattress features a two-sided hand made pocket spring offering. It contains 1550gsm of fillings and is 30cm in depth. 6cm deeper than the Casper mattress. You can turn and rotate this mattress giving it a potentially longer lifespan as you can even out wear over time. Which you can’t do easily with foam beds. This model has edge and perimeter support along with breathable Natural Wool as the top comfort layer. It’s a medium feel mattress which is available in two spring tensions depending on your bodyweight and height.

Who owns Casper Mattresses?

Casper as a brand was formed in 2014 just 5 years ago in the USA. They started as a venture capitalist company, which means they attract investors to invest in their company with the view of these backers receiving high returns. Venture capitalists usually pitch an idea and then people invest high amounts to quickly push those companies forward in selling their products or services. Casper was one of the first ‘mattress in a box’ offering companies which now there are plenty of in the mattress market place.

The simplicity of their offering with only a handful of models has led to a clear product range for potential customers. The drawback is that these mattresses cannot be tailored based on your body weight, sleeping preferences or health issues. So the trade-off is convenience vs complete suitability for your requirements.

How to improve a Casper mattress

We’ve had people email us asking how they can reduce the heat in a Casper mattress which is a common niggle with all synthetic foam beds. They by their very construction method will retain more heat than a breathable model such as a Natural Fibre mattress. If you have a Casper and are looking to reduce the temperature during the night the only real suggestion is to use a breathable topper on top of the mattress. This will not completely remove the issue but will place a cooler layer between you and the mattress. This may also have the knock-on drawback of making the Casper feel firmer as the foam layers are not moulding as much to your body by adding a barrier between you and the bed.

We also recommend you ensure your Casper mattress is on a suitable base. If you’re placing it on a slatted base be sure to board over the slats to ensure an even surface for the mattress. Mattresses have a habit of conforming between the slats on a base if the slats are too far apart. To remove this potential issue we advise you use either MDF or pegboard on your slatted base.

To help increase the lifespan of your Casper mattress we recommend rotating it monthly to help even out wear. An additional topper can also help reduce the settlement associated with one-sided foam mattresses.