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This is the best online mattress to buy for every type of sleeper
The traditional mattress industry is a racket. Vox wrote a long story last August teasing out all the ways mattress retailers rip you off, and showing how new, online, high-quality bed-in-a-box brands can help you skip the scam. But let's say you've decided to buy online — which company should you go with? It turns out the answer has a lot to do with how you sleep.
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As a person with a bad back, I spent a lot of time researching which one to buy before settling. The online mattress industry still lacks clear, easy-to access comparison information, and most companies only make one model. I tried out my two final choices in person. Here's what I learned.
Unquestionably the most famous of the bed-in-a-box brands, Casper blankets the internet and the New York City subway system with its ads. So when I decided to buy a new mattress online they were my first choice.
A visit to their Manhattan showroom revealed a comfortable mattress. But I found it a bit too firm for my tastes. The reviews site Sleep Like the Dead has this to say about the differences between different sleep styles:
BACK sleepers tend to prefer medium to firm firmness. Back sleepers often do not require a soft mattress because pressure on the body is more evenly distributed than is the case for stomach and especially side sleepers. Back sleepers with large buttocks in proportion to the rest of their body may prefer medium (or even soft) firmness as opposed to firm to minimize pressure.
SIDE sleepers (especially those of average to below average size) tend to prefer medium to soft firmness. This is due to the fact that pressure tends to be focused on the hips and shoulders, a fairly small surface area. If a side sleeper has shoulder pain, it likely means they have too firm a mattress and or too low a pillow.
STOMACH sleepers (also known as front sleepers) tend to prefer medium firmness. Too much firmness for these sleepers can result in pressure on the knees and front of hips, while too much softness can cause the sleeper to sink too far into the mattress perhaps undermining neck / head alignment and or ease of breathing.
The medium-firm Casper mattress, perfect for back and stomach sleepers, was a bit too tough to conform to my body on its side. A Full-sized Casper costs $750.
Softer than the Casper, Leesa offers a bed-in-a-box perfect for side sleepers. Unfortunately, they don't have a showroom in my area. But both Leesa and Casper have excellent return policies so I decided to place an order and see how I liked it.
After about a month, I can report that the Leesa is perfect for my side-sleeping, back-aching, medium build. Back sleepers with large buttocks and more heavyset stomach sleepers might also appreciate the brand's softer cushion.
Full-sized Leesa mattresses retail for $715 after a $75 discount code is applied.
For those who want to spend less than Casper / Leesa prices on a mattress, but still want to circumvent the sketchy mattress store's cheapest offerings, Tuft and Needle may be a good alternative. I haven't tried one out personally. However, Sleep Like the Dead reports that T&N's mattress is well made but very firm. It may be a good option for back sleepers who don't mind a harder bed.
A Full-sized Tuft and Needle costs $500.
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