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Last Updated: January 2018
In recent times, some online mattress companies have sprung up offering their original spin on contemporary mattress designs. Often using new design techniques, state-of-the-art materials, and innovative ideas, these startups pose a real threat to long-established mattress companies that traditionally sold through specialized bricks and mortar bed and mattress superstores.
Here we run down the companies one by one and provide a review of their primary bedding product to see how they stack up.
Tuft & Needle
Note: we have just reviewed the Tuft & Needle mattress which scored very highly you can read our review here.
Tuft & Needle, named after techniques used in the production of mattresses made by hand, was founded in 2012 by two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
The Phoenix, an Arizona-based company, run by JT Marino and Daehee Park was born out of a poor mattress shopping experiences that both men had separately when looking for a better mattress in local showrooms. Memory foam mattresses seemed to be the answer and one multi-thousand-dollar purchase later, a dissatisfied customer (JT Marino) was keen on creating a better product at a far more affordable price.
Both founders come from a Silicon Valley work background, so using technology to innovate beyond the latest memory foam concepts to find something better (and cooler) made sense to the duo. Selling direct online also seemed like a no-brainer too. After a period of development, the Tuft & Needle Mattress was created.
The Tuft and Needle Mattress uses a pressure relieving foam that is a newly formulated, which is not memory foam but is intended to be just as comfortable. Unlike with Dunlop or Talalay latex or memory foam, the layered foam used in their mattress avoids the tendency to trap heat while the person (or people) sleeps. The removal of heat buildup stops the tossing and turning connected with a restless sleep that hotter mattresses often create.
The top layer is their T&N Adaptive foam which has the new foam formulation. The supportive base layer delivers strong support for people of varying body weights. It is also adaptable, so the more weight placed on it, the greater the level of support. Both graphite and gel are used to wick heat away from the body and disperse it. The cells within the foam layers also help air flow around the mattress.
One of the common complaints about memory foam is its lacks bounciness when compared to a spring mattress. The lack of bounce back makes lovemaking more arduous for couples who find the surface comfortable but the lack of responsiveness less than desirable. The foam layers featured in the Tuft & Needle product brings back that much missed bouncy feel for nighttime fun.
While some mattresses are overly firm and others are so soft that one sinks into them too deeply, this company’s mattress finds that middle ground of being ”just right.” The weight of each person is managed well, with the use of pressure relieving foam that makes the body feel lighter during rest. Anyone who suffers from joint or bone pain, or experiences lower back pain, may find relief in this product due to its medium level firmness that’s easier on the body overall.
The Tuft and Needle Mattress is made in the USA and comes in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King sizes. There is both a 100-night trial period and a 10-year warranty included with every purchase.
Leesa
Note: we have just reviewed the Leesa mattress which scored very highly you can read our review here.
Leesa, founded by Jamie Diamonstein and David Wolfe, is an online mattress maker. For the last 28 years, Jamie Diamonstein has been involved in the creative side of mattress making after finding the shopping experience a poor one. Having created mattresses previously for the company, the goal originally was to add new features to the standard type of mattresses that people were used to seeing in the marketplace. The idea of creating a bed that was shippable, cutting out the showrooms, and selling directly to the consumer was a challenge he was interested in exploring.
David Wolfe is the globe-trotting cyclist who looks for inspiration for the company in far off places. Whether cycling in the deserts of Israel or taking meetings in a big city, David credits Leesa’s success to a combination of a best-in-class product, staff and management, and a unique business model that sees one mattress being given away to homeless shelters (and other deserving causes) for every ten sold.
With decades of mattress experience, the budding entrepreneurs still weren’t finding a product that offered the perfect sleeping experience. They tried many mattresses like spring coil and memory foam ones but weren’t satisfied with the experience or the high prices. Rather than put customers through the salesman ringer in a showroom filled with overpriced, overly similar mattresses, they realized that if they could create a new type of one-of-a-kind product and market it direct to consumers over the internet, they’d be onto something. Going directly also meant cutting out the salesman commissions and showroom profit margins, which allowed for a drastically lower price for consumers.
The Leesa Mattress is the result. It has what they’ve termed a Universal Adaptive Feel which suits sleepers of all sizes and body shapes. Whether a back, stomach or side sleeper, their mattress is designed to be comfortable for everyone.
Their mattress comprises a cover and three layers of foam:
The top layer is a 2-inch Avena foam which is protected by a patent for its unique formulation. The feel is similar to latex with many of the same benefits like improved cooling and comfort. The underside of this layer is formed with a wave-like design to let air flow more efficiently and make it mold better to the natural contours of the body.
The middle layer is a 2-inch memory foam one used for greater support. The memory foam molds to the body’s shape and provides pressure relief.
The bottom layer is the 6-inch foundational high-density foam which supports the two layers above it. The foam is breathable to avoid trapping heat inside.
The cover is designed using a four stripe design across the width of the bed. It is made using one piece of fabric for a seamless look that’s pleasing on the eye. The fabric is a Poly-Lycra blended one to be breathable for the foam layers it entirely covers while offering stretch-ability and durability over time too.
The layering of a cooler, latex-like foam over the top of memory foam with its curved design allows for improved air flow while reducing the heat buildup that is common to some memory foam mattresses.
The Leesa Mattress is made entirely in the USA from American materials. It is available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King sizes. There is a 100-night trial with every purchase.
Brooklyn Bedding
Note: we have just reviewed the Brooklyn Bedding mattress which scored very highly you can read our review here.
Brooklyn Bedding was founded in 1995 by Rob Merwin as R&S Mattress to sell new mattresses with minor defects at a discounted rate. In 2000, John Merwin (brother of Rob) came on board, and eventually, the name of the business changed to Brooklyn Bedding. In 2008, John’s wife urged him to start selling mattresses online direct to consumers and the rest is history.
The Best Mattress Ever (marketed as #BestMattressEver on their website) is a single product solution for how to create the best mattress. It is made up of two layers of different types of latex, a polyfoam base, and a cover that includes poly-foam for a pillow top feel. Three levels of firmness, from soft to firm, provide buyers with a choice of comfort levels when making their purchase.
One thing that distinguishes the company from its online mattress competitors is that the corporation operates its own factory where their products are made. From their 145,000 square foot space in Phoenix, Arizona, the company is capable of producing 1,500+ mattresses daily. Rather than the outsourcing manufacturer to local production facilities – or further afield like to China – Brooklyn Bedding takes control of the complete manufacturing process to deliver the highest results possible.
The quilted cover which has a white cotton-polyester blended mix fabric is noticeably soft while still being breathable. The 0.75-inch poly-foam within the cover creates an almost pillow top feel to it which is very comfortable. The contrasting gray pattern, along with the Brooklyn Bedding brand along the side panel, looks classy.
The 10-inch mattress has three layers of foam to it:
The top layer is a 2-inch comfort layer of Talalay latex. Using Talalay latex is more predictable in the manufacturing process, softer and delivers more bounce too. As a result, the feeling when lying on the mattress is a consistent one in any area of the bed.
The middle layer is a 2-inch comfort layer of Dunlop latex. This type of material is more durable and firm, yet still provides a good bounce to it. Longevity and durability are improved when using Dunlop latex. The latex foam is also denser than the Talalay latex material.
The final layer is a 6-inch support one made of high-density polyfoam. The shape-forming core provides support for the latex layers above it.
In most sleeping positions (side, stomach, and back), the body impression in the latex foam was between 1-2 inches. Mostly, one sinks through to the middle to the bottom of the Talalay latex layer, but not below to the Dunlop latex layer unless lying on edge, sitting or standing on the mattress.
The Brooklyn Bedding Best Mattress Ever is made in the USA at their Brooklyn Bedding factory. It is available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Full XL, Queen, Queen Short, King, California King, and Split California King sizes (with selectable firmness levels of soft, medium or firm). There are 120-night trial and 10-year limited warranty with every purchase.
Saatva
Note: we have just reviewed the Saatva mattress which scored very highly you can read our review here.
Saatva, based in Westport, Connecticut, is a relatively new online mattress company formed in 2010 by Ron Rudzin and Ricky Joshi. The company has been growing rapidly with over 200% growth from 2013-2014 alone and was named by Forbes Magazine as #68 America’s Most Promising Companies.
Currently, the business works with up to 19 factories to produce their product using its unique design. Over 130 fulfillment centers across the United States deal with the delivery logistics on behalf of the company. The lack of storefronts and use of eco-friendly materials ensures that the carbon footprint of the company’s operations is minimal.
Unlike many of the other online mattress companies, the Saatva Mattress is not made from an all foam model but instead uses a coil-on-coil system with bio-based foams. This premium mattress has a euro pillow top with several layers below it to give a different appearance than competitors’ products too.
The combined mattress cover and euro pillow top create a plush, luxurious feel. The cover is organic cotton for improved breathability, and the pillow top is padded for added comfort. The pillow top is correctly sized to meet the edges of the mattress so that it won’t move out of position or become compressed over time.
The second layer is a 1-inch memory foam one which delivers improved lumbar back support while being thin enough not to add excessive heat to the mattress.
The third layer uses the coil-on-coil edge support system from Saatva where the coils are wrapped in foam at the bottom, top and sides.
A 4-inch Comfort layer is made of recycled tempered steel and designed as contour coils that are individually wrapped with foam. Each cone-shaped coil responds to the weight of the body lying on it, which provides an appropriate response to each person sleeping on the mattress. For two people sleeping in different areas of the bed, the comfort layer responds differently providing an individualized sleeping experience.
The 7-inch Foundational layer of steel coils acts as the support base. Hourglass-designed coils provide the strength that the product needs to hold the other layers in place.
The usefulness of this premium euro pillow top mattress is that it combines a comfortable top layer, eco-foam which is hypoallergenic and coil-on-coil springs in subsequent layers for a supportive, bouncy responsiveness that many memory foam mattresses surprisingly lack. As a direct to consumer mattress company, it’s also one that offers something different to the collection of foam-only alternatives from newer mattress startups.
The level of firmness is selectable to the consumer within three firmness levels. The flagship model has a 5-6 firmness level (with a 10 rating being extremely firm). The alternative Saatva Plush Soft has a 3 rating and the Saatva Firm has an 8 rating.
The Saatva Mattress is made in the USA using bio foams that are stable when shipped. It is available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King sizes (each mattress is available in either 14.5″ Premier Luxury and 11.5″ Custom Slim thickness options). There is a 75-night trial with every purchase (shorter than the more common 100-night trial from several other online mattress companies).
Casper Sleep
Note: we have just reviewed the Casper mattress which scored very highly you can read our review here.
The Casper Sleep mattress was born out of the idea of using in-depth research to produce a new type of mattress that addresses key concerns, like firmness, density, rebound speed, airflow, odor, and transition temperature. The company’s researchers discovered that sleep was mainly affected by the amount of comfort, the temperature level of the mattress, the amount of support, and the durability of the product. The research spanned nine months through 15 factories where over 100 types of foam samples were tested.
Over 100 prototype Casper Mattresses were created with different foam formulations and layers to arrive at what the company felt was the perfect product solution. The time spent must have been worth it because both Fast Company and Time Magazine awarded the company in 2015 for product innovation and design. Another award followed in 2016 too.
The Casper Mattress is conceived in four layers.:
The top layer is a 1.5-inch hypoallergenic, synthetic Dunlop open cell latex foam layer. The objective of using Dunlop latex is to provide a bounce that memory foam often lacks while keeping relatively cool and increasing the comfort experienced on the surface.
The second layer is a 1.5-inch high-density memory foam that offers pressure relief that is ideal for tired bodies and those people who need to reduce the pressure on the body compared to when sleeping on other mattress types like inner spring. Because this layer of foam is only 1.5-inches thick, it avoids the tendency of memory foam to trap heat while the person sleeps, while still offering body molding and improved supportive benefits.
The third layer is a 1.5-inch transitional poly foam that aims to provide a smooth transition between the memory foam above and the firmer supporting poly foam foundational layer below.
The final layer is a 5-inch support poly foam that offers a solid foundation for the mattress.
There is also a cover which is 100% Polyester on the top but uses a variety of blended Belgium fabrics including Rayon and Aramid which both improve its breathability.
The combination of Dunlop latex on the top layer and memory foam beneath, with the supportive poly foam as a third layer, provides a good balance of bounce, pressure relief, and support without each layer being too thick where heat retention becomes an issue.
Casper aims for a universal comfort level which we would rate as 6 (out of 10) for a medium firmness level that will suit many buyers. Unlike some other online mattress companies, the business does not currently offer a firmness selection to pick from. They apparently feel that the universal comfort design is sufficient here.
The Casper Mattress is made in the USA. It is available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King sizes. There is a 100-night trial with every purchase and the company will pick-up returns within the 100-night trial period free of charge.
GhostBed
Note: we have just reviewed the Ghostbed mattress which scored very highly you can read our review here.
GhostBed may seem like a brand new online mattress company, but it’s part of another mattress brand, Nature’s Sleep. The latter company has been producing mattresses for more than a decade. GhostBed represents their push into the online mattress business model with the aim to reduce costs by removing the retail store sales process altogether and passing the savings onto the consumer.
The GhostBed comes in three layers:
The top layer is a 1.5-inch aerated latex foam which keeps cool, offers bounce and pressure relief to sleepers.
The second layer is a generous 2-inch layer of gel memory foam. The use of gel memory foam assists in reducing heat levels and is an improvement over a standard memory foam material. The memory foam adds a sink-in factor for sleepers which still providing pressure relieving support due to the additional half inch of memory foam when compared to some other similar mattresses.
The final layer is a 7.5-inch foundational high-density foam layer that offers superior support to the layers above.
The cover for this mattress is 100% polyester on the top and a mix of polypropylene and polyester around the sides. The choice of different materials for the side panels provides greater stability for mattress moves and makes the cover feel sturdier. The white and gray design is attractive and the material is soft to the touch and thin enough to provide good air flow.
The firmness of this mattress is somewhere between 6.5-7 (out of 10). The top latex layer is the most responsive and being aerated, is best at keeping the heat at bay. The memory foam core is denser to provide greater stability for sleepers. Both the latex and memory foam layers respond well to the sleeper’s body contours with the latex layer adjusting first and the memory foam molding more slowly to body shape.
The GhostBed is made in the USA and available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King sizes. The 20-year limited warranty and a 101-night trial come with every purchase.
Eve Mattress
Note: we have just reviewed the Eve mattress which scored very highly you can read our review here.
Eve Mattress has a team in place who have over 12 years combined mattress industry experience. Along the way, the management has created thousands of prototypes to achieve what for them is the ideal bed following a 4-year intensive in-house development process.
Designed and produced in the UK by a team of fifty staff, the product is sold exclusively online to a global market.
The Eve is a three-layered mattress that is measured in centimeters:
The top layer is a 4cm (approximately 1.6-inch) memory foam layer that aims to provide both cooling and pressure relief. This is entirely different to several other online mattress companies that opt for latex and memory foam for the top two layers.
The second layer is a 3cm (approximately 1.2-inch) polyurethane low-density foam layer. The layer is thin enough that it’s unlikely to have problems with heat retention and is soft enough to provide good spinal support too.
The final layer is an 18cm (approximately 7-inch) support foam foundational base that provides the high-density firm support needed for the top two layers.
The cover is a soft knitted fabric which is breathable and washable. It is more smooth than it is fluffy and lacks a padded top.
The firmness of the mattress is rated around a 6 (out of 10). The foam layers dissipate heat well, particularly the poly foam base layer surprisingly. The foam itself does take some days to expand fully and so the sleeping experience changes over the initial week or two of ownership.
While motion transference is minimized with the Eve mattress, one does notice the absence of bounce due to the lack of either latex or innerspring to give that responsive feel. Therefore, for anyone who requires more bounce in their mattress, then another brand might be preferred, but with people who don’t need as much bounce, they could find a good home for an Eve Mattress.
The Eve Mattress is made in the UK and available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King sizes. There are 10-year limited warranty and a 101-night trial with every purchase.