We tested 5 of the most popular Casper mattresses — here’s what to expect from each one

Casper mattress price

The Casper Element is the least expensive mattress at $595 for a Queen and the Wave Hybrid is the most at $2,595.

The most popular mattress size is the Queen, so we’ll compare prices accordingly. 

The budget-friendly Element is the least expensive and costs just $595 for the Queen. The all-foam Original is $1,095, and $1,295 for the Hybrid. The super-soft Nova Hybrid will cost you $1,995 for a Queen, and the Wave Hybrid is even more expensive at $2,595.

Since you will be using the same mattress for a decade or more and your quality of life is drastically influenced by your sleep quality, price should not be the only consideration when buying a bed. It’s a big factor, yes, but price differences work out to only a few cents a day over the lifetime of a mattress so it’s a worthy investment in our opinion.

Casper also has monthly payment plans with low interest rates, though we never recommend going into debt for any purchase.

Mattress thickness

Because of its low price, the Element also has the most basic construction and is the thinnest at 10 inches. The Wave Hybrid is the thickest at 13 inches.

When it comes to construction, the Casper mattresses get more complex and feature more layers as you go up in price. Here’s what you need to know:

• Original — 11 inches thick. There are three foam layers: perforated breathable foam on top for increased airflow, a middle layer with zoned support meant to align your spine and provide pressure relief, and a supportive base.
• Original Hybrid — 11 inches thick. This mattress has the same construction as the Original but with the addition of innersprings in the base to improve support, airflow, and lift.
• Nova Hybrid — 12 inches thick. There are individually-wrapped springs plus four foam layers — breathable and perforated foam makes up the top two with support zones for spine alignment and pressure relief in the second; additional zoned support in the third layer to relieve pressure under the lower back, waist, and hips; and firm edge support around the springs in the base. 
• Wave Hybrid — 13 inches thick. There are individually-wrapped coils plus five foam layers: three layers of breathable foam, including a top layer with a cooling gel coating; a perforated second layer built for airflow; a zoned support third layer; a layer of cooling gel pods, and a supportive base.
• Element — 10 inches thick. There are two foam layers: a top layer of perforated breathable foam for increased airflow and pressure relief and a durable, supportive bottom layer.

Set-up process

Thanks to its firmess level and light weight, the Element is the easiest to move around and set up. The Nova Hybrid and Wave Hybrid are the heaviest and come with handles to help make moving easier.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of set-up, it’s worth pointing out that during normal times, Casper offers in-home set-up. This service usually costs about $149 and the delivery team will unbox your mattress wherever you want, take the old packaging with them, and remove your old bed too. Unfortunately, this service has been suspended during the coronavirus pandemic.

I unboxed all of the mattresses by myself, but I’m an old pro. I recommend having a partner or friend help you since there’s heavy lifting involved. Each bed came with instructions and took about five minutes to completely unpackage and place on my test bed frame, the Zinus Callie, though you can use the Casper mattresses on any strong and level foundation.

The set up was simple. I emptied the mattress out of the box onto my bed frame, unwrapped the outer layer of plastic, unfolded the mattress so it was flat on the frame, and then removed the inner layer of plastic.

Each mattress gave off a “new bed smell” once released from the vacuum seal. This is why I always unbox mattresses in the morning — it gives them time to air out before I put sheets on them at bedtime. A full day of airing out is needed to be odor-free.

Though there weren’t any major differences in the set-up processes, there were a few minor variations with each mattress. The weight of a mattress is a big determinant in how easy it is to set-up and how difficult it will be to move and rotate down the road.

The Element is the lightest at 68 pounds for a Queen, the Original is 79, the Original Hybrid is 91, the Nova Hybrid is 89, and the Wave Hybrid is a back-breaking 111 pounds.

However, weight isn’t the only factor in the set-up process. The Nova Hybrid and Wave Hybrid have two handles sewn onto the left and right sides of the bed, which made them easier to move and position. But the handles weren’t enough to make up for the heft and floppiness of the Wave Hybrid.

The Nova Hybrid unfolded upside down after you remove the outer layer of plastic so you have to flip it. This was not an issue with the other mattresses, so hopefully it was a fluke, but something to note in case you experience a similar issue.

Firmness level

Though I personally prefer the plush Nova Hybrid, the Original would appeal to a broader range of sleepers with its slightly firmer than average feel.

Firmness is the most important factor when comparing mattresses because it often translates to comfort.

From softest to firmest, the mattresses rank Nova Hybrid, Original Hybrid, Wave Hybrid, Original, and Element. The Nova Hybrid is significantly soft, while the other mattresses are all close to average. The Original Hybrid and Wave Hybrid are average, while the Original and Element are slightly firmer than average. According to Casper, the Element is a medium firmness but in my experience, I thought it was the firmest of the bunch.

Comfort is an incredibly subjective characteristic of mattresses since it depends on several factors that vary by person. Softer mattresses are usually ideal for side sleepers and lighter individuals because it’s better at contouring around your body, while firmer beds most often benefit stomach and back sleepers, and heavier people.

When I first started testing mattresses, I preferred slightly firmer than average mattresses, especially since I suffer from chronic back pain. But I recently lost a lot of weight and softer mattresses are preferable to me now. For reference, I’m 6-feet tall, weigh 195 pounds, and prefer to sleep on my side, though you’ll occasionally catch me on my stomach.

I’m giving you my life story to illustrate that you should take my comfort assessments with a grain of salt.

Heat dissipation

During our testing, the Nova Hybrid and Original were the most breathable and the Wave Hybrid was the least.

In addition to firmness, heat dissipation is important. I’m a hot sleeper and none of the mattresses caused me to overheat. They all seem to have decent airflow. However, I found the Nova Hybrid and Original did the best in this department. They both kept me cool all night long.

The Original Hybrid did an okay job of removing heat. I didn’t feel particularly cool or hot during testing, but after returning from middle-of-the-night bathroom trips, I could still feel some trapped body heat. This is in contrast with the previous version of the Hybrid, which did a better job of dissipating heat.

The Element’s heat dissipation was subpar, though not nearly as bad as the Wave Hybrid — it slept the hottest of the mattresses.

Edge support

The Original Hybrid has the best edge support of all five mattresses, and the Element and the Nova Hybrid also performed well in our tests.

If you share a bed with someone, there might be times when you’re too close for comfort on the edge. If a bed has poor edge support, you might feel like you’re going to fall off, which will affect your sleep. And whether you’re transitioning to standing from laying down or putting on your socks and shoes in the morning, it’s nice to be able to sit on the bed’s edge without it sagging too much.

The Original Hybrid has the best edge support. I could lay on the edge all day and not feel uncomfortable. And when I sat on the edge, it didn’t sink much at all. The Element had the second-best edge support, and the Nova Hybrid was also good. When my wife tried to annex the bed by crowding my side, I didn’t feel uncomfortable sidling up to the outer margins of these mattresses. 

The experience was different with the Wave Hybrid and Casper Original. Both of these models have subpar edge support, though the Wave Hybrid was clearly the worst. I was surprised by how much the sides sagged when I sat on them, and when I laid near the edge, I felt like rolling off. The Original wasn’t horrible, but I did fall off fairly easily when on the edge and there was clear sagging.

Motion transfer

The Casper Element has the best motion isolation, and the Casper Original also received high scores in our motion transfer tests.

If you sleep with a partner or pet, motion isolation is going to be one of the most important characteristics to consider when choosing a mattress. If your partner is tossing and turning in the night, you don’t want their movements to disturb your sleep.  

I’ve created a motion transfer test based on research and the materials I have available. I start by placing a 12-ounce can of soda upright in the middle of the bed. Then I drop a 15-pound bowling ball from 4 feet above the bed so that its impact point is about 12 inches from the can. It’s a good indication that the mattress has good motion isolation if the can stays upright after performing the test over and over. On the other hand, if the can consistently falls over, the motion dampening property isn’t very good.

In my tests, only the Casper Original and Element had solid motion isolation. The can stayed upright after each initial drop. With the Casper Original, the can would shift to one side slightly after one drop, and when I dropped the bowling ball a second time without repositioning the can, it fell over. With the Element, I didn’t need to readjust the can. I just dropped the bowling ball again and again, and the can stayed upright.

When I performed the test on the Wave Hybrid, the can fell over immediately in some areas but not others. This is likely due to the different support zones built into the mattress, so I’d say this is good but not great.

Both the Original Hybrid and Nova Hybrid failed the motion transfer tests even when I moved the impact point of the bowling ball to 18 inches from the can.  

My motion transfer tests were backed up by my personal, subjective experience. I could clearly feel the movements of my wife and dog in the hybrid beds but their movements were less pronounced when we shared the all-foam Casper mattresses.

These results suggest that the all-foam beds might be better for couples sharing a bed, while the hybrid mattresses might be better suited for people who sleep alone, or heavy sleepers who wouldn’t even feel any motion. If you get a larger hybrid mattress size, it might be fine for couples.

Mattress sizes available

All five mattresses are available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and Cal King sizes.

Those first three sizes are best for people who sleep alone with Twin XL being ideal for taller individuals and Full beds geared toward bigger folks. The other sizes will better suit couples who share a bed. Cal King is for taller partners, and King is for those who are larger.

To ensure a more objective review, I always test Queen-sized mattresses as it’s the most popular size and fits a large group of sleepers. However, my wife and I are a little larger than your average humans and we share a bed with a terrier and a bulky full-body pillow. If I wasn’t testing a mattress for work, we would need a King or Cal King instead.

Return policy and warranty

Casper has a 100-night risk-free trial and 10-year limited warranty.

A good return policy is a must when trying out a mattress since the only way you can know if a bed is right for you is to actually sleep on it.  

You can try any of the mattresses with Casper’s 100-night risk-free trial. Within that time, if you decide you don’t like it, just let the company know and it will work with a local recycling center or charity to haul it away for you. You will then receive a full refund within 14 days without any extra shipping charges. There is only one 100-night trial per mattress per customer.

We advise against taking advantage of the generous policy since it can lead to waste — mattresses that aren’t recycled usually wind up in landfills. 

Each mattress is backed by a 10-year limited warranty. Casper will replace or fix your mattress if you find it has a significant indentation of an inch or more, physical flaws, or manufacturing defects. But you need to make sure you use the bed normally, care for it properly, and utilize a supportive foundation or frame, otherwise the warranty is void. 

Brick and mortar locations

The company has showrooms across the country and is available in select Target stores so you can see firsthand what’s available before ordering online for delivery to your front door. We suggest calling your local Casper or Target store for updated operating hours and procedures due to the novel coronavirus. 

Appearance

The mattresses have similar appearances. They all have a gray border with the name of the mattress at the foot of the bed.

The updated mattresses are all made from high-quality, eco-friendly materials, including CertiPUR-US-certified foams and recycled plastic bottles. The covers of each are made in part from eco-friendly recycled bottles. All but the Element have quilted mattress tops.

The bottom line

I’m a personal fan of the Nova Hybrid for the soft feel, breathability, and excellent edge support, but the Casper Original is the overall better mattress. It performed almost as well as the Nova Hybrid in our tests but the firmness accommodates more sleeping styles and it’s about half the price.

While I was testing the new Casper mattresses, the one I most enjoyed sleeping on was the Nova Hybrid. It excelled in two important categories — edge support and comfort. But naturally, comfort is subjective. I’m a hot sleeper who prefers softer mattresses, and the Nova Hybrid slept the coolest and is the softest of the lot, which made it the most comfortable for me.

I think most sleepers will benefit from the Casper Original, which, with its slightly firmer than average feel, was comfortable when I slept on my side and stomach, and my wife was comfortable on her back. This accommodated more sleeping styles. The bed stayed nice and cool through the night, had good motion isolation, and was easy to move. The edge support is subpar, but at almost half the price of the Nova Hybrid, it’s overall a solid value.

For couples on a smaller budget, I recommend turning to the Element. It’s about $500 cheaper than the other beds, and the only mattress that has both excellent edge support and motion isolation. If you are picky about comfort, though, you may want to look elsewhere because the simple two-layer construction of the Element doesn’t afford much pressure relief.

The Original Hybrid is a good solution for a broad array of sleepers with its medium firmness. I’m usually a side-sleeper, but I preferred to sleep on my stomach while testing it. It doesn’t sleep too hot either.

The only mattress I’m hesitant to recommend is the pricy Wave Hybrid. Since the motion isolation, edge support, and heat dissipation are subpar, I could only see this as a possible adequate solution for stomach or back sleepers who sleep cold and alone and have the money to spend on a luxury mattress — but it’s a stretch.