| Mattress type | Gel memory foam |
| Trial period | 100-night trial |
| Warranty | 10-year Tuft and Needle warranty |
| Firmness | Medium |
| Produced in | USA |
| Review by a real user | This is a great mattress at a great price with amazing customer support. It didn’t work for me only because it didn’t really fit us. Mattresses are a lot like clothing. It’s impossible to know if something is going to fit until you try it on. In this case, not a great fit for me. My back didn’t hurt, I just didn’t find it unusually comfortable. That said, the top layer of foam is some neat stuff. It’s one of the most satisfying feeling things I’ve ever touched. I would frequently play with it before bed. |
| Price (Twin) | $315 |
| Price (Queen) | $535 |
Supportive, firm, and affordable — this Tuft and Needle mattress is 100% worth your attention. It provides good pressure relief and it’s really one of the best mattresses within the price range for back sleepers.
Best for:
- Back sleepers — this mattress provides great pressure relief and a lot of support which is just perfect for those who sleep on their backs
- Stomach sleepers — this mattress has proper support and it provides quite deep contouring
Not the best for:
- Side sleepers. Unfortunately, the Original mattress might be too firm for some side sleepers — according to the reviews, it doesn’t cradle hips/shoulders properly
- Hot sleepers. The cooling gel might be ok for average sleepers, but if you have hot sleeping problems, you’ll probably wake up at night hot and sweaty
About
If you don’t want to spend more than $500 on a mattress, this product by Tuft and Needle will be a good choice for you. It’s a supportive mattress that contains advanced memory foam and a cooling gel-infused upper layer. It has more than 11,000 reviews on Amazon, and most of these users are 100% happy with the Original mattress. But of course, it’s not perfect, and of course, there are lots of details you need to know before you purchase it. We’ve analyzed all the available information and read hundreds of Tuft and Needle mattress reviews to find out the truth about the Original mattress. Now, let’s talk the truth.
Comfort features and specialties of Tuft and Needle matress
Material
This mattress has a very simple construction: polyester cover, a 3-inch comfort layer, and a 7-inch base layer.
- The cover is very thin — it’s plush, breathable, it’s designed to promote airflow and improve the ventilation of the mattress, and it really makes the mattress feel more comfortable.
- The upper layer is made of memory foam, but it’s not just foam — it’s a gel-infused material (gel provides the cooling effect) and it also contains graphite that helps pull the heat away from the body. This 3-inch layer provides contouring and makes the mattress responsive to pressure.
- The base layer is made of high-density memory foam — it’s a very firm layer that provides a lot of support. This layer is not as breathable as the upper comfort layer, but that’s how extra firm memory foam works — it’s supportive, but unfortunately, it lacks breathability.
Firmness and thickness
First of all, firmness is a very subjective mattress feature — it can feel different because of lots of factors (sleep position, the weight of the sleeper, etc). According to the manufacturer and to the most Tuft and Needle reviews, the firmness of the mattress is about 6-7 on a 10-point scale where 1 is extra plush and 10 is hard as a rock. It’s probably a bit firmer than the absolute majority of mainstream mattresses — so if you want to find an extra-plush mattress, this is certainly not the right mattress for you.
If you are going to buy a very firm mattress that will not sink at all, this is also not the right product. The thing is, there are still lots of buyers who claim that this mattress is actually between medium and soft. Why? Well, because different people have different views on what feels firm and what feels soft. Most likely, the firmness level of this mattress will feel like 6-7 out of 10 for you and it will most likely work great for you if you are a back sleeper or a stomach sleeper.
However, you shouldn’t worry even if it doesn’t feel right for you. You can buy a foam mattress topper that will add comfort or you can return the mattress — the Tuft and Needle return policy is quite fair so you can return it in 100 days.
As for the thickness, it’s simple — this mattress is 12-inch thick, and 12 inches are often considered the mattress classic, especially when we’re talking about affordable mattresses. 12 inches is enough for most users be it lightweight or average sleepers. Such thickness typically works well for all sleeping positions (except for heavy side sleepers who often need at least a 14-inch thick mattress). So, if you are a plus-sized person, you should be careful with this mattress — but if your weight is under 250 lbs, you’ll probably have no problems with it.
Edge support
Unfortunately, the edge support is not the strongest side of this mattress. The size doesn’t matter — whether it’s a Tuft and Needle King mattress or a Tuft and Needle Queen mattress, the edges are still soft and there is almost no edge support. It’s all about the shape of this mattress — its corners are a bit rounded, unlike traditional memory foam mattresses, and they don’t provide any support at all.
Motion isolation
Unlike edge support, motion isolation is definitely one of the advantages of this T&N mattress. It’s really great at absorbing motion, so if you sleep with a partner who often turns and shifts at night, you just can’t miss the Original mattress.
Heat regulation
Memory foam mattresses are not the best for hot sleepers — due to the structure of this material, they are not really breathable and they are generally not that good when it comes to dissipating body heat. The Original T&N mattress was designed to provide a cooling effect — its upper layer is breathable, its cover provides good airflow, and it combines both gel and graphite cooling technologies that should make the mattress cooler.
Do all these things really help? In short, yes — but not as expected. If you have serious hot sleeping problems, this mattress will not satisfy you at all — it can keep you cool during the first hours, but after 3-4 hours it can make you feel much warmer.
That’s just how this material works and there’s nothing to do about it. However, if you are not really a hot sleeper and heat regulation is not the most important factor for you, you’ll probably love this T&N mattress and will have no issues with it.
Pressure relief
This mattress provides good pressure relief because of its firmness and support. But as we’ve already said, it’s not a perfect solution for everyone.
If you’re a side sleeper, especially a side sleeper who weighs more than 250 lbs, you will most likely feel too much pressure on your hips and shoulders and you probably won’t notice any pressure relief. If you’re a back sleeper, you’ll probably not have any problems with pressure. In general, this mattress relieves pressure at most important points quite well — but unfortunately, it’s not the one-mattress-fits-all solution.
Ease of movement
One of the most common problems of memory foam mattresses is that it’s often difficult to roll over them or move on them. The thing is, some foam mattresses are very temperature sensitive — they become softer when in contact with a body, so the sleepers feel like they are heavily cocooned in such mattresses. The Original mattress by T&N doesn’t have this problem — it’s very easy to move on it and to roll over it.
Compatibility with mattress bases
- Slatted bed base is a great option, this mattress can be used directly on a slatted platform.
- Box springs are great, too. You can use your old box spring or buy a new Tuft and Needle box spring that is designed specifically for these mattresses.
- Platform base works well with this mattress.
- Adjustable base — not all adjustable frames would work well with this mattress. Thus, some users claim that a Twin XL mattress doesn’t fit in the adjustable bed, and others say that this mattress is too thick for some adjustable beds with head and food articulation. Contact the manufacturer if you are unsure if the Original mattress will fit your adjustable bed.
- Floor is ok, too. But, you’ll have to air it and buy a bed-bug encasement to protect this mattress if you put it on the floor.
To sum up
This is a good mattress, obviously. It’s one the most affordable Tuft and Needle mattresses, (only Nod Tuft and Needle is cheaper), it has a lot of support, it’s quite firm, and it’s surely one of the best options for back sleepers no matter the weight. But if you are a hot sleeper or if you are a plus-sized person who sleeps on the side, you should probably read some more reviews and find a better mattress according to your sleeping preferences.
FAQ
If you’re a back sleeper, yes — the Original mattress is very supportive and quite firm, so you will love sleeping on it. If you’re a side sleeper, you’ll probably like it, too — especially if you are not heavier than 250 lbs.
No. This mattress contains a gel-infused memory foam layer, but it’s still not the best choice for hot sleepers. Memory foam mattresses are just not as breathable as innerspring or hybrid mattresses, it’s impossible to change it with a gel or graphite. It doesn’t feel too hot, but it’s also far from a really cool mattress.
Yes. It’s easy to move on this mattress (which is important for couples) and it has great motion isolation so you will not wake up easily even if you’re a light sleeper and your partner moves too much at night.
