A handful of big names have dominated the American mattress market for nearly a century, but recently it seems like the tides may be turning. Modern consumers and millennials represent a new breed of buyer, people who focus on value and transparency, and who rely on the internet to research major purchases before buying.
Many people are seeking an alternative to the traditional shopping experience in more ways than one. Some people want the convenience of on-demand online shopping. Others want to get the most out of their money, or perhaps prefer companies with a more relatable presence than mainstream mattress corporations tend to provide.
While names like Serta, Simmons, Sealy and Tempur-pedic still comprise the majority of marketplace sales, brands catering to modern shoppers are starting to carve out a pretty significant dent. If you’ve been considering a new mattress recently, you may have came across some of these startups, like Casper, Tuft and Needle or Amerisleep.
The Mattress Newcomers vs Industry Titans
The new breed of beds differs in a few important ways from many of the industry’s grandfathers.
Most all of the new startups focus on foam mattresses, not the traditional coil and spring models that the “S” brands made their name on. Some use memory foam, some latex, and some regular poly foam.
They tend to be priced in the low to mid-level range, typically starting under $1000 in an effort to attract a wider audience.
These newcomers rely primarily on direct-to-consumer online sales rather than the traditional dealer or showroom channels. You likely won’t find them in Mattress Firm or your local shops.
To compensate, they tend to have fair return policies to reduce risk to the buyer.
They also tend to provide more detailed information on the materials they use in order to showcase their quality advantage, while the opposite is true of most mainstream brands.
Meet The New Class of Mattress Startups
Using different approaches like transparent marketing, reviews, social media, competitive pricing and startup-style buzz, new mattress brands are aiming to capture the next generation of buyer.
In this article, we’ll be introducing the new class of bedding brands and comparing their offerings to help you decide which might be the best fit for your sleep preferences and budget.
Read on to learn who’s who and what’s new in the world of mattress startups. Note that all pricing mentioned below refers to queen size models for the sake of comparison.
Brand
Mattress Type
Quality Breakdown
Price (Queen)
Trial / Warranty
Amerisleep
Memory foam
2-5” 4.5-5.3 lb plant-based memory foam
6-9” 2.0 lb poly foam
$849 – $1899
90 days
20 years
Casper
Latex and memory foam
1.5” synthetic latex
1.5”4 lb memory foam
6.5” 1.8 lb poly foam
$850
100 days
10 years
Leesa
Memory foam
2” 3.65 lb “Avena” foam
2”3 lb memory foam
6” 1.8 lb poly foam
$890
100 days
10 years
Saatva
Innerspring
0-0.4” ? lb memory foam
2-4.5” 1.4-2 lb poly foam + fiber batting
416 Bonnell coils + 884 wrapped coils
$899
75 days
15 years
Tuft and Needle
Foam
1.5-3” 2.8 lb poly foam
3.5-7” 1.8 lb poly foam
$450-600
100 days
10 years
Yoga Bed
Memory foam
0.75” 5 lb foam
1.75” 4 lb gel memory foam
6.5” 1.8 lb poly foam
1” base (?)
$799
101 days
10 years
Amerisleep
Five plant-based memory foam mattresses, queen from $849
Founded 2010
Based in Scottsdale, Arizona
Sells via Amerisleep.com, Scottsdale showroom
Amerisleep was one of the first mattress brands to venture into the online marketplace, launching in 2010. The company was founded in Arizona, and is headquartered in Scottsdale. They sell direct-to-consumer via their website, and also maintain a showroom at their headquarters.
The Amerisleep mattress line is differentiated with plant-based memory foams that are made without the harsh chemicals used in traditional foams, and with an eco-friendly manufacturing process that produces zero emissions.
The mattresses are composed of medium to high density memory foam and high-density foam cores, both qualities on par with high-end mattress lines. They use GreenGuard certified fiber fire barriers and designer-style covers made from cotton blend fabrics and microfiber. The line includes five different options of varying firmness and thickness:
Columbus: $849, Firm, 2 inches of 4.5 lb memory foam over a 6 inch 2.0 lb foam core.
Americana: $999, Firm, 3 inches of 4.5 lb memory foam over a 7 inch 2.0 lb foam core.
Liberty: $1199, Soft, 3 inches of 4.5 lb memory foam over a 9 inch 2.0 lb foam core.
Revere: $1299, Medium-Firm, 3 inches of 4.5 lb memory foam over a 9 inch 2.0 lb foam core.
Colonial: $1899, Soft, 2.5 inches of 5.3 lb memory foam and 3.5 inches of 4.5 lb memory foam over an 8 inch 2.0 lb foam core.
Amerisleep mattresses are made in the US, come with 90 day return policies, and have a 20 year limited warranty with 10 years full replacement. Defective sagging is considered impressions over 3/4 inch.
Quite a few reviews for Amerisleep beds can be found online, including over 900 hundred on their website (which uses a third-party verified system) and many on Viewpoints.com, ResellerRatings.com and other forums. The majority of reviews mentioned good comfort and durability, and complaints of sleeping hot or strong odors are well below average for foam beds. Reviews tend to average between 4.6 and 4.8 stars out of five, well above satisfaction rates seen in many conventional brands’ reviews.
Casper
One synthetic latex, memory foam and foam mattress, queen $850
Founded 2014
Sells via Casper.com, Manhattan showroom
Based in Manhattan, New York
Casper has made a fairly big name for themselves since launching in 2014 thanks to a PR and media blitz and several million in venture capital funding. The company was founded in New York, and is headquartered in Manhattan. They sell direct-to-consumer via their website, and also maintain a showroom at their headquarters.
The Casper brand aims for simplicity, offering only one model in different sizes. They combine the two popular alternative mattress categories with layers of both memory foam and latex.
The Casper mattress is composed of a softer synthetic latex and medium density memory foam over high-density foam cores, materials that are of fairly good quality for the price range.
They use Oeko-Tex certified fiber fire barriers and knit covers (fabrics unspecified). The line includes one option:
Casper Mattress: $850, Medium, 1.5 inches of 3 ILD synthetic latex foam, 1.5 inches 4.0 lb memory foam over a 7 inch 1.8 lb foam core.
Casper mattresses are made in the US, come with 100 day return policies, and have a 10 year limited warranty with 10 years full replacement. Defective sagging is considered impressions over 1 inch.
Their website features over five hundred reviews from owners, yielding an average rating around 4.6 out of 5 stars. Average ratings are also positive on Google Stores (4.8) and Amazon (4.4). Casper has only been selling beds for about a year however, so long-term reviews speaking to durability won’t be available until the brand has been around for a bit longer. So far, reviews indicate little issue with odor and below average heat retention, but the limited options may not be suitable for all, especially heavier individuals.
Leesa
One memory foam mattress, queen $890
Founded 2014
Sells via Leesa.com
Based in Virginia Beach, VA
Leesa is another new up and comer that launched in 2014, following the direct to consumer, online only model. The company was founded in Virginia and is headquartered in Virginia Beach. They sell via their website, and do not have a showroom.
Like Casper, Leesa also aims to keep things simple with only one mattress option. Leesa brand is another foam mattress hybrid, using memory foam and other foams in the layers.
The Leesa mattress is composed of a layer of foam engineered to feel similar to latex and low-density memory foam over high density foam cores, materials in the average range for the price. They use a fiber fire barrier and polyester-lycra blend cover. The line includes one option:
Leesa Mattress: $890, Medium, 2 inches of 3.65 lb foam, 2 inches 3.0 lb memory foam over a 6 inch 1.8 lb foam core.
Leesa mattresses are made in the US, come with 100 day return policies, and have a 10 year limited warranty with 10 years full replacement. Defective sagging is considered impressions over 1 inch.
Their website features over three hundred reviews from owners, yielding an average rating around 4.4 out of 5 stars. There are very limited reviews available on third-party websites. Leesa has only been selling beds for about a year, so again, long-term reviews speaking to durability aren’t yet available. So far, reviews indicate below average issues with heat and odor, but a good number of reviewers find the mattress not firm or supportive enough which is something to keep in mind if you like firmer surfaces.
Saatva
Three innerspring and foam mattresses, queen $899
Founded 2010
Sells via Saatva.com
Based in Westport, CT
Saatva is unique among many of the online-focused brands as they are one of the few to focus on innerspring mattresses. The company launched in 2010 and is based in Westport, Connecticut. They sell online via their website, and currently do not have a showroom.
The Saatva line is based on a traditional innerspring format, pairing the coils with different configurations of foam, memory foam and padding. They have one price point, but offer three firmness levels. Saatva also aims to take the eco-friendly angle by incorporating natural and recycled materials.
The mattresses are composed of bio-based memory foam/poly foam, various layers of batting and padding, and recycled steel springs. Density of the foams aren’t specified on their product pages. They use a fiber thistle fire barrier and covers with an organic cotton blend fabric. The coil systems include 13 gauge Bonnell coils topped with 14.5 gauge individually wrapped coils. The materials and specifications represent a good value compared to mainstream lines. Three firmness options are available:
Plush Soft: $899, Plush, 1.25” soft foam, fiber padding, 5/8” soft foam, 3/8” visco lumbar pad, and 2.5” convoluted foam over 446 Bonnell coils + 884 wrapped coils
Luxury Firm: $899, Medium, 1.25” soft foam, fiber padding, 5/8” soft foam, 3/8” visco lumbar pad over 446 Bonnell coils + 884 wrapped coils
Firm: $899, Firm, 1.5” firm foam, fiber padding, 7/8” foam, and 3/8” visco lumbar pad over 446 Bonnell coils + 884 wrapped coils
Saatva mattresses are made in the US, come with a 75 day return policy and have a 15 year limited warranty with 2 years full replacement. Defective sagging is considered impressions over 1.5 inch.
The Saatva website hosts over 300 reviews, which place the average rating around 4.8 / 5 stars. Reviews on third party websites aren’t quite as extensive but include 3.5 on Amazon, 3.8 to 5.0 on Goodbed, and 9.7/10 on Trustpilot. The majority of reviewers report good comfort and support, some do mention sagging however, at about an average rate compared to other spring beds. Compared to other spring brands, Saatva ratings do show higher overall satisfaction on average and price seems to play a big role.
Tuft and Needle
Two foam mattresses, queen from $450
Founded 2013
Sells via TuftandNeedle.com, Amazon, San Francisco/Phoenix Showrooms
Based in Phoenix AZ
Tuft and Needle was launched in 2013, and like Casper, also kicked off to much media fanfare and heavy venture capital financing. They started in Phoenix, Arizona and remain headquartered there. They sell direct-to-consumer via their website, on Amazon, and have showrooms in Phoenix and San Francisco.
Tuft and Needle offers two mattress models of varying thickness. Rather than memory foam or latex, they opt for mattresses made entirely of poly foam in order to maintain a low price point.
The beds in the Tuft and Needle line use two layers of poly foam, a high-resiliency layer for the top layer and a high density layer for the support layer. The materials a good quality for the entry level price range and compared to other all-foam beds sold by discount stores. They use a rayon/silica fiber fire barrier and covers made of rayon blend fabric. The line includes two options in different thicknesses:
The T&N 5” Mattress: $450, Extra-Firm, 1.5 inches of 2.8 lb poly foam over 3.5 inches 1.8 lb poly foam.
The T&N 10” Mattress: $600, Firm, 3 inches of 2.8 lb poly foam over 7 inches 1.8 lb poly foam.
Tuft and Needle mattresses are made in the US, come with 100 day return policies, and have a 10 year limited warranty with 10 years full replacement. Defective sagging is considered impressions over 3/4 inch.
Reviews for Tuft and Needle are found primarily on Amazon, which show an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 from over 800 reviews (grouped together for both models). The oldest reviews aren’t quite two years old yet, so long-term accounts of durability aren’t yet available. Initial reviews indicate good value and limit odor and heat complaints, however some people do complain about excessive firmness and support issues.
Yoga Bed
One memory foam mattress, queen $799
Founded 2014
Sells via YogaBed.com
Based in Charlotte, NC
Yoga Bed is one of more recent entrants, launching in late 2014 out of Charlotte, North Carolina. The currently sell direct to consumer, online only and do not operate a showroom.
Similar to Casper and Leesa, Yoga Bed offers only one model for a simplified shopping experience. The Yoga Bed includes memory foam, gel and polyurethane foams with no latex.
The Yoga Bed mattress is comprised of a thin layer of high density memory foam, a thicker layer of medium density gel memory foam and high density foam core. The materials are good for the price range. They don’t mention the type of fire barrier used or cover fabric material. The line includes one option:
Yoga Bed: $799, Medium-Firm, 0.75 inches of 5 lb foam, 1.75 inches 4.0 lb gel memory foam over a 6.5 inch 1.8 lb foam core and 1 inch “base”.
Yoga Bed mattresses are made in the US, come with 101 day return policies, and have a 10 year limited warranty with 2 years full replacement. Defective sagging is considered impressions over 1 inch.
Their website features only a handful of selected 5-star reviews, and reviews on unbiased third-party websites are very limited as of now, likely because the brand is so new. With limited data, it’s hard to summarize owner satisfaction, performance or durability trends.
So Which Startup Wins the Battle?
Ultimately, this a question only you can answer. While things like value and warranties can be compared objectively, comfort and sleep preferences are distinctly individual.
Being online businesses in a rather competitive market, nearly all of the startup brands offer a good value (price versus materials and quality). The brands priced higher are generally using higher quality, more expensive materials meant to last longer. They also offer good value when compared to traditional mattress brands as well, who often use lower density foams and limit buyer’s access to comparison information.
All of the startup mattress brands give people around three months to test out the beds and return if needed (Saatva is the shortest with 75 days), making choices relatively risk free.
Warranties do show some important differences worth noting. The two strongest guarantees come from Amerisleep and Tuft and Needle, who both offer 10 years full replacement coverage and consider defective impressions to be over 0.75 inches. This is important because deep impressions can contribute to back pain.
Casper and Leesa both offer 10 years with impressions deeper than 1 inch covered, while Saatva and Yoga Bed offer only 2 years of full replacement coverage, covering sagging over 1.5 inch and 1 inch, respectively.
On to comfort, perhaps the most important aspect for many buyers will be the limited options offered by many of the brands. In order to keep costs minimal and make buying easier, most of the brands have selections much smaller than major mattress stores. This means if you prefer ultra firm beds, lines like Casper may not be a good match whereas if you like ultra-plush, Tuft and Needle may be a no go. Saatva and Amerisleep offer multiple options, which can appeal to broader range of people.
There’s also the issue of sleep positions and sleepers. Many of these beds are designed for back sleepers or lighter side sleepers with 2-3 inches of padding, so heavier people or people with larger frames that prefer side sleeping may not feel adequately cushioned or supported. Memory foams in the lower density range (under 3.5 lb) may also be prone to quicker wear, and beds with all poly foam layers may lack the “cushiony” feel that many people prefer.
Essentially, when comparing between the new class of mattress brands (or any brand really), it’s most important to learn about what’s inside the bed and see how that matches up with the price as well as your preferences and sleep habits. Think about how you (and your partner) like a mattress to feel, how long you expect to use it for, and what you reasonably expect to spend.
Another great thing about the new mattress startups is that many encourage and rely on real customer reviews, so there is considerable data to learn from as far as what people like and don’t, and who a particular mattress may be best suited for. As with many major purchases, being diligent with your research tends to pay off.
Have any questions about researching mattresses or how to compare brands? Leave a comment below.