Here’s What Makes Some Mattresses (and Sheets and Pillows!) Better Than Others
By now, it seems like everybody knows somebody who’s sleeping on a Casper. And if you’re not already sleeping on one yourself, you’re probably wondering if you should. So, let’s look at exactly they’ve done to make a universally appealing pillow, linens that breathe better, and even an upgraded spin on the OG bed-in-a-box.
Casper’s first mattress was their OG bed-in-a-box that’s surprisingly comfy given its price. (I’ve slept on one for over three years and still have no complaints!) Their latest, the Wave, is like if the original grew up, went to MIT, and just landed its first gig at the hottest health tech startup in Silicon Valley.
While it still arrives compressed in Casper’s signature box, the Wave is loaded with a lot more goodies than most memory foam mattresses. First of all, it’s not just made with memory foam. Layers of comfort foam, cooling latex foam, a supportive gel, and heavy-duty foundational foam are added to the mix to create a sandwich of support that aligns your spine. They also made temperature control a priority (overheating is the top complaint with most foam mattresses) and added a perforated top layer and a wool-infused cover that wicks away moisture.
All this innovation costs a bit more, but with a starting price of $1,250 it’s still less than you’d pay for similar mattresses with all the bells and whistles. If the reviews are any indication (“We slept through an earthquake on the Wave!” says one), it sounds like a worthy investment. And as always, Casper offers their 100-day sleep trial period and free pickup if things don’t work out.
Pillows used to be categorized by sleep styles. Pillows for back-sleepers, pillows for side-sleepers, etc. But after watching us sleep—in a scientific, not a creepy way—Casper realized that most of us go in and out of all the categories throughout the night, so they decided to make one for every sleeper.
Instead of just focusing on softness or support, Casper designed a pillow within a pillow that can provide both. The inner pillow is made with fibers that are specially coated to provide a liquid-like feel. Yes, that sounds weird, but basically, they’ve created a supportive core that adjusts to every shift without using materials like foams that can easily overheat. The outer pillow is more traditional, with longer fibers providing just the right amount of fluff.
But maybe the most exciting thing about Casper’s pillow is that because there’s no foam, down, or other materials that aren’t machine-washable, you can remove the inner pillow from the outer pillow and toss both in the laundry as often as you’d like. That’s a big plus for anyone with allergies.
Here’s the thing about our relationship with sheets: It’s complicated. We used to mostly pay attention to thread count—the higher the better, right? Not always. Sheets marketed with super-high thread counts likely had to use a multi-ply weave to get the number on the sticker, and multi-ply sheets generally make for hotter bedding. If you’ve ever woken up at 3 a.m. in sweaty, heavy sheets, you might agree.
Luckily, just like their pillows, Casper designed its linens with warm sleepers in mind. It turns out it’s just as important to pay attention to fiber as it is thread count. A high thread count can be a marker of quality, for sure, but don’t ignore the quality of the cotton it came from. Let’s not forget cotton is a plant, and like other plants, it comes in many shapes and sizes. Long-staple cotton, which Casper uses in their ethereal Weightless Cotton Sheets, has a longer fiber length than most other types of cotton. This allows for fewer fibers to create a long-lasting, worry-free sheet, which also translates to a much airier feel.
The price point is just as light and easy, starting at $75 a set. In addition to Casper Sleep Shops and Casper.com, you can find them at Target.com and select Target stores nationwide.