Casper Original mattress review: underwhelming performance from an industry heavyweight

Casper Original mattress review: Two-minute review

The Casper Original Mattress is a popular model from one of the biggest brand names in the mattress world. I slept on a queen size Original for three weeks and ran a series of tests to see how it performs in the real world and if it's worth buying. Unfortunately, I wasn't overly impressed – it compares poorly to most of TechRadar's best mattress picks, even some in lower price brackets. However, there are some specific customers that this mattress might suit, and if you buy now, the Black Friday mattress deals mean it's cheaper than usual, too. 

This all-foam mattress has three layers of foam and memory foam. Although Casper describes the feel as 'medium-firm', from my extensive mattress testing experience, I'd call it medium at most, possibly even medium-soft. This is why my rating is a 5 out 10 on the firmness scale.

The surface is soft, and you sink somewhat into the mattress as it contours around your body. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide enough support for the hip area or lower back which is why it's better suited to side sleepers. Also – don't expect much in terms of pressure point and joint relief. 

I was impressed by the Casper Original's motion isolation capabilities. Most of today's best memory foam mattresses do a good job on this front, and the Casper didn't disappoint. If you share a bed, this will prevent bedmates from feeling each other move in the middle of the night.

The Casper Original could do a lot better job at edge support. In fact, through some testing we discovered the sides and the foot of the bed had some of the worst edge support I've ever seen. Not only that, but I consistently woke up hot in the middle of the night while testing this mattress. It made for an uncomfortable sleep experience. 

Keep reading for a more in-depth look at the tests I conducted and what they say about the Casper Original mattress. 

Casper Original mattress review: Design

• All foam mattress with CertiPUR-US Certified foams 
• Perforated top foam layer to assist with breathability 
• Knit cover can be removed and washed

The Casper Original has a simple design. It's a three-layer mattress made entirely of CertiPUR-US Certified foams, which means they've been tested and meet certain minimum health and environmental standards. 

The bottom of the Casper Original is comprised of a thick, durable foam layer designed to prevent the mattress from sagging or sinking due to your body weight. This is followed by a memory foam layer with three zones. The top and bottom zone – which is where your shoulders and legs would be – are softer, while the center zone is a firmer piece of memory foam to provide some support to the waist, hips, and lower back. Essentially, they work together to keep the spine aligned. 

A perforated layer of foam is placed on top to assist with breathability. Casper calls it a 'premium foam' as it is also meant to relieve pressure points. All the layers of foam are held together by a knit cover that can be unzipped and removed for washing. 

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Casper Original mattress review: Price & value for money

• Affordable end of Casper's range, but upper mid-range price overall
• Sometimes 10% off; bigger discounts are rare
• Plenty of similar, cheaper options from other brands

The Casper Original is the brand's second most affordable mattress but an upper mid-range mattress on the wider market. In some ways, this surprised me. The Casper name may be well known, but based on my testing and the simplicity of the design, I'd expect it to be a more mid-range or lower mid-range priced mattress. 

The design is very similar to that of the Nectar original mattress and the Cocoon by Sealy Chill, and both of those are typically around $700 for a queen size (lower mid-range), compared to $1,295 for the Casper. Both performed better in their reviews, too.

Here's the pricing for the main sizes of the Casper Original mattress:

• Twin size: MSRP $895
• Full size: MSRP $1,195
• Queen size: MSRP $1,295
• King size: MSRP $1,695

Mattress sales happen year-round, but Casper isn't known for being particularly generous with its discounts. Casper mattress deals tend to knock an absolute maximum of 25% off, but discounts of 10% are more common for its lower-priced options, the Casper Original included.

• Value for money score: 3 out of 5

Casper Original mattress review: Comfort & support

• Medium-soft (5/10) sleep surface with a sink-in feel
• Most comfortable in a side sleeping position
• Lacks support for heavier individuals

It took me at least a week to get used to sleeping on this mattress, and even then, I didn't find it all that comfortable. This was a bit of a disappointment considering the price and the brand name. Although Casper describes the feel as 'medium-firm', it's more medium or medium soft in terms of how it feels – a 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. (I should be clear that I've slept on softer and firmer mattresses than the Casper Original that were more comfortable, so my disappointment does not reflect my preference for a softer or firmer mattress.) 

When I placed a 15lb dumbbell in the center of the mattress, it sank 1.5 inches, which is about once inch deeper than most mattresses I've tested. The mattress is soft and while my body doesn't sag deep into the mattress, it does sink as the mattress contours around my body. I wouldn't call the Casper Original supportive, especially not in the hip and back area. Because of that, I had to sleep on my side rather than my back or stomach. Most days, I didn't wake up with pressure or joint relief the way I would normally with my regular mattress.

I had a friend who is shorter and weighs less (I'm 5'5" and about 175 lbs) test out the mattress. They found it soft and cozy and described it as a medium feel that offered nice contouring. She felt most comfortable on her side and back. 

As a rule, the best mattresses for side sleepers tend to be a bit softer (5-7.5 our of 10 on firmness), to allow the sleeper's shoulder and lower hip to sink in, while still keeping the spine aligned. Back/stomach sleepers should opt for something firmer (7-9) to prevent the hips from sinking too low and leaving the back unsupported. Factor in body weight too: the heavier you are, the firmer your mattress needs to be. 

Casper Original mattress review: Performance

• Retains heat, making it a poor choice for those who run hot
• Edge support is lacking on all sides of the mattress
• Phenomenal motion isolation capabilities 

Comfort is not the only thing to consider when buying a mattress. We make sure to test every mattress' edge support, motion isolation capabilities, and heat retention. I ran a number of tests on the Casper Original and provided those results as well as my own personal experience below. Read on to see how the Casper Original mattress performed in these areas. 

Temperature regulation

All-foam mattresses like the Casper Original are typically not as breathable as hybrid mattresses, where the coils create space within the design for air to circulate. That said, I've tested many all-foam mattresses that don't retain heat – but that wasn't the case with the Casper Original. 

I tested this mattress in October and November when the night temperatures were 40-69 degrees Fahrenheit and even though I don't typically run particularly hot or cold at night, I consistently woke up hot no matter what I wore, if I had the fan on, or if I threw off the comforter and slept under only the sheets. 

One night it got so bad that I woke up itching my arms because I had a heat rash that only disappeared because I went to sleep in a different room. Admittedly, the Casper Original does offer some airflow thanks to a top layer of perforated foam, but it doesn't seem to do enough to help body heat escape.

If you struggle with sleeping hot, it's worth considering investing in one of the best cooling mattresses. 

• Temperature regulation score: 2.5 out of 5

Motion isolation

Motion isolation is incredibly important for those with bedmates. Who wants to wake up in the middle of the night when their partner is moving in their sleep? Not I. To test this, I placed an empty wine glass in the center of the mattress and dropped a 15lb weight four, 10, and 25 inches away. No matter the distance the wine glass never fell over. It shook but stood strong. 

From the test alone, I was able to determine the mattress' motion isolation is great, but I had a friend help me to test the results out in real life. I didn't feel them getting in and out of bed or changing sleep positions which makes me confident in saying: if motion isolation is important, the Casper Original does an awesome job. 

• Motion isolation score: 5 out of 5

Edge support

When considering a mattress' edge support, I run through a number of questions like, 'Can I sleep near the edge without fear of slipping off?' or 'How much do I sink when sitting on the sides of the mattress and could that tweak my back when getting in and out of bed?' I considered all of this in my testing of the Casper Original's edge support. The results were not positive. 

While I never felt like I'd slip off the Casper Original when sleeping near the edge, it was clear by sitting on the sides and the foot of the bed that they didn't offer much support. If I wasn't careful, I could see my lower back muscles being pulled or hurt getting out of bed. 

To gain an objective view, I placed a 15lb weight on the sides and the foot of the mattress. It sank one inch along the sides and 1.5 inches at the foot of the bed. That's actually an okay result – it's about the same amount of sinkage I recorded in the center of the mattress. However, because the mattress is on the softer side, it feels unsupportive.

• Edge support score: 3 out of 5

Casper Original mattress review: Customer service

• Mattress delivered vacuum-packed, rolled and boxed
• Free delivery; no white glove delivery option 
• 100-night trial with free returns 

The Casper Original arrived quickly at my doorstep, rolled and vacuum-packed in a box. Shipping is free though it doesn't look like a white glove delivery upgrade option is available. I found it easy to move the box from my front porch to my room. It felt lighter than most mattresses I've tested, likely because it's an all-foam mattress that isn't very thick. Upon removing the packaging, there weren't any off-gassing smells. It took a few hours for the mattress to fully expand inside the cover. I slept on it that evening. 

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Casper offers a 100-night trial with free returns, which is standard for most mattress brands, although some brands offer longer – up to a year if you opt for Nectar, for example. You can only return the mattress after 30 days, which makes sense because it typically takes about a month for a body to adjust to a new mattress. If you go ahead with the return, a courier will arrive to pack the mattress up and take it away. 

A typical 10-year-limited warranty that covers defects and workmanship accompanies the Casper Original. Essentially, the mattress would need a greater than one-inch indentation to be considered under the warranty. 

• Customer service score: 4 out of 5

Casper Original mattress review: Specs

Casper Original mattress review: Other reviews

• 4.4 out of 5-star rating from over 20,258 reviews (Nov 2023)
• Praise for the softness of the mattress
• Complaints related to overheating and lack of support

At first glance it appears as if the Casper Original has over 20,258 reviews with a 4.4 out 5-star rating (at the time of writing this review, November 2023). Unfortunately, it doesn't take much digging through the reviews to find that not all the reviews are in relation to the Casper Original. There are some reviews for the Hybrid, Wave Hybrid Snow, and Nova Hybrid mixed in too. This absolutely skews the star rating and makes it very difficult at times to know which mattress a reviewer is referring to. 

What we could determine through searching through keywords and star ratings is that the biggest praise for this mattress is in relation to the way it feels. Many pointed out that it's soft but not 'too soft' or 'too firm'. One described it aptly as a marshmallow feel. 

The biggest complaints are in reference to buyers getting hot while sleeping on the mattress or not having enough support and thus waking up with back aches. There were also a handful of reviews that pointed out the edge support is poor, so much so that the sides dip in and/or the mattress never fully expanded. 

Should you buy the Casper Original mattress?

Buy it if...

✅ You're a side sleeper and/or light in weight: This mattress has just enough give in all the right places to keep your spine aligned when you sleep on your side. The plush feel will also suit lightweight people who need a mattress with a bit more sink.

✅ You want the Casper brand name: Casper mattresses are popular, and while I didn't get on with this mattress particularly well, that's not to say you won't like it. The company has a good reputation. 

✅ You prefer a medium to medium-soft mattress: Can't stand a firm mattress? You won't experience that with the Casper Original. While the brand rates it as 'medium-firm', take it from an expert mattress reviewer – it's more like medium or medium-soft in its feel.

Don't buy it if...

❌ You sleep hot: The Casper Original is lacking in terms of breathability, which means you can expect a warmer sleep experience with this mattress. If you run hot, check out the Cocoon by Sealy Chill, an all-foam mattress with a similar design but with the addition of a phase-change cover that helps regulate temperature. 

❌ You want maximum value for money: We've tested more affordable mattresses that provide a better sleep experience. For the price, we expect a little more in terms of comfort, design, and temperature regulation. The Nectar mattress blows the Casper out of the water when it comes to value for money – it's significantly cheaper, and it comes with much better extras (a full year's trial and forever warranty). 

❌ You suffer from back pain: The foams used for this mattress do not provide enough lower back or hip support to relieve you of back pain. In fact, according to some reviewers, it may cause back pain. A general rule is to look for a firmer mattress – for example, the Siena memory foam mattress. Head to TechRadar's guide to the best mattresses for back pain for more recommendations and information.

How I tested the Casper Original mattress

I tested a queen-size Casper Original for three weeks during the months of October and November in Texas. Evening temperatures varied during this time from nearly freezing in the high 30s to warm in the high 60s. The bed was made with microfiber sheets and a lightweight comforter. A friend also slept on the mattress one night. In addition to my friend's feedback, my personal experience, and standardized tests that I ran to assess the edge support, motion isolation, and softness, I was able to write a comprehensive review. 

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: November 2023