Tuft and Needle Hybrid mattress review: Spring and foam combo gets big thumbs-up

Confession: I’ve got a problem with foam beds.

Despite being marketed as the height of bedroom innovation for years, I’ve grown to dislike foam beds with a passion - I sink in, I feel enveloped yet unsupported, I get hot.

I see the upsides of foam, a material that cocoons the bodies lumps, bumps and curves, but there’s too much downside for me to love straight foam beds.

Which is why the Tuft and Needle Hybrid mattress piqued my interest.

It’s got five layers of foam - PLUS springs for added support. So I figured it could be the perfect compromise.

Here’s what I found.

Wait, what’s a mattress in a box?

First off, it’s a mattress in a box - they’re pretty popular now but if you’re unaware, these things arrive in a compact box and the moment you pierce the vacuum seal on the wrapping, the mattress rapidly ‘inflates’ to full size.

Because they’re smooshed up in a box, most mattresses in a box don’t have springs inside, but this one does.

How firm is it?

This is listed as medium-firm and I’d tend to agree. And I’m good with this. Actually I’m overjoyed with this. As a back-sleeper, my spine doesn’t concertina during the night and I have solid support as I snooze.

My girlfriend likes soft beds, I like firm ones - so it’s a solid compromise that works slightly in my favor!

We were impressed by the finish, comfort and customer serviceTuft and Needle

Is it good for my sleep style?

There are four things that go into making this mattress stable and comfortable - the memory foam, adaptive foam, the microcoils, and pocket coils. So far, my sleep has been fantastic and some lingering back issues appear to have cleared up as a result.

I don’t often sleep on my side, but when I do the mattress is thick and padded enough that nothing digs into me - and there’s no real pressure on my shoulders and hips. Stomach sleepers will struggle a bit and may need more support, but for the rest of us it’s a dream.

How does it feel to the touch?

The top comfort layer looks about two inches thick, and the cover feels like a soft sweatshirt. You’re not going to feel this too often as you’ll have a sheet on the bed, but it’s nice to know that it’s there.

Will it keep me cool?

Foam mattresses have a bit of a reputation for making you hot during the night, but I didn’t encounter this problem with the Tuft and Needle Hybrid.

The mattress contains a graphite and ceramic cooling beads, and the sets of coils seems to promote some good airflow through the mattress. So even with my huge down duvet, I rarely wake up feeling sweaty, even in summer.

My partner moves around - will I keep waking up?

Motion transfer is a key factor to consider when buying a new mattress. How much movement on one side of the bed is transferred to the other?

I sleep with a restless partner who moves around during the night and often gets up to grab a water. In a month of testing, I’ve rarely been disturbed, even when sleeping close to one another on our king-size test model.

Edge support - how much support the mattress has when you move closer to the edge of it -

Verdict:

The quality of this bed - from its structure to the finish - is superb. We were impressed by customer reviews across the web, and testimonials from people who’ve had great customer service support from the company itself.

For the quality, the pricing is also very reasonable.

If you’re a side-sleeper or back sleeper looking for a mattress with a sweet-spot firmness, good structure which allows you to move around without disturbing your sleeping partner, and that lets you wake up feeling fresh rather than sweaty, this gets our solid thumbs up.

Buy now: Mattresses start at $845 for a twin and range up to $1610 for king and California king.