Founder of GoodBed, Leading Mattress Expert
Note: This is not a review. This is our plain English explanation and overview of the Tuft & Needle collection of mattresses. We have also in-depth reviews of the Tuft & Needle Original and the Tuft & Needle Mint mattresses.
If you’d prefer to watch rather than read, watch our Tuft & Needle Mattresses Overview video.
Tuft & Needle Mattresses: Shared Features
There are three models in the Tuft & Needle collection. The Original, as you might expect, is the simplest model and a two-layer foam construction. The Tuft & Needle Mint is also an all-foam construction, but this adds an additional foam layer. Those two models have been on the market for some time with a few small changes over the years, but they remain basically the same for this year. The Tuft & Needle Mint Hybrid is brand new.
The Original is a 9.5" mattress. The Mint is an 11.5" bed, and the Mint Hybrid measures 12" overall.
The three mattresses have some features in common across the collection. Tuft & Needle mattresses are mainly sold online, though some models are also available in a number of stores. Tuft & Needle has a store locator to find one near you.
T&N Adaptive Foam
All three models have three inches of Tuft & Needle's signature material, called Adaptive Foam. This is an Ultra HD open-cell polyurethane foam that's exclusive to the company. As an open-cell foam, air can pass through it, giving it air flow. Additional cooling features include graphite and gel infused into the foam. Both of these materials are effective conductors of heat and are intended to help draw heat from the body.
The Adaptive Foam isn't memory foam. Rather, it is a quick-responding, almost bouncy foam that doesn't have any of that slow melting-into-the-bed feeling characteristic of dense memory foam. While all three mattresses incorporate this foam, the Mint Hybrid does include a one inch layer of memory foam, so if you do like that slow melting sensation, you can find it in the Mint Hybrid.
Stretch covers
All three Tuft & Needle mattresses have stretch covers - there's no quilting. The fabric is a knit jersey-like material. On the Mint and the Mint Hybrid, the cover has a full zipper. Not only can it be removed, but it's machine washable and safe for the dryer. This is a VERY unusual feature. We often see zip-off covers, but usually the fabric can only be spot cleaned, or can be washed in a machine but not machine dried.
100-night trial with free returns
Tuft & Needle offers buyers a 100-day trial period with a full refund if you decide the mattress isn't for you. The company does require proof that you have donated the mattress to a charity before processing a refund. That's often not as easy as it sounds, as many organizations do not accept mattress donations for hygiene reasons. The company does say it will help you find an organization that will take your mattress, however.
All three mattresses have a 10-year warranty, with a 3/4" warranty against body impressions (a very generous allowance). It's notable that the warranty also appears to include the zipper, as it is not specifically excluded.
Tuft & Needle Original Mattress
First, note that we do have a full review of the Original Tuft & Needle mattress, with specific ratings and testing from everything from softness to bounce. If you are really interested in this model, that full review has more in-depth information.
We reviewed this mattress some time ago. However, it has changed very little over the years, and here we will focus on those small differences.
It is still a two-layer, all-foam mattress with three inches of the T&N Adaptive Foam as the top comfort layer. The only notable difference with this year's model is a very slight increase in cushioning and conformance. In prior years, we rated it as slightly less than average, meaning that you had a feeling of floating on top of your mattress rather than sinking into it.
This year we would say it has just a little bit more "sink" to it, with the end result being about average. Otherwise, the Original is the same as the version we reviewed a few years ago.
Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress
We also have an in-depth review of the Tuft & Needle Mint mattress, a model that has also been in production for several years. Over time, small details have been updated here and there, and while the substance of our review still stands, we'll focus here on some small updates from prior versions.
The most noticeable difference is the cover; the last version was a standard cover that could not be removed. New for this year, however, it can be unzipped, removed, and can be both washed and dried by machine.
It is still a three-layer, all-foam mattress. Under the three inch layer of the T&N Adaptive Foam is a layer of transition foam. This is similar to the Adaptive Foam, but without the graphite and the addition of "ceramic gel."
We also think that the newest version of this model is just a little softer than last year's version, but not by much. There's also a little more conformance, meaning the bed hugs your curves a bit more than the previous version.
Other aspects are unchanged. This is still a bed with no memory feel and little to no bounce. The new zip-off cover is the big story.
Tuft & Needle Mint Hybrid
This is the new model in the Tuft & Needle collection. It replaces an outgoing model called the Tuft & Needle Hybrid as the top model in the collection, but the Mint Hybrid is a bit different.
This is a five-layer mattress. Just under the zip-off cover is a one-inch layer of very slow-responding memory foam. This is a very dense-feeling foam, and even though there is only an inch of it, you can really feel that slow-melting sensation we associate with memory foam. The foam is also infused with diamond dust, intended to conduct heat from the body.
Under that is a two-inch layer of the T&N Adaptive Foam. Then there is a one inch layer of nanocoils - basically a sheet of small, fabric-encased springs about the diameter of a quarter. These give the mattress a bit of extra conformance and softness at the top.
After that you get another inch of the Adaptive Foam, followed by a high coil-count (1041 in a Queen), six inch fabric-encased spring unit as support, with a double row of firmer coils around the edge as edge support.
We think this is the firmest of the three models, just by a hair, and we would call it a Medium on our scale. However, the Mint Hybrid also has the most cushioning and conformance of the three, and it really hugs your curves. Of note, our perception of the Hybrid's firmness is slightly different than the way Tuft & Needle presents it on their website. They state that the Mint Hybrid is a "Medium-Plush" and the softest model in their line-up, whereas we think the surface firmness of the dense memory foam in the Hybrid makes it feel slightly firmer than the Original and Mint. However, we do think that the Mint Hybrid is slightly more conforming than the other models and is still a good fit for most sleepers.
Due to the spring support, the Mint Hybrid also has a lot more bounce than the other two Tuft & Needle mattresses.
Other Factors
Delivery and Returns
- Free delivery to your door
- 100-night trial with free returns
Tuft & Needle includes free delivery, which is not particularly unusual among its competitors. Delivery is to your door. You are responsible for moving the mattress to your room and unpacking it.
Tuft & Needle offers buyers a 100-day trial period with a full refund if you decide the mattress isn't for you. The company does require proof that you have donated the mattress to a charity before processing a refund. That's often not as easy as it sounds, as many organizations do not accept mattress donations for hygiene reasons. The company does say it will help you find an organization that will take your unwanted mattress.
Warranty
- 10-years
- Indentation coverage: 3/4" and above
One of the biggest, if not THE biggest complaints about any mattress from consumers regards body impressions—the inability of a mattress to spring back, eventually creating a low spot/sinkhole in the mattress. As such, mattress warranties all contain a term defining how big a sag or ‘body impression’ (measured when no one is on the mattress) is considered a defect, and thus covered under the warranty. The industry standard for foam mattresses is 1”. Tuft & Needle has chosen to cover indentations that meet or exceed 3/4” for all of its mattresses, which should give you some extra peace of mind. Practically speaking, that means any softening or sagging would need to be at least that deep before the warranty would offer you protection. See: Tuft & Needle warranty
