Well, we joined the masses and bought a mattress in a box. And if that is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Um, blog post over? Just kidding. I know there are a lot of blog posts with sponsored reviews of the multiple mattresses in a box out there, but I thought it might be helpful for you guys to read a Tuft and Needle mattress review from a regular blogger who buys her mattresses just like everyone else. You know, one box at a time.
We bought our mattress about a month ago, so I thought this would be a good time to check in, and I’ll do an update in a few months.
(See more of our master bedroom here)
Why we chose the Tuft and Needle Mattress
Two reasons: reviews and price. Out of all of the mattresses we researched, the Tuft and Needle seemed to have both the best reviews and the best price. Plus, I like a plush mattress, and out of all of the mattress in a boxes that I was reading about, the Tuft and Needle seemed to be the one that folks said was the softest (I’ll get back to that) without spending an arm and a leg (we’re saving for a kid in college, after all).
For some reason, it took me ages to pull the trigger on this thing, but the bright side to that is I did tons of research, and I feel confident that this was the right mattress for us. We ended up paying $475 for our full sized mattress.
Tuft and Needle mattress review: SETTING IT UP
So the mattress really did arrive in a box that was about waist high and not heavy at all. My 16 year old opened it and set it up for me. It took about 5 minutes. Here’s a video that the company emailed that shows the entire process:
A helpful tip: Once you pierce the plastic covering, the mattress inflates immediately, so go ahead and take it into whatever room you are planning to use it in- it will make set up much easier.
We did notice a plasticky smell for the first few hours, but that dissipated pretty quickly.
Tuft and Needle mattress review: COMFORT
The part that I was really worried about with buying a mattress online (same as you are, I’m sure) is comfort. But I had some pretty high hopes, too. Michael has a physical job, and he’s started having some issues with nerve pain in his arms that we were hoping would improve with a better mattress. I have migraines fairly often that are definitely triggered by stress on my neck and back. So not only were we hoping for improved sleep, but also for help with these issues. So, what’s the verdict?
For the first week or so, the Tuft and Needle mattress was definitely more firm than both Michael and I prefer, and I was worried that we were going to have to send it back. In fact, it kind of felt like a cheap mattress. But, the website says that it takes your body about two weeks to adjust to the adaptive foam of the mattress.
And that was absolutely right! It has definitely softened up in that time (or maybe I’ve just adjusted to it) but now the mattress is very, very comfortable to both of us. It feels plush, but supportive.
When one of us moves, it doesn’t move the whole mattress. Which is nice with a full size bed, since there is less room- with our old mattress, one of us would roll over and the entire bed would shake. With this mattress, Michael can roll over and the mattress stays perfectly still. It’s the little things 🙂
I can definitely tell an improvement in my migraines, but Michael can’t tell any difference at all in his nerve pain.
There is supposed to be a cooling feature with the foam, but it’s hard to tell since it’s been pretty chilly in this old house this spring anyway. Honestly I can’t really tell a difference with temperature with this and our old mattress. But I’m generally pretty cold natured so maybe that’s why.
Tuft and Needle mattress review: FINAL THOUGHTS
We are very happy with this purchase! It is worth the very reasonable cost. There is a 100 day return policy, but I don’t anticipate we will be using it. We’re sleeping better than we were before, and I’m really hopeful that Michael’s nerve pain will improve. I’ll keep you guys updated!
If you want to give it a try, here’s an affiliate link to the mattress we got on Amazon. There are over 6,000 reviews on this link, so lots more to read if you’re like me and you like to research the heck out of anything before you pull the trigger. And, here’s another helpful guide to choosing a mattress by Reviews.com.
Edit and update: It’s August 2018 now, and we still love this mattress! Just went on vacation and couldn’t wait to get back to our Tuft and Needle mattress.
does that include everything or do you not need a box spring?
That is such a great question! No, if you want to use a box spring, it does not include one, although the website says that a box spring is not needed. We just used the one that we already had.