updated January 2023

Layla vs Tuft & Needle Comparison
Trying to decide between the Tuft & Needle Original and Layla mattresses? Here’s how to know which mattress is right for you.
The Layla Mattress and Tuft & Needle Original are both good options for sleepers who aren’t sure what they want from their mattress, but for different reasons. Layla’s memory foam mattress is known for a dual-sided firmness that allows you to flip the mattress to sleep on either a medium-soft or medium-firm side. Tuft & Needle’s budget-friendly Original model is geared toward shoppers who are just looking for a good value on a medium-firm bed that suits most sleepers.
In this review, we’ll compare the Layla Mattress with the Tuft & Needle Original so you can better choose which is the right bed for you.
Layla vs Tuft & Needle Quick Look
Customer Rating
MA Score
Summary
Firmness
Type
Trial Period
Warranty
Customer Rating
MA Score
8.8/10
Summary
Flippable memory foam mattress known to help people with back and joint pain
Firmness
Soft side: 4-5/10; Firm side: 7/10
Type
Copper-infused memory foam; flippable
Trial Period
120 days
Warranty
Lifetime limited warranty
Customer Rating
MA Score
8.7/10
Summary
Budget-friendly mattress for the average sleeper
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6/10
Type
Foam blend
Trial Period
100 days
Warranty
10-year limited warranty


Layla
Tuft & Needle
Customer Rating
MA Score
8.8/10
8.7/10
Summary
Flippable memory foam mattress known to help people with back and joint pain
Budget-friendly mattress for the average sleeper
Firmness
Soft side: 4-5/10; Firm side: 7/10
Medium-firm: 6/10
Type
Copper-infused memory foam; flippable
Foam blend
Trial Period
120 days
100 days
Warranty
Lifetime limited warranty
10-year limited warranty
Key Similarities
- Price: Both brands’ mattresses have a similar price, with a queen-sized model hovering around $1,000. Tuft & Needle’s mattress comes in just below that price point; the Layla, just above it.
- Good for couples: Both the Layla and Tuft & Needle mattress score high marks for motion transfer, which means they both do a good job at restricting movement to one area of the bed. This is a great mattress quality for anyone sleeping with a partner because the effects of tossing and turning won’t ripple out across the mattress and wake the other person.
- Above-average responsiveness: Layla’s mattress earned a 9.5 for responsiveness in our testing, which is good news for combination sleepers or those who move around a lot at night. Tuft & Needle’s mattress layer designed to act like latex, which helps make it a bit springier and more responsive than it would be otherwise. We gave it an 8 for responsiveness.
- Sub-par cooling: Neither mattress is a standout here, which is fairly standard for memory foam, which tends to sleep warmer than an innerspring or hybrid mattress. The Layla scored a 7.5 for cooling; the Tuft & Needle, a 7.
Key Differences
- Sleep options: Only the Layla has dual-sided firmness, which means you can flip the mattress to sleep on a medium-soft or medium-firm surface.
- Firmness: Tuft & Needle’s mattress is designed to serve the average sleeper, with a medium firmness of 6 out of 10. Layla’s mattress has a soft side that comes in as a 4 out of 10 on the firmness scale—for side sleepers and those who like a more forgiving bed—and a medium-firm (7 out of 10) side that’s well-suited to back sleepers.
- Composition: Tuft & Needle’s mattress is made from an “adaptive” memory foam that mimics some of the properties of latex and is designed for better airflow. Layla’s mattress uses copper-infused memory foam, which purportedly helps transfer heat, reduce inflammation, and repel bacteria.
- Pressure Relief: The Layla scored a 9 out of 10 in our testing for pressure relief, which indicates it’s a good option for those with back and joint pain. The Tuft & Needle performed below average in our pressure test, with a 7.75. This suggests the Layla would be better for side sleepers—in our testing, the Tuft & Needle’s showed a concentrated pressure buildup in the shoulder areas during side sleep.
- Warranty and trial: The Layla comes with an 120-night sleep trial period and a limited lifetime warranty; The Tuft & Needle has an 100-night trial period and a 10-year limited warranty.

Layla Mattress Review Highlights
The Layla mattress allows you to change your mind about what level of firmness you prefer, simply by flipping the mattress. On one side, you get a soft, forgiving surface that scores 4 out of 10 in our testing and works well to relieve pressure on your joints. Turn the mattress over, and you can enjoy a 7 out of 10 firmness experience, which is better for back sleepers. It’s also a good bed for combination sleepers due to its high level of responsiveness. In our testing the mattress earned a 9.5 out of 10 for responsiveness, which suggests you’ll have an easy time resituating in this bed.
Sleepers with back and joint pain will also get a more restful night of sleep on the Layla, as it earns high marks for pressure relief. We found that it cradled the body well and put minimal stress on pressure points like shoulders and hips. At the core of the mattress there’s a dense layer of extra-firm base support foam, which provides even support throughout, including at the edges of the bed.
The Layla has a copper infusion in its top layer, which is designed to make it feel cooler by absorbing and wicking away moisture. That said, it scored below average in this department with a 7 out of 10 for cooling—like most memory foam mattresses, including the Tuft & Needle’s, this one tends to sleep a bit warmer. Hot sleepers and heavier sleepers might sleep better on a model with innerspring.
Best for:
- Side sleepers
- Back sleepers (on the firmer side)
- Memory foam shoppers
- Those who want multiple firmness options

Tuft & Needle Review Highlights
The Tuft & Needle is a crowd-pleaser in that it meets the needs of the average sleeper without asking too much of your budget. The mattress has a medium firmness (6 out of 10) and high responsiveness, which makes it a great option for side sleepers—so much so that we made it a runner-up in our selection of “best mattress for side sleepers.”
Tuft & Needle’s mattress is made with a memory foam construction that supports most body types—however, heavier people might prefer the brand’s hybrid model, which has innerspring for more support. In our testing, the standard mattress earned high marks for motion transfer, which makes it a good choice for couples and those who don’t want to disrupt their partner’s sleep. It also provides good alignment, keeping your spine almost entirely straight while you sleep.
One of our only qualms with the mattress is that it performed below average in our tests of pressure relief, indicating that people with back and joint pain might consider a different mattress. Much like the Layla, it’s also not the best choice for hot sleepers looking for relief from night sweats—while a gel infusion inside the Tuft & Needle’s memory foam aims to make the mattress cooler, we found that it didn’t sleep as cool as your average mattress made with innerspring.
Best for:
- Memory foam shoppers
- All sleep positions
- Restless sleepers
- People who sleep with a partner or pet
Compare Dimensions/Sizes
The Layla is 10.5 inches in height, while the Tuft & Needle is 9.5 inches. Layla also sells a hybrid memory foam and innerspring mattress that’s 13 inches in height. Tuft & Needle’s hybrid is also taller than its standard memory foam model at 12 inches; its upgrade “Mint” model, designed for cooler sleep and better pressure relief, is 11.5 inches thick.
Layla | Tuft & Needle Original | |
Thickness | 10.5″ | 9.5” |
Twin | 38” x 75” | 39” x 75” |
Twin XL | 38” x 80” | 39” x 80” |
Full | 54” x 75” | 54” x 75” |
Queen | 60” x 80” | 60” x 80” |
King | 76” x 80” | 76” x 80” |
Split King | N/A | N/A |
Cal King | 72” x 84” | 72” x 84” |
Learn more about mattress sizes.
Compare Prices
Both Layla and Tuft & Needle mattresses are good options for budget shoppers, with queen-sized mattresses priced around $1,000 before sales deals. The Layla mattress comes with a lifetime limited warranty; Tuft & Needle’s is for 10 years. Both mattress companies provide free shipping and returns and have generous sleep trial periods of 120 nights (Layla) and 100 nights (Tuft & Needle). Here’s more about how each mattress size is priced.
Layla | Tuft & Needle Original | |
Twin | $749 | $745 |
Twin XL | $849 | $795 |
Full | $999 | $895 |
Queen | $1,099 | $995 |
King | $1,249 | $1,395 |
Split King | N/A | N/A |
California King | $1,249 | $1,395 |
Compare the Construction
What makes these memory foam mattresses different from one another? Let’s look inside.

Inside the Layla Mattress
The Layla sandwiches its central memory foam layers inside a stretchy cover that’s labeled to distinguish the soft and hard sides. Here’s what’s inside the mattress:
- Removable Mattress Cover: The zip-off cover is made from a blend of polyester and viscose, and designed to be super-soft. A cooling technology ingrained throughout regulates the cover’s surface temperature on both sides.
- Soft Side: Three inches of copper-infused memory foam provide a nice blend of soft plushness and support.
- Airflow Support Foam: This layer adds targeted support for your lumbar region and other areas in need of pressure relief, as well as airflow channels for more breathability.
- Support Core: Four inches of polyfoam make up the core of the mattress, making it more durable and less susceptible to sagging.
- Firm Side: This layer mirrors the copper-infused memory foam layer on the soft side, except that it’s only one-inch thick so you experience closer connection to the firm support layers within.

Inside the Tuft & Needle Original
The Tuft & Needle Original is made from memory foam and designed for the universal sleeper. Its two-layer construction is a bit simpler than the Layla’s. Here’s what’s inside:
- Cover: The mattress is wrapped in a soft cover designed to feel breathable and plush.
- Adaptive Foam: Three inches of this comfortable gel- and graphite-infused foam responds well to your body’s movements and transfers heat away so you sleep cooler.
- Base Layer: This thick block of foam adds support and durability, so the mattress will maintain its structure for years to come.
Compare the Scores
Every mattress we review and compare goes through our in-house mattress testing. Read about how the Layla and Tuft & Needle Original each performed in our mattress testing below.
Layla | Tuft & Needle Original | |
Shipping | 10 | 10 |
Trial Period | 9 | 9 |
Return Policy | 10 | 10 |
Warranty | 10 | 9 |
Set-Up Test | 9 | 8.5 |
Motion Transfer Test | 8.5 | 8.75 |
Edge Support Test | 9 | 7.25 |
Pressure Relief Test | 9 | 7.75 |
Spine Alignment Test | 8 | 8.5 |
Responsiveness Test | 9.5 | 8 |
Cooling Evaluation | 7.5 | 7 |
Durability Evaluation | 8 | 8 |
Customer Service Score | 9 | 10 |
Social Impact Score | 7 | 8 |
TOTAL SCORE | 9.0/10 | 8.7/10 |
Responsiveness
Both of these beds score well for responsiveness, but the Layla edges out the Tuft & Needle’s 8.0 with a 9.5. This indicates that it’s easier to move around on Layla’s mattress, and you won’t get that trapped, sinking feeling that’s common to some memory foam models. It also tends to signal that both mattresses will give you adaptive support and spine alignment.
Pressure Relief
Another area in which the Layla outperforms the Tuft & Needle is in pressure relief. Our testing found that the Layla’s construction put minimal stress on high-pressure areas and helped ease aches and pains in the neck, shoulders, hips, and lumbar region. The Tuft & Needle scored below average in this department, which suggests it doesn’t provide the same level of relief and even body distribution.
Edge Support
Memory foam mattresses don’t often excel in this department—they tend to give way around the sides of the bed. The Layla is an exception here, with the help of an extra-firm base support foam that keeps it from sagging along the perimeter of the bed. The Tuft & Needle scored below average for edge support, indicating that it’s harder to sit at the edge of this bed without slipping.
Which Is the Best Mattress for You?
Both the Layla and Tuft & Needle Original are good options for shoppers in search of a queen-sized mattress for around $1,000 or less. They’re both made from memory foam with hybrid innerspring models available for an additional cost. Due to good motion isolation, both are also well suited to couples or those who sleep with a pet.
The Layla mattress is likely the better option for shoppers with back and joint pain due to its higher marks for pressure relief. It also gives you more options by allowing you to easily flip to its soft or firm side—taking the mattress from a cushy nest with a 4 out of 10 for firmness and plenty of give for side sleepers; to a medium-firm, 7 out of 10 that back sleepers tend to prefer. Indecisive sleepers will be happy with this mattress, as will those who change positions often in the night.
On the other hand, the Tuft & Needle Original is also a solid choice because it suits the universal sleeper—the mattress has a 6 out of 10 level of firmness that serves most nighttime positions well. We think it’s a good bet for sleepers who prefer a medium-firm bed. That said, if you’re still uncertain, here’s some good news: Both mattresses have at least 100-night sleep trials so you can take your time with the decision.
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