Nod by Tuft & Needle Mattress Review

TLDR: Nod by Tuft & Needle is an excellent budget mattress sold exclusively through Amazon. Its medium foam feel balances pressure relief and support, creating a mattress that works for all sleeping positions. But be aware that this bed is thin, and is therefore best for petite adults or children.

Who Is the Nod Mattress Best for?

Nod Mattress Review Highlights

What we love:

• Coming in at just $395 for a queen-size bed, the Nod is the most affordable T&N mattress. With a similar construction as T&N’s Original mattress, you know you’re getting an incredible deal when you buy the Nod. 
• The Nod’s comfort layer is a softer version of the T&N Adaptive foam found in their more expensive mattresses. It’s plush and responsive, delivering a comfy feel that’s easy to move around on.
• With a medium feel and a softly contouring top layer, the Nod mattress is an excellent bed for lightweight side sleepers and those who like a cushy surface.

How We Score the Nod

We have yet to test the Nod at our mattress lab, but that hasn’t stopped us from examining the customer experience. We’ll have the entire evaluation here soon! 

⭐Customer Experience Score for the Nod Mattress: 8.5/10⭐

Best/Worst Things About the Nod

✅ Pros

• Responsive: The Nod is crafted using responsive polyurethane foam. Unlike memory foam, you won’t feel like you’re stuck in quicksand. This responsive feel makes the Nod an excellent mattress for combination sleepers. 
• Pressure relief: With a soft upper foam layer, the Nod cushions pressure points like the hips and shoulders.  
• Cool: For an all-foam mattress, the Nod is quite cool. It boasts a breathable knit cover, airy open-cell foam, and cooling gel and graphite to keep hot sleepers cool.  
• Sleep trial: The T&N Nod mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial and free returns. If the mattress doesn’t work for you, simply contact Amazon to initiate a return. 

❌ Cons

• Not for bigger bodies: The Nod mattress is just 8” thick with a 2.5” comfort layer. Most adults won’t find this sufficiently soft or supportive for prolonged use. The Nod is best for petite adults, kids, or as a mattress in a guest room or RV. 
• Off-gassing: The Nod mattress has a slight odor when unboxed, similar to other all-foam mattresses. You may need to wait a day or two before the odor is gone to sleep on your mattress. Because the foams within are CertiPUR-US certified, you can rest easily knowing that this odor isn’t harmful. 
• Durability: The top layer of the Nod is crafted from a low-density foam. While soft and comfortable, low-density foams don’t last as long as denser foams. Fortunately, this mattress is backed by a 10-year warranty that covers indentations of greater than ¾ inches, which is generous in the foam mattress industry.  

Responsiveness

Tuft & Needle crafts some of the best mattresses for combination sleepers. Their proprietary T&N Adaptive foam is designed to respond immediately to your movements. It’s this responsiveness that makes T&N mattresses easy to move around on, without the sinking feeling of some memory foam mattresses. 

The Nod mattress has a unique formulation of T&N Adaptive foam that they call responsive foam. In spite of its plush feel, it doesn’t allow you to sink in too low. Instead, you’ll feel cushioned and supported and find it quite easy to toss and turn. 

Cooling

One issue that many sleepers have with all-foam beds is that they can trap body heat, leading to a hot and sweaty sleeping experience. In the Nod mattress, open-cell foam, cooling gel, and graphite are used to dissipate body heat and keep the sleeping surface cool. 

While the Nod bed is a comfortable mattress for most sleepers, those who sleep exceptionally hot may be better suited by a mattress with innerspring coils. Innerspring and hybrid beds have greater air circulation and tend to sleep cooler than their all-foam counterparts. Check out the Nod Hybrid mattress for a cooler budget-friendly mattress. 

Pressure Relief

The Nod’s comfort layer is made from a soft polyurethane foam that gently hugs the body. It generously cushions pressure points while the support layer below limits sagging, making it an excellent mattress for side sleepers. 

However, this exceptional pressure relief is limited to medium to lightweight sleepers. The upper foam layer is just 2.5” thick. Those who weigh more than 180 pounds are likely to sink through this layer and make direct contact with the firmer support foam. While this isn’t the worst for a night or two, prolonged contact with the dense foam may cause pain at pressure points.

How Firm Is the Nod?

The Nod is a medium firmness mattress that rates as a 5.5 on the 1-10 firmness scale. The soft layer is plush but thin, delivering a neutral foam feel that’s at once cushioning and supportive. 

Does It Match Your Sleep Position?

The medium firmness level of the Nod mattress works well for all sleeping positions. Side sleepers will enjoy the plush comfort layer while stomach sleepers and back sleepers will like the mixture of cushion and support.  

But what about those who switch positions a lot at night? The responsive feel of the Nod’s comfort layer makes switching positions easy, so we recommend the Nod for combination sleepers.

Temperature Regulation

For an all-foam mattress, the Nod does a great job at temperature regulation. A breathable cover and open-cell memory foam work together to sweep away excess heat, while gel and graphite absorb and dissipate body heat. 

While the Nod is good for most sleepers, those who sleep extra-hot will be better served by one of our top picks for the best cooling mattresses for hot sleepers.

Does It Support Heavier People?

No. The Nod mattress is a thin, minimal mattress that is not designed for heavier adults. There’s only 2.5” of foam before the dense support layer, not enough cushion for most sleepers who weigh more than 180 pounds. And the thin support foam layer doesn’t offer the support or durability needed by heavier sleepers.

Best Bed Frames for the Nod

You can place the Tuft & Needle mattress on any foundation that’s in good condition. This includes a traditional frame and box spring, slatted bed frame, platform bed, adjustable base, or bunkie board.   

Mattress Construction

The Nod by Tuft & Needle is a 2-layer polyfoam mattress that’s just 8” thick. Made using responsive foam, the mattress offers a neutral foam feel. What this means is that you’ll feel cushion without the deep hugging feel of a memory foam mattress.

Nod Mattress Sizes, Dimensions, and Pricing

*Prices do not reflect exclusive offers or discounts. Click below to see the best price for the Nod mattress.

What’s Setup Like?

The Nod mattress arrives at your doorstep compressed in a box. To set up the mattress, place it on your foundation, remove the plastic wrapping, and unroll it. Because the Nod mattress is incredibly light, you can probably set this mattress up yourself. 

Expect for it to take a few hours to a few days before your new mattress is ready to be slept on. As a compressed foam mattress, it takes time for the Nod to fully expand. Additionally, foam beds have an initial odor called off-gassing that slowly fades away. 

Tuft & Needle Company Policies

The Nod mattress is sold exclusively through Amazon. As such, the buying process is slightly different than what you’d experience when buying directly from T&N. Here’s what you can expect. 

Learn About the Shipping and Delivery Process

If you’ve ever ordered something from Amazon, you know what to expect. The Nod mattress comes with free Prime shipping. Most shoppers can expect to receive their new bed compressed in a box at their doorstep in around 1-3 business days.  

Sleep Trial Info

The Nod mattress comes with the same 100-night trial period as every other T&N mattress. The difference? Because the Nod is sold exclusively through Amazon, you must make your return through Amazon, not T&N.  

What You Need to Know About The Warranty

The Nod comes with the industry-standard 10-year limited warranty. What impressed us about this warranty is that it covers indentations of greater than ¾”, compared to the standard 1”. For a budget mattress, that’s pretty generous. 

To submit a claim, contact Tuft & Needle’s customer service.  

Breaking Down Contacting Customer Service

Tuft & Needle is known for having exceptional customer service. However, it’s not Tuft and Needle that sells the Nod mattress. Instead, Amazon is the only place where you can buy the Nod. 

What this means is that you’ll be dealing with Amazon customer service if you have any questions about the mattress, buying process, shipping, or returns. Only if you have a warranty claim will you contact Tuft & Needle directly.  

Return Policy in Plain Language

You have 100 nights to try the Nod mattress at home. This gives you time to get accustomed to the mattress before deciding if it’s the right fit. If you decide to return it during the trial period, you’ll receive a full refund. Simply contact Amazon customer service through your Amazon account to initiate a return.  

Real Customer Feedback

Still not sure if the Nod is the mattress built for you? See how actual customers feel about the Nod mattress.

• “I’ve only spent a few nights on the Nod but WOW! Been in the market for a while and didn’t have the budget for the normal T&N but the Nod did not disappoint. Pros: super comfortable, sleeps cool, PRICE POINT. Cons: …sleeping too good?” -Dalton
• “The mattress is the perfect balance of firmness and support and its comfort level is beyond any other bed that we tried before deciding on this one. It stays cool throughout the night like we never thought possible. I never thought I would be one to rave about a mattress but this has literally made all of our waking moments better by letting our sleeping ones actually be restful!” -Allison
• “Great reports from the returning college kid with the bad back. He tells us it is great, he slept well and his back feels much better.” -Anonymous

Reasons to Buy or Not Buy the Nod

The Nod by Tuft & Needle is an excellent all-foam mattress for those on a budget. Its medium firmness level works well for every sleeping position. If you’re someone who prefers extra-soft beds or firm mattresses, the Nod isn’t going to be what you’re looking for. 

Because the Nod is a thin mattress, it doesn’t offer the cushion or support required by most adults—especially those who weigh more than average. As such, we recommend it for children, teens, petite adults, and for temporary use in a guest room or RV. Looking for a mattress with superior support? Check out the list of the best mattresses we’ve tested for plus-size sleepers. 

Thanks to the responsive foam found in the Nod’s top layer, it delivers a neutral feel. You won’t sink in like you would on a memory foam mattress, yet your body’s curves will still be lightly cradled. It’s a cool all-foam mattress, although it’s not one of the coolest mattresses around.

See How Nod Compares

The Nod by Tuft & Needle is much less expensive than the average all-foam mattress. Its responsive foam means you won’t experience the deep body contour/hugging feel that you would with a memory foam mattress. Instead, it’s soft yet supportive, easy to move around on, and a bit cooler than the average memory foam bed. 

When compared to the other Tuft & Needle mattresses, it’s important to understand that the Nod is the entry-level model. All of their other beds are thicker and more supportive. Here’s how the Nod compares to each of the other T&N beds.

1. Nod vs Original: The flagship Tuft & Needle mattress is slightly firmer and more supportive than the Nod. As such, it’s better for the average adult, although those who prefer a plush top layer may prefer the Nod. 
2. Nod vs Mint: The Tuft & Needle Mint mattress is like a much more luxurious version of the Nod. They’re both medium firmness all-foam mattresses, but the Mint has more soft, pressure-relieving foam. Side sleepers who weigh more than 130 pounds should definitely go with the Mint if they can afford it. 
3. Nod vs Hybrid: The Tuft & Needle Hybrid mattress is much more supportive, responsive, and cooler than the Nod. It’s also the T&N mattress that earned the highest score in our pressure relief test, so it’s the best of their mattresses for those with hip or shoulder pain. However, the Hybrid is much more expensive than the Nod.  
4. Nod vs Nod Hybrid: The Nod Hybrid has a similar medium firmness level, but the feel is quite different. The Nod Hybrid has a bouncier feel with similar cushion, which is great for heavier sleepers. However, it transfers motion more easily than the other T&N mattresses, which isn’t the best for couples who sleep together.  

Other Products Sold by Tuft & Needle

Bedding and Bed Frames

• Pillow
• Sheets
• Mattress Protector
• Frame
• Metal Base
• Box Foundation