Are you thinking about a new mattress? The Tuft & Needle and GhostBed mattresses are both popular options, but for different reasons. The Tuft & Needle original mattress is an all-foam bed made with Tuft & Needle Adaptive foam. It has one of the lowest price points of all the mattresses we’ve reviewed.
The GhostBed original is also a value mattress, but its latex and memory foam build give it different strengths than the Tuft & Needle. We’ll cover those different strengths in this comparison, plus mattress construction, comfort scores, sleep trials, warranties, sizes, and prices.
Tuft & Needle and GhostBed at Glance
Customer Rating
MA Score
Summary
Firmness
Type
Trial Period
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
Customer Rating
MA Score
8.5/10
Summary
Affordable latex mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Type
Latex mattress with gel memory foam
Trial Period
101 days
Warranty
20-year limited warranty
Tuft & Needle
GhostBed
Customer Rating
MA Score
8.7/10
8.5/10
Summary
Budget-friendly mattress for the average sleeper
Affordable latex mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6/10
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Type
Foam blend
Latex mattress with gel memory foam
Trial Period
100 days
101 days
Warranty
10-year limited warranty
20-year limited warranty
Key Similarities
- Value Mattresses: The Tuft & Needle and GhostBed mattresses are priced for the average consumer. But that doesn’t mean they compromise comfort or durability. Both have earned high ratings with customers and our expert lab testers.
- Medium-Firm Feel: While the GhostBed has a slightly firmer feel than the Tuft & Needle, both are considered medium-firm on the firmness scale.
- Trial Periods: GhostBed and Tuft & Needle give you around 100 days to test out their mattress in-home and full refunds for returns during the trial period.
Key Differences
- Construction: The Tuft & Needle mattress has 2 breathable, contouring foam layers, whereas the GhostBed combines bouncy latex, gel memory foam, and high-density polyfoam.
- Pressure Relief: Tuft & Needle outperformed GhostBed for pressure relief by 2 full points. Tuft & Needle did a better job of cushioning the shoulders and hips of our testers, which you can see on the pressure map we use during our mattress review process.
- Cooling: Pretty much all mattress companies tout their cooling technologies, but GhostBed really delivers. It scored 8.5/10 on our cooling assessment, while Tuft & Needle scored an average 7/10.
- Warranty: GhostBed’s 20-year limited warranty is twice as long as Tuft & Needle’s 10-year limited warranty.
Tuft & Needle Mattress Review Highlights
- Spinal Alignment: Tuft & Needle designed their proprietary Adaptive Foam to both support and contour to your body. This combo keeps your weight evenly distributed and your spine in a straight line. Spinal alignment during sleep is vital for keeping back pain away.
- Universal Feel: The goal of Tuft & Needle’s founders was to create a mattress for all sleeping positions, so they chose a medium-firm feel (6/10 on the firmness scale). This firmness level is soft enough for side and stomach sleepers and firm enough for back sleepers.
- Budget: We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again—the Tuft & Needle original mattress is a budget-buy. But Tuft & Needle doesn’t compromise on comfort or quality; instead, they make their beds in the USA with locally sourced materials.
- Pressure Relief: This was one of Tuft & Needle’s highest scores in our evaluation. Our testers felt minimal stress on pressure points when they laid on their sides. A bed with good pressure relief can prevent neck and shoulder pain that often plagues side sleepers.
- Other Models: Tuft & Needle also offers two other mattress models. The Mint Mattress is an upgraded version of the original, and the Hybrid Mattress includes two pocketed coil layers.
GhostBed Mattress Review Highlights
- Cooling: Even with a memory foam layer, the GhostBed received top marks for cooling, thanks in part to gel infused memory foam. The real winner is the top layer of aerated latex. Latex is naturally cooler than foam, and the aeration improves breathability.
- Durability: Latex is also more durable than memory foam. We gave the GhostBed a near perfect score for durability. Plus, all GhostBed mattresses are covered by a 20-year warranty.
- Edge Support: If you stretch out at night, pay attention to this highlight. The GhostBed has excellent edge support, which maximizes your sleeping surface and prevents sagging along the sides.
- Responsiveness: Latex is bouncy, so it springs back to its original form when pressure is removed. The latex layer on the GhostBed moves with you—a great feature for combo sleepers.
- More Options: GhostBed also offers the GhostBed Luxe (extra cooling), the GhostBed Flex (hybrid), and the GhostBed 3D Matrix (extra adaptive).
Mattress Sizes
Take a look at how the Tuft & Needle and GhostBed mattresses compare by size—they’re very similar.
| Tuft & Needle | GhostBed | |
| Thickness | 10” | 11” |
| Twin | 39” x 75” | 39” x 75” |
| Twin XL | 39” x 80” | 38” x 80” |
| Full | 54” x 75” | 54” x 75” |
| Queen | 60” x 80” | 60” x 80” |
| King | 76” x 80” | 76” x 80” |
| California King | 72” x 84” |
72” x 84” |
Learn more about mattress sizes.
Tuft & Needle vs GhostBed Prices
Take a look at the price differences between the Tuft & Needle mattress and GhostBed mattress. Both companies offer financing on mattress purchases.
| Tuft & Needle | GhostBed | |
| Twin | $645 | $895 |
| Twin XL | $695 | $1,045 |
| Full | $795 | $1,250 |
| Queen | $895 | $1,350 |
| King | $1,095 | $1,650 |
| California King | $1,095 |
$1,670 |
| Split King | N/A |
$2,090 |
Inside the Tuft & Needle Mattress
- Mattress Cover: Both foam layers are wrapped in a stretchy, thin fabric. It’s soft and breathable, which enables you to get the most out of the foam’s cooling features.
- Comfort Layer: The top layer is 3” of Tuft & Needle Adaptive Foam, which is a proprietary polyfoam that blends a plush feel with a latex-like response time. It’s also infused with graphite and ceramic gel beads. Both of these substances are naturally temperature regulating—they draw heat away from your body, which neutralizes the temp of the foam.
- Support Layer: Tuft & Needle uses a firmer version of their Adaptive Foam for the base layer. It’s a high-density foam that supports your weight and prevents sagging. Like the foam in the comfort layer, the support foam has an open-cell structure that improves airflow through the mattress.
Inside the GhostBed Mattress
- Mattress Cover: The mattress cover is made of a stretchy polyester-viscose fabric material. It’s moisture wicking, although we recommend using a waterproof protector on all mattresses.
- Comfort Layer: GhostBed’s top layer is aerated latex foam. Aerated foam is extra breathable, thanks to the hundreds of tiny holes that create channels for airflow. This layer feels both soft and supportive—like you’re sleeping on top of the mattress, not in it.
- Transition Layer: This memory foam layer has a larger cell structure than traditional memory foam, which makes it more breathable. The memory foam is mixed with cooling gel that absorbs heat and keeps the temperature of the mattress comfortable.
- Base Layer: 7.5” of high-density polyfoam make up the foundation of the GhostBed. This layer keeps your body supported and prevents sinkage in the upper layers of the mattress.
MA Scores
At Mattress Advisor, we put each mattress that we review through a full-scale evaluation that covers the most important factors for a good night’s sleep. The total score is a weighted average of individual scores. You can see how the Tuft & Needle and GhostBed mattress scores compare in the following chart.
| Tuft & Needle | GhostBed | |
| Shipping | 10 | 10 |
| Trial Period | 9 | 8.5 |
| Return Policy | 10 | 10 |
| Warranty | 9 | 9.75 |
| Set-Up Test | 7 | 7 |
| Motion Transfer Test | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Edge Support Test | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Pressure Relief Test | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Spinal Alignment Test | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| Responsiveness Test | 8 | 8.5 |
| Cooling Evaluation | 7 | 8.5 |
| Durability Evaluation | 8 | 9 |
| Customer Service Score | 10 | 9 |
| Social Impact Score | 8 | 6 |
| TOTAL SCORE | 8.7/10 | 8.5/10 |
Pressure Relief
This is an important category for side sleepers, since they put extra stress on their shoulders and hips. We measure pressure relief using a pressure map that indicates how much stress is put on regions of the body that sink deeper into the mattress.
The Tuft & Needle mattress scored 2 points higher than the GhostBed, so it’s decidedly the better option for side sleepers.
Stomach sleepers and those with achy joints should also pay attention to pressure relief. If you have joint pain, you want a bed that minimizes stress on your bones. Similarly, stomach sleepers need enough cushion to reduce pressure on their chests and hips. Too much pressure can disrupt your circulation and cause muscle aches.
Cooling
If you tend to sleep hot or don’t have A/C during the summer months, a mattress that stays cool is vital to a good night’s sleep. The GhostBed is the cooler option of the two in this comparison.
The key to the GhostBed’s cooler sleep experience is the latex top layer. This is the closest layer to your body and the most likely to interact with your body heat. Not only is rubber latex cooler on contact than polyfoam, but GhostBed’s latex is perforated to improve airflow.
With that said, the Tuft & Needle mattress received an average score for cooling, which is still good. If temperature isn’t your main concern, rest assured that you’ll still get a relatively cool night’s sleep on the Tuft & Needle mattress.
Spinal Alignment
Spinal alignment is the most relevant factor for all sleep positions. Every person can benefit from good spinal alignment while sleeping, just like they can during waking hours. Think of it this way—you eventually develop a sore neck from looking down at a screen for too long; likewise, you can develop back pain from sleeping with a misaligned spine every night.
The Tuft & Needle mattress scored one point higher than the GhostBed for spinal alignment. GhostBed still received an above average score (7.5/10), but if you’re prone to back pain, the Tuft & Needle is likely a better fit.
Quick Review: Which Is the Best Mattress?
We gave both of these mattresses nearly identical total scores, but we recommend the Tuft & Needle for budget-conscious shoppers and side sleepers, and the GhostBed for hot sleepers and combo sleepers. Back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and couples will fare equally well on either mattress. But, the GhostBed is protected with a longer warranty.
Still feeling unsure? Keep in mind that you’ll get over 3 months to make sure either mattress is the right fit. Both of these companies are well-received by consumers and have attentive customer care teams, so you’ll have a positive experience whichever mattress you choose.
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