Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress Review: A Very Comfortable, Breathable, And Responsive Mid-range Bed

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The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid mattress is well-suited to side and back sleepers after a plush sleep surface that is both responsive and cloud-like.

Alex Temblador/Business Insider

Back in 2021, I tested the Tuft & Needle Original mattress, a firm memory foam mattress that was designed for all sleep positions and excelled in motion isolation capabilities. At the time, Tuft & Needle was a well-established name in the rising popular boxed mattress industry. Although it took my body seven days to adjust the mattress, I ended up really liking it. In fact, the Tuft & Needle Original memory foam mattress that I tested all those years ago was firmer than the new Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress that launched at the end of 2024.

This difference can perhaps be explained by some major changes in the foams that the brand now uses, including new T&N Flex Foam, a breathable foam with fast recovery properties. For my review, I realized I had to throw out my preconceived notions about this brand and what to expect from it.

Over the three weeks of testing, I found the surface of the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid to be soft in feel, yet still supportive and responsive to my body weight. While I could sleep on my back, stomach, or side, I felt most comfortable sleeping on my back and side on this mattress. Other surprises came in the form of fantastic temperature regulation and motion isolation capabilities, making this mid-range mattress well worth your consideration. Read on to see how it handled our various tests and compares to other best mattresses on the market.

Design

The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid mattress is comprised of three foam layers and individually wrapped coils.

Tuft & Needle

The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress has four layers.

T&N's new Flex foam emphasizes breathability and is the first layer you feel; it's designed to be responsive to your unique body weight. Directly below is the T&N Release foam, which is ventilated and designed to relieve pressure. Then you'll find the signature T&N Adaptive foam layer, which uses open cell technology, making it more breathable than memory foam. Plus, it's infused with heat-conducting graphite and cooling ceramic gel, which also assists with temperature control. Beyond temperature regulation, the Adaptive foam layers provide some contouring and support.

As the name implies, it's a hybrid mattress. The bottom layer is made of individually wrapped coils, which offer support and minimize motion transfer between two people sleeping on a bed.

Holding all the layers together is a polyester/elastane-blend cover with cooling technology designed to provide 15% better airflow, according to Tuft & Needle. Rather than use fiberglass as a fire barrier, the brand uses a knit blend of polyester and cotton treated with food-grade salt.

Our review of the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress

Setup

The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid ships vacuum-sealed and easily unfurls on to your bed.

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As with most mattresses in a box, the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress was vacuum-sealed and shipped to my doorstep. There is no in-home delivery option.

Since I tested a king-size version of this mattress, a neighbor helped me get it on my bed. At 128 pounds, the mattress was not as heavy as I expected, which is good because it doesn't have any handles, but the surface felt springier and softer than what I expected of a hybrid. The mattress appeared to expand immediately, so I slept on it that very night. There was a slight off-gassing smell that was only noticeable when my face was close to the mattress. It dissipated within a few hours.

Comfort and Support

The top layers of the mattresses cradled my body creating a fluffy cloud-like feel that was most comfortable on my back and side.

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Hybrid mattresses are usually on the firmer side, which is why I had a hard time believing that the king-size Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid mattress that was sent to me for testing was actually a hybrid mattress. The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid is on the softer side of hybrid mattresses, so much so that I'd rate it a 5 or 5.5 out of 10 on a 10-point firmness scale.

While my body didn't sink that much into the mattress, thanks to the T&N Flex Foam and T&N Adaptive Foam which are really responsive, the foam did cradle my body creating a fluffy cloud-like feel. It is a very comfortable surface, especially when lying on my back or side. My spine was well aligned in these two positions.

I tried to sleep on my stomach, but more often than not, I ended up moving to my side or back because I felt like my stomach sunk too far into the mattress and caused some strain on my lower back. For reference, I'm 5-foot-5-inches and weigh about 180 pounds. I think lightweight combo sleepers will absolutely sleep comfortably on their stomachs on the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress. However, strict stomach sleepers would do better to look for a firmer mattress that will keep them well-supported at all times.

There are some mattresses that I can fall asleep on at night, sore or achy, and awake without any pain. The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress was not one such mattress. While it didn't add to my soreness or cause any pain, it didn't quite relieve the pressure or soreness in my body as some other mattresses have.

I don't mention that last bit about pressure relief to dissuade buyers. In fact, I know a lot of sleepers will be huge fans of this Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress because it's softer in feel than most hybrids. Simply said, it's comfortable, cozy, and cloud-like — all things most sleepers want in their mattress. However, if you're looking for a medium-firm or firm mattress with more support and exceptional pressure relief, this mattress may not be for you.

Heat dissipation

The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress doesn't trap heat and dissipated any build-up quickly.

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I didn't expect the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress to impress me with its temperature regulation, but it did.

The first night I slept on the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress, I wore heavy sweats and socks and snuggled under a thick comforter to simulate warmer conditions. When I woke up the next morning, I was shocked that I didn't get hot or warm once. I'm not a naturally hot sleeper, but I expected that I might wake up and remove my socks at some point.

Every day since then, I've slept very comfortably, temperature-wise, on this mattress, never once sweating. Granted, I tested it during December and January, when the nights are cooler. Plus, my house has poor insulation, so it can get very cold in the evenings. That said, I think it will do a fairly great job in the Texas summers, especially when I use temperature-regulating sheets on my bed and sleep in lighter pajamas.

We also use an infrared thermometer to measure how quickly heat dissipates as a way to evaluate temperature regulation. At the base reading, the ambient temperature of the room, the mattress was an average of 72 degrees. The temperature increased to 78 degrees after lying on it. After two minutes, it dropped to 74 degrees, demonstrating that it doesn't trap heat.

Edge support

I experienced pretty significant sinkage when sitting on the edge of the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress.

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Admittedly, the edge support of the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid is lacking. To test the edge support, I sat on the sides and the foot of the mattress, which is about 6.5 inches. The coils along the perimeter are not reinforced. It also doesn't help that the top foam layers are softer than most. No matter which edge or corner you sit on, you're not going to have a lot of support to get in and out of bed, get dressed, or put on your shoes in the morning.

I can feel the mattress dip slightly when I'm lying about an inch or two from the edge. To test it further, I lay on my side on the edge of the mattress and could turn about 80 degrees without falling off.

Motion isolation

Fortunately, you're unlikely to feel a partner shifting about on the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress. I drop a weight near an empty wine glass to see if it falls over to measure motion isolation.

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I feel confident in saying that the motion isolation for this mattress is impressive (especially for a hybrid!). If you're in a deep sleep, I doubt you'll feel your partner move in the middle of the night

To determine the Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress' motion isolation capabilities, I ran a number of tests. I had a friend get in and out of bed and shift from their back to their stomach to see whether I could feel them. As a hybrid mattress, I expected to feel something, but I didn't, showcasing excellent motion isolation. I ran two other tests which are similar in their design. For one, I placed an empty wine glass in the center of the mattress and dropped a 15-lb. weight three different distances from the wine glass — 4, 7, and 15 inches away. The wine glass didn't fall over but it did sway a lot at four inches. This is a great sign indicating great motion isolation.

For the last test, I placed an unopened soda can in the middle of the mattress and dropped a 15-pound. dumbbell five times from a height of four feet at a distance of 12 inches from the can. I ran the Vibrometer app on my phone as I did this and placed my phone 12 inches from the can. According to the app, the average vibration reading was 3.5 or "instrumental," or not felt.

Trial period and warranty

Tuft & Needle offers a 100-night sleep trial, which means you can try the mattress for 100 nights and if you're not satisfied, you can return it for free for a full refund. This policy is limited to one return per household a year.

The Original Hybrid Mattress comes with a 10-year limited warranty. It is not transferable, and a receipt of purchase is best to keep on hand because Tuft & Needle may request it. So what does a "limited warranty" mean? Essentially it covers defective materials or workmanship. For instance, this means a visible indentation (when no weight is applied) of more than 3/4ths of an inch in the top layers, cracking or splitting of foam, tearing of fabric or unraveled stitching, and any flaw that results in the edge of the mattress measuring more than an inch outside the product dimensions.

Tuft & Needle will determine whether to replace or repair the mattress. The company's big pro is that it doesn't prorate the warranty over time.

Cons to consider

In addition to the lack of handles on the side of the mattress to make moving the bed easier, it's unfortunate (though not unordinary) that you can't customize the firmness of this mattress. While I was able to sleep on my back, side, and stomach on this mattress, a firmer option would have made sleeping on my stomach more comfortable. As it is, I think the surface is slightly too soft for most stomach sleepers.

The only other drawback is the edge support around the perimeter of the mattress, which comes from a lack of reinforced edges. If you have a partner and prefer to sleep near the edge of the mattress or like to put on your shoes while sitting at the foot of the bed, you should keep this in mind when considering your purchase because poor edge support will affect these things.

What are your alternatives?

We recommend the Leesa Sapira as the best mattress overall across all our mattress content. The medium firm hybrid appeals to all sleep styles, and exhibits excellent heat dissipation, motion isolation and edge support.

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Tuft & Needle's other mattresses include the T&N Mint Hybrid Mattress, the brand's cooling mattress, which includes a cover with cooling technology. This upgrade option has twice the amount of T&N Flex Foam and T&N Adaptive Foam and is medium-plush. We reviewed an earlier version of the Mint. The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress is the brand's most affordable mattress — it features the same three foam technologies of the hybrid followed by a thick high-density foam base. The surface will bounce back quickly and be fairly cool thanks to the open-cell technology of these foams. It's likely to excel in motion isolation as well.

We recommend the Leesa Sapira Hybrid Mattress, which offers better edge support and suits all sleep styles as the best mattress we've tested. Although it's a little more expensive, you'll enjoy phenomenal temperature regulation and motion isolation capabilities, too. Our reviewer found that it alleviated their back pain. His only note is that it's incredibly heavy to move around, and also doesn't have handle straps. Exceptionally hot sleepers can also upgrade to the "Chill" version, which incorporates a cooling cover.

The Awara Premium Luxury Hybrid Mattress is a better fit for back and stomach sleepers. The brand recently relaunched it. Having tested both, I can verify that the latex hybrid mattress is slightly firmer and provides better pressure relief. The mattresses are equal in terms of temperature regulation, but the Awara Premium Luxury Hybrid Mattress is made of all organic materials and has a slightly more affordable price tag, important features if you're eco-conscious and on a budget.

For more recommendations, check out our guide to the best hybrid mattresses.

The bottom line

The Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid Mattress is certainly softer than past iterations of the mattress, appealing to back and side sleepers, with excellent motion isolation and temperature regulation too.

Alex Temblador/Business Insider

I'm a fan of the newly launched Tuft & Needle Original Hybrid. It's a decent mid-range mattress that will suit most sleep types. It's more plush than previous versions thanks to the new T&N Flex Foam layer and does a superb job at motion isolation and temperature regulation. Hot sleepers and couples alike will be satisfied with this mattress. The surface is softer than you might expect of a hybrid mattress, which will please side sleepers. Plus, it offers enough support and spinal alignment for back sleepers, but you may need more in terms of pressure relief. Some stomach sleepers, perhaps those who are lighter in weight and size, may even be able to sleep on this mattress, though a firmer mattress is probably better in the long run. The edge support could be better, but if this is a major issue for you within the first 100 nights of sleeping on the mattress, you're able to return it for a full refund.