The mattress that passed our snooze-test.
Sleep is the foundation of being a functional human being: It recharges you after a long day, sets you up for a successful next day, and gives your body time to heal and reset. We all know sleep is critical to living a healthy, happy life — so why is it always so hard to get enough?
I can fall asleep anywhere — trains, cars, airplanes, you name it — but that doesn’t mean I sleep well anywhere. Case and point: My partner’s old bed (If you all haven’t noticed yet, I’m really passionate about sleeping and mattresses). The two of us don’t live together full-time and are long-distance, so there’s a lot of (tiring) travel involved. Being able to spend the night together, even if we’re both asleep, is pretty sweet (excuse my mushiness, please). Sleeping on the mattress he’s had since he was a child? Not so much.
To give you the short version of the story, his bed was a hand-me-down from his parents that he’s had his entire life. To put this into perspective, most mattress makers recommend a new mattress every eight to 10 years, so if you factor in the fact that his parents owned this thing before he did, he was at least 25 years overdue for an upgrade.
While I was hunting for a bed that would satisfy both me and my partner, I came across the Casper Dream Hybrid: cooling, supportive, and pretty affordable — and they’ll even take your old bed away for you for a small fee. You probably know about Casper because it was one of the first bed-in-a-box companies to gain popularity a few years ago, and I’ve learned it was for good reason.
For Labor Day, you can score my Casper Dream Hybrid Mattress for 30 percent off. They have other mattress models and bedding on sale now, too.
Why I chose the Casper Dream Hybrid Mattress
Because this isn’t 100-percent my bed, I wanted to be sure it was something my partner could live with sleeping in every single night. A hybrid mattress combines the support of a traditional spring mattress with the cushion of a memory foam one, which seemed like a great combo for the two of us. He can sleep on just about any surface (however, he did want me to point out that, unlike me, he cannot sleep while moving in a plane or car), while I need more support for my back and hips to wake up feeling like I wasn’t hit by a bus.
We are also both hot sleepers, so having a bed with proper ventilation was key to us not drenching the mattress in sweat every night. The Casper Dream Hybrid comes wrapped in a soft, cotton blend material that actually allows the layers underneath to breathe. Those layers, composed of ventilated foam for cushion and individually wrapped steel coils for even more airflow, help wick heat away from your body so you stay cool at night. If you’re a really hot sleeper, Casper makes a Snow Hybrid Max mattress that’s designed to keep you cool in the warmest of conditions. We found the original hybrid version to be cool enough.
I like something more firm for a mattress, so the fact that the Casper Dream Hybrid has zones of different densities of foam stood out to me. There are softer foams near the head and foot of the bed, but the middle has thicker foam to support your back and hips.
My Casper Original Hybrid Mattress review
My partner and I have been sleeping on the mattress for a few months now, and it’s safe to say we both love it. He got to try it out before I did, and he actually said that he did notice a difference from his old mattress (trust me, this is a huge endorsement from him). When I got to sleep on it for the first time, I woke up the next morning without severe lower back and hip pain, which felt like a miracle.
Despite having a top foam layer, the mattress does keep us both cool at night. He has two larger dogs who tend to make their way into bed with us throughout the night, and even with four (or five, if my dog joins — it’s crowded for sure) bodies in the bed, we all stay cool and comfortable. I can sleep on my side without feeling like springs are jabbing into me, and my boyfriend can sleep on his back without sinking into the bed, too. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your bed for a while, I definitely recommend this one. I’ve been sleeping like a baby at my partner’s house since we upgraded.
What to Buy from the Casper Sale
Casper Weighted Blanket
Casper
$169 (50% off)
If you’re a light sleeper (or you like the feeling of being hugged), a weighted blanket can offer some serious relaxation as you drift off. I like to use one on nights when I’m feeling especially wound-up — the deep pressure therapy that the blanket provides helps me calm down and fall asleep faster.
Casper The One + Gift Bundle
Casper
$860 (40% off)
What if you could get a mattress, pillow, and sheets for less than $700? With Casper offering up to 40 percent off bundles, now you can. This set comes with a memory foam mattress and all the accoutrements for one low price.
Casper Matelasse Coverlet and Shams
Casper
$199 (75% off)
This buttery soft coverlet is great as an additional layer on top of your sheets, but it’s cute enough to use in place of a duvet if you sleep hot. It’s made from a woven cotton that looks like linen, is available in three different colors, and comes with a set of pillow shams.
