Having originally been developed for aeronautical and space-flight purposes, memory foam has taken over the sleep industry, backed by its plush comfort and soft contouring response. Today, manufacturers incorporate memory foam into their products in its pure form, by modifying its structure or by combining it with layers of other materials.
Casper Original and Loom & Leaf are two products that are primarily built upon the enveloping response of memory foam.
The manufacturers have used modified viscoelastic foam, injecting it with gel to counteract heat retention issues while also using materials such as polyfoam to provide firm support to the sleeper. This Casper Original vs. Purple comparison aims to explore each product’s strengths and weaknesses, helping you decide which suits your need in the best manner possible.
Casper Original Breakdown
Memory foam is popular for its soft, contouring response, but at the same time, it lacks in some respects, particularly thermal regulation and responsiveness. Casper Original has attempted to tackle these issues by incorporating a layer of special open-cell foam over the viscoelastic layer.
Construction
Cover
The entire mattress is held tightly together by a cover of pure polyester. Soft upon touch and significantly thick, it is fairly breathable, setting up airflow at the surface. Being removable, the cover can be washed and reused.
First Layer
The first layer is composed of 1.5 inches of special open-cell foam, featuring a response similar to that of memory foam. It adjusts according to the body’s contours, sinking in, but at a reduced pace, neutralizing any feelings of uneasiness or entrapment. Furthermore, as it has an open cell structure, it is more responsive to any changes you may make to your sleeping posture during the night, something that can’t be expected from the dead response of viscoelastic foam. Heat dissipation is achieved through the cellular design that sets up airflow and keeps the surface cool.
Second Layer
The layer is responsible for injecting plush response, working in conjunction with the open-cell foam to sink your body into the mattress. The main reason for placing memory foam beneath the open-cell foam is to counter non-responsiveness and heat retention. The strategic placement lets you enjoy the typical contouring response of memory foam but at the same time lets you move around easily over the mattress. In addition, as the layer doesn’t make direct contact with your body, it would be difficult for any trapped heat to cause annoyance as you sleep.
Third Layer
This marks the end of the comfort layer and the beginning of the transition layer that ensures that the body gets a smooth transition between the soft memory foam and the harder polyfoam base. With a thickness of 1.5 inches, the layer is made of transition foam that elicits a mixed plush-conforming response, slowing down the pace at which the body is sinking.
The layer features special zoned design, meaning it is firmer at concentrated pressure points, e.g. lower back, and softer at lighter points such as shoulders. The zoning gives the body targeted pressure relief and maintains spinal alignment for individuals with varying body weight.
Fourth Layer
5.5 inches of high-density polyurethane foam forms this layer, providing unyielding support to the mattress’ layers and the body. After the initial layers contour according to your body’s posture, it is this layer’s responsibility to stop any sinkage, which may otherwise lead to excessive strain on the joints.
Firmness and Feel
Comfort and Support
Medium-firm is the only comfort level in which the mattress is offered. ILD ratings of each of the layers have been kept discrete to prevent imitation from competitors, however, it has been stated that the mattress adapts according to the sleeping styles of all users. The unique design of the comfort layer does make this possible as it brings both softness and responsiveness to the mattress, the latter being missing in typical memory foam products leading to excessive sinkage and nuisance. The base provides ample compressive support to the body and keeps the spine aligned, with its high-density structure improving the mattress’ longevity.
Edge Support
Memory foam mattresses are notorious for poor edge support due to their compressive response to load. But as the Casper Original features a responsive open-cell foam layer, it is able to fare much better compared to typical viscoelastic products. Furthermore, the polyurethane base generates a stiff response and keeps the upper layers upright as pressure is applied to the edges.
Cooling
Viscoelastic foam is the culprit behind pockets of heat buildups within mattresses. By placing the layer beneath the open-cell foam, Casper Original has been able to keep the surface cool. This has been aided by the structure of the first layer, which is breathable and sets up airflow, making the mattress suitable for hot sleepers.
Motion Transfer
Excessive sinkage within the mattress is a common complaint by people who use memory foam products. The incorporation of the responsive open-cell foam helps counter this problem, making it easier for the body to change positions. One may think that this responsiveness may lead to poor motion isolation.
This isn’t true, as the uppermost layer has a primarily contouring response, damping any movements locally rather than transferring them sideways. Surely, the layer does possess an inner push of its own, but it is hardly noticeable while you’re sleeping.
Unique Features
Plush Comfort aided by Conformity
The Casper Original gives you the chance to enjoy the contouring response of a memory foam mattress, minus any potential episodes of entrapment. In a nutshell, the mattress possesses properties of both viscoelastic and latex rubber, yielding to bodily pressure but conforming your posture at the same time. This makes the mattress suitable for a wide range of sleepers with varying styles and weights.
Cool for a Plush product
Memory foam mattresses carry the risk of heat retention with them. The manufacturer’s strategic placement of viscoelastic foam beneath the first layer allows the sleeper to reap its soft response but avoid its thermal pitfalls. The open-cell foam is breathable on its own and eliminates any heat buildups that may otherwise affect the sleeper.
Edge Support
As you’ll read later, the Loom & Leaf doesn’t have an upper responsive layer, resulting in poor edge support. On the contrary, the Casper Original has an open-cell layer that has a slightly latex-like push of its own, which when combined with the stiff response of polyurethane foam leads to better edge support, allowing you to utilize the maximum surface area.
Targeted Support
The transition layer of the mattress doesn’t follow a uniform ILD rating, being stiffer at high-pressure points and softer at low ones. This zoned design results in the body getting optimum pressure relief as well as spinal alignment, making the mattress a good choice for consumers with varying weight.
Less Expensive
Compared to Loom & Leaf, the mattress is less expensive, with the price going down further through our coupon code. This means that for a reasonable price, you get to enjoy the plushness of memory foam and latex-like responsiveness, without worrying about the thermal issues associated with the former.
Loom & Leaf Breakdown
The Loom & Leaf consists of various modified viscoelastic foam layers but largely issues a plush, contouring response. The mattress is available in two firmness levels.
Construction
Cover
The multiple foam layers of the Loom & Leaf are encased within a cotton cover. This gives it a soft feel while at the same time improves breathability, keeping the surface cool. The only drawback of this construction is potential wrinkling that may occur with the passage of time, but this unlikely since the cover is tightly stretched over the mattress.
First Layer
The uppermost layer of the mattress is made of 2 inches of gel-swirl memory foam. The response is that of typical memory foam, i.e. contouring, giving you a personalized sleep experience. The gel infusion within the layer makes it good at transporting heat away from the surface, down to the lower layers. But the manufacturer doesn’t stop here. Since the lumbar area is prone to heat buildups, a layer of spinal gel panel has been added that promotes airflow, keeping the body as cool as possible. Finally, the layer possesses an inverted egg-crate construction making it inherently breathable, transporting the heat absorbed by the gel-panel to the surroundings.
Second Layer
The layer is also made of memory foam but is 2.5 inches thick and has greater density. This leads to slowed down adjustment according to your body’s posture, neutralizing any chances of the body getting trapped into the mattress. The extra density of the layer also translates into greater durability that improves the longevity of the mattress.
Third Layer
Just like Casper Original, the Loom & Leaf also has a layer of transition foam that bridges the sudden ILD shift between the memory foam layers and the support core underneath. Heavier individuals often complain of sinking too deep into memory foam mattresses; the inclusion of transition foam slows this down and keeps the spine aligned.
Fourth Layer
The layer is made of 5.5 inches of high-density polyurethane foam, intended to provide solid support to the upper foam layers and the body. It acts as a stopping point for any further sinkage, preserving the position of your spine at all times, and in all sleeping positions. The layer’s absence can lead to excessive joint strain resulting in backaches.
Firmness and Feel
As stated earlier, the mattress is available in two variants that help it caters the demand of a wide variety of sleepers.
Comfort and Support
Edge Support
The abundant use of memory foam does give the mattress luxury plush comfort, but at the same time makes the edges prone to compression. In comparison, the Casper Original fares much better as it has a responsive open-cell layer above the memory foam.
Cooling
The manufacturer has incorporated multiple heat loss features into the mattress to counter the poor thermal regulating properties of the viscoelastic foam. The organic cotton cover, gel-infusion, and spinal-gel layer have a combined effect that isolates the body from thermal nuisance, making it a viable choice for visco foam-lovers living in hot climatic conditions.
Motion Transfer
Since the mattress is primarily composed of memory foam layers, it has a dead response to any disturbances that you or your partner may make during the night. All movements are absorbed locally and transferred vertically rather than horizontally, resulting in a calmer, uninterrupted sleep.
Unique Features
Signature Plush Response minus the Thermal Issues
Unlike Casper Original that incorporates both plush and bouncy responses, the Loom & Leaf is a pure memory foam mattress that gives you typical enveloping response, which is highly sought out by consumers. The manufacturer has put in great effort to counteract poor thermal regulation, and its efforts have somewhat paid off, making the mattress a viable choice for humid climates.
Organic Cotton Cover
The fully organic cotton cover that holds the mattress’ layers together makes the surface comfortable as well as cool. Furthermore, cotton minimizes the chances of any bacterial buildups or allergies that may stem out of synthetic materials.
Dual Firmness
The mattress is available in two variants, with a firmer option for a heavier individual who would enjoy greater conformity along with the plush response, keeping their bodies upright within the mattress. This allows the manufacturer to target a wide variety of sleepers with varying postures and weight profiles.
Motion Isolation
Being a typical viscoelastic mattress, the Loom & Leaf is able to neutralize irregular movements made by either you or your partner. In comparison, the open-cell layer of the Casper may transfer these movements laterally, making them noticeable to sensitive sleepers.
Trial and Warranty
You can play with the mattress for a period of 120 days before making your decision. This is sufficient time to get used to the mattress’ response and if you’re unsatisfied, you can your money back. Similarly, the mattress has a longer warranty period, i.e. 15 years compared to the Casper (10 years), giving you ample peace of mind regarding the product’s durability and reliability.
Which One to Get?
Casper Original
Here are some reasons to consider Casper Original:
You want a cheaper mattress: The Casper Original is less expensive compared to the Loom & Leaf, period. For a lower price, you can enjoy both plush comfort and responsiveness, which would otherwise require investment in a hybrid product.
You want both plushness and conformity: The Casper Original has an open-cell upper layer that features a slowly contouring response along with an inner push that allows you to move around on the mattress without feeling trapped. At the same time, the second layer generates enough contouring to give you ample pressure relief through softness.
You want a cooler mattress: Compared to Loom & Leaf, the Casper Original has its memory foam layer placed at the second degree; this keeps the retained heat far away from the body. Furthermore, the breathability set up in the open-cell foam is sufficient to drive away any hot air that may make its way upwards.
You want greater edge support: As the upper layer of the mattress has a degree of responsiveness, it fares better compared to Loom & Leaf in terms of edge support, retaining its position and letting you utilize the entire surface area.
You want targeted support: The mattress’ transition layer has a dynamic ILD rating, softer on the shoulders and firmer on the back, giving you optimum pressure relief, irrespective of the sleeping position you prefer.
Loom & Leaf
However, you might want to choose Loom & Leaf if:
You want a typical viscoelastic product: Memory foam mattresses are highly popular in the sleep industry, even though they have some flaws. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a product that gives you the typical plush comfort associated with viscoelastic products, then Loom & Leaf is the way to go.
You want better motion isolation: Since the mattress is composed largely of memory foam layers, it features a dead response to any movements that may occur, giving your body the chance to enjoy uninterrupted sleep.
You want a longer trial period: The Loom & Leaf has a 120-day trial period compared to Casper’s 100 days; this gives you ample time to get used to the mattress’ response before making a well-informed decision.
You want a longer warranty: The mattress sports a 15-year warranty, sufficient to give you enough time to make the most out of our mattress. If you face a problem before the warranty expires, you can contact the manufacturer for a replacement.
You want dual firmness options: The Loom & Leaf is available in two variants; one issuing a typical plush response with the other being slightly firmer. This makes it a good choice for both lights- and heavy-weight individuals, eliminating the need to compromise or adjust according to the mattress’ response.
Casper Original vs. Loom & Leaf Comparison
| Casper Original | Loom & Leaf | |
|---|---|---|
| Layers Used |
|
|
| Height | ~ 9.5” | 12 inches |
| Firmness | Medium | Medium-Firm, Firm |
| Motion Transfer | Minimal | Minimal |
| Breathability | Above average | Above average |
| Trial Period | 100-day | 120-day |
| Warranty | 10-year | 15-year |
| Pricing (Queen) | $1,095 | $1,099 |
| Shipping | n/a | Free across the US |
I hope the piece was interesting and informative. If you have any queries or comments, use the section below.