Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress Review

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About a year ago, we took a look at the Tuft and Needle mattress. You may remember its benefits for sleep partners and excellent heat transfer capability. We had the chance to take a look at the Mint mattress by the same company. It takes the same great features of the original with a few added twists.

Tuft & Needle uses its very own T&N Adaptive foam. It’s designed to address three particular industry issues:

1. Heat buildup and excessive sinkage of memory foam
2. High cost and pressure points of latex
3. Poor motion isolation of innersprings

If you’re on a tight budget and absolutely cannot spend more than $595 for a queen, then you may want to look at the original model. However, if you can invest extra, you’ll definitely want to keep reading to see how Tuft and Needle used consumer feedback to add features like improved pressure relief for side sleeping, higher edge support, and improved heat transfer.

If you sleep on your side, spend a lot of time sitting on the edge, or sleep hot, let’s dig in and see if this could be for you.

A Little Background on Tuft & Needle

The name of the company has a colorful backstory worth sharing. Founder JT, during the very

beginning stages of the company, had a neighbor who was a master upholsterer. He asked him to teach him how to make a mattress. During the learning process, he was shown how to hand-tuft mattresses. This intricate process adds exceptional quality to the final product, and you can get an idea of the tufting process here.

As JT and his business partner, Daehee, were brainstorming names for their company, JT recalled the tufting process and the large needle he used. Thus, the name Tuft & Needle was born.

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Mint Mattress Layer Lineup

Let’s get started taking a look at the layer lineup. You can see that I’ve opened up the cover. The purpose of the zipper, which will arrive tucked into the mattress, is for assembly purposes only.

You’re not actually supposed to take it off or wash it, but we’re here to show you what’s inside, so I went ahead and took mine off. (To avoid voiding your warranty, I wouldn’t suggest you do the same!)

The Cover

The cover isn’t white, so that really helps keep it looking cleaner. This is actually all the more reason to buy a mattress protector since the mattress may be dirtier than it looks. This can encourage bad habits like eating in bed, which can definitely decrease durability. The material is really soft, and it’s made of a durable polyester blend.

Comfort Layer

Since the cover is so thin and stretchy, it makes it really easy to engage with the first 3-inch layer of of Tuft & Needle’s proprietary poly foam. They’ve dubbed it T&N Adaptive Foam, and it serves to offer comfortable contour without the sleeper feeling stuck. I thought it did a great job at making it really easy to move around. (Keep reading to see how its graphite gel infusion works to keep things cool).

Transition and Support Layers

We move into layer two which measures in at just around 2-inches. It’s composed of polyfoam designed to transition the plush comfort to firm support layers. This creates cradling support that offers that last bit of contour and pressure relief.

The final base layer is 6 ¼ inches thick, and it’s made of supportive, firm polyfoam. Although the mattress is advertised as being twelve inches thick, mine, with the cover on, is right around 11 ¼”. I called the Tuft and Needle to find out why, and they said there can be a little bit of variance due to the general nature of the foam. Anything within an inch is considered to be within the normal threshold.

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Mint Mattress Feel & Performance

I always like to give a brief description of how the mattress feels. This can help us determine who it’s really geared toward. You can pick up on the gradual firmness progression, and this is a pretty common strategy in foam mattresses since it works so well at providing cushiony hug without compromising on the support that’s critical in proper spinal alignment.

This lineup does a great job of relieving pressure in my hips and shoulders, and I think side sleepers will especially enjoy this. It feels around medium in terms of firmness, and this is typically a good fit for people with a BMI of between 19-25. It’s definitely worth finding out yours. All you need to is your weight and height, and knowing this number can be a huge key to getting the firmness right with whatever mattress you end up choosing.

Firmness & Contour

Next up, let’s examine a little more closely the firmness and contour. The standardized industry data we’d typically look at is the indentation load deflection, but this information isn’t provided, so we’re going to get straight into testing this mattress with our firmness and contour testing tool.

By applying varying degrees of pressure that mimic the different areas of heaviness in the body, we can give you a good look at both firmness and contour. Since your total weight is dispersed when you lie down, we use increments of 25, 50, and 75 pounds to represent the extremities, shoulders, and hips.

I’ve gathered the results and plugged them into my tracking chart, and we can very clearly see this product has a steady progression of sinkage from the three different weights applied. This means it offers a very steady contour that works well for people who have their weight dispersed relatively evenly. These results typically work well with:

• Women with banana and hourglass shapes 
• Men with oval and rectangle shapes.

On our firmness chart, longer lines mean plusher products. We can see the Mint mattress is very reflective of medium firmness, and this is usually good for:

• People who switch sleep positions
• Sleep partners who have varied needs and are willing to arrive at a happy medium

Mint Mattress Motion Isolation

Sleep partners concerned with motion transfer are typically pretty happy with foam products. The T&N Adaptive Foam does a really good job at absorbing motion, and you can observe how the impact is absorbed when I drop a 20-pound medicine ball next to another of equal weight in our video review above.

Keep in mind, layers one and two are more geared toward bounce, and this works great at aiding in mobility. Since layer one only composes around a quarter of the mattress, it’s going to be slightly bouncier than foam products that add more than three inches of comfort before transitioning into support.

If you’re more focused on motion isolation than bounce, I’d suggest adding the two-inch memory foam topper from eLuxury. It will sleep hotter, but it goes a long way in absorbing motion if that’s high on your priority list. However, for the average couple, I think you’ll be satisfied with the motion isolation the Mint mattress delivers.

Heat Transfer Reduction

We’ve briefly discussed how the proprietary foam in layer one works to reduce heat buildup, but let’s get a little more in-depth on the subject. Tuft & Needle employed multiple efforts to keep the Mint mattress sleeping cool:

• The adaptive foam is open-celled, allowing for better airflow. 
• The adaptive foam contains graphite and gel materials that work to wick heat away from the body. 
• In comparison to the original Tuft and Needle mattress we looked at a year ago, it contains 30% more graphite which is said to deflect 50% more heat from your body. 
• It also contains 30% more ceramic gel beads for added cooling. We often see blue beads, but you can see these beads are green. They are said to absorb 5 times more heat than the conventional blue bead products.

To test out these changes, I observed the cool down process with a thermal camera after lying on the mattress for a half hour. The Tuft & Needle original took 11 minutes over the Mint mattress’s 7½. This was 32% faster, which I’d say is pretty well reflective of the changes made in the Mint mattress. If you’re torn between the Mint and original models and sleep hot, the Mint mattress is well worth the added investment.

Edge Support

Edge support is important to examine since it keeps you from sliding out of bed and makes getting in and out of bed easier. On foam mattresses, it can be tricky to incorporate sufficient edge support, and it’s not uncommon to see more sinkage when sitting on the corners.

Tuft & Needle reinforces the bottom side rails of the Mint mattress, and this additional feature makes it superior to their original model. If you have serious mobility issues and are torn between the original mattress and Mint, I’d say the investment in the Mint mattress’s added edge support is worth it.

Mint Mattress Durability Expectations

Before we wrap up, let’ take a look at how far you can stretch out your investment in the Mint mattress. For mattresses around the $1,000 range for a queen size, we usually see densities of 1.8 pounds per cubic foot in polyfoam and 2.5-3 pcf in visco-type foams.

Tuft & Needle doesn’t provide densities, so I cut out square inch samples of each of the three foams and did the calculations for myself so we can see if the quality matches the cost. Here’s what I came up with:

Density Measurement

Unit is pounds per cubic feet

Scale measures grams

1 cubic inch to cubic feet = 0.000578704

1 gram = 0.00220462

• Layer 1
  • .6717 g x 0.00220462 lb. = 0.001480843254 lb
  • 0.001480843254 lb /  0.000578704 ft3
  • 2.55 pcf

• Layer 2:
  • .7834 g x 0.00220462 = 0.001727099308 lb
  • 0.001727099308 lb / 0.000578704 ft3
  • 2.98 pcf

• Layer 3
  • .4083 g x 0.00220462 lb= 0.000900146346 lb
  • 0.000900146346 lb / 0.000578704 ft3
  • 1.56 pcf

What These Numbers Mean for You

The density in layer one is pretty standard in this price range. In the polyfoam in the transition layer, the density was very high with 1.8 pcf indicating good durability. The final polyfoam layer weight it at right around 1.6 pcf, so this is a little low but still not bad for the price range.

Overall, I think the densities are very well reflective of the asking price, especially considering the high density found in the transition layer. My main concern would be the eventual wearing out of the top layer since it gets the most wear and tear.

If you weigh more than 200 pounds, I’d suggest adding a buffer to extend the life of your comfort layer by adding a topper to your purchase. Latex adds more bounce while memory foam increases contour. On the plus side, while the density of the T&N foam is under that 3 pcf minimum we’d like to see for maximum durability, it comprises less than 20% of the mattress. Furthermore, for the thousand dollar range, this is very typical of what you can expect.

How to Maximize Your Durability

Remember, the cover is not meant to be removed. Tuft and Needle suggests you spot clean only for best durability expectations. Also, make sure it’s dry before adding sheets. The company does not provide replacement covers. However, it is a little thicker than the original cover and made with durability in mind.

The official weight limit is 500 pounds for individuals and up to 1,000 pounds for sleep partners on king and California kings. It’s best to keep the weight applied within these parameters.

If you’re looking for something that’ll last longer, remember, you’re going to have to pay more. Latex is worth exploring. It’s one of the most durable materials on the market, and I encourage you to take a look at our favorite latex mattresses. For the price, however, I think overall durability expectations of the Mint mattress are fair.

Maintenance, Protection, Care & Warranty

If you decide to buy the Mint mattress, you have a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year limited warranty. If you live within certain zip codes in New York City, Phoenix, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, or Seattle, you can pay an extra $50 for same-day shipping, so that’s pretty cool.

Tuft & Needle only ships within the US. If you’re in Canada, you are able to order the original model through Amazon. However, you do have to be in the US to take advantage of the sleep trial and warranty. Here is some more information that’s good to know once you become a customer:

Cost

With the slight compromises we examined in the thin comfort layer, you may notice degradation here earlier than average if you weigh over 200 pounds. In this case, I think a mattress topper could go a long way in improving durability. However, for the price range, I think the value is there. Tuft and Needle do offer to finance through Affirm with repayment timeframes of three, six, and 12 months. Here’s a breakdown of the cost:

Twin- $545

Twin XL- $595

Full- $795

Queen- $945

King- $1,095

California King- $1,095

Mint Mattress Reviews & Feedback

Foams used in the Mint mattress are CertiPUR-US® certified, and offgassing cleared off within a couple of days of unboxing. If you decide during your trial that it’s not for you, you do get a full refund, and the mattress is donated to a local charity or non-profit organization. You can even donate to an organization of your choice, and Tuft and Needle will coordinate a third party pickup at no charge.

To ensure you get a well-rounded idea of what to expect, let’s take a moment to look at the pros and cons I found considering the experiences other customers have had:

PROS

• Good overall value
• Great bounce for a foam mattress
• Good edge support
• Sleeps cool
• Great motion isolation

CONS

• No firmness options
• Some complaints of sagging, but doesn’t appear to be the norm

Who We Recommend the Mint Mattress For

We’ve taken a very in-depth look at the Mint mattress, and it can be a little overwhelming. So, let’s break it down.. is the Mint mattress right for you? It very well could be if:

• You’re looking for a mattress in the $1,000 range for a queen.
• You value foam that’s easy to move around in and not overly sinky.
• You sleep on your side.
• You sleep hot. 
• You are a woman with a banana or hourglass figure.
• You are a man with an oval or rectangle figure.

You may be interested in: Tuft & Needle Mint Unboxing

Our Final Verdict

Overall, I think the improvements made in the Mint mattress over the original Tuft & Needle mattress could make it a great investment. If you’re torn between the original and Mint models, the upgraded Mint model is good for those with a budget over $500. It’s a couple of inches thicker, and the added transition layer between comfort and support works to add bounce and durability. It’s also just a tiny bit firmer, making it a better fit for stomach sleepers.