Tuft&Needle vs Leesa: Which Is Better for You?

Can't decide between Tuft&Needle and Leesa? We compared them for you.
By
Romeo Vitelli
Romeo Vitelli
Expert Writer
Received his doctorate in Psychology in 1987, spent fifteen years as a staff psychologist in Millbrook Correctional Centre. In 2003 went into full-time private practice. read more
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Reviewed By
Medical Advisory Team
Medical Advisory Team
Includes well-known professionals, who together provide decades of sleep medicine experience that enables Talk About Sleep to fulfill its mission of creating access to high- read more
Last updated: September 07, 2023
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Can't decide between Tuft&Needle and Leesa? We compared them for you.
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There are a lot of direct-to-consumer mattresses companies around these days and deciding which one deserves your business can be difficult. That’s one reason why we put together this Tuft&Needle vs. Leesa comparison. Both companies were driven to improve the mattress business by reimaging what a comfortable mattress could be and seller straight to consumers at the most affordable price possible. Leesa remains a small company operating out of Virginia Beach while Tuft & Needle has merged with Serta Simmons to transform the mattress industry on an even larger scale.

But what about the mattresses? When it comes to Leesa vs. Tuft&Needle, both are versatile, durable, and affordable. These mattresses are designed to appeal to sleepers of all different shapes and sizes in any sleeping position. So, who comes out on top: a small company determined to change the way you sleep or an ambitious startup that partnered with one of the most famous names in the business to change the industry across the board? Let’s find out.

Quick Comparison

Tuft&Needle Leesa
  • Medium-firm support
  • 2 foam layers
  • Top comfort foam layer infused with gel and charcoal
  • Good motion transfer
  • Highly resilient
  • Minimal off-gassing
  • Good support for all sleepers
  • Better bargain
  • Firm support
  • 3 foam layers
  • Great motion transfer
  • Good edge support
  • Slight off-gassing
  • Better support for all sleepers
  • More expensive
VIEW ON AMAZON VIEW ON AMAZON

Mattress specifications

Tuft&Needle Leesa
Type Foam Foam
Firmness Medium-firm (6.5) Firm (7.0)
Thickness 10″ 10″
Weight 71 lbs 76 lbs
Sleep trial 100 nights 100 nights
Warranty 10 years 10 years
Price $595 (Queen) $890 (Queen)
Certification Greenguard Gold
Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX
Certi-PUR-US
Certi-PUR-US

Construction

Tuft&Needle Leesa
Support core 7″ 1.8 PCF HD polyfoam 6’’ Dense Core foam
Comfort layers 3″ 2.8 PCF polyfoam 2’’ LSA200TM foam
2’’ memory foam
Cover Micro polyamide and polyester Dual-layer stretch polyester

As you can see, there are a lot of similarities between these two mattresses. They’re both made of foam, weigh about the same, include a 100-night sleep trial, and are covered by a 10-year warranty.

But there are some differences, too. While they’re both 10 inches thick, they differ in the number of materials as well as what kind of foam they use. The biggest difference, though, it the price tag. For example, the Leesa queen-sized mattress costs roughly $300 more than the Tuft & Needle.

Comfort

Tuft&Needle vs Leesa: Which Is Better for You?

There are a lot of things that contribute to how comfortable a mattress is. On paper, these two look pretty similar, but there are some significant differences between them. Let’s take a closer look at the things that make a mattress comfortable and how each of these mattresses holds up.

Firmness and support

The Tuft & Needle mattress is rated 6.5 or medium-firm. It’s made up of a seven-inch layer of high-quality support foam and a three-inch layer of comfort foam that’s infused with gel and graphite with a plush, breathable cover. This mattress conforms a little better to your body than most polyfoam mattresses. It provides more pressure relief, making it a good choice for people with back pain.

Compared to the Tuft & Needle Mattress, the Leesa Mattress has two comfort layers instead of one. Combined, the two inches of LSA200 foam and two inches of memory foam are an inch thicker than the Tuft & Needle as well. That said, the dense core foam support core is an inch thinner. What does this mean for comfort? The Leesa is rated a 7 on the firmness scale, just slightly edging out its competitor. It’s also good for back pain and provides a decent amount of support.

Temperature control

Despite the gel infusion in the top comfort layer, a lot of people claim that the Tuft & Needle mattress sleeps pretty hot. The Leesa does a little better job of keeping sleepers cool, perhaps because the polyester cover is a little more breathable.

That said, keep in mind that, in general, foam mattresses tend to sleep warm so you’ll likely get a little heat retention from either of these mattresses.

Motion transfer

Foam mattresses are all really effective at preventing motion transfer because they don’t have springs. The Tuft & Needle mattress is really effective at preventing motion transfer and is very quiet, so you don’t have to worry about waking up your partner if you get in and out of bed in the middle of the night.

The Leesa mattress performs very well in this area. In fact, it performs above average when compared to other foam mattresses.

Responsiveness

If foam mattresses are great at preventing motion transfer because of the lack of springs, then they’re not very responsive for the same reason. Springs just have more bounce than foam. Both the Tuft & Needle mattress and the Leesa mattress are pretty every when it comes to responsiveness. They both have a little bit of bounce but not as much as you might expect.

Resilience and bounce

Resilience and bounce are different to responsiveness in that responsiveness usually depend on the performance of the entire mattress from top to bottom. Resilience and bounce, on the other hand, apply to how quickly the mattress regains its shape when you push onto it. Both have a pretty good recovery and regain their shape quickly, though the Tuft & Needle mattress has a slight edge.

Edge support

Tuft&Needle vs Leesa: Which Is Better for You?

When it comes to edge support, the Tuft & Needle mattress leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, a lot of people claim this mattress has no support at all. If you sleep with a partner who tends to take up a lot of their side of the bed, this might not be the best mattress for you. The closer you sleep to the edge, the easier it is to roll off.

The Leesa mattress doesn’t provide much edge support, but it does have a slight advantage in this area.

Off-Gassing

Because the Tuft & Needle mattress uses polyfoam rather than memory foam, it has less off-gassing, and the smell dissipates rather quickly.

The Leesa mattress does have a comfort layer made of memory foam, so it has a little bit more off-gassing than the Tuft & Needle but, overall, much less than a standard memory foam mattress.

Sleep position ratings

SLEEP POSITION Light sleepers(less than 130 lbs) Average sleepers(130 lbs to 230 lbs) Heavy sleepers(greater than 230 lbs)
Tuft&Needle
Side 7 9 8
Back 9 8 9
Stomach 7 8 8
Leesa
Side 7 9 9
Back 9 10 10
Stomach 8 9 9*

Out of ten*

When it comes to sleeping position and how much the sleeper weighs, these two mattresses are very similar. While the Leesa does have a slight edge in all categories, it’s close enough that you might really want to think if it’s worth spending the extra money when Tuft & Needle performs so well.

Sizes and pricing

SIZE Tuft&Needle Leesa
Twin $350 $425
Twin XL $395 $590
Full $495 $750
Queen $595 $890
King $750 $1090
California King $750 $1090

Customer service

Sleep trial Warranty and refund Delivery Trade-in
Tuft&Needle 100 nights 10 years Full Within the U.S.
Leesa 100 nights 10 years Full Within the U.S. and most of Canada

Sleep trial

Both of these mattresses come with a 100-night in-home sleep trial, which is a great way to really try them out before making up your mind.

Leesa asks you to try the mattress for at least 30 nights to give yourself time to adjust to a new mattress before making up your mind. If you decide you don’t like it, they’ll pick it up from your home for a small fee and refund the purchase price.

Tuft & Needle doesn’t have a requirement for a minimal number of nights for their 100-night trial though they require you to contact them to arrange shipment via FedEx. They will refund the purchase price once they receive the mattress from you. This is fair but not as simple as a return policy as the one offered by Leesa.

Warranty and refund

Leesa mattresses have a 10-year limited warranty. It covers visible indentations greater than one inch or physical flaws in the craftsmanship that causes damage despite proper use. They’ll also replace the cover if there is any problem with the seams or zipper. The warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, including softening or physical damage like cuts, tear, or burns. You also have to be sure you use a frame that offers proper support. Using the wrong frame or foundation voids the warranty.

As for Tuft & Needle, they also offer a 10-year limited warranty. It covers visible dents greater than ¾ inch in the foam that are visible when no weight is applied to the mattress. Flaws in the material that lead to splits or cracks are also covered as well as fabric tears or unraveled stitches. The warranty doesn’t cover normal wear and tear or commercial use or minor defects that wouldn’t stop a reasonable person from enjoying the mattress. Again, if you do not use a firm, solid support structure, the warranty will not apply.

Delivery

Leesa mattresses ship for free using UPS Ground in all 50 states. They arrive compressed in a box and should be opened for expansion within 30 days of receiving the mattress.

Tuft & Needle offers a few shipping options. Same-day shipping is available in certain zip codes, including New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle with a $50 delivery charge. Standard shipping in the US is free, and they use FedEx Ground as the carrier. Finally, they have a white-glove delivery option for a fee of $150. This service includes in-home setup of your new mattress and removal of the old one. The $150 fee applies even if you do not have an old mattress to remove.

Trade-in

Leesa allows customers to upgrade to another product in the event of exchange by paying the difference between the item being returned and the more expensive item. The new item is covered by a new warranty.

For Tuft & Needle, if you end up not liking the mattress during the 100-night trial or have a valid warranty claim, you can trade it in and apply the purchase price to another product. Keep in mind, though, that this voids the sleep trial for the new product as each customer is only eligible for one trial.

So which should you buy?

Tuft&Needle

VIEW ON AMAZON

Pros

  • Medium-firm
  • Good for people with back pain
  • Effective at preventing motion transfer
  • Little to no off-gassing
  • Good for sleepers of all sizes in any position
  • 100-night sleep trial
  • Multiple delivery options including same-day delivery in certain cities as well as option white-glove service

Cons

  • Only 2 layers of foam
  • No edge support
  • Sleeps hot
  • Have to ship mattress back if you decide to return it during the sleep trial

Leesa

VIEW ON AMAZON

Pros

  • Firm
  • Good for people with back pain
  • Slightly better at preventing motion transfer
  • Minimal off-gassing
  • Slightly better for sleepers of all sizes in any position
  • 100-night sleep trial
  • Picks up the mattress from your home if you decide to return it during the sleep trial
  • UPS Ground delivery

Cons

  • Minimal edge support
  • Sleeps a little hot

In conclusion

This is a tough call. Although these mattresses are very evenly matched, the Leesa has just a slight advantage when it comes to edge support, heat retention, and support for sleepers across the board, regardless of size and sleeping position. Leesa also has a more convenient return policy. But it’s also more expensive than the Tuft & Needle.

The differences between the two are very slim, so it’s up to you to decide if you want to spend a little more money for a mattress that only has a slight edge over its competition.

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