clickinmyheels

My husband and I decided a while back that it was time to invest in a new mattress. We had a regular spring type mattress that was over 7 years old and knew that we needed something better for my husband’s ongoing back and nerve issues. I researched the best types of beds for those with back pain and found that memory foam was supposed to be a good option. It’s supposed to reduce pressure points and better align your body with a soft support. We went out to a few furniture stores and tested them out and knew we couldn’t afford a Tempur-pedic memory foam mattress, and weren’t too impressed with the others or the service of any of the places. I hate giving a lot of money to a store if we are ignored or treated poorly when we walk in, or if a salesperson knows less about the product than me and just fakes it with vague answers to my questions. It’s a big decision so I researched more online. There are a few websites and forums that help clarify all the mattress mystery. www.themattressunderground.com and www.sleeplikethedead.com, and www.sleepinglikealog.com were the ones I found most helpful. When we had it narrowed down to a memory foam type mattress, I learned that it makes a big difference in the density of the foam, the thickness of the layers of foam and how long the mattress is stored before purchase or shipment. If the mattress is compressed for a long time, this can affect the overall quality. If the foam is made of a lower density foam, then the long term durability of the foam/mattress is compromised. We’ve always liked mattresses more on the firmer side.My husband and I are not fans of fluffy pillow tops and don’t like sinking into a mattress that feels like a trap or quicksand. That’s when I learned about latex foam type mattresses. I learned that latex is more durable than memory foam and gives more of a bounce than memory foam. I also learned that latex is more breathable has a more cooler feeling mattress than memory foam. This is important because my husband’s body temperature is very high due to his medications and he often wakes up soaking wet with sweat.

We came across a company called Casper. It’s a small newer company that my husband had read about a while back and I also found while doing more mattress research. Casper is based out of New York and only makes one mattress which is a latex/memory foam combination mattress. The mattresses are made solely in the USA and There are no choices for firmness or mattress types – it’s just a one and done type deal. Their mattress has 1.5 inches of 3.3 lb density latex foam on top of 1.5 inches of 4 lb density memory foam all over 7 inches of 1.8 lb density polyfoam. The latex is a non allergenic latex that is certified to the Oeko Tex 100 Standard. This basically means there is nothing in the latex that is harmful to humans or the environment. Also the foam layers are CertiPUR certified to have low VOC’s, contain no PBDE’s, prohibited phthalates, no formaldehyde and no heavy metals. The fire barrier on the mattress is also remarkable. Normally, memory foam and spring type mattresses are saturated with chemical fire retardants to pass the federal fire tests. Instead of using chemicals, Casper has made a knit sock made from yarn with a silica core that wraps around the foam.  This sock creates a barrier between the foam and the flame and the sock chars and suppresses the flame. It’s kind of scary ordering a mattress online that you’ve never seen in person or had the chance to test out, but Casper’s easy 100 day return policy set my mind at ease. If we are unhappy with the mattress, they will arrange for pick up and will work with a local charity to donate the mattress. Also, shipping is free which is helpful when ordering a large item like a mattress online. There is also a 10 year warranty on the mattress.  After all our research, this was the mattress we decided to buy. I ordered it and less than a week later, it arrived at our door. I was so excited, I told the UPS driver all about the company. If you live in New York, they will actually deliver the mattress by bicycle carrier. Since Casper does not sell their mattresses in stores,  you buy it directly from them which eliminates the middle man and retail mark up in price. Also, by focusing on just one really great mattress instead of different levels of softness, firmness, pillow tops etc, this helps to keep overall costs down. Compared to other memory/latex foam combination mattresses, Casper’s price is fair. Our Queen was $800 after the $50 off referral. This is almost half the price of the memory foam mattresses we were checking out in stores. When you start comparing the quality of foam and density of other mattresses, you can see the value and quality in Casper.

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Here’s the video of me unboxing the mattress for the first time.

So far, we really love the mattress. It has just the right combination of support and contour, but with a gentle softness that you just want to snuggle into. I kind of flop all over when I sleep so I normally start on my side and end up on my back, other side, or sometimes my stomach. All positions are very comfortable and I feel better supported with this mattress.  The real tester is my husband. He absolutely loves it. He wakes up with less aches and pains and seems to fall asleep faster. There is also less motion transfer on the mattress when the other person gets up or moves in the middle of the night. My 6-year-old gladly tested this out as she jumped on the mattress with me laying there. I could feel it, but it was not as bouncy as our old spring mattress.  Last night my husband did sweat a little, but I think it could be due to the heavy comforter that I had on the bed since it’s been getting so cold here at night. Overall, we are really pleased with the Casper mattress and would definitely recommend it. If you are interested in the mattress, you can use the referral link below to receive $50 off your mattress purchase.

http://refer.caspersleep.com/v2/share/6059096343576965135

Sweet Dreams!

**UPDATE** 10/13/14 It’s been about 3 full weeks with our new mattress and we still love the Casper! The support is great and my husband’s back and joint pain is definitely improved with this mattress. If you are shopping around for a new mattress, I would definitely recommend the Casper to anyone! Great quality materials, American made, and a comfy mattress with just the right balance of softness and support.