Nectar vs Casper 2024 – which mattress brand is best?

Nectar and Casper are two of the biggest names in sleep. These premium box mattress brands stock plush memory foam models, high-tech hybrids, and even the odd innerspring. Their websites are so similar, filled with all the same references to comfort, support, and cooling, that it can be hard to split the difference between the brands.

That's where I come in. I know all the best places to buy a mattress and I've shopped with Nectar and Casper for years. I can tell you where to find the longest sleep trial, the most extensive warranty, and the best mattress for your sleep style.

As H&G's resident sleep writer, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best mattress. For the sake of a fair fight, we assess each mattress against the same criteria: comfort; support; breathability; motion isolation; edge support; and the all-important price. In our time, we've tested the best beds from Nectar and Casper, so we're perfectly placed to bring you all the pros and cons of Nectar vs Casper mattresses.

Nectar vs Casper 2024

Before we begin, a quick disclaimer: Casper relaunched their entire product line at the start of the year. That means all our old favorites, from the Casper Original to the Casper Wave Hybrid Snow, were discontinued and replaced with shiny new models. One of these new beds, the Casper Snow Max Hybrid Mattress, is at the top of my testing wish list. I'll update this article once I've got some hands-on experience with the new model.

Nectar vs Casper − head to head

Nectar vs Casper – Performance

• Comfort: the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress feels a lot firmer than the Casper Snow Max Hybrid Mattress, because it's filled with higher-density foam. Which mattress is best for you is partly dependent on your sleep position. A firm surface of the sort you find at Nectar is just the thing for back and stomach sleepers and anybody who appreciates a bit more support from their mattress. If you sleep on your side, or you prefer the feel of a plush mattress, then I suggest you shop at Casper, instead.
• Support: if you suffer from aches and pains, and you're looking for an orthopedic mattress to straighten you out, head to Casper. Their mattresses feature ergonomic zones to target specialized support towards different areas of your body. Our expert tester, Jaclyn, found that her Casper mattress kept her spine in line and took the pressure off her joints. That's not to say that Nectar beds are unsupportive. In fact, our expert tester Casey attributes the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress with easing the pain from her fibromyalgia. This sort of memory foam mattress is perfect for pressure relief, but you want something with coils to align your spine.
• Cooling: it's no contest – Casper beds are far more breathable. Until the Casper Wave Hybrid Snow was discontinued, it topped our buying guide for the best cooling mattresses. By all reports, its successor, the Casper Snow Max Hybrid Mattress, sleeps even cooler. This hybrid mattress features heat delete bands to carry excess body heat away from your body and out of your bed. Phase change material between the mattress layers works to retain and release heat at strategic intervals, keeping you just the right side of cool and dry. The whole thing is wrapped in a cooling cover that stays cool to the touch, even through your fitted sheet. Since Nectar beds are filled with thicker foam, they tend to trap more heat. If you're a hot sleeper, I'd encourage you to steer clear of Nectar and head to Casper.

• Motion isolation: this is where a Nectar mattress really shines. Both the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress and the Nectar Premier Hybrid Mattress boast outstanding motion isolation. You could fill a cup with water, set it in the center of the bed, apply pressure all around it, and you'd never spill a drop. I'd happily recommend a Nectar mattress for light sleepers and anyone who shares a bed. The motion isolation on a Casper mattress is good, but not great: the lower-density foam has a bit more bounce than the slow-moving stuff in a Nectar mattress.
• Edge support: I'm yet to test a Nectar mattress with above-average edge support. It's all that thick foam, which feels super-supportive in the center of the mattress, but gets overly soft and squishy around the sides. If you share a bed with a pet or partner, and you often get shunted to the side of the mattress, then I suggest you shop at Casper, instead. I can't speak for their Snow Max model, but Jaclyn tells me that the Casper Wave Hybrid Snow had excellent edge support.

Nectar vs Casper – Practicalities

• Sleep trials: Nectar and Casper are both online mattress brands, which means that you can't visit a mattress showroom to try before you buy. Instead, you get a mattress sleep trial period to test your bed from the comfort of your own home. If you still don't like your mattress at the end of the trial period, you can return it and get your money back. Each Nectar mattress comes with a 365-night sleep trial, which is plenty of time to test your bed through all four seasons, with a special focus on thermoregulation. A Casper mattress comes with a 100-night sleep trial. Unless you're a seriously indecisive shopper, that should still be enough time to get a good sense of your mattress.
• Warranties: each Nectar mattress is protected by a lifetime mattress warranty, which covers defects in workmanship and materials. A Casper mattress is protected by a 10-year warranty, which might not sound quite as impressive, but it's more realistic. After a decade, you'll probably be looking to replace your mattress, anyway.

Nectar vs Casper – Price

This is the most obvious advantage of a Nectar mattress over a Casper mattress – it's far more affordable. The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress retails for a little more than $1,000 for a Queen (though it's often listed for less in the mattress sales), while the MSRP of the Casper Snow Max Hybrid Mattress is $3,745. In other words, you could buy three-and-a-half Nectar beds for the price of one Casper mattress.

The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress is our reigning champion for the title of 'best affordable mattress'. It's the best bet for buyers on a budget. By contrast, the Casper Snow Max Hybrid Mattress is out-of-reach for the average American. I'd put it up there with the best luxury mattress − once we test it, I'll let you know whether the performance matches the price.

Nectar vs Casper FAQs

Nectar vs Casper – which mattress feels firmer?

According to our expert testers, Casey and Jaclyn, Nectar beds feel much firmer than Casper mattresses. That's because Nectar beds are filled with denser foam for enhanced support, while Casper beds are filled with lower-density foam for cushy comfort.

What happened to Casper mattress?

Casper relaunched their entire mattress line at the start of the year to better meet the full range of customer needs. Some of the new beds are direct successors to earlier models − for example, the Casper Original is now the Casper One − while others are close equivalents. I've called in the new Casper models for testing and I'll let you know what our experts have to say.