My husband Cameron and I bought our old mattress back in 2018 when we were moving into our current apartment. We were getting married in roughly six months so we chose a budget-friendly full-size mattress. Now, four years in and we were pretty tired of it, so when I got the chance to review the Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress I jumped at the opportunity. In my advancing years (just a bit dramatic) I’ve been experiencing both achier and sweatier nights, so I was excited to try a high-quality mattress that could better carry me through my thirties.
How I Tested
We started testing the Mint mattress around late August. I couldn’t wait to see if Tuft & Needle’s cooling model could handle my SSRI sweats in the nightmarish summer heatwave. After sleeping on the Mint for just over two wonderful months, and keeping SELF’s mattress review criteria in mind, it’s exceeded my expectations. Read on for my full Tuft & Needle Mint mattress review.
Initial Setup
Since I’m able to work from home most days, I’m always the one receiving packages large and small. When the massive mattress box arrived I was relieved that they brought it up to our 6th-floor apartment, giving me one less thing to worry about (don’t worry we have an elevator). Getting the box into our home was a challenge on its own, let alone unpacking the mattress tube and pushing it across the apartment. This involved a lot of creative motions and all of my body weight. They offer a $150 in-home setup and old mattress removal which I did not take advantage of but would definitely be helpful for anyone, regardless of age or health.
Moving the mattress and getting it on the bed frame would have been extremely difficult without an extra set of hands. Once the heavy lifting was done the directions were minimal and easy to follow. I was pleasantly surprised that, once opened, it only had to air out for a few minutes before it was ready to use. In the directions, they say it needs about 2 weeks to fully settle into its final form and I had no issues with comfort or smell during that time.
Sleep Quality
I wouldn’t call myself the most restful sleeper, I wake up a lot throughout the night and I’m not fully sure what it feels like to wake up refreshed. My sleep hasn’t magically fixed itself with the Mint mattress but I have definitely noticed a huge improvement. I can feel my muscles relaxing when I lay down and find myself falling asleep just a little faster. My husband especially appreciates the lack of motion transfer, since he’s a light sleeper and I tend to move around a lot.
Support
Cameron and I both love a firm mattress so we were a little hesitant when it came to the soft topper. But our worries did not last long once we fell onto the bed immediately after letting it unfurl. The dense yet springy base supports the topper perfectly, letting you sink in just enough. It never really occurred to me that a mattress could be both soft and supportive. The reinforced edges were also something we underestimated. I often curl up at the edge of the bed right next to my nightstand which was risky in our old bed where I could easily slump right off the side. I didn’t realize how much I missed being able to sit on the edge of the bed until making the switch.
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Comfort
I have yet to pin down exactly what kind of sleeper I am (I’m kind of like a rotisserie chicken more than anything else.) I’d say I spend the most time sleeping on my side and switching to sleeping on my stomach a close second. Whatever form my body decides to take I can feel myself relaxing into the mattress rather than fighting it. Tuft & Needle Mint is recommended best for back and side sleepers, but even on my stomach, I don’t get the searing lower back pain that I used to wake up with on my old mattress. It goes to show how much your mattress can affect your overall health.
Temperature
Sleep temperature has been something I never really thought about until I started taking antidepressants, which have been immensely helpful overall but have messed with my internal temperature a bit. During the summer I found myself waking up damp and irritable more often than not. The textured topper on the Mint breathes so much better than the flat foam of our old mattress, which means I’m not waking up repeatedly through the night to kick off my blanket.
Materials
The website lists a lot of different materials that definitely sound fancy but it really came down to the top layer for me. The Mint’s top layer boasts breathability and pressure relief thanks to its graphite, ceramic, and cooling gel material. My motions don’t transfer and my pressure points feel relieved. One thing that stood out was the washable cover. Since the start of the pandemic, I’ve become more acutely aware of sleep hygiene, so the fact that I’ll be able to zip off the top of the mattress and throw it in the wash is truly magical. I’d say the only downside about the cover is the medium-gray color. It looks really sleek on its own but if your light-colored sheets are on the thin side they will look a little off.
Risk-Free Sleep Trial
Per Tuft & Needles’s return page the mattress brand offers a 100-Night Sleep Trial that starts on the date of delivery and allows you to return any products that aren’t a good fit for a full refund. You can rest assured you won’t be stuck with something you don’t love. If the product is unused and still in its original packaging, the brand sends a pre-paid shipping label or helps facilitate a free pickup, otherwise the mattress is donated.
Source: SELF
