If you’re torn between the Nectar and Casper mattresses, you’re in good company. Both brands have earned stellar reputations in the industry from experts and customers alike. However, each mattress has distinct differences in design and performance.
So, which one aligns best with your sleep needs? I’m here to help you figure that out.
Our team has thoroughly tested the Nectar and Casper mattresses to bring you an in-depth comparison of their materials, comfort levels, and overall suitability. Whether you’re looking for pressure relief, support, or just a better night’s sleep, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know.
Without further delay, let’s jump into our Nectar vs. Casper comparison.
Want the bottom line? Head straight to my comparison summary for a quick overview.
Casper vs Nectar
Product
Firmness
Score
Casper vs Nectar
Nectar vs Casper Mattress Overview
Here’s a brief overview of the strong points of the Nectar and Casper, as well as which type of sleepers are best suited for them.
| Nectar is best for… | Casper is best for… |
| People suffering from hip or joint pain | People suffering from back pain |
| Back and side sleepers | Couples |
| Budget shoppers | Seniors |
Nectar vs Casper Video Review
Need a quick rundown of each mattress and who I recommend them for? Check out my Nectar vs Casper video review below.
Nectar vs Casper: Which is Better for You?
I want to kick things off by recommending each bed to a few different sleepers. I would also encourage you to check out my full Nectar mattress review and Casper mattress review for more info.
Nectar vs Casper: Top Similarities
- Construction: The Nectar and Casper are both foam bed-in-a-box mattresses. While both use foam in different ways, they are going to feel much gentler than a hybrid mattress or innerspring mattress overall.
- Pressure relief: Both beds are great options for anyone looking for a mattress for shoulder pain. They both offer great pressure relief in the shoulder area.
- Shipping: Both Nectar and Casper offer free shipping on their mattresses.
Nectar vs Casper: Top Differences
- Construction: The Nectar mattress uses more memory foam than the Casper mattress, so it’s ideal for sleepers looking for a slow-moving, soft foam bed that offers plenty of sinkage.
- Feel: I think the Casper feels a little bit firmer when sleeping on it than the Nectar.
- Trial and Warranty: Nectar offers a 365-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty, while Casper offers a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.
Nectar vs Casper: Construction & Feel Differences
Now that I’ve covered the main similarities and differences between these two mattresses, let’s explore their actual feel. I’ll evaluate various feel factors, including firmness, pressure relief, bounce, and sinkage.
Before we begin, I’d like to note that these factors are highly subjective and can vary significantly based on individual body size, shape, and weight.
What’s the Firmness Difference?
It’s important to understand that, when it comes to mattresses, firmness isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario. Your size, weight, shape, and other factors all determine your ideal level of firmness. So your preferences might not be the same as mine. When testing a mattress for firmness, we try to capture the variance different people might feel. I test every bed with colleagues of various body shapes, types, and sizes, then average those responses to determine the final firmness score.
My colleagues and I gave the Nectar a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale. We rate firmness on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest. For reference, the industry standard for a medium-firm mattress is a 6.5 on the firmness scale, so the Nectar mattress leans just a touch softer.
The Casper is a good bit firmer than the Nectar, so we gave it a score of 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale. When compared to the industry standard of 6.5 for medium firmness, this bed is solidly firm.
What Does Each Mattress Feel Like?
The Nectar is constructed primarily with plush memory foam, meaning most people should find it gentle and comforting. However, everyone interacts with memory foam differently. After spending some time laying on the Nectar myself, I felt more cradled than lifted up by it.
The deep sinkage and body contouring could be a nice touch for side sleepers or folks who like a pressure-relieving feel. On the other hand, stomach and combination sleepers may find that the Nectar is a bit too soft for their needs.
Like the Nectar mattress, the Casper is an all-foam bed. However, where the Nectar’s memory foam layers produce a ton of sinkage, body contouring, and pressure relief, the Casper’s construction is firmer and zoned for support. This makes the Casper mattress a great choice for back and combination sleepers, who frequently change sleeping positions throughout the night.
Stomach sleepers, on the other hand, might find this bed a bit too soft for their liking.
How Does The Construction Differ?
Nectar vs Casper Per Body Type
Every mattress will feel different to sleepers depending on their individual preferences and attributes, like body weight and sleeping position. Below, I’ll take a look at how the Nectar and Casper mattresses perform for a variety of sleepers.
Nectar
| Body Weight | Side | Back | Stomach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (under 130lbs) |
unpleasant | good | good |
| Average (130-250lbs) |
excellent | excellent | unpleasant |
| Heavy (over 250lbs) |
unpleasant | unpleasant | unpleasant |
| Body Weight: Light (under 130lbs) | |
|---|---|
| Side Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Back Sleeper | good |
| Stomach Sleeper | good |
| Body Weight: Average (130-150lbs) | |
| Side Sleeper | excellent |
| Back Sleeper | excellent |
| Stomach Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Body Weight: Heavy (over 250lbs) | |
| Side Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Back Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Stomach Sleeper | unpleasant |
Casper
| Body Weight | Side | Back | Stomach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (under 130lbs) |
unpleasant | good | good |
| Average (130-250lbs) |
good | good | unpleasant |
| Heavy (over 250lbs) |
unpleasant | unpleasant | unpleasant |
| Body Weight: Light (under 130lbs) | |
|---|---|
| Side Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Back Sleeper | good |
| Stomach Sleeper | good |
| Body Weight: Average (130-150lbs) | |
| Side Sleeper | good |
| Back Sleeper | good |
| Stomach Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Body Weight: Heavy (over 250lbs) | |
| Side Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Back Sleeper | unpleasant |
| Stomach Sleeper | unpleasant |
Nectar vs Casper Comparing Mattress Performance
Temperature
While memory foam mattresses generally trap heat more than other builds, the Nectar and the Casper have features that help them stay cool throughout the night. The Nectar has gel-infused comfort foam, and the Casper uses open-celled Airscape foam to encourage breathability.
I tested both mattresses’ cooling features using our trusty thermal gun. After laying on each for a few minutes and measuring how much heat each one trapped, I found that the Nectar performed better overall. The Nectar only heated up 5 degrees Fahrenheit, while the Casper went up 8 degrees. Overall, the Nectar could be a solid choice for hot sleepers who still prefer an all-foam feel from their mattress.
Motion Isolation
All-foam beds typically absorb motion and prevent it from transferring to the other side of the mattress. At Sleepopolis, we perform a few tests to determine if a bed is good at isolating motion. One of those tests consists of dropping a steel ball from various heights and measuring the disturbance it causes using a seismometer.
I found that both beds do a great job of isolating motion. After dropping the ball on both, I saw a lot of motion at the impact site, but very little traveled to the opposite side of the bed. In other words, if you have a restless bedmate, you should be able to sleep soundly on your side of the bed as they toss and turn throughout the night.
Edge Support
When testing the edge support on both mattresses, I found quite a bit of sinkage as I sat on the edge of these beds. However, I thought the Casper mattress did better between the two. When I laid down along the edge of the Casper, I felt supported despite noticing considerable sinkage. On the other hand, when I sat on the edge of the Nectar, I measured that the top layer collapsed a full 8 inches.
Pressure Relief
The Nectar performed well on our pressure map test, where we use a specialized mat to measure how much pressure the materials are putting on different parts of the body. The mat then creates a graphic or “map” of the body using color-coded imagery. Areas with low pressure buildup are blue and green, and areas with high pressure buildup are yellow and red. As you can see on the map below, there is a lot of blue and green, indicating that this bed is good at relieving pressure.
Similarly, the Casper had good pressure relief results, especially for back sleepers. There is a good amount of green and blue on the pressure map below, meaning that the Casper mattress does a decent job at relieving pressure.
Pain Relief
The results of the pressure relief test can indicate whether these mattresses aid in reducing pain in specific areas. Since both mattresses had similar pressure map results, I think they are both excellent options for relieving back pain for back sleepers and can also help sleepers with shoulder pain. While both beds could help with hip pain, you may need more sinkage if you have severe hip problems.
Durability
I would say the Casper is more durable than the Nectar. The Casper is firmer and has better edge support, which tells me that it is less likely to sag prematurely. On the other hand, the Nectar has a base support layer made of seven inches of high-density foam, which should help contribute to its longevity.
Company Policies
Nectar Policies
- Trial Period – 365-night trial
- Shipping – Free shipping
- Mattress Warranty – Lifetime warranty
Casper Policies
- Trial Period – 100-night trial
- Shipping – Free shipping
- Mattress Warranty – 10-year warranty
Nectar Customer Service Rating
- Stellar: I gave Nectar this rating because I was immediately paired with a helpful agent after asking a question in their chat function. This agent answered my questions thoughtfully and even offered to hop on the phone to help me place my order. For my rating, I also took the bed’s warranty and trial period into account. With a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty (which is as high as you’re going to find in the sleep industry), Nectar scored high marks in this area as well.
Casper Customer Service Rating
- Great: When contacting Casper’s customer service, I was immediately paired with a helpful agent who answered all my questions about Casper’s warranty thoroughly and transparently. When I did ask a question, it was answered politely and in detail. The only reason I didn’t give Casper a “Stellar” rating is because its trial period (100 nights) and warranty (10 years) are a bit shorter than Nectar’s.
Comparing Nectar vs Casper Price
When deciding between the Nectar and Casper mattresses, your decision may come down to price. Let’s take a peek at how much these beds cost in our pricing chart. Keep in mind that you can always visit our Nectar coupon page or Casper mattress coupon to save big on both of these mattresses.
Prices listed will be before discount or offer for each size.
| Size | Nectar | Casper |
|---|---|---|
| Twin | $599 | $895 |
| Twin XL | $769 | $995 |
| Full | $899 | $1,195 |
| Queen | $999 | $1,295 |
| King | $1,299 | $1,695 |
| California King | $1,299 | $1,695 |
Other Nectar and Casper Mattress Comparisons
Wondering how the Nectar and Casper stack up to some of their competitors from other online mattress companies? Take a look at some of our other comparisons below.
Nectar
- Nectar vs DreamCloud
- Nectar vs Tuft & Needle
- Nectar vs Purple
- Nectar vs Leesa
- Nectar vs Layla
- Nectar vs GhostBed
Casper
- Casper vs Helix
- Casper vs Leesa
- Casper vs WinkBeds
- Casper vs Purple
- Casper vs DreamCloud
- Casper vs Endy
- Casper vs Lull
- Casper vs Puffy
- Casper vs Layla
- Casper vs Brooklyn Bedding
- Casper vs Saatva
- Casper vs GhostBed
Comparing Other Mattress Models
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| Nectar Premier Mattress | Nectar Premier Copper Mattress | Casper Hybrid Mattress | Casper Nova Hybrid Mattress | Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress | |
| Rating | |||||
| Firmness | Medium-soft: 6/10 | Firm: 7/10 | Medium-firm: 6.5/10 | Soft: 5.5/10 | Medium-soft: 6/10 |
| Material | Foam | Foam | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Cooling | -- | ✓ | ✓ | -- | -- |
| Sleep Position | Back & Side | Back & Side | Back | Back & Stomach | Back & Side |
Nectar Vs Casper: Frequently Asked Questions
How do the Nectar and Casper mattresses ship?
The Nectar and Casper mattresses both ship for free.
What are the return policies for the Nectar and Casper mattresses?
Casper offers a 100-night trial period with this bed. If you decide you don’t like your Casper within this period, you can return it for a full refund (minus some shipping costs). The Nectar mattress comes with a 365-night sleep trial period. If you don’t like it, you can return it for free within that full year and get a full refund.
Is the Nectar softer than the Casper mattress?
Yes, the Nectar is softer than the Casper. We gave the Casper a rating of 7 out of 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest. Using the same scale, we rated the Nectar a 6 out of 10.
Are the Nectar and Casper mattresses good for hot sleepers?
The Nectar has gel-infused comfort foam, and the Casper uses open-celled Airscape foam to encourage breathability. Both mattresses could be good options for hot sleepers who prefer an all-foam mattress.
Before we wrap up this comparison, I’d like to highlight what I like most about the Nectar and point out some of my complaints.
As we finish this comparison, I’ll leave you with what I like most about the Casper and point out some of my complaints.
Our Review Process
Our Sleepopolis reviewers personally test each mattress. We start by unboxing the mattress to figure out how difficult (or easy) it is to get the mattress from the box to the bed. Then, we spend time laying on the bed in different positions, taking time to assess it on our backs, stomachs, and sides. Next, we perform our Sleepopolis tests, using specialized tools to measure qualities like motion transfer, bounce, and pressure relief. Our last step is to open up the mattress and take a look at each layer. These steps allow us to give our final verdict on the mattress. Jump back to our mattress picks. Jump back to our mattress picks.
Bridget Chapman
Senior Product Editor
About Author
Bridget is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and senior editor here at Sleepopolis. From testing mattresses to writing about various sleep health topics, her goal is to help you get a good night’s sleep. You can also find her in videos on our YouTube channel. Bridget graduated magna cum laude from San Diego State University with a degree in journalism and a minor in English. Before joining the Sleepopolis team, she was a TV news reporter and worked in cities across the country. She loves spending time outdoors, checking out new restaurants, snuggling with her pets, and of course — getting some quality Zzz’s.
Combination Sleeper
