Nectar vs Tuft & Needle Mattress Review

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Nectar and Tuft & Needle are two of the most popular bed-in-a-box mattresses in the game. These mattresses are both constructed entirely of foam and have a medium-firm feel that leans a bit softer. With similar construction and feel, how do you pick which one is right for you?

In this comparison, I’ll break down these mattresses’ firmness, how it feels to sleep on them, and the type of sleeper they’re ideal for. I’ll also perform a series of tests to evaluate their cooling abilities, pressure relief, motion isolation, and more.

Short on time? Skip down to my review summary.

Nectar vs Tuft & Needle

Nectar Mattress Tuft & Needle Mattress
Nectar Mattress Tuft & Needle Mattress
Rating
4.5
4.0
Firmness Medium-firm: 6.5/10 Firm: 7/10
Material Foam Foam
Cooling
Best For
Back Sleepers, Back Pain, Stomach Sleepers, Side Sleepers, Couples
Back Sleepers,
Stomach Sleepers

Here’s a brief overview of the strong points of the Nectar and Tuft & Needle.

Nectar is best for…Tuft & Needle is best for …
Side sleepersBack sleepers
People with joint painCouples
SeniorsBudget shoppers

Nectar vs Tuft & Needle Comparison Video

Nectar vs Tuft & Needle: Top Similarities 

  • Sleeping position: Both mattresses are great for back sleepers.
  • Cooling: Both mattresses sleep quite cool and could be good choices for hot sleepers.
  • Construction: The Nectar and Tuft & Needle are both all-foam mattresses.

Nectar vs Tuft & Needle: Top Differences 

  • Edge support: The Tuft & Needle has stronger edge support than the Nectar.
  • Motion transfer: The Nectar had better motion transfer results, so it’s better for anyone sharing the bed with their partner or pet.
  • Layers: The Nectar is constructed with three layers of foam, and the Tuft & Needle is constructed with two layers of foam.

Nectar vs Tuft & Needle: Construction & Feel Differences 

Now that we’ve covered the main similarities and differences, let’s jump into how the Nectar and Tuft & Needle actually feel. To do this, our team of Certified Sleep Science Coaches test these mattresses for different feel factors, such as firmness, pressure relief, bounce, and sinkage.

Before we start, it’s important to note that all of these factors are inherently subjective, and they can change a lot depending on one’s body size, shape, and weight.

What’s the Firmness Difference?

Every sleeper is going to experience firmness a little differently (depending on body shape, size, weight, and your preferred sleeping positions), so we always have multiple Certified Sleep Science Coaches test out each mattress. Once we’ve each given it a feel, we share our personal firmness ratings and then average the scores for a final firmness rating. We rate our mattresses on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest. Our industry standard rating for a true medium-firm mattress is 6.5 out of 10.

Firmness 6 1
The Nectar falls at a 6 on the mattress firmness scale.
Tuft and Needle Mint Firmness
The Tuft & Needle falls at a 6 on the mattress firmness scale.

We gave the Nectar a score of 6 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale. As I mentioned earlier, a 6.5 classifies a medium-firm mattress, so the Nectar is just a touch softer. Coincidentally, the Tuft and Needle also lands at a 6 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale. Both mattresses are constructed entirely of foam, so they have that classic memory foam feel. Although they’re on the softer side, they’re still firm enough to be supportive.

What Does Each Mattress Feel Like?  

You now know where these mattresses fall on our firmness scale; both the Nectar and Tuft & Needle scored a 6 out of 10. But what do these numbers really mean? What do these mattresses feel like when lying down on them?

When laying down on the Nectar, I immediately felt some great sinkage from the top layers of foam. Since this mattress contains gel memory foam, it was able to adapt and contour to the curves of my body and sink under my weight. The bottom layer of high-density support foam prevented me from sinking in too far and gave the mattress an overall balanced feeling. I could see back sleepers or folk with back pain really appreciating the support from these foam layers, as they’re soft yet sturdy. I definitely felt more “in” the mattress than “on” the mattress, so combination sleepers might find it more difficult to move around and switch sleeping positions.

I thought the Tuft & Needle had a nice and plush feel when I initially laid down. The mattress’s design is quite simple, with just two layers of thick foam, so I was surprised by how supported I felt. I felt a lot of body contouring and sinkage around my hips, and the rest of my body felt quite lifted up. I really liked how the foam filled in the space near my lower back, and I could see people struggling with back pain finding a lot of relief here.

How Does The Construction Differ?

ConstructionGraphics Nectar 1 1024x650 1
Nectar foam layers.
ConstructionGraphics TuftNeedle2
Tuft & Needle foam layers.

Nectar vs Tuft & Needle Per Body Type

Nectar Body Weight Scale

Body Weight Side Back Stomach
Light
(under 130lbs)
unpleasant excellent good
Average
(130-250lbs)
excellent excellent unpleasant
Heavy
(over 250lbs)
unpleasant unpleasant unpleasant
Body Weight: Light (under 130lbs)
Side Sleeper unpleasant
Back Sleeper excellent
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

Tuft & Needle Body Weight Scale

Body Weight Side Back Stomach
Light
(under 130lbs)
unpleasant excellent excellent
Average
(130-250lbs)
good excellent unpleasant
Heavy
(over 250lbs)
unpleasant unpleasant unpleasant
Body Weight: Light (under 130lbs)
Side Sleeper unpleasant
Back Sleeper excellent
Stomach Sleeper excellent
Body Weight: Average (130-150lbs)
Side Sleeper good
Back Sleeper excellent
Stomach Sleeper unpleasant
Body Weight: Heavy (over 250lbs)
Side Sleeper unpleasant
Back Sleeper unpleasant
Stomach Sleeper unpleasant

Nectar vs Tuft & Needle Comparing Mattress Performance

Our team of Sleepopolis Certified Sleep Science Coaches put every mattress we review through a series of tests. These tests help give us an objective view of who these mattresses could be good for, as well as what it’s like to actually sleep on them. Below, I’ll discuss how the Nectar and Tuft & Needle performed on tests like cooling, motion transfer, edge support, and more.

Temperature

When it comes to cooling, memory foam mattresses are notorious for trapping heat and not having a ton of airflow. Since Nectar is an all-foam mattress, I was skeptical of its cooling abilities. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how cool the Nectar slept. The layer of gel-infused foam definitely puts in a lot of work to keep the mattress from overheating, and I think this mattress sleeps cooler than a traditional memory foam mattress. I also tested cooling using a thermal gun, which measures how much the mattress heats up after laying on it for 15 minutes. The Nectar only heated up 5.2 degrees, which indicates good cooling.

Nectar OG Cooling rotated
Surface temperature of the Nectar mattress.
Nectar OG Cooling Body Temp rotated
Body temperature of the Nectar mattress.

Like the Nectar, the Tuft & Needle is an all-foam mattress, so I had low expectations for its cooling. However, the cooling gel and graphite-infused layer helps a lot with cooling. I used the thermal gun on this mattress too, and found that the temperature only increased by 6 degrees after laying on it for 15 minutes. These are satisfactory results and indicate that the Tuft & Needle is a decent choice for hot sleepers. For more cooling mattresses, check out our best cooling mattress roundup.

Motion Isolation

If you share your bed with someone else, you may find yourself being woken up by their movement on the other side of the bed. A mattress with low motion transfer can isolate motion and prevent you from feeling it on your side. We determine motion isolation using a human test, a wine test, and a seismometer test.

I first tested motion isolation on the Nectar by laying down on it and having my colleague move around on the other side. I could barely feel any rippling, and the thick layers of foam did a great job absorbing motion. I also placed a full glass of wine on the mattress and then rolled around. The liquid inside the glass barely moved at all, which indicates low motion transfer. Finally, I dropped a 10-pound steel ball from three different heights and used a seismometer to measure the disturbance. On the graph, you can see small lines and not a ton of spiking. These are great motion transfer results, and I don’t think you’ll be disturbed by a partner’s motion while sleeping on the Nectar.

MotionTransfer Nectar
Nectar seismometer results.
MotionTransfer TuftNeedle
Tuft & Needle seismometer results.

I performed the same human test on the Tuft & Needle. When my colleague first got onto the mattress, I could feel it. But when he was tossing and turning on the bed, I couldn’t feel much movement at all. The wine test was also very impressive — the wine had very minimal movement even though my colleague and I were moving around a lot on the other side of the bed. Based on these results, I thought the Tuft & Needle had really good motion isolation. I was surprised by the seismometer results, as the lines on the graph were larger and there were quite a lot of spikes. Overall, I think regular tossing and turning shouldn’t cause too much disturbance, but larger movements like getting in and out of bed might wake you up.

Edge Support

A mattress with great edge support will be just as sturdy along the perimeter as it is in the center. Having strong edge support can prevent a mattress from sagging prematurely. You can also spread out and sleep right near the edges, which can make the mattress feel bigger, which can be appealing to couples.

Nectar Edge Support

When I sat on the edge of the Nectar, I immediately felt concerned by just how much I sank down. I decided to grab a yardstick to measure how many inches the mattress sank below my weight and discovered that it collapsed a full eight inches. The mattress is only 12 inches tall, so this amount of sinkage is not ideal. Overall, I was unimpressed with the edge support on the Nectar.

Tuft & Needle Edge Support

When I sat on the edge of the Tuft & Needle, I felt a lot of sinkage. According to my yardstick, the Tuft & Needle collapsed five inches below my weight. While there was a lot of sinkage, I didn’t feel like I was at risk of slipping off the bed. The edge support on this mattress is not super strong, and a mattress with steel coils or reinforced edges may be a better option for individuals with mobility issues. However, I think couples could still use the full surface of the mattress without issue.

Nichole doing the edge support test on the Nectar Original
Nichole doing the edge support test on the Nectar Original.
Tuft and Needle Edge Support
Testing edge support on the Tuft & Needle.

Pressure Relief

We test pressure relief by rolling a specialized mat onto the surface of the mattress and then laying on it in different sleep positions. The mat senses pressure buildup and translates the results into a graphic using thermal imaging. Areas showing blue to green indicate low pressure, and areas with yellow to red indicate high pressure.

PressureMap Nectar
Nectar pressure map.
PressureMap Tuft Needle
Tuft & Needle pressure map.

As you can see on the graphic above, the Nectar has mostly blue and green, which indicates good pressure relief. The foam layers offer plenty of sinkage, which helps cradle sensitive joints and areas prone to pressure buildup (like the back, hips, and shoulders). A softer mattress like the Nectar is typically pretty good at relieving pressure in these areas, and I was happy with these results.

The Tuft & Needle pressure map is mostly blue and green, especially when back sleeping. I think back sleeping is the best position for pressure relief on this mattress, as the foam layers do a good job of filling in the lumbar region. There’s a bit of pressure buildup around the hips and shoulders, so side sleepers may need an even softer mattress to combat this.

Pain Relief

The pressure maps above can indicate how well these mattresses alleviate pain. When there’s low pressure buildup in a specific area, it’s a good indication that you won’t experience pain. 

I think the Nectar mattress can help relieve back pain, especially for back sleepers. The foam gently cradles the lumbar region and prevents pressure from building up. I also like the Nectar for any sleeper with shoulder pain, as it offers a ton of sinkage that can help with stiffness in this area. I think this mattress can also help prevent hip pain, but people with severe pre-existing hip pain may need an even plusher mattress that offers extra cushioning.

Like the Nectar, I think the Tuft & Needle is an excellent choice for preventing back pain. This mattress helps keep the spine in neutral alignment, especially when back sleeping. I think this bed feels a little bit firmer when side sleeping, so I suggest side sleepers opt for a softer mattress to avoid pain in the shoulder and hip region.

Durability

When we assess durability, we take a peek at the mattress’s construction and examine the quality of the materials. We also take edge support into consideration, as this can indicate whether the mattress is prone to sagging. Warranty can also help predict durability, as it shows how long the company expects the mattress to last. However this is a less important factor to consider.

As you’ve learned, the Nectar is constructed with three layers of foam. The bottom seven inches of high-density support foam is the foundation for this mattress’s durability. This layer helps keep the mattress strong and stable and prevents the mattress from collapsing over time. All Nectar foams are also CertiPUR-US certified, which adds credit to their durability. Nectar offers a lifetime warranty, so the company is confident in its ability to withstand the test of time.

However, the lack of edge support in this mattress is concerning, and I feel like premature sagging may be an issue. 

The Tuft & Needle has two layers of foam, with the base layer doing most of the work when it comes to durability. That layer of high-density poly foam establishes a strong foundation and helps keep the mattress sturdy. These foams are also all CertiPUR-US certified, so they should be made from durable and long-lasting materials that are free from toxins and other chemicals. The edge support on the Tuft & Needle is just okay, so it may sag over time. The mattress has a 10-year warranty, so it may not last for decades.

Company Policies

Nectar Policies

  • Trial period – 365-night sleep trial
  • Shipping – Free shipping
  • Mattress Warranty – Lifetime warranty

Tuft & Needle Policies

  • Trial period – 100-night sleep trial
  • Shipping – Free shipping minus HI and AK
  • Mattress Warranty – 10-year limited warranty

Nectar Sleepopolis Customer Service Rating

  • Stellar: The Nectar website has a super-informative customer service page that’s easy to navigate and includes an extensive FAQ page. They have multiple ways to reach a consumer service representative, including phone, email, and chat features. The chat feature was also easy to use, and I was immediately able to talk to an informed agent. The agent was very kind and professional and seemed like a true Nectar expert. My questions were answered quickly and accurately, and my representative ensured that all my questions were answered before we disconnected.

Tuft & Needle Sleepopolis Customer Service Rating

  • Stellar: Tuft & Needle has a variety of customer service options listed on their support page, including a FAQ, a contact form, and a phone number that’s open every day during business hours. I called the number and was able to get in touch with a representative straight away. The representative was friendly and helped answer all of my questions. The representative even offered to stay on the line and help me place an order.

Comparing Nectar vs Tuft & Needle Price

Pricing is important when purchasing any new mattress. With these two beds, there isn’t too much of a difference. In fact, they often appear on our Best Mattresses Under $1,000 list. Take a look at the pricing chart below to see which is the best fit for you. Be sure to use our Nectar coupon codes to get the best bang for your buck when selecting an online mattress.

Prices listed will be before discount or offer for each size.

SizeNectarTuft & Needle
Twin$798$645
Twin XL$968$695
Full$1,198$795
Queen$1,298$895
King$1,598$1,095
California King$1,598$1,095

Other Nectar and Tuft & Needle Mattress Comparisons

Nectar vs

Tuft & Needle vs

Comparing Other Mattress Models

Nectar vs Tuft & Needle Frequently Asked Questions

What is a lifetime warranty?

A mattress with a lifetime warranty means the brand will allow you to replace your mattress forever if its materials or construction is defective. The warranty does not roll over, meaning it is only active for the purchaser. If you donate your mattress to someone else, they will not be privy to the warranty.

How do the Nectar and Tuft & Needle ship?

Both mattresses ship for free, but the Tuft & Needle does not offer free shipping to Hawaii and Alaska.

Is the Nectar softer than the Tuft & Needle?

No, these mattresses both fall at a 6 out of 10 on our mattress firmness scale. They’re both medium-firm mattresses that lean a bit softer.

Are the Nectar and Tuft & Needle good for hot sleepers?

These mattresses both include gel-infused foam that helps with cooling. However, sleepers who tend to overheat may want a mattress with coils, which provide extra airflow.

What is a sleep trial?

A sleep trial is the amount of time a company allows for you to sleep on the mattress before becoming ineligible for returns. Within the trial period, you can return or exchange the mattress at no additional cost. Most mattress companies will not accept returns until 30 days after delivery so you can give the mattress a fair shot and have time to get used to it.

Our Final Take

Final Thoughts on the Nectar Mattress

As we wrap up this review, let’s go over a few highlights and complaints.

Read Full Review

Favorite Callouts
Excellent motion isolation
Deep sinkage and body contouring
Good pressure relief
Classic memory foam feel
Complaints
Lack of edge support
Too soft to support stomach sleepers
Not supportive enough for heavy sleepers

Final Thoughts on the Tuft & Needle Mattress

Now that the review is coming to a close, let’s cover some of my favorite callouts, as well as a couple of complaints.

Read Full Review

Favorite Callouts
Decent edge support
Affordable price
Sleeps cool
Bouncy and responsive
Complaints
High motion transfer
Not supportive enough for heavy sleepers
Not enough sinkage for some side sleepers

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.

Carley Prendergast

Carley Prendergast

Carley is a former Staff Writer at Sleepopolis. She is a Certified Sleep Science Coach who wrote news, sleep health content, and managed our newsletter.
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