The Tuft and Needle Mint is an all-foam mattress that is 12 inches thick. It has three layers (which we go over below) and includes a polyester knit cover.
It’s currently on sale at tuftandneedle.com, where it gets shipped to you compressed in a box. You simply unbox your new mattress, let it expand (this happens naturally and takes a matter of minute), and you’re ready to go.
Once the Mint arrives, you have a 100-night sleep trial to make sure it’s right for you. If it’s too firm or too soft, you can switch it out for another Tuft and Needle mattress or return it for a full refund.
But mattress returns – even when they’re of no charge – are a hassle. So we’re reviewing the Tuft and Needle Mint, to figure out:
- How does the Mint provide support?
- How does the Mint provide comfort?
- How does the Mint provide cooling properties to keep you from waking up hot and bothered?
If a mattress does those three things (provide support, comfort, and cooling), there’s a good chance it’s the right mattress for you. But you also need to factor in mattress firmness and your preferred sleeping position, which are things we go over in our Tuft and Needle Mint buying guide at the end of this post.
Tuft and Needle Mint Mattress Review (2023)
The Tuft and Needle Mint mattress is 12 inches thick and roughly medium to medium-firm. It was designed to accommodate back sleepers and side sleepers.
This is because its plush comfort layers of foam will fill in the gaps your body has when sleeping on its side (gaps in the torso and knees) and when sleeping on your back (gaps in the lower back).
Because the Tuft and Needle Mint uses its own special custom made poly-foam, it’s a very breathable and light mattress.
The Tuft & Needle Mint’s 3 Foam Layers
The first layer is 3 inches of Tuft and Needle’s own Adaptive® foam. T&N Adaptive® foam was made to slowly respond to your body’s weight and shape. So it contours to your body without sacrificing support. Because this foam contours – so your body is in the mattress a bit – Tuft and Needle put cooling graphite throughout this layer. This graphite absorbs and gets rid of any body heat.
The second layer is 2 inches of a slightly firmer and bouncier poly-foam. These two inches make up a transitional layer. They are firmer than the top layer but softer than the bottom layer. It makes the bed soft but not so soft that you’re sinking in and feeling like a turtle on its shell.
Plus, Tuft and Needle uses cooling beads in this transitional layer. The idea here is that these beads react to your body weight, giving you the support you need at the heavier parts of your body.
The third layer is Tuft and Needle’s base layer of foam. This is the support layer. This layer of foam is firm, rigid, and supportive. It gives the mattress stability. Your body isnt meant to sink down to this layer, instead all of the comfort you feel should be provided by the 5 inches of comfort layers we described above.
Let’s look at how everything the Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress offers – from cover to base layer of foam – comes together to make a quality mattress at an affordable price.
- The Tuft and Needle Mint uses two comfort layers at the top of the bed. Tuft & Needle’s original mattress (which we go over in our Tuft and Needle Reviews post) is a firmer mattress made for stomach and back sleepers. With the Mint, Tuft and Needle is trying to make a mattress that’s great for side sleepers or sleepers who want a softer bed.
- The Tuft and Needle Mint uses its custom made poly-foam, instead of memory foam. Instead, it uses TN’s own special made foam called Adaptive Foam. It’s poly-foam that TN custom made to adapt to your weight and shape without creating that “sinking in” feeling associated with memory foam mattresses.
- The Tuft and Needle Mint has three layers of foam. The middle layer is a transitional layer that keeps your body from feeling the firmer bottom layer of foam. This helps create that “cloud-like” sensation that Tuft and Needle customers report when reviewing the Mint.
- The Tuft and Needle Mint has graphite in its foam. This is used to help wick away heat from the bed’s surface. The Tuft and Needle Mint – because it doesn’t use memory foam – is already a light mattress with great breathability. The added graphite is a bonus.
- In the middle section of the Mint, Tuft and Needle puts ceramic gel beads for added support. Generally, a person weights more in the middle ⅓ of their body, so that’s where the Mint puts more of its support.
- The Tuft and Needle Mint has a 10-year warranty. This limited warranty is meant to protect you from premature sagging. If you use a mattress protector and a supportive bed frame, it could definitely last longer than those 10 years.
Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress Buying Guide
Below, we’re going to cover in more detail the key points of a mattress most consumers are concerned about, as they’re related to the performance of the Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress.
Specifically,
- Cooling properties
- Edge Support
- Motion Isolation and Motion Transfer
- Off-gassing
- How Side Sleepers like the Mint
- How Back Sleepers like the Mint
- How Stomach Sleepers like the Mint
- Pressure Relief and Overall Support
- How does the Mint compare to the Original Tuft and Needle?
- Shipping
Cooling Properties
The Tuft and Needle Mint keeps you cool in two ways.
- It uses graphite in its foam. In fact, it uses 30% more graphite than the original Tuft and Needle mattress. This graphite works by wicking away heat from the surface of the bed, keeping it cool.
- It uses advanced open-cell foam, not overly dense memory foam. This advanced open-cell foam lets air flow freely through the layers of foam, so air doesn’t get trapped in the bed, creating a heat trap.
Note: The Tuft & Needle Mint isn’t made specifically for hot sleepers, by which we mean people with medical conditions or people who are, on average, always hotter than the rest of us. For that, you’re looking for cooling mattresses with active cooling properties.
Edge Support
The Tuft and Needle Mint has a firm base layer of foam. This helps create a a firmer edge, so you don’t feel like you’re going to roll out of your bed.
Plus, the Mint’s middle layer – its transition layer – keeps you from feeling like you’re sinking to the bottom of your mattress.
Motion Isolation and Motion Transfer
The Mint gets good reviews for its motion isolation – this is where when your partner is moving throughout the night on their side of the bed (whether they are tossing and turning or getting up out of bed) and you don’t feel it.
This is mostly due to the three inch comfort layer of contouring Adaptive foam.
Off-gassing
Because the Tuft and Needle Mint doesn’t use memory foam, there are practically no off-gassing concerns.
So, there is no rancid or unbecoming smell that fills your room – even for a day or two – after you unbox your new Mint mattress.
Side Sleepers
Generally speaking, side sleepers need a medium to medium soft to a soft mattress. This is because side sleepers don’t want to put pressure on their shoulder or hips. If you’re a side sleeper who is on a firmer mattress, you might feel your arm fall asleep because of the pressure you’re putting on your shoulder.
Or you might toss and turn throughout the night because of the pressure on your hips.
This Tuft and Needle Mint is a good option for side sleepers because of its two layers of comfort form, as attested to by several Tuft and Needle reviews, such as this one
And this one. . .
That being said, we’d consider the Mint as the firmest option for side sleepers – perfect for side sleepers who prefer a firm bed.
Back Sleepers
Back sleepers generally like a mattress that’s a medium to medium-firm on the firmness scale.
The risk of sleeping on the Tuft and Needle Mint if you’re a back sleeper is if your hips sink in too low into the bed. So it’ll depend a lot on your weight and body shape.
If you’re heavier in your hips and of above average build, its possible that your hips might sink int too much, which can cause lower back pain.
Stomach Sleepers
Stomach sleepers need a firm bed. This is because if you’re sleeping on your stomach, you don’t want your stomach giving in to the bed. This creates a lot of pressure on your spine and lower back.
If you’re a stomach or heavier back sleeper, consider the original (and firmer) Tuft and Needle.
Note: Stomach sleeping is the least recommended sleeping position. If you’re currently on a mattress where you sleep on your stomach, it might be because you’re uncomfortable on your side and back.
Pressure Relief and Overall Support
The Tuft and Needle Mint uses its own custom foam to offer pressure relief and support. This is why it’s generally cheaper than other bed-in-a-box companies that offer memory foam or latex foam mattresses.
We can’t definitively say whether or not Tuft & Needle’s own foam is better or worse than memory foam or latex foam at being pressure-relieving foam.
But, generally, most customers agree that memory foam is great for pressure relief while it isn’t the best for overall support.
Tuft and Needle thinks they found the most affordable way to make the best mattress possible – ditching the high-density memory foam for their own blend of poly-foam.
That being said – if you suffer serious pressure points or aches and pains, you might want to consider a well-made, high-quality memory foam mattress before buying the Tuft & Needle Mint.
How does the Mint compare to the Original Tuft & Needle?
The original Tuft & Needle is:
- Less expensive
- Made up of 2 layers of foam instead of three
- Made without as much graphite for cooling
- Firmer and meant for budget mattress shoppers or stomach and back sleepers.
Shipping
Tuft and Needle was one of the first foa bed companies to specialize in selling their mattresses online and shipping them to you in a box.
The mattress is compressed at the factory and delivered at your front door via FedEx ground.
You’re in charge of unboxing (a relatively easy process but a queen size mattress can weigh roughly 80lbs).
Here the weights for the Tuft & Needle Mint mattress.
- Twin: 50 lbs
- Twin XL: 52 lbs
- Full: 66 lbs
- Queen: 80 lbs
- King: 100 lbs
- California King: 100 lbs
Now, let’s look at some FAQs readers ask about the Tuft and Needle Mint.
Is Tuft and Needle Mint Worth It?
Even when it’s not on sale or running any particular promotion, the Tuft and Needle mint is only $995 for a queen size mattress.
That makes the Tuft and Needle Mint worth it, as long as you’re a side sleeper or want a medium to medium soft mattress that doesn’t use memory foam.
Plus, thanks to its graphite cooling technology and open-cell adaptive foam, the Mint is cool and breathable.
Which is Better Tuft and Needle or Casper?
When trying to decide which is better – Tuft and Needle or Casper – it’s good to keep in mind these are very different mattress brands.
Tuft and Needle is more budget-friendly. It doesn’t use memory foam or latex foam or zoned support foam.
Casper mattresses do generally cost more, but they use more advanced mattress technology, such as gel infused memory foam, latex foam, and zoned support
For a more detailed breakdown between these two major mattress companies, we put together a post on tuft and needle vs casper.
Is Tuft and Needle Mint Firm?
The Tuft and Needle Mint is a medium firm mattress.
In fact, most customers report that it’s softer than anticipated, but based on everything we know, we’d say for the average sleeper this mattress is a medium to medium soft firmness.
