Mint Mattress Review: Tuft & Needle’s Affordable, Soft Foam Bed

7.5

Tuft and Needle Mint

Score Breakdown

Performance 8.3Support 6Return Policy 6Pressure Relief 8Features 10

Read more on How we test mattresses

$1,795 at Tuft & Needle

Like

• Soft for side sleepers and some combo sleepers
• Affordable all-foam mattress
• Ideal for people under 230 pounds
• Great motion isolation

Don't like

• May not be firm enough for back and stomach sleepers
• Not supportive for sleepers over 230 pounds

Product details

• Type Poly foam mattress
• Firmness Medium to medium-soft or 4
• Trial 100 nights
• Warranty 10-year warranty

Tuft & Needle is one of the most well-known bed-in-a-box mattresses out there. The company offers affordable and luxury mattresses. The Tuft & Needle Mint mattress is soft, has good edge support and is made with graphite-infused gel to help keep you cool while you sleep. My review will go over all of these points in detail and explain how we test mattresses at CNET.

First impressions

Tuft and Needle blew up partly because of what I think is a really comfortable mattress that feels accommodating. Tuft and Needle Mint feels like the OG bed, but it's slightly more elevated. It's unlike memory foam in that it doesn't suck you into the mattress, nor is there resistance when you switch positions. However, it keeps a Tuft and Needle mattress vibe in that it's very simple and doesn't look particularly burly and plush (like the WinkBed or Saatva mattresses). It's also a lot cheaper than those models, so I definitely see the appeal. It's a comfortable foam mattress with a few more bells and whistles than the original, and it's a safe pick for people who just want a comfortable and wallet-friendly bed. 

Video: Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress Review

Watch our very own CNET Video Producer, Owen Poole, review the Tuft and Needle Mint mattress

Mint mattress firmness and feel

Firmness

The Tuft and Needle Mint mattress is a little softer than the original. Instead of a medium feel, it's more of a medium to medium-soft, or a 4 out of 10 on the firmness scale (with 10 being the most firm). There's quite a bit of give, making it too soft when I'm on my back or stomach. Your back sags into the top layer of the mattress, especially if you weigh over the 200-pound mark. However, it's extremely comfortable and pressure-relieving when I'm on my side: The foam conforms around my shoulders and hips, gently hugging without pulling me into the bed. 

Comfort

Tuft and Needle added one more layer to the Mint mattress, making it around 12 inches thick with three layers inside. But this is an all-foam bed, so there are no coils in this mattress like the Hybrid has.

Here's how this mattress stacks up:

• As usual for a foam bed, the first layer is made with a thick slab of poly foam to help support you and the rest of the bed's layers.
• Next is its Mint layer, exclusive to the Tuft and Needle Mint mattress, which makes it softer and pressure-relieving.
• The top layer is what Tuft and Needle calls "Adaptive Foam." It's made with more graphite-infused gel to draw heat away from your body. There are also "support edges" meant to make the mattress more sturdy around the perimeter, so it's easier to get out of bed and more supportive if you're forced to sleep near the edge.

The cover is also hypoallergenic and helps protect against microbes, which is a plus for the cleanliness-inclined and people who struggle with household allergens. 

Feel

I think the Tuft and Needle Mint mattress feels like a big, soft and supportive marshmallow. It's light and airy, but soft and plushy at the same time. There's a little more give in this mattress than the Original Tuft and Needle, so you sink into the bed a little more than you would on a firmer mattress. However, it's quick to bounce back to its original shape once pressure is applied and removed, unlike a memory foam mattress, which makes it a lot easier for combination sleepers to switch positions during the night and tossers-and-turners to comfortably move around. 

Mint mattress performance

Motion isolation

Foam beds are great at isolating motion because you don't have to deal with the bounciness of coils. When sleeping on the Tuft and Needle Mint mattress, the movement from your partner shouldn't be enough to jolt you awake. The foam does a great job at absorbing the movement, so you don't end up jiggling or shaking after someone gets up for a glass of water in the middle of the night. 

Edge support

For a foam mattress, the edge support in the Mint bed actually surprised me. I think it's because of this strong edge design and the extra layer the brand added that makes it feel more supportive around the edges than the Tuft and Needle Original. However, it's not as great as a hybrid mattress with coils. That said, I don't think this will be a deal-breaker for anyone who sleeps with a partner because the edge support here is just fine. 

Temperature

This is where things get more tricky. It does contain more graphite-infused gel to help regulate temperature, but it isn't going to make you sleep cool. On the flip side, it's not nearly as bad as regular memory foam at retaining heat. I think your temperature will more likely depend on where you keep the AC or fan at night, your pajamas and whether or not you sleep alone. 

Who is this bed best for?

Not every mattress is perfect for every person. Here are the types of people I would and wouldn't recommend Tuft and Needle Mint mattresses to. 

Sleeping position

Because of the bed's softer firmness profile, it's going to be best for side sleepers and combination sleepers who don't spend a lot of time on their back or stomach. Side sleepers do best on soft beds that relieve pressure around the hips and shoulders, which the Tuft and Needle fits the bill for. 

Stomach and back sleepers may want a firmer mattress. The Tuft and Needle Original or hybrid beds would be accommodating, or another firm mattress that offers better back and spinal support. 

Body type

For individuals under 230 pounds, the Tuft and Needle Mint will be perfectly fine: It should support your body weight and last the allotted seven or so years that foam beds should last. 

However, if you weigh over 230 pounds, I recommend a hybrid mattress like Tuft and Needle Hybrid. It's more expensive than the Mint mattress, but it's also more supportive and more durable, which heavier individuals need to get the full value from their bed. Otherwise, a foam mattress may not last as long as its shelf life should. 

Mint mattress price

The Tuft and Needle Mint mattress isn't as cheap as the Original Tuft and Needle or other budget-friendly beds like the Allswell mattress or the Lucid, but it's an affordable foam mattress compared to popular options like the Casper and Nectar. You may be able to catch a discount every once in a while, but since Tuft and Needle is already fairly affordable, you don't see them as often as other bed-in-a-box mattresses.

Tuft and Needle is offering discounts on select mattresses and accessories right now. 

Shipping, trial and warranty

Tuft and Needle is one of the major bed-in-a-box brands and has made its way into traditional brick-and-mortar retail stores like Crate and Barrel and Jordan's Furniture, as well as their own storefronts across the country. However, if you buy your Mint mattress online, you're guaranteed a few perks considering you aren't able to test a mattress over the internet. 

From Tuft & Needle, you will receive:

• 100-night risk-free trial
• 10-year warranty
• Free shipping and returns

Your bed will ship rolled up inside of a cardboard box. All you have to do is unbox and unroll. Give it about 48 hours to fully inflate and off-gas, then you'll have a comfortable Mint mattress on your hands. Offgassing is the smell that omits from the mattress once it's out of the package due to manufacturing and being compressed inside of a box, but it will dissipate after a few days.

Final verdict 

You want better than an entry-level mattress, but you also don't want to spend an arm and a leg: That's the Tuft and Needle Mint mattress. It's a great choice for people who want a simple, comfortable mattress with a soft and plushy feel. It's the top-tier bed from the Tuft and Needle lineup, and it's not nearly as expensive as a luxury mattress. But I wouldn't say it's accommodating for every single sleeper. 

You might like Tuft and Needle Mint if:

• You're a side or combo sleeper
• You weigh under 230 pounds
• You want a soft, neutral-foam mattress
• You want a mattress with great motion isolation

You might not like Tuft and Needle Mint if:

• You weigh over 230 pounds
• You want a firm mattress
• You sleep on your back or stomach
• You need a hybrid bed with foam and coils