Boring Mattress comparison of the Hybrid, All-Foam (AF), Topper, and Legacy Tuft & Needle

We’ve Tried the Boring All-Foam, Hybrid and Topper, and Now We’re Basically a Boring Showroom

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I didn’t mean to become a part-time mattress reviewer. But here we are—again.

So here’s what happened this time: the kind team at Boring reached out to say that folks seemed to appreciate our previous Boring mattress comparison with Tuft & Needle. Now, they’d added a new model to their lineup—an all-foam version affectionately called the Boring AF (yes, that’s actually what it’s called, and yes, I laughed too). We already had the Boring Hybrid in our bedroom, but they offered to send us a King size of the new Boring AF to try. (Please note, these are NOT affiliate links.)     

My husband, however, was not interested in swapping out our current mattress. He was just fine with the Hybrid and was not about to start another round of “how does this feel now?” every week for a month. I was also worried the all foam might sleep a little hotter than our current hybrid.

But I had an idea. Our teenager’s twin mattress—bless it—was a relic from the ultra-crunchy days. (Are old blog posts composting diapers and culturing goat milk enough proof?) When she outgrew her crib, I was most focused on organic certifications and probably fell for green washing. Comfort? Not so much. That mattress was basically a very firm suggestion. The gymnastic crash pad is honestly better.

So I asked if we could try the new Boring AF in a twin size for Not So Little Bird (who, by the way, is now taller than me). 

Illustration by Edmund Dulac for the fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea” by Hans Christian Andersen.

Daehee at Boring was incredibly kind and sent one for her—and one of their new foam toppers for us. (If you remember my Princess and the Pea situation from our last post, I secretly loved sleeping on a pile of mattress and foam.)

Another Boring Mattress Comparison?

So this is not just a comparison of the Boring AF vs. the Boring Hybrid vs. the late, great Legacy Tuft & Needle (which is no longer made). This is a four-way mattress throwdown:

1. Boring Hybrid

2. Boring AF

3. Legacy Tuft & Needle (still going strong in Daughter #2’s room)

4. Tuft & Needle Mint (based on my recollection from a year ago)

5. Boring Hybrid + the Boring Topper Combo

Let’s go!

1. Boring Mattress Comparison: Setup & First Impressions

• Boring AF: Arrived quickly from Arizona and decompressed immediately. The all foam had no odor or off-gassing at all.

• Boring Topper: It came vacuum-sealed and expanded quickly. It did have a smell—more on that in a sec.

• Hybrid (from last year): Also came in a tidy box, no smell that I noticed, setup was simple. (Our neighbors got one recently and one could smell nothing, but her super sensitive husband did notice a slight odor that soon dissipated).

• Tuft & Needle: Both the Legacy Tuft & Needle from 10 years ago and the Mint Tuft & Needle we tried last year had noticeable off-gassing smells.

2. The Topper Situation: Smells and Surprises

While the Boring AF was odorless (seriously, none), the topper was not. I’m pretty sensitive to smells, and this one had a strong “new foam” scent that lingered. I had to air it out and it took nearly a week for the smell to fully dissipate. We had nice enough weather the first day for it to air out outside on top of a portable laundry rack. But San Diego drizzle required it to continue airing out in our living room after that.

Once the topper was on the bed, though, we discovered an unexpected perk: it made our deep fitted sheet fit perfectly again! We originally bought our fitted sheets for a 12″ Nectar mattress, so they were a bit loose on the 10″ Hybrid. Now, with the 2″ topper added, everything fits just right.

By the way, I do have an affiliate link to our favorite mattress cover to keep your mattresses mite- and bedbug-free here. The 9″-12″ size fits all of the Boring mattresses well, either with or without a topper. We have used them for years, and I do think they have maintained our mattresses so nicely that we were able to resell our Legacy T&N queen and find a Buy Nothing taker for the ancient twin. The photo below shows the topper on top of the mattress cover. It is now inside of it and, as I said, fits well.

Here’s a quick summary of our setups in the ultimate Boring mattress comparison:

Note: firmness ranking is my own impression. See my original post for comparison to more. 

3. Comfort & Sleep Quality (in order from medium firm to most soft)

1. Boring Hybrid: Still the crowd-pleaser. Great support, soft enough for side sleeping but firm enough for back sleeping. My husband is not one to comment on beds, and he still loves it. I like that the sides of the bed hold their shape. You can sit on the edge and not feel like you are sliding off. 
2. Tuft & Needle: Still doing its job. My second daughter is a combo sleeper and has no complaints—but says she’d switch to our set up if given the option. She likes REALLY squishy mattresses. (I’d rank the new Tuft & Needle Mint in this place as well.)
3. Boring AF: My daughter loves it. She says it feels more “squishy” than her old mattress and likes the feeling of “sinking in like a hammock.” It’s medium to medium soft, with that all foam feel for the memory foam fans. The sides do, however, do that squishy thing that might make you feel like you are sliding off when you sit on the edge.
4. Boring Hybrid + Topper: This is the sweet spot for me. The topper softens the surface just enough without losing the underlying support. If you are wanting the softest option, I recommend putting the hybrid under your topper instead of the AF. I think it will give you better structure and support at the edges while still being squishy-ishy-ooey-goey-comfy. Thankfully, my husband who is a back sleeper still finds it gives him enough support. Yay for both being happy!

4. Neighbors Are Boring Now Too

Around the same time we were upgrading our own setup, our next-door neighbors texted us asking for mattress recs. They wanted something firm, breathable, and budget-friendly. I sent them my last blog post and honestly told them I thought the Boring mattresses were a great value for the price.

Next, since it’s not just one boring option like last year, we went back and forth on which option to pick. I thought they would like the Boring Hybrid (no topper), since they’re both back sleepers and like something on the firmer side. They simultaneously came to the same conclusion.

Just like my experience last year of getting customer service directly from cofounder, Daehee, my neighbor reached out on the contact form on the Boring website and ended up chatting with the other cofounder, Corben. I love that the company is run with the personable service of a small business. 

The wife didn’t notice any smell, but her husband, who is very sensitive to smells, said he detected a faint off-gassing scent that faded after a couple of days. 

5. Product Updates from Boring HQ

Additionally, I got a few updates from Daehee at Boring since my original post last year:

• They’ve added a bit of cooling gel in the foam layer of the current hybrid mattresses for better stability and temperature control.

• The trial period is now a full year, which is great because you can actually see how it performs across seasons.

• For those who run hot (I see you, perimenopause friends), they’re partnering with a company that makes a bed fan to help you sleep cooler. I haven’t tried this yet, but I love the idea. You can even schedule it to warm you up as you’re falling asleep and then keep you cool after. Have you tried it? Please let me know.

TL;DR

Ultimately, if you’ve been on the fence about Boring or just wanted a little more variety in your foam life, the Boring AF and the new topper are great additions. The Hybrid remains a solid all-around option. And if you like a bit of cush on top of your support, the topper makes a real difference—once it airs out.

I still think the mattresses are an amazing value for the price and the customer service is amazing.

Let me know if you have any questions on our mattress comparisons—or check out the offerings at Boring.com (still not an affiliate link!)

and just for fun…

Unboxing videos are going up on Instagram soon!