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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.)     

Boring mattress comparison of the boring hybrid with topper vs the boring all foam boring AF

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). 

boring mattress topper vs boring all foam

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.

Boring mattress comparison Boring Topper plus Hybrid vs Boring AF All-Foam

 

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

Boring Mattress Comparison Table

Mattress Setup Price (King) Price (Queen) Height Smell/Odor Firmness Who’s Sleeping On It
Boring Hybrid $999 $799 10″ None for us Medium Firm Us (primary bed)
Boring AF (All-Foam) $899 $699 10″ None Medium Teen daughter
Boring Hybrid + Topper $1,294 $1,049 12″ Topper had odor Medium Soft Us (current setup)
Legacy Tuft & Needle N/A N/A 10″ Yes Medium Second daughter
Tuft & Needle Mint $1,795 $1,295 12″ Yes Medium  No-one – returned

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!

Boring mattress comparison Boring Hybrid with Topper vs all foam


 

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.

Boring mattress comparison Boring Hybrid vs Boring AF All-Foam vs Tuft Needle

 

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!








Mattress Comparison: Boring vs. Tuft & Needle vs. Nectar

Howdy friends. I feel like I always say it’s been a while, but, it has!

I never thought I would become a mattress reviewer, but here I am. Long story short: We wanted to move from a queen bed to a king. Since then, in the space of a month, I’ve used at home:

  • Legacy Tuft & Needle (legacy meaning no longer made)
  • (new) Tuft & Needle Mint
  • Nectar 
  • Boring (new company that launched early 2024)

In addition, in the past month I have also tested in stores for comparison:

  • Nectar Premier
  • Nectar Premier Copper
  • A bunch of TemperPedics
  • And other traditional spring and hybrid mattresses

All this to say, after a LOT of research online and nights spent from agony to comfort, I think I’m now qualified to share! Please note, I am a side sleeper and in a lighter body, but I’ve also considered input from my husband who sleeps on his back and tends to sleep hot.

Just give me the basic mattress comparison

MattressFull Price (King)Sale Price
(King)
heightComfort for Side SleeperToxic fume smell?WarrantyTrial Period
Nectar$1399$84911″Worst pain ever!no“forever”*30 to 365 nights
Tuft & Needle Mint$2095$167612″yesyes10 yearsup to 100 nights
Boring$999$89910″yesno10 yearsup to 99 nights
Legacy Tuft & Needleno longer for sale10″yesyes10 yearsn/a
*“forever” is really 10 years. The Nectar limited warranty replaces a mattress up to 10 years old, but “repairs” one over 10 years old.

Despite wanting to spread out across a king-sized mattress, we had zero concerns with our old queen-sized mattress from Tuft & Needle. (It re-sold for $150 within an hour on Facebook marketplace.)

I started my search for a king sized mattress with Tuft & Needle. I’d always liked the idea of the bed in a box, the simplicity of their products, and their ethos. For reference, we paid $350 for a twin in 2016 and $800 for a queen in 2017. I wasn’t expecting to find prices that low now, as inflation and supply chain issues have impacted every industry. However, I wasn’t expecting the online mattress market to have gotten so confusing.

What I dislike about online shopping for a mattress now

Too many options: It used to be your decision for a bed in a box was just what size. Now it seems like the options include hybrid (which sometimes costs more, sometimes less), special cooling gels and chemicals, tiered pricing options, and there are so many more companies out there now.

Hard to gauge quality and feel: It’s super hard to know what a mattress feels like without going to a store. I first started looking at Tuft & Needle’s website, but since the prices had gone up considerably, I shopped around. I found a blog comparing Nectar to Tuft & Needle, saying they were similar except Nectar was more expensive. Since Nectar was still offering an “end of year” sale at 40% off, I thought I was getting a deal. I’ve since learned that many companies run one sale after another. After “end of year clearance,” there was “MLK Day sale” running into “President’s Day sale.” It’s a sales gimmick.

The comparison bloggers are all paid: The pretty much all have affiliate links. Yes, I have participated in affiliate programs before, like Amazon, but it doesn’t impact what I recommend. And I will straight up tell you NOT to buy a mattress off Amazon but directly from the maker. It’s very important if there’s any chance you want to return it. But it makes it hard to find meaningful comparisons online.

If you like a softer feel, you pay the most: I understand having tiered pricing for quality. But I had always thought of soft-medium-firm as preferences. Since I happen to prefer a softer feel, I find it irritating that I have to pay for the most expensive version.

Too Hard: Nectar Mattresses

Swayed by online sources leaving me to believe a Nectar mattress would be comparable to the Tuft & Needles, I bought one on sale.

Pros: Easy to purchase, arrived quickly, no off-gassing/ weird chemical smell. My husband, a not picky, back sleeper, thought it was “ok.” It’s possible if you weigh more than 250 pounds that you might find it more cushiony.

Cons: Very hard. To me, it felt like there was zero cushioning. Perhaps as much cushioning as our floor with carpet. I had to fight to return it.

The back pain I felt after the first night was debilitating and didn’t stop. I was curious if the firmness was because it was “new.” I found a local brick and mortar mattress store, Mattress Firm, that carried Nectars. We went out to try out their floor model to get a sense of it “broken in”. It was slightly less hard than ours at home, but still way too hard. I also tried out the floor model of their “Premier” and “Premier Copper,” supposedly more plush, and thought both were too hard for side sleeping.

I didn’t know a bed could hurt me that much

The false advertising: Although Nectar advertises risk free returns “within your 365-night trial,” there was no response to multiple emails to initiate the return. Worse, when I called the customer service line, they told me that in their fine print was a line that I had to sleep on it for 30 nights before requesting a return. Hell to the no was I going to endure more days of pain, all day, as a result! Eventually, after declining the offer to pay more for their “premier” or purchase a separate topper, I asked to escalate my call to a manager. Thankfully, they granted me a “one time exception” to return it early. Seriously, what is their strategy? That people well get used to an uncomfortable bed and then get too lazy to return?

How I survived waiting for the next mattress: Once I came back from Mattress Firm and knew there was no hope for our Nectar Mattress, I ordered a different brand that night. While waiting for it to arrive, I couldn’t take even one night more. So I put a full-sized foam topper we use for the kids’ sleep-overs on top of my side of the mattress.

Yup, I definitely felt stacked up, like I was in the Princess and the Pea. Worse, the full-sized topper hit my husband’s side of the bed awkwardly half way, even trying to cheat it over, draping off my side. I’m still indignant over them charging a thousand dollars or more for essentially a box spring that’s unusable, as is.

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

Shopping in Person: Mattress Firm

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Jessica at my local Mattress Firm. She wasn’t pushy and she seemed to be honest. However, the options there were disappointing. The value options were the above mentioned Nectars – crazy hard. The beds that felt good to me were the TemperPedics. The price point was out of my budget. I wasn’t interested in financing and taking on a monthly payment similar to another car! The only option in between was the “Sleepy’s” line. But their warranty lasts only two or three years and they tend to get replaced that often. She told me the most affordable option for me to be able to tolerate the Nectar was buying a topper. But my husband said it was silly to have a thousand dollar mattress that isn’t ready to sleep on.

Next: Tuft & Needle isn’t the same as it was

legacy tuft & needle

Seven years ago, when our youngest graduated from the crib mattress, I had just heard of Tuft & Needle, and gave it a try. Her twin was the most comfortable bed in the house, so Papa Bird and I ordered a queen a year later. I do recall both mattresses having a strong odor that dissipated in a day or two.

However, things change. The mattresses we purchased back then are now called “Legacy” Tuft and Needle. The “original” now sold is not in fact the original. The Legacy has an all off-white cover.

Upon exploring online, I learned that Serta Simmons purchased Tuft & Needle. Despite being founded as a “disruption” to business as usual mattresses – they are in fact now owned by a large, classic mattress company.

The New Tuft & Needle Mattresses

To get the same approximate comfort as the Legacy, I wondered if it was a safer bet to pay more for a “medium feel” Mint instead of the “new original”. I wasn’t sure if the “cooling gel” would be worth it, but I was scared to have a “medium firm” as the original is described.

The False Advertising: Despite the website saying you can go try out the mattresses in store, this is not actually the case. They list select Target locations (not all.) I was about to drive the 15 miles to the closest Target selling Tuft & Needle mattresses, but upon calling T&N customer service (east coast hours, by the way), I learned that no Target’s have floor models. It doesn’t surprise me, but I wish the website didn’t say that. I’d have to drive to an official Tuft & Needle store in Los Angeles to feel a floor model. (I also learned that the Target version is stripped down and lower quality.)

The Differences: As far as I can tell, the main difference (besides the price) between the Mint and our old Legacy Tuft & Needle is that the cover of the new Mint is grey with a thin mint-colored ribbon. Honestly, that doesn’t really matter as we keep our mattresses inside protective covers to reduce dust mites and allergens. Though, if I had to pick, I personally prefer a more minimal look. But again, no one sees it!

How does the new Tuft & Needle Mint compare?

Temperature? One of the selling factors of the Mint, besides extra plushness is “breathable, open-cell foam infused with ceramic and cooling gel plus heat-conducting graphite.” Unfortunately, it is winter and cold this season, even in San Diego. August in our non-air conditioned house might better test the mattress comparison to Boring and others. But we weren’t able to tell any difference between the different brands ability to be cool or not.

Comfort? I would say this is similar in feel to both the legacy and the Boring mattress for me as a side sleeper. My husband as a back sleeper says he can’t really feel the difference.

Pros: Easy to purchase, arrived quickly, along with the comfort listed above. Easy returns by filling out a form and scheduling pick up via an app.

Cons: Weird chemical “off gassing” smell, though it was less obvious after a few days. And the cost – the Mint costs twice as much as a Boring Mattress. Saving a thousand dollars is a thousand dollars!

tuft & needle mint mattress delivery

A Boring Mattress with an Interesting Proposal

While I was trying to research the difference between the legacy Tuft & Needle and the new original and Mint, I stumbled upon a Reddit thread talking about the Boring Mattress Company. The original founders of T&N started Boring – “coming soon.” I dropped my email in their landing page of a website but was in far too much pain from the horrible Nectar mattress to wait or think too much on it. My quick impression was that a Boring mattress would be closer to what Tuft & Needle was like 7-8 years ago than the current Tuft & Needles are now.

Unfortunate timing: About two days after we finally put all the sheets and comforters and mattress covers onto the new Mint, and barely a week after buying it, I got an email. Boring launched. They were offering $100 off for signing up on their interest list. I was out and about running errands, and responded quickly from my phone. I shared that maybe if I had gotten it a week earlier, but we were set, the T&N being “fine” and cash flow not allowing another purchase.

Daehee wrote back, expressing understanding and offering up a sleep trial – meaning a grace period to try out the Boring Mattress with the ability to return it with no money out of pocket. I can’t promise that they will offer this in the future to others, but being so new, they really wanted honest, constructive feedback. I appreciated the offer, but explained it was both a hard sell to my husband for all the heavy lifting, and I was scared of being too uncomfortable on a “medium firm” as a lightweight side sleeper.

The Boring mission

All this time, I thought Daehee was only in customer service, but once I got home and read their website some more, I realized Daehee is in fact cofounder of both Tuft & Needle and Boring. He humored me with menial questions on the specs, and also took the effort of asking his wife, a side sleeper my size, how she compared the Boring to the Legacy Tuft & Needle. How sweet is that? (She thought they were similarly comfortable.)

I really resonate with the mission of Boring. Why is buying a mattress so complicated? What exactly is in “cooling gel”? Why do you have to pay more for basic padding? People are seriously dropping a grand for something that feels like a brick and gets replaced in 2-3 years? And my only other option is to make another car payment each month to sleep on a TempurPedic??

Here we go again: new mattress take three

I waited until a good time to sweet talk my husband into changing up the bed again. He came on board when I shared how much we’d save if we like Boring as much as the Mint. Last week, I happened to be pulling up to the house when FedEx delivered the Boring Mattress box with a proud “Made in America” label.

The driver laughed, “You sure have been ordering a lot of mattresses lately!” It was him! He had brought all three in the space of a month! I laughed trying to imagine what he was picturing… Our house is too small to have three king-sized bedrooms. What was going on in our suburban house? Was I building a Princess and the Pea bed??

My Boring mattress comparison

Just like the others: delivery was quick. Unboxing was the same. (Check the video below!)

boring mattress comparison

Pros: No yucky off gassing or chemical smell at all for us. Boring does warn that it is possible to have briefly, though.

My not so Baby Bird jumped up and rolled on the mattress giggling. I laid down smiling, feeling that classic memory foam give of luxury brands like TemperPedic. I said, “I was hoping to like the Boring mattress as much as the more expensive Mint, but I think I like it better!”

Cons: The mattress seems a teensy bit shorter than T&N Mint and Nectar. I was expecting a gap between the bottom of the headboard and the top of the mattress since the Boring is only 10″ high. My husband also noticed a small gap inside our bed frame once it was pushed back. Understandably, our three-week old deep pocket fitted sheets sag and do not hug the mattress snugly. If I had known ahead of time I’d be buying this mattress, I might have selected a different headboard and sheets. Too late now. But I can live with all that to have a solid mattress at such a reasonable price point.

Bottom line on Boring: It is in fact very similar to the Tuft & Needle of the last decade. AND – if you can believe it – at last decade’s prices.

Thanks for reading, friends! I’m off to sleep on my Boring mattress. If you have questions, please leave them in the comments or head to Boring.Co (not an affiliate link.)