If you’re a side sleeper like I am, you may find that your hips and shoulders sink or rise out of spinal alignment on mattresses that are either too soft or too firm—which is why a medium firm or medium soft mattress could be a win. That’s precisely what I found the Casper Element Pro gives me. Its layers of medium-soft memory foam manage to both hug my body while pressing back against it, and I noticed that the normal aches and pains I deal with around my neck and lower back were lessened in the morning (which isn’t always the case with my Leesa).
Comfort
In terms of firmness, the Element Pro veers medium-soft; when I push my body against it, I can feel a very faint sink (meanwhile, my medium-firm Leesa stays level and shows no signs of my outline). As a result, I felt like I was being cradled by a glove while I slept, with each body part separately supported—a sensation I really like, especially because I suspect it’s largely why I didn’t toss as much while I slept. It was actually hard to get out of bed in the morning when I slept on this mattress—mostly because I was so cozy and comfortable and didn’t want to leave it.
Temperature
I’m a notoriously hot sleeper (well, notorious to me, anyway, as I’m the one who wakes up at 3 a.m. coated in sweat). In New York, I manage this problem by using a smart cooling mattress topper, but in my parents’ home, there’s no such luxury. All-foam mattresses aren’t known for strong temperature regulation (as opposed to innerspring and hybrid mattresses, which allow air to easily travel through the coils). Casper’s solve for this is a top layer made of “AirScape” foam which is perforated to theoretically allow heat and humidity to escape.
While I can’t speak to the science of whether this foam actually increases airflow, I can say that I only woke up once in three weeks to find my duvet kicked to the floor. I tested the mattress in winter, which may have impacted this (though it was quite warm, with several 70-degree days in South Carolina). That said, I noticed that every night when I slipped into bed, the top of the mattress felt noticeably cooler than most I’ve ever slept on (including my Leesa).
Materials
The Casper Element Pro is wrapped in a cozy brushed fabric that reminds me of the inside of a sweatshirt. Inside are two layers of foam made of polyurethane (also known as polyfoam), a layer of viscoelastic polyurethane foam (aka memory foam), and a base layer of polyurethane. All of Casper’s foams are CertiPUR-US certified, meaning that they were independently tested and approved by the nonprofit Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Inc., which ensures that the foam is manufactured without ozone-depleting chemicals, formaldehyde, heavy metals like mercury, and that they have low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions for indoor air quality, and more. I didn’t experience any reactions to the materials in the mattress (nor did I notice any significant new-mattress, chemical-y smells), and I appreciate that this mattress meets these environmental standards.
A Risk-Free Trial Period
One of the biggest advantages of mattress-in-a-box companies like Casper is that it’s way easier to buy, try, and return if the bed isn’t a great fit. Casper offers a 100-night risk-free trial period (with returns eligible after 30 nights, the amount of time Casper claims that it takes for your body to acclimate to a new mattress), which I think is an ample amount of time to test. Shipping is totally free in the U.S. and Canada, as are returns, and the company offers a 10-year limited warranty (meaning it covers manufacturing defects, but not normal wear and tear; read more about the warranty here).
Should You Buy It?
If you’re a side sleeper who struggles to stay still during the night, the Casper Element Pro is an excellent, dependable option. I loved how it simultaneously embraced and supported me, in a way I haven’t experienced before, even with other all-foam mattresses. The queen size costs less than $1,000, and you can get it for cheaper during one of the brand’s sales throughout the year. As a commerce editor who writes about all manner of mattresses, I think this a fair price given the quality and comfort of the bed, as well as the $2,000+ pricing of higher-end Casper mattresses we’ve written about (like the Wave Hybrid and the Nova Hybrid). In the end, the Element Pro is certainly worth a try—especially with such a generous trial period.
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