Do you prefer an affordable, generally accommodating bed or would you pay extra for something natural and organic? In this review, we discuss the major highlights of Awara and Tuft & Needle including construction, price, feel, firmness, and much more.

Awara mattress VS. Tuft & Needle Original mattress
$1,398 – $2,198Price Range$745 – $1,095
$200 Off + $499 in AccessoriesOffer 20% Off Applied In Cart
  • People that want a hybrid mattress
  • If you have a tough time making up your mind (full-year trial period and free returns)
  • Mostly back and stomach sleepers
Best For
  • Shoppers who want an affordable foam mattress
  • All types of sleepers, including back, stomach and side
365 NightsTrial Period100 Nights
ForeverWarranty10 Years
Free Shipping and ReturnsShipping Options Free Shipping and Returns
Shop Now Shop Now

Essentially, the only major thing Awara and Tuft & Needle have in common is their 2-layer design. Otherwise, they’re two completely different bed-in-a-box mattresses. Here is a quick review that outlines where they differ the most.

  • Price — Tuft & Needle is ideal for sleepers on a budget, and will cost you a few hundred dollars less.
  • Feel and Construction — Latex hybrid mattress vs all-foam mattress made with poly foam.
  • Sleeper Type — Awara is best for back and stomach sleepers, while Tuft & Needle accommodates all sleeper types.
  • Body Type — Awara is a better mattress for heavier folks due to to the fact that it has coils.
  • Company Policies — It’s hard to beat Awara’s different company policies from their warranty to philanthropic efforts.

Now, continue on to the rest of the post for a brief introduction to Awara and Tuft & Needle, plus a ton more information that you’ll want to know before you pull the trigger on one of these beds.

Intro To Awara And Tuft & Needle

Comparing Tuft & Needle is similar to comparing apples to oranges. They’re just so different, it’s likely that you’ll strongly favor one over the other once you’re finished with this comparison.

Awara is a mattress that utilizes sustainable materials to give customers a completely natural and organic, safe, non-toxic, chemical-free mattress. They’ll also plant 10 trees for every bed they sell, so we’re pretty impressed with their environmentally friendly values.

Tuft & Needle’s mission, on the other hand, seems to be delivering accommodating mattresses at a super accessible price. We think just about anybody can afford this bed– even college students. This might be one of the reasons why it’s so popular, along with its mega accommodating feel and firmness.

This review will mainly focus on the original Tuft & Needle, but feel free to check out our other Tuft & Needle reviews like Tuft & Needle Hybrid and Tuft & Needle Mint.

Awara
Awara
Why it’s Great
One of the most affordable natural mattresses online is Awara. It has 9″ pocketed coils and 4″ of latex foam. It also comes with a full-year trial period and free returns.
Best for
People that want a hybrid mattress
If you have a tough time making up your mind (full-year trial period and free returns)
Mostly back and stomach sleepers
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
Firm
Type
Latex Foam
Temp
Neutral
Free Shipping
and returns
Trial Period
365 Nights
Warranty
Forever

$200 OFF + $499 IN ACCESSORIES

$200 Off + $499 in Accessories

Awara’s Edge Over Tuft & Needle — In a nutshell, if you end up going with Awara, it’s probably because you’re in the market for a natural and organic bed. Its latex foam, wool, and organic cotton are either GOLS and GOTS certified, meaning they followed specific environmentally-conscious guidelines and standards process throughout the entire process, from manufacturing to labelling.

An overhead shot of the queen size Awara mattress

The other reason may be because of its pocketed coil layer, which makes a bed extra durable and supportive. Hence, why we recommend hybrid mattresses to folks who weigh over 250 lbs.

Awara’s Natural And Organic Construction

Awara is a premium looking bed that’s thicker than most, as it stands at 13” tall. The mattress is made up of two layers, the bottom being a 9” thick system of pocketed coils which act as a supportive base to the entire mattress.

A breakdown of Awara’s 2-layer construction

Each coil is individually wrapped and therefore they act independently of each other, allowing for better motion isolation than what regular coil mattresses provide.

Next is a 4” slab of Dunlop latex foam, sourced directly from rubber trees (we told you this stuff was natural). Finally, the cherry on top is a plush Euro-top cover made from organic cotton and New Zealand wool, meant to provide even more comfort for sleepers.

Take a look at the soft Euro-top cover on Awara

Since the cover is quilted into the mattress, it’s unfortunately not removable nor machine washable. So if you spill on your Awara mattress, you’ll want to spot clean with a mild detergent or soap and warm water.

Awara’s Feel And Firmness

Since this bed mostly consists of coils and latex foam, two very bouncy and responsive materials, this bed mostly feels like an innerspring bed with an additional layer of cushioning. It’s springy, supportive, and overall pretty comfortable for certain sleepers.

awara mattress review firmness rating

We rated this bed at a medium-firm on our firmness scale, making it a great mattress for back and stomach sleepers who need that extra support to keep their spine in neutral alignment. It’ll also work for combo sleepers, just as long as they don’t spend too much time on their side.

Awara is a great mattress for back and stomach sleepers

Side sleepers might want something on the softer end of the spectrum so the foam relieves the pressure points along the side of their body. Unfortunately, we don’t think Awara can live up to that expectation, especially in the long-term. If you’re a strict side sleeper, take a look at our best list on the best plush mattresses.

We want to make sure we mention how weight affects the way a mattress feels. We rate our beds based on the perspective of an average sized individual. Generally, the heavier you are, the softer a mattress is going to feel.

Tuft & Needle Original
Tuft & Needle Original
Why it’s Great
Tuft & Needle is quite possibly the most popular budget mattress online. The bed is comfortable and accommodates all types of sleepers.
Best for
Shoppers who want an affordable foam mattress
All types of sleepers, including back, stomach and side
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
Medium
Type
Soft Foam
Temp
Neutral
Free Shipping
and returns
Trial Period
100 Nights
Warranty
10 Years
Made in
USA

20% OFF APPLIED IN CART

20% Off Applied In Cart

Why You’d Favor Tuft & Needle — If you decide on a Tuft & Needle mattress, it’s probably because of its affordable price, or medium firmness level. It suits a wide variety of different sleepers, considering that it’s a good balance between pressure relieving and supportive.

Tuft & Needle Mattress Review Cover
Tuft & Needle in action in the bedroom

It’s not necessarily as premium of a bed as Awara, but it sure is popular. Apparently, 95% of those who purchase this bed end up keeping it.

Tuft & Needle Is A Budget Mattress

We think Tuft & Needle is one of the best budget beds out there, because you’re really getting a good value for the price. It actually made our best cheap beds list. A queen size T&N will be about $1,000 cheaper than a queen Awara mattress before you apply discounts.

By the same token, though, Awara is one of the more affordable eco-friendly mattresses on the market. Especially compared to beds like the Zenhaven mattress or even an Avocado mattress. So Awara certainly isn’t a pricey bed, it just goes to show how affordable Tuft & Needle really is.

Since Tuft & Needle already sells their bed for a super fair price, they don’t often run promotions unless it’s around the holidays. Awara, on the other hand, usually offers about $300-500 off, but that’s always subject to change.

Tuft & Needle’s 2-Layer Design

Like Awara, Tuft & Needle is also made with two different layers. Tuft & Needle, however, is 3” thinner than the Awara mattress. It’s also made using only foam, and omits the innerspring layer found in Awara.

The bed’s first layer, the foundation, is made with dense poly foam (neutral-foam) to support the rest of the layers above.

tuft and needle mattress review construction and foam layers
A peek inside the Tuft & Needle mattress

On top is a proprietary foam unique to Tuft & Needle called T&N Adaptive Foam. It’s essentially the brand’s own neutral-foam, and it gives the bed a generally comfortable feel that most would find pleasant. But we’ll get more into the feel a little later in the post.

Now we want to talk about the cover. They introduced a new cover in 2018 after customers were unhappy with the slightly translucent cover they used to have, since you were able to see the foam peaking through underneath. Now, the cover is white, textured, and made of polyester and micro polyamide.

Tuft & Needle Mattress Review Cover
Tuft & Needle’s cover is white, textured, and removable

Although the cover is removable, it’s not machine washable so you’ll have to follow the same guidelines as we mentioned before with Awara. You’ll want to spot clean with a mild detergent, and warm water. If you’re on the hunt for a bed with a machine washable cover, check out the Puffy mattress or Novosbed mattress.

How Does Tuft & Needle Feel?

When we say this bed is accommodating, we mean it’s a suitable mattress for a wide variety of people. For starters, it has a really comfortable, neutral-foam feel that most people would find to be comfortable. Honestly, it’s kinda boring — but in the best way possible. There are no stand out features or any extra bells and whistles. It’s just a comfy bed!

tuft and needle mattress review firmness graphic

It’s also accommodating because it sits at a medium on our firmness scale. It’s not too soft, but it’s not too firm either — it’s just right (kind of like Goldilocks).

It’s also a pretty responsive bed, so you don’t get that viscous feel you get with memory foam mattresses. With that said, just about any sleeper type, from back, side, stomach, to combo can sleep on a Tuft & Needle mattress.

The Slumber Yard’s Verdict

As you’ve learned, Awara and Tuft & Needle are two completely different mattresses and will probably appeal to different types of people. Hopefully this comparison made your decision clearer for you, but if not, here are our final takeaways.

  • Are you interested in an organic mattress made from sustainable materials?
  • Do you value price over anything? Buying Tuft & Needle will save you hundreds of dollars.
  • Do you sleep with a partner or are you a combo sleeper? Since Tuft & Needle is in the middle of the spectrum, it really accommodates combo sleepers and is a good compromise for couples who can’t decide on a firmness.
  • Are you a heavy individual? Awara has an additional pocketed coil layer which makes it more supportive than Tuft & Needle.
  • Are you a side sleeper? Awara is best for back and stomach sleepers, so it may be a little too firm. Tuft & Needle would be more beneficial for your pressure points.

Thanks for stopping by The Slumber Yard, one of the leading bedding review sites on the internet. If you’re itching for more mattress content, check out our other mattress reviews where we go in-depth on each individual bed.

Review team

  • wesley-ott
    Wesley Ott

    Combo Sleeper

  • Owen Poole

    Side Sleeper

  • kenzie
    McKenzie Dillon

    Combo Sleeper

  • JD
    JD Christison

    Combo Sleeper

All About Awara And Tuft & Needle Company Policies

Buying a mattress online is a much different consumer experience than purchasing at, say, a Mattress Firm or Ashley Furniture Store. First of all, you receive free shipping right to your doorstep so you won’t have to haul a mattress via truck bed across a busy highway.

Both T&N and Awara offer free returns, but Awara will give you a longer trial to test out your bed. Awara gives customers 365 nights while T&N offer a standard 100-night trial. So if you’re a particularly indecisive buyer, Awara’s policy might appeal more to you.

If you decide you don’t like your mattress within the trial period, contact their customer service department to arrange a return where you get 100% of your money back. If you do, Tuft & Needle will give you a 10-year warranty, or you’ll get a “forever warranty” with Awara. Even though a person could never, or should never sleep on the same bed their whole life, it’s nice that Awara is so confident about the integrity of their product that they offer a lifetime warranty. There aren’t too many online mattress brands who do.

Awara also goes above and beyond with their environmental efforts, and we aren’t just talking about their mattress materials. The brand is ClimatePartner-certified, which means they’ll plant 10 trees for every mattress sold. This is something we really appreciate about Awara, so we give them major brownie points.