Layla vs Tuft and Needle Mattress

Layla Has Two Sides

The headline feature about Layla is that it’s a two-sided bed. In fact, it’s such a big deal to them (and consumers) that the bed literally has two colors on either side. The white/grey side is the “Soft” side and the dark grey/black side is the “Firm” side.

In the past, Layla had a different color scheme and the company required you to remove the cover before you flipped the bed. Not any more. All you do is flip the mattress to test out either the “Soft” or “Firm” side.

But that’s just the outside of the mattress, let’s take a look at what’s inside the Layla mattress. As you can see below, it has multiple layers of foams in different colors. When we look inside the bed, it makes sense how the “Soft” side is indeed soft and the “Firm” side is firmer. Not only is there more memory foam on the “Soft” side, but also there is a transitional layer of soft foam (“Egg Crate Support Foam” as labeled below) in the middle to prevent you from feeling the support foam.

On the “Firm” side you have less memory foam (about 1″ thick in total) and nothing to transition from the main support unit to the comfort layer. As such, the “Firm” side is a good deal firmer than the “Soft” side.

One thing that we should also point out is that Layla doesn’t just use standard memory foam. The bed has copper-infused gel memory foam, which is helpful in regulating temperature. Standard memory foam can tend to trap heat, but these gel memory foams try their best to help keep you at a comfortable temperature throughout the night.

Firmness Rating For Layla (Both Sides)

By now you must be wondering what is the relative firmness rating for the “Soft” and “Firm” side. The “Soft” side we’d rate in right at a medium-soft, a bit like the overall firmness of the Nolah mattress. It’s really great for side sleepers and those that need/want a boatload of pressure relief.

In fact, because of the plush nature of the “Soft” side, we have Layla on plenty of our buyer guides, including our Best Mattress For Side Sleepers and Best Soft/Plush Mattress lists. The “Soft” side just feels like a big fluffy layer of memory foam. It conforms to your body, but doesn’t have that viscose, typical memory foam feel. Think of it like a new-age memory foam that’s more cloud-like.

As for the “Firm” side, it’s not quite a true firm on our soft/firm scale, but it is firmer than the other side. We rate the “Firm” side at about a medium to medium-firm, meaning it’s just fine for all sleeping positions, but not as pressure reliving and soft as the “Soft” side.

For people with a medium build, the “Firm” side will probably be your preferred sleeping surface, whereas lighter individuals tend to gravitate towards Layla’s “Soft” side. So, one distinction for Layla is that if you want a truly soft bed, they have that option, and yet they still offer something on the firmer end of the spectrum as well.

Layla Has A Lifetime Warranty

Typically, we reserve policy talk to the very end of our posts, but in this instance we felt that it was worthy of calling out the fact that Layla has a lifetime warranty. It’s fairly rare to a see an-foam bed backed by a lifetime warranty. We’ve seen coil beds such as Nest Alexander Hybrid and WinkBed offer the lifetime warranty, but very few foam beds are willing to take that risk.

To be fair, Tuft & Needle still offers the industry standard warranty of 10 years, but that definitely gets eclipsed by Layla’s lifetime promise. Make sure to read the warranty of whichever bed you ultimately select as well since it will spell out the types of bed frames that are compatible with your mattress, among other things. In this case, both beds are widely compatible with bed frames, but it’s still a smart idea to read that warranty.

Layla Hybrid vs Tuft & Needle Comparison

In addition to their flagship memory foam mattress, Layla also offers a hybrid mattress (fittingly named the Layla Hybrid). This bed is also double-sided and flippable with two different firmness profiles. Below is a short video that outlines how the Layla Hybrid compares to Tuft & Needle beds.

We hope you found the video above useful and entertaining. Now let’s talk a little more about Tuft & Needle beds in particular.

Tuft & Needle Has A Soft Foam Feel

While we consider Layla to have a “fluffy memory foam feel,” Tuft & Needle basically just feels like a big slab of softer foam. It’s really comfortable, but there’s no signature, completely unique feel. And we actually view that as a strength of the mattress. Given that it’s design for, and marketed to, the masses, the bed needs to be extra accomodating—and indeed it is just that.

But why does Tuft & Needle have such a generic soft foam feel? As you’d expect, it all comes down to construction. Unlike most online beds, Tuft & Needle is comprised of just two layers—both of which are polyurethane foam. Here’s a side view of the mattress with the fire sock cut back (don’t do this to your bed).

Like with Layla, the support foam is the main foundation for the bed. Nothing different there. The “T&N Adaptive Foam” is poly foam with graphite infused to help draw away body heat. And it does so fairly well.

Tuft & Needle also has a breathable, ribbed cover that’s quite nice. It’s not as fancy or soft as that of the Layla mattress, but it serves its purpose just fine and we don’t have any complaints.

Right In The Middle Of Our Firmness Chart

As we touched on above, Tuft & Needle is pretty much smack dab in the middle of the soft/firm spectrum. Some on our team consider it a medium+, meaning it’s a tad bit firmer than Casper, but we try to account for the subjective nature of firmness in our graphics.

Given Tuft & Needle’s firmness level, it should be fine for all sleeping positions (side, stomach, back), but as is the case with all foam beds, it’s not really made to handle heavier individuals. If you’re over about 230 lbs, you might want to check out our list of the Best Mattresses For Heavy & Obese People or our list of the Best Hybrid & Innerspring Mattresses.

T&N Is Hard To Beat On Price

When it comes to mattress prices, the baseline that you can expect to spend is something like $1,000, however, both Layla and Tuft & Needle are below that mark. After discounts, Layla will set you back about $1,100 for the queen size—not bad.

Tuft & Needle, however, retails for just about $900 for the queen, making it cheaper than Layla and harder to beat on price.

The only difference is that Layla offers aggressive discounts and Tuft & Needle only really runs specials during major holidays—and even then they typically don’t lower the price of the bed. They usually just throw in a pillow or some other accessory. You can check T&N’s website for those current promotions.

In any case, if you’re curious about the deals being offered today, make sure to visit our Mattress Deals & Coupons page. We try to list all of the deals that we see there and keep it updated on a daily basis.

Final Verdict For This Comparison

So which bed wins? It’s not that simple. It all comes down to what you prefer in a mattress, just like anything else. Here are the key points to think about:

• Do you prefer memory foam or a general soft foam? If you said “memory foam,” well then you might consider Layla first.
• Are you on a shoe-string budget? If yes, then Tuft & Needle is your winner given that it’s just under $900.
• Do you care to try a flippable bed? If yes, Layla is one of only about six beds that are flippable.
• What is your dominant sleeping position? If you are a side sleeper, either bed will work but Layla offers the softest surface. If you’re a back sleeper or stomach sleeper, you can try either bed.
• Do you want a bed with a lifetime warranty, or are you fine with the standard 10-year warranty?
• Do you have something for mega brands? If that’s the case, Serta-Simmons is a behemoth in the bedding industry, and they own Tuft & Needle.

At the end of the day, like many of our mattress comparisons, feel, firmness, and price are the major factors to consider. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us.

Tuft and Needle Mint vs Layla Comparison

In addition to the flagship Tuft & Needle mattress, the company also offers the Mint mattress. This is the company’s premium or luxury all-foam option. Below are what we see as the main points of differentiation between the Tuft & Needle Mint and Layla mattresses.

• Design – The Tuft & Needle Mint is comprised of three foam layers that total 12″ thick. The comfort layer for the bed is made of the company’s proprietary T&N Adaptive Foam. As you already know, the Layla mattress has a double-sided design with memory foam comfort layers.
• Price – In terms of MSRP, both beds are actually priced about the same. A queen size, regardless of which mattress you’re looking at, will run you about $1,000-$1,100. With that said, Layla tends to offer more aggressive discounts. As such, there’s a high likelihood the Layla mattress will end up being the cheaper option.
• Feel – As we mentioned above, the Layla mattress has a light, airy memory foam feel. The Tuft & Needle Mint, on the other hand, has more of a soft, neutral-foam feel.
• Ideal Sleeping Positions – The Layla mattress is a good option for all types of sleepers. The soft side of the Layla bed is ideal for side sleepers, while back and stomach sleepers will likely prefer the firm side. Tuft & Needle mint is very similar to the soft side of the Layla mattress as far as firmness. Accordingly, we feel the Mint mattress is best suited for side sleepers.

Those are the major differences between the two beds. As you can see, the decision really boils down to your budget, feel preference and primary sleeping position.