The three mattresses we're comparing (Lucid vs Tuft & Needle vs Zinus) are budget-friendly mattresses that sell extremely well on Amazon. However, don't let the budget title fool you, all three of these beds perform well. There's a reason why each have solid ratings on Amazon with thousands and thousands of reviews.

Lucid 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam mattress VS. Tuft & Needle Original mattress
$170 – $320Price Range$745 – $1,095
See on AmazonOffer 20% Off Applied In Cart
  • People that need a cheap bed
  • If you like memory foam
Best For
  • Shoppers who want an affordable foam mattress
  • All types of sleepers, including back, stomach and side
30 NightsTrial Period100 Nights
10 YearsWarranty10 Years
NoShipping Options No
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Key Highlights For Zinus vs Tuft And Needle vs Lucid

As we compare Lucid vs Zinus mattress, Lucid vs Tuft & Needle and Zinus vs Tuft and Needle, we can see all three are some of the best cheap mattresses online. They are also three of the best amazon mattresses with a lot of very highly rated reviews. Here are some of the key similarities and differences:

  • Construction — Both Zinus and Lucid have a memory foam feel, while Tuft & Needle has a neutral foam feel.
  • Price — Lucid and Zinus are both more affordable than Tuft & Needle.
  • Firmness — Zinus is softer than both Tuft & Needle and Lucid, making it better for side sleepers.

Before we dive in, you may find our video review below helpful. Slumber Yard team member Owen breaks down the major items you should know about Zinus and Tuft & Needle.

Let’s go through each mattress in more detail.

Lucid 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam
Lucid 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam
Why it’s Great
If you need a cheap mattress, Lucid Gel Memory Foam is worth exploring further. It comes in multiple firmness options and is more affordable than most beds you’ll find online and in-store.
Best for
People that need a cheap bed
If you like memory foam
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
All
Type
Memory Foam
Temp
Neutral
Trial Period
30 Nights
Warranty
10 Years
Made in
China

SEE ON AMAZON

See on Amazon

The Lucid Mattress is a responsive, comfortable bed that is a good fit for a large number of people.

Lucid Mattress Design & Construction

Overall, we found the Lucid 10″ Gel Memory Foam Mattress to be extremely comfortable and surprisingly more responsive than other memory foams beds we’ve tested. That means you’ll find it easy to switch between sleeping positions without feeling like you’re “stuck in the mud.”

Lucid’s layers are the following:

  • 7.5” later of dense support foam
  • 2.5” layer of gel memory foam, which has better cooling properties than traditional memory foam
lucid 10" gel memory foam mattress review
The firm option is great for back and stomach sleepers

Lucid Mattress Firmness & Feel

We rate the firm model at a medium to medium-firm on the firmness scale for an average sized person. Someone over 250 pounds may find it to be softer than that since they can sink into the mattress more.

Also, this bed may sleep a little warmer for heavier individuals because it will hug them. On the other hand, a lighter sleeper (150 pounds or less) might find it slightly more firm because they exert much less pressure on the bed.

Lucid Mattress Sleeper Type Analysis

Given the firmness level of the firm model, we rate this bed as being best for stomach sleepers and back sleepers alike. It provides a good amount of support for light and average-sized people. If you’re a combo sleeper (i.e., rotate between side, stomach, and back), you’ll be fine. But if you’re a strict side sleeper, make sure to look into the plush-medium option.

lucid 10" gel memory foam mattress review
You can choose between the medium-plush, medium, and firm model

Overall, we see this bed being best for budget-minded shoppers who prefer to select the firmness level of their mattress.

Lucid, Tuft & Needle And Zinus are best for petite sleepers

Which of the three — Zinus vs. Lucid, Zinus vs. Tuft & Needle or Lucid vs. Tuft & Needle — are best for petite sleepers? It turns out they all are. 

They’re also good for average-sized people, or basically anyone under 250 pounds. People with heavier frames may prefer a hybrid mattress to get more support. Check out our post on the Best Mattress for Heavy People.

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

Let’s turn our attention to the Tuft & Needle mattress, one of the most popular bed-in-a-box options.

Tuft And Needle Mattress Design And Construction

Like the Lucid mattress, the Tuft & Needle mattress is also 10″ thick and has two layers:

tuft and needle mattress review construction and foam layers
A peek inside the Tuft & Needle mattress
  • Thick layer of support foam as the foundation
  • T&N Adaptive Foam, a proprietary foam that falls between memory and latex form. It shares characteristics from both. It’s soft and somewhat contouring like memory foam but responsive like latex foam.

Tuft And Needle Mattress Feel And Firmness

We found the Tuft & Needle mattress has more of a neutral, light foam feel. It’s on the firmer side of the spectrum ranking about a medium to medium-firm on the firmness scale (again, depending on your weight).

The Tuft & Needle mattress is probably the best option of the three for keeping you cool. We think it gets the slight edge over Lucid, mainly because its top layer is not memory foam, which is known for trapping heat.

We’re not saying Tuft & Needle is the coolest sleeping mattress on the market. It’s not. It’s not cool to the touch and doesn’t actively cool you down. However, given its firmness level, you’ll sleep more on top of the bed, which should help keep you from heating up at night.

tuft and needle mattress review stomach sleepers
Soft, neutral-foam feel

Tuft And Needle Sleeper Type Analysis

Given the firmness level, this mattress is going to be best for back sleepers and stomach sleepers. There’s little sinkage, and it will be able to keep your spine properly aligned (for most sized sleepers). Combo sleepers should be fine as long as they don’t spend too much time on their side.

The Tuft & Needle mattress is soft, but it doesn’t provide a ton of pressure relief for your hips and shoulders. If you’re a strict side sleeper, you’re better off going with Zinus or a mattress from our Best Mattress For Side Sleepers list.

tuft and needle mattress review edge support
Tuft & Needle performs well in terms of motion isolation and edge support

Overall, the Tuft & Needle is a fantastic option for budget shoppers who aren’t a big fan of memory foam. There’s a reason why it’s always on the shortlist for Best Value Mattress by Consumer Reports.

Zinus Green Tea
Zinus Green Tea
Why it’s Great
Zinus Green Tea is a budget memory foam bed that offers ample pressure relief for side sleepers.
Best for
Budget shoppers looking for an affordable memory foam bed
Side sleepers who need ample pressure relief
Sleep Positions
Back, Side and Stomach
Product Details
Firmness
Soft
Type
Memory Foam
Temp
Warm
Free Shipping
and returns
Trial Period
100 Nights
Warranty
10 Years
Made in
China

SEE ON AMAZON

See on Amazon

Let’s look at the last mattress on our list — the Zinus Green Tea.

Zinus Green Tea Mattress Construction And Materials

At 12”, the Zinus Green Tea mattress is the thickest of our three mattresses.

Zinus Green Tea’s layers are:

  • Two 3.5″ layers of high-density support foam on the bottom
  • 2″ layer of comfort foam
  • 3″ layer of memory foam

Zinus Mattress Firmness And Feel

The Zinus Green Tea mattress has a softer and lighter memory foam feel compared to Lucid and Tuft & Needle. You sink in a little more as you lay down. We’d rate it in the medium-soft range on the firmness scale. Again, that depends on your weight. Lighter sleepers will feel like it’s more of a medium, while heavier folks will feel like it garners more of a straight soft rating.

Given how soft this bed is and how you sink in a bit, we’d say this bed sleeps warm. It will depend on your weight. Lighter weight sleepers will lay more on top of the mattress and might think it sleeps at a neutral temperature. However, average and heavyweight sleepers nestle into the mattress quite a bit, so it will feel like the mattress is hugging them and the temperature will warm up a little.

Zinus Green Tea Sleeper Type Analysis

We see this bed being best for side sleepers and lighter or average-sized combo sleepers. The Zinus provides a good amount of pressure relief for your hips and shoulders when you’re on your side yet still gives you support when you’re on your back or stomach.

zinus green tea mattress review
The Zinus Green Tea mattress provides ample pressure relief

Overall, we see this bed as a great value play for side sleepers. It’s so cheap, it’s hard to argue with the value you’re getting.

Lucid vs Zinus vs Tuft And Needle: Pricing Comparison

SizeLucidZinusTuft & Needle
Twin$178.09$228$350
Twin XL$199.99 $395
Full$269.99$277$495
Queen$269.99$321$595
King$369.99$392$750
Cal King$363.48 $750

Shipping, Returns, Trial Period, and Warranty

These beds have different buying policies:

  • Shipping: You get free shipping with all the mattresses.
  • Trial period: You can test Tuft and Needle’s mattress for three months. With Lucid and Zinus, you can return the mattress within Amazon’s return policy, which is 30 days.
  • Returns: Tuft and Needle offers free returns. The company will send someone to your home to pick up the bed. The return process with Amazon can be a little more challenging than going through the brand. We’ve heard you have to jump through a few more hoops when returning a mattress via Amazon.
  • Warranty: Zinus and Tuft & Needle have ten-year warranties. Lucid offers a 25-year warranty.
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Why Trust Us

Get the kind of sleep you’ve only dreamed of with some help from our team of mattress experts. We personally test more than 150 of the best sleep solutions from over 60 leading brands on site, so you can be sure you’re getting unbiased reviews, fair comparisons and personalized recommendations.


The Review Team

  • JD

    JD Christison

    Combo Sleeper

  • reynoso

    Jack Reynoso

    Combo Sleeper

  • Owen Poole

    Side Sleeper

  • kenzie

    McKenzie Dillon

    Combo Sleeper

Frequently Asked Questions
Which mattress is the most affordable?

In the comparisons for Lucid vs. Zinus mattress, Lucid vs Tuft and Needle and Zinus vs Tuft and Needle, the Lucid mattress comes in as the most affordable. Lucid offers the best price for all sizes. A queen size mattress is about $270 from Lucid. It’s about $51 more from Zinus and $325 more from Tuft and Needle.

Which bed is best for back and stomach sleepers?

Both Lucid and Tuft and Needle are good for back and stomach sleepers. Zinus is better for side and combo sleepers.

Will these mattresses work for people over 250 pounds?

Since they’re all made of foam, none of these mattresses are recommended for people over 250 pounds. Heavier people would do better with a hybrid or innerspring mattress.