Giving FOAMO

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 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).ComfortIn 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.TemperatureI’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.Though 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).MaterialsThe 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 (a.k.a. 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 volatile organic compound (VOC) 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, chemically smells), and I appreciate that this mattress meets these environmental standards.A Risk-Free Trial PeriodOne 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 US 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.