Casper Select Review

In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

NOTE: You must have a Costco membership in order to purchase the Casper Select. For Casper without Costco, check out the Casper Original. The Original is slightly more expensive, but you can purchase the mattress directly from Casper.

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and value of the mattress. We then take the results of that test and compare to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

Check out the full performance table below to see how this mattress ranks:

Factor	Casper Select	Average
Overall Score	8.07	8.64
Price (Queen)	$695	$1,095 (Foam only)
Cooling – Score	8.0	8.8
Sinkage – Depth	1.63″	2.16″
Sinkage – Feel	Very Minimal	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	7.0	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	11.73 m/s²	8.64 m/s²
Response Time – Score	9.0	8.9
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.3 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	0.9 sec.	0.9 sec.
Bounce – Height	6.93″	9.69″
Bounce – Feel	Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	9.1	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	3.75″	4.07″
Edge Support – Lying	Excellent	Good
Sex – Score	7.5	8.5
Pressure Relief – Score	8.0	8.8
Comfort Layer Thickness	4.5″	4.2″
Mattress Thickness	12″	12.0″
Off-Gassing – Score	8.1	8.4
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	7 days	6 days
Company – Score	8.5	8.7
Trial	100 nights	165 nights
Warranty	10 years	25% have lifetime warranties, average of other 75% of mattresses is 14 years

Cooling performance on the Casper Select is good, but far from great. In our tests, I felt a slight to moderate level of heat retention around my body. The heat was notably building up around my back.

Ultimately, the cooling issues are most likely the cause of simple all foam construction. 100% foam mattresses just aren’t going to breathe as well as most hybrid and coil based mattresses.

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

Beyond that, we don’t have a high-end cooling cover or any foam materials of any significant cooling performance. The only major cooling benefit is having the memory foam layer in the core. Even so, its impact just isn’t enough.

In our objective tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 85.8°. From minutes 0 to 1 the max temp declined by 6.1°, with an 11.2° decline from minutes 0 to 5.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

All that to say, if you describe yourself as “hot” or “warm” sleeper then the Casper Select likely won’t meet your cooling needs. However, those with more typical cooling needs should fine performance acceptable.

The Casper Select has a very minimal level of sinkage. In our pressure point sinkage tests, we measured a sinkage depth of 1.63”. This is 0.59” less sinkage than the average of 2.22”.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

Notably, heavier parts of my body (butt / midsection in particular) do sink down deeper to a moderate depth. However, a vast majority of the body floats more on top of the mattress, as opposed to lying “in” the mattress.

Having memory foam within the core of the mattress creates more of a contouring feel. However, the poly foam on top of the mattress acts as a balancing layer, so sleepers don’t feel overly hugged or enveloped by the mattress.

The Casper Select has a moderate level of motion transfer. In our tests, we measured 11.73 m/s² of acceleration range. This is 4.01 m/s² more motion than the average of 7.72 m/s².

The level of motion transfer is documented in the video below.

Typically, all foam mattresses have far less motion transfer than what we experienced with the Casper.

In my view, the minimal level of sinkage combined with a medium-firm / slightly-firm feel is creating an environment for heightened motion.

Looking at our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion from 0 to 0.14 seconds. We have a secondary spike from 0.42 to 0.56 seconds before motion returns to near-zero levels by 0.63 seconds.

The Casper Select has an very fast response time. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered response time of 0.3 seconds and a fully recovered response time of 0.9 seconds.

The mostly recovered response time of 0.3 seconds is 0.15 seconds faster than the average of 0.45 seconds. However, the fully recovered response time of 0.9 seconds is exactly average (based on all of our tests to date).

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

The responsive poly foam design, in addition to placing the memory foam within the core of the mattress (as opposed to on top), helps to ensure responsiveness is incredibly quick.

The faster response helps to prevent any type of a stuck feeling, makes it easier to move around on the mattress, and improves sex.

The Casper Select has a low level of bounce. In our tests we measured a total bounce height of 6.93”. This is 2.70” less bounce than the average of 9.63” (based on all of our tests to date).

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

The all foam design is restricting the total bounce height. In general, I like to see 8-12” of total bounce.

It’s enough to see all the benefits of bounce (ease of movement + sex) without creating new issues (excess motion transfer). At 6.93” the Casper Select is below my ideal threshold, but only slightly.

Edge support on the Casper Select is excellent for both sitting and lying. In our sitting edge support tests, we measured a sitting sinkage of 3.75”. This is excellent and 0.60” less sitting sinkage than the average of 4.35”.

Even when sitting directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well-supported. In general, I like to see 4.0” of sitting sinkage or less. Casper hits that mark.

The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.

Lying edge support was equally as good. Even when lying directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well-supported by the mattress in all sleeping positions.

The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.

While the minimal sinkage and medium firm / slightly firm feel hurt the Casper in other performance areas, with respect to edge support, those attributes are beneficial.

Overall, edge support is quite good, especially for a mattress of this price point.

Our sex rating formula looks at 5 different factors weighted based on their importance.

All factors are not equal in terms of significance, but each plays an important role.

Three of the most important factors are listed below with the associated testing scores:

In addition to the factors above, there are two other we consider as well, including pressure relief and cooling.

Here’s a look at the breakdown of how these 3 factors rank within the full formula:

We use the scores from all factors, plugged into the formula above, to derive a sex score for each mattress.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	6.8	Low
Edge Support	20%	9.1	Excellent
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	8.0	Good
Cooling	5%	8.0	Good

The mattress has excellent edge support and is quiet. But the thing that really kills this mattress is low bounce. For sex, higher bounce is better. The foams of the Casper Select really deaden any energy or motion. And while this can be great for sleeping, it’s generally not great for sex.

Pressure relief on the Casper Select is good, but far from great. During my tests, I felt a slight to moderate level of pressure point build-up. The pressure points were mostly isolated to my lower back and shoulders.

On the positive side, the Casper Select uses 4.5” of total comfort foam. However, 1.5” of those layers are a poly foam layer in the core.

This layer of poly foam doesn’t appear to be very different from a support foam layer. As a result, I would say we have 3.0” of true comfort foams.

All that to say, the comfort foams just don’t seem to create enough pushback, thereby allowing the body to come into more abrupt contact with the support layers, creating a lack of deep compression support and therefore pressure point issues.

Stomach and back sleepers will be less susceptible to these issues, as the 6.5 out of 10 firmness will be more appropriate to their needs. However, many side sleepers may find the pressure relief to be more notably lacking.

Off-gassing on the Casper Select is strong right out of the box. After the unboxing, it still took a full 7 days for the mattress to off-gas completely.

To speed up off-gassing, place the mattress in a well-ventilated space without any bedding or protectors on the mattress. Open a window, turn on a fan, or put an air purifier in the room.

Casper offers a 100-night trial on their mattresses as well as a 1-year warranty. Even though the Casper Select is only distributed through Costco, the same trial and warranty apply to all Casper mattresses.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	15%	8.0	100 nights
Warranty	10%	8.0	10 years
Shipping	5%	10	$0
Returns	20%	10	$0
Trust	50%	8.0	Good
Country of Origin	0%		USA

The firmness of the Casper Select is a 6.5 out of 10. This is just a touch firmer than the most popular firmness of 6 out of 10.

Casper Select is only available in a single firmness.

Support on the Casper Select is a bit of a mixed bag. If we only look at the material design and components of the mattress it checks most of the boxes.

We’ve got 12” of total thickness, 3” of higher quality comfort foam and a 1.5” transitional poly foam layer. However, the relatively thin 3” of higher quality comfort foam doesn’t create enough comfort in the top layers, creating the pressure point issues we discussed earlier.

While this doesn’t change whether the mattress supports sleepers, it does change how the Casper Select supports sleepers.

In my view, when we look at the pressure relief issues, 3” high-quality comfort layers, and 6.5 firmness, this is a mattress that creates a better support dynamic for stomach and back sleepers.

However, I would expect more significant support complaints and issues for side sleepers. All that to say, support is good, but far from great.

The table below outlines who this mattress is likely to be best for, considering sleeper weight and preferred sleeping position.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Maybe	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	No	Yes
250-300 lbs.	Yes	No	Yes

Design

The Casper Select mattress is a 12″ foam mattress that is sold exclusively at Costco. It is designed as a budget-friendly alternative to the Casper Original and has a balanced feel with a medium-firm firmness.

Materials

The Casper Select has four layers in totality. From top to bottom, these layers are listed below:

• 1.5” poly foam
• 1.5” memory foam
• 1.5” poly foam
• 7.5” support foam

All foams used in this mattress are CertiPUR-US certified, meaning that they are made without ozone depleters and have low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions.

The Cover

The cover of the Casper Select is a hand-sewn piece that is thin and breathable. It is a blend of polyester, cotton, rayon, and lycra, which gives the cover a good degree of stretch as well as softness. The cover has a zipper for easy removal as well.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer of the Casper Select is technically made of three layers of foam. The top layer is a 1.5″ poly foam followed by a 1.5″ gel memory foam. Both of these layers are designed for comfort and to limit heat retention.

Below the gel memory foam is a 1.5″ transitional poly foam. This foam has a bit higher density and is designed to transition weight and pressure into the support layer below.

The Support Layer

The support layer itself is a 7.5″ high-density foam. This layer supports the comfort materials above as well as provides structure for the mattress.

Product Evolution

According to Casper’s live chat representatives, the Casper Select launched sometime between 2018-2020. Since its launch, there have been no notable changes in design or material to this mattress.

As the mattress evolves and changes are made, we’ll circle back and update this section as needed.

How is the Casper Select Different?

The Casper Select mattress is $649 for a queen, which is 48% less than the average for a foam mattress. The average score among all foam mattresses that we’ve tested to date is 8.43 so the Casper Select (8.07) does fall a bit below the average score.

That being said, if you’re on a tight budget, the Casper select gives you a 12″ high mattress at a fraction of the cost of others.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Casper Select is the right choice? Check out these three other top-rated foam mattress alternatives you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Casper Select mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.

Disclosure – Derek Hales has a history with Casper that some may view as relevant to his reviews of Casper products. In 2016, Casper Sleep sued Derek Hales in federal court over his reviews of its products. In 2017, the lawsuit ended with a settlement. See here for more information.