Casper Snow Max Review

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

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

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

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

Factor	Casper Snow Max	Average
Overall Score	8.38	8.53
Price (Queen)	$2,995	$1,566 (Memory Foam Hybrid only)
Cooling – Score	10	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	3.05″	2.22″
Sinkage – Feel	Extremely Deep	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	7.4	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	10.76 m/s²	8.79 m/s²
Response Time – Score	5.5	8.8
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.9 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	1.9 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	6.13″	8.84″
Bounce – Feel	Low	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	8.6	8.7
Edge Support – Sitting	3.75″	3.95″
Edge Support – Lying	Good	Excellent
Sex – Score	7.4	8.2
Pressure Relief – Score	10	8.6
Comfort Layer Thickness	4.5″	4.3″
Mattress Thickness	13.5″	12.2″
Off-Gassing – Score	4.4	8.1
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	20 days	7 days
Company – Score	9.0	8.8
Trial	100 nights	174 nights
Warranty	10 years	39% have lifetime warranties, average of other 61% of mattresses is 13 years

How is Casper Snow Max Different?

The Casper Snow Max is a 13.5″ memory foam hybrid mattress with an overall performance level that is below average and a price that is significantly more than the average memory foam hybrid cost. Compared to the average, opting for the Casper Snow Max will cost an additional $1,429 (average is $1,565) for a queen-sized mattress.

If you’re looking for a good value, this likely isn’t the right pick for you.

Advantages

Specific advantages of the Casper Snow Max include better cooling performance, exceptional pressure relief, and a good company score (slightly better than average, despite only having a 100-night trial period).

Neutral Factors

This mattress has extremely deep sinkage and low levels of bounce. If you want to sleep “on the mattress” and not “in the mattress”, this is not the right pick for you. The deep sinkage means there is a more enveloped feel, a more dramatic hug, and the body lies “in” the mattress more.

Disadvantages

Disadvantages of the Casper Snow Max include higher levels of motion transfer (22% more than the average) and a slow material response time (nearly 2X the length of the average response time).

Additionally, the low bounce isn’t doing this mattress any favors for couples as the Snow Max has a lower-than-average sex score.

Lastly, it would be remiss not to mention the off-gassing score. In our tests, this mattress had very strong odors upon unboxing, and these odors took 20 days to fully dissipate. This is nearly 3 weeks, where the average duration is only 1 week (7 days).

The Casper Snow Max has outstanding cooling. During our tests, I did not feel any significant level of heat retention on my body. The mattress surface remained comfortably cool for the duration of the tests.

The Casper Snow Max has multiple material and design factors that are helping to improve cooling performance. First, the hybrid design brings extra airflow into the mattress.

Second, the thin, non-quilted cover allows for air to flow easily in and out while the cover itself is woven with a specialized cooling yarn. Third, the mattress has a spray on phase change material. This helps to pull heat away from the surface of the mattress.

• 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

All of these design factors are helping to improve cooling performance. Lastly, the mattress is equipped with what Casper calls “HeatDelete Bands”. These bands are seemingly supposed to act as a heat sink, drawing heat away from the surface.

However, it’s hard to imagine how much of a difference these bands can be making. They are incredibly thin and represent a fairly small percentage of the total surface area.

The notion of using aluminum as a heat sink is a proven concept. This is the same basic idea that CPU heat sinks use, where aluminum or copper is used to absorb heat and keep it away from the CPU.

However, it’s a much larger quantity of metal is required to effectively act as a heat sink for CPU coolers. In my view, there just isn’t enough aluminum here to create a significant heat sink.

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 89.6° F. This is 0.4° less than the average of 90.0° F, based on all of our tests to date.

After getting off the mattress, the temperature declined by 3.0 degrees from minutes 0 to 1, which is 1.8 degrees warmer than the average 0 to 1 minute decline of 4.8 degrees.

When we consider the combination of objective data, my subjective experiences, and an analysis of the materials, I’m confident in my view that cooling is outstanding.

The Casper Snow Max has extremely deep sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 3.05″. This is 0.84″ more sinkage than the average sinkage depth of 2.21″, based on all of our tests to date.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The mattress creates a dramatic body contouring hug. The thin, non-quitled cover creates more direct engagement with the foam layers, which helps to deliver a more dramatic body hug. In addition, the 4.50” of memory foam creates a precise and exact hug around the body, forming to your unique body’s shape.

This is neither good nor bad, but it is a more specific feel. To enjoy the sinkage and body contouring dynamic of the Casper Snow Max, you’ll really need to prefer a noted memory foam feel that significantly hugs and contours around the body.

The Casper Snow Max has a moderate level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 10.76 m/s². This is 23% more motion transfer than the average of 8.78 m/s².

Often, memory foam hybrids will have better than average motion transfer, as memory foam by its nature absorbs and disperses energy better than many other foam types.

However, that’s not what we measured with the Casper Snow Max. The Snow Max struggled with motion transfer for two noted reasons. First up, the mattress has an extremely deep sinkage.

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

That deeper sinkage means you’ll come into greater contact with the pocketed coil unit, which will create increased energy and motion.

And second, the mattress has a fairly taut cover. That taut cover creates a beautiful aesthetic, however, it also tugs back and forth when sleepers move around on the mattress.

That tugging cover creates more energy transfer from side to side. In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion peaks from 0 to 0.2 seconds. Motion drops off notably thereafter.

By 0.67 seconds, we’ve returned to near-zero levels of energy, which is 0.21 seconds shorter than the average motion duration of 0.88 seconds. If there is a silver lining, it’s that motion transfer duration is shorter than average.

Certainly, the thick 4.5” memory foam comfort layer is a big factor driving that lower duration. Even so, the higher-than-average motion intensity isn’t great.

The Casper Snow Max has a very slow material response. In our mostly recovered test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.9 seconds, which is 0.49 seconds slower than the average of 0.41 seconds, based on all of our tests to date.

In our fully recovered responsiveness test, we measured a recovery speed of 1.9 seconds, which is 0.89 seconds slower than the average of 1.01 seconds.

The Casper Snow Max is equipped with 4.5” of memory foam. Most memory foams are slower to reform back to their original shape, and that’s exactly what we measured here as well.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

To be fair, the recovery speed is faster than more traditionally formulated memory foam. Some of the worst offenders can take 3-5 seconds to fully reform. Even so, while Casper’s foams are better, they are far from perfect and notably worse than average.

That slower material response makes the mattress more difficult to move around on and change positions. In addition, combined with the extremely deep sinkage level and dramatic body contouring hug, it will cause some sleepers to feel more “stuck” in the mattress.

The Casper Snow Max has a low level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 6.13″. This is 2.71″ less bounce than the average of 8.84″, based on all of our tests to date.

The thick 4.5” memory foam layer, slower material responsiveness, softer feel, and thicker than average comfort layer are all factors suppressing the total bounce height.

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

The lower bounce height is helping to keep motion transfer in check. However, a lower bounce does make it more difficult to move around on the mattress and negatively impacts sex performance. So there are pros and cons to consider here.

The Casper Snow Max has excellent sitting edge support and good lying edge support.

In our sitting edge support test, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 3.75″. This is 0.20″ less sitting sinkage than the average of 3.95″, based on all of our tests to date.

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

While lying directly on the edge of the mattress, I felt that the support was good in all sleeping positions, however, it didn’t rise to the excellent or outstanding level.

Notably, the mattress does not have any reinforced edge support coils, but we do have a foam encasement that runs along the entire perimeter.

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

This perimeter encasing foam is certainly helping to improve edge support. Even so, I don’t think it’s enough to overcome the other design and material challenges that are negatively impacting edge support while lying.

Specifically, the 4.5” memory foam layer, extremely deep sinkage, and softer feel are working together to create a weakening of support along the edge.

This isn’t necessarily a problem with the Casper Snow Max specifically, but rather it’s an issue with many mattresses that contain significant memory foam layers on top, especially when the mattress has a softer feel and deeper sinkage.

The Casper Snow Max has fair sex performance. First up, let’s talk through the positives, which include minimal noise and both outstanding pressure relief and cooling. Edge support for sitting earned an excellent score with just 3.75” of sitting edge sinkage.

A robust sitting edge helps extend the usable surface area of the mattress.

Last but not least we have bounce, which we measured at just 6.13” of total bounce height. This is considerably lower than average and the single greatest detractor to the overall sex performance score.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	6.3	Low
Edge Support	20%	9.1	Excellent
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	10	Outstanding
Cooling	5%	10	Outstanding

While the mattress is comfortable, quiet, and has good enough edge support, the Snow Max still greatly struggled with sex performance due to the low bounce level.

The Casper Snow Max has an outstanding level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt no significant pressure points on my body.

Quite to the contrary. The Casper Snow Max is incredibly comfortable and I was able to comfortably lie in the same positions for extended periods of time.

The mattress is equipped with 4.5″ of comfort material, which is 0.22″ more comfort material than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.28″, based on all of our tests to date.

The foam layers all look and feel high quality, both on the body and in-hand. The mattress uses a thin, non-quilted cover, which allows for more significant engagement with the foam layers, allowing for the more dramatic and exacting body contouring hug.

In our objective pressure mapping tests, we measured a max PSI of 0.75. Ideally, I want to see all PSI measurements at 1.0 or lower and the Snow Max easily cleared that threshold. A 2.0 PSI is considered a high-pressure point.

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.13	0.70

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.07	0.27

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.07	0.75

When I consider our objective pressure mapping tests, material thickness, material quality, and my subjective experience on the mattress, I’m confident most sleepers will find the pressure relief to be outstanding.

The Casper Snow Max had a strong smell upon the initial unboxing. The mattress smelled for 20 days. This is 13.0 days longer than the average smell duration of 7.0 days.

Casper mattresses come with a 100-night trial period and a 10-year warranty. Shipping and returns are both free.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Returns	40%	10	$0
Trial Period	30%	8.0	100 nights
Warranty	20%	8.0	10 years
Shipping	10%	10	$0
Country of Origin	0%		USA

Comparing 101+ brands tested to date, the average trial period is 172 nights, 72 nights more than Casper offers.

The Casper warranty is only 10 years, whereas the average warranty is 14 years. Additionally, 42% of mattresses offer lifetime warranties, a far cry from Casper’s 10 year warranty.

The Casper Snow Max is available in a single firmness, 5 out of 10, which gives the mattress a medium feel.

This is just a touch softer than the most common firmness (medium-firm, 6 out of 10).

Support on the Casper Snow Max is outstanding. During our tests, I felt well supported in all sleeping positions.

The mattress is equipped with a 9.0″ support layer. This is 1.11″ thicker than the average support layer thickness of 7.89″, based on all of our tests to date.

Support Factor	Data
Comfort Layer	4.5″
Support Layer	9.0″
Firmness	Medium
Body Contour	Dramatic
Zoned Support	Yes
Reinforced Edge	Yes

This mattress is equipped with zoned support. Zone support creates more or less support where your body needs it, helping to create a more neutral spinal alignment, reduce pressure points, and reduce sagging.

The Snow Max uses 7 zones, including a bottom foam layer with cut channels and a firmer memory foam layer in the center 1/3rd of the mattress. I will say, I do believe that zoned support via a pocketed coil unit is superior to zoned support via foam. Even so, it’s great to see the zoned support via foam rather than no zoned support at all.

This mattress has a medium firmness, 5 out of 10 on our firmness scale. This firmness is ideal for most sleepers. However, it also has an extremely deep sinkage level, which we measured at 3.05” of sinkage. This is significantly deeper than the average of 2.21”.

That extra deep sinkage is not ideal for stomach sleepers and could be too much for many back sleepers. Side sleepers usually do well with deeper sinkage. Even so, I want to emphasize that this is extra deep, even for a side sleeper.

Casper Snow Max has the 9th deepest sinkage we’ve tested to date, with 370+ mattresses tested so far. To be comfortable on this mattress you’ll absolutely need to prefer deeper sinkage, a dramatic body contouring hug, and the feel of memory foam.

Check out the table below to see the sleeper weights and sleeping positions that would be best suited for this mattress.

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

Based on all of my tests to date, an analysis of the materials, and my subjective experiences, I’m confident that most side and back sleepers will find support on the Casper Snow Max is outstanding. However, I would not recommend this mattress for stomach sleepers.

The Casper Snow Max is a 13.5″ memory foam hybrid mattress that comes in a single firmness option—Medium.

Design Factor	Data
Type	Memory Foam Hybrid
Thickness	13.5″
Cover Type	Thin
Weight	111 lbs.
Has Handles	No
Fiberglass-Free	Yes
Ships in a Box	Yes

It has a thin cover, which gives the mattress a smooth finish and does not include reinforced sides or handles for rotating or transporting the mattress.

This mattress is fiberglass-free and it ships compressed in a box.

The Casper Snow Max is 13.5″ thick and contains a combination of memory foam, support coils, and support foam. From top to bottom, here is a full list of the materials used in this mattress:

Layer Type	Thickness	Layer Specs
Memory Foam	1.0″	Not Available
Memory Foam	1.5″	Not Available
Memory Foam	2.0″	Not Available
Pocketed Coils	6.0″	Not Available
Support Foam	3.0″	Not Available

We reached out to Casper for information about their material specs, specifically foam densities and coil gauges. However, Casper did not provide that information to us.

The Casper Snow Max has a thin cover. It is soft and breathable, with a good amount of stretch to it. There are no tufted accents or quilted components within the cover.

I’ll also add, the Casper Snow Max has a phase change cooling spray that is applied to the top of the foam directly below the cover (and below thew fire sock).

Phase change materials help to create a cooler feel by drawing heat away from the surface of the mattress.

The comfort layer is 4.5″ thick and made of three layers of memory foam. On top, we have a 1.0″ memory foam layer (green foam) immediately followed by a 1.5″ memory foam (green + blue zoned foam).

The second layer is a different memory foam, depending on what section of the mattress you’re looking at.

The head and foot of the mattress use a green memory foam, while the center section of the mattress has a blue memory foam. This is part of the zoned support design on the mattress.

The final comfort layer is another 1.5″ memory foam layer, this one cut with channels to provide zoned support.

The support layer is 9″ thick and made of coils and support foam. There is a 6.0″ pocketed coil layer that has 616 individually pocketed coils.

There is also an edge perimeter foam that helps to reinforce the edge of the mattress for sitting or lying.

Below the coils is 3.0″ support foam that provides a strong base for stability and support.

Product Evolution

Casper launched in 2014 with the launch of the Casper all-foam mattress. In 2019, Casper hybrids entered the chat and models continued to be added until it hit max capacity in 2023.

In early 2024, Casper discontinued their entire mattress line and launched 5 brand-new mattresses.

Prior to this rework, there were 4 Casper hybrids:

• Casper Original Hybrid
• Casper Nova Hybrid
• Casper Wave Hybrid
• Casper Snow (still available; however, it has a new design)

Casper’s 2024 lineup includes:

• Casper One – all foam, most basic, least expensive
• Casper Cloud One – all foam, similar, but improved version of Casper One
• Casper Dream – least expensive hybrid
• Casper Dream Max – higher performance hybrid
• Casper Snow – least expensive, cooler hybrid
• Casper Snow Max – higher performance, cooler hybrid

As of January 2024, Casper has updated the fire barrier of their mattresses, including the Casper Snow Max Hybrid. The previous fire barrier, which contained fiberglass, has now been updated to use a Rayon fiber-based product instead of the traditional fiberglass.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Casper Snow Max is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated memory foam hybrid mattresses for alternatives you may want to consider.

Frequently Asked Questions

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