For most of Casper’s life as a company, they offered one style of mattress. A one-size-fits-most bed that has a great reputation and has satisfied tens of thousands of customers. But in 2017, the company saw the need for a new bed to provide something for customers who were looking for something a little bit more.

They knew they couldn’t simply change the existing Casper model and that delving into a new design meant they had to focus on ergonomics, to find the perfect balance between plush softness and a firm, supportive core.

At the centre of their focus was the desire to create a new, premium mattress, that gives customers a plush experience with luxury materials while being extra ergonomic and supportive to the spine.

They call the Casper Wave mattress a breakthrough in mattress technology, with scientific features that give a liquid, floating feel to the top of the bed and “Hyper-Targeted Support” for ergonomic spine alignment.

What we liked:

  • Premium, luxury materials for a higher-end, plush feel
  • Targeted support areas for increased spinal alignment
  • Breathable, open-cell foams for a cooler sleep
  • Medium feel suits most sleepers

What we didn’t like:

  • Hefty price tag, starting at $2,295 USD for a Queen
  • Only a 10-year limited warranty, which isn’t much, considering the extra price
  • Not a lot of customer feedback yet, as this is a newer mattress

Construction

Casper Wave Mattress

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The Casper Wave adds an extra inch and a half to the regular Casper model, with a fifth layer and new, Hyper-Targeted Support foam for superior spinal alignment. They use a variety of foams that are created with open-cell technology, that combine to give a medium feel in its firmness.

The mattress starts with a 5.5-inch base layer of this Hyper-Targeted Support foam. It has innovative, precision-cut notches in the shoulder and hip area, meant to provide better support for these areas, with lumbar lift in the middle. These notches or channels are filled with a polymer-gel material, to provide flex and responsiveness.

Above this is a 1.5-inch transition layer for added comfort, which provides a shift from the firm foundation layer and their softer upper layers. Another 1.5-inch layer provides the third layer up and is made of memory foam.

By moving the memory foam layer to the middle of the mattress, Casper is making sure the bed has less sinkage than traditional memory foam beds and makes space for more supportive and adaptive layers at the top of the bed. This layer of viscoelastic memory foam is high density and fairly thin compared to other memory foam mattresses, further adding to the beds medium to firm feel.

Once again, another 1.5-inch layer sits on top of the memory foam layer, this time made of latex foam. Latex is known for its quick responsiveness and returns back to its original shape quickly. It is also known for its nice bounce compared to memory foam and adaptive feel, that is reflexive with a bit of push back. Latex is also a naturally cooling material.

The top layer is made of what Casper calls their “Flo foam”. It is a 1-inch layer designed to provide extra pressure relief, while being made with open-cell technology to stay cool. This layer is described by Casper as having a “velvety” feel, with increased sensitivity, responsiveness and a “melt away” feeling.

Indeed, reviewers have echoed this sentiment, saying that the bed has sort of a liquid “wave-like” feel that makes you feel like you are floating. The end result is a bed that gives the feel of the original Casper mattress, dialled up a notch, or, as the company says, “at a higher resolution” – luxurious, plush but firm and supportive.

Firmness and Support

As previously mentioned, the Casper Wave mattress has a “wave-like”, liquid feel with a plush, high-end level of comfort, while still keeping their original firm and supportive core. While the Wave is said to be softer than the original Casper mattress, it still rates as a medium mattress (the original Casper is more medium-firm).

Medium to medium-firm mattresses are the most middle-of-the-road in feel, meaning that most people will find them comfortable, in all sleeping positions.

Not surprisingly, users of this mattress have reported that due to the two areas of Zoned Support, the level of firmness varies depending on where on the bed you measuring. Most reviewers suggest that the Wave is about a 5.5 on a 10-point scale of firmness at the hip region, with the rest of the bed rating softer, at a 4.5 or 5.

Others have described the Wave mattress as “goldilocks perfect” – not too hard, not too soft but just right. Overall, people are reporting that the contouring in the hip area of the base layer is noticeable, in a good way, and that they feel supported and that their spine feels straight.

The top layers provide a good level of cushioning and are completely relieving of all pressure on hips and shoulders of average-sized testers who have tried it out. That being said, a few testers mentioned that the zoned support area was actually an issue for them and caused back pain.

One issue that this mattress might have is in terms of its zoned firmness is that it assumes everyone is the same size, weight and torso length. As a smaller person, one reviewer said they simply found the mattress to have too much push back in the hip region for their frame, which actually made them feel unaligned as their legs were higher than the rest of their body.

Their partner of average weight also felt the same way, so the zoned support region may not be for everyone. Luckily, a decent sleep trial period of 100 nights does give you the opportunity to try it out for yourself.

Motion Transfer and Sinkage

As expected, the Casper Wave performs very well when it comes to motion transfer and sinkage. As a medium mattress in terms of firmness and all foam in construction, these types of beds tend to absorb motion very well, whether it’s you turning over in bed or a partner getting in or out.

With its multiple foam layers, made of different materials, there is plenty of foam to absorb movement and a thick base layer, which also adds to its stability. It’s also this thick base layer that is the Wave’s first line of defence against sinkage.

The Casper Wave gets good points for its overall level of sinkage for people of all body types but since it is a newer mattress, there aren’t a tonne of customer reviews to go by. If it performs anywhere half as decent as the original Casper model, it should be great.

Likewise, like most all-foam mattresses, there is a bit of edge sinkage but nothing out of the ordinary or like what you would see with an all memory foam bed that is rated as soft. Unless you are a heavier edge sleeper, you likely won’t find the edge sinkage too much of an issue. If you are, an all-foam mattress might not be good for you and you might do better with an innerspring bed.

Temperature Regulation

Since it’s memory foam that tends to trap heat in all-foam beds and the memory foam layer in the Casper Wave mattress is buried deep under the top layers of this bed, it doesn’t run hot. The cooling technologies in the upper layers of the bed also work to keep sleepers cool at night, starting with the top, 1-inch layer of Flo foam, which is cool to the touch and draws heat away from the body.

Below this, the 1.5-inch of latex foam adds to the cooling features of the bed. Latex is naturally cooler and more responsive with more push back than memory foam, so you won’t sink into the bed, which can make you hot. All foams in the mattress are made with open-cell foam, which is heat wicking and helps to regulate body temperature.

Sleep Position and Body Type

The Casper Wave mattress seems to be satisfying most people that sleep in all positions and it is satisfying stomach and back sleepers who sometimes have problems with softer foam mattresses. Its polymer reinforced channels give it a bit of push back in its foundation, preventing the sag that normally makes stomach and back sleepers wake up with back pain.

Side sleepers report it distributes weight evenly and does a good job at keeping the spine aligned while cushioning the hips and shoulders.

In terms of body type, it is getting some good feedback from heavier customers who normally have problems with all-foam beds. This is likely due to the extra reinforcements in the hip area, which is where heavier customers tend to sink.

This sinkage causes back pain because the spine isn’t aligned. This means that the Casper Wave mattress might be a good choice for heavier customers over 250 pounds that want an all-foam bed but have had problems with their hips in the past.

Of course, individual results will vary and it sometimes comes down to individual preference, which is why the sleep trial period is so important.

As we mentioned above, while most customer body types are accommodated with the Casper Wave, this pushback in the lower region of the body might be too much for smaller customers and the Casper original might be the better choice, as it has a consistent level of firmness, throughout.

Sleep Trial and Warranty

The Casper Wave offers a 10-year limited warranty. This is the same as the Casper original, so we’re a bit disappointed that the extra price of the Wave doesn’t justify a longer warranty period. That being said, 10 years is a decent lifespan for a mattress of any type and many people change their beds up after 5 to 9 years.

Like the original Casper mattress, the Casper Wave also features a 100-night sleep trial period. This gives you a decent amount of time to determine whether or not it’s for you and if you like its new and improved features. If you decide the bed isn’t for you, Casper will pick up the bed, free of charge and donate it or recycle it and you’ll get a full refund.

Pick the Casper Wave If:

  • You have back problems – The Casper Wave is getting good feedback from customers who have back pain, including heavier people. This is probably due to its focus on spinal alignment and ergonomics, plus it is great at cushioning the side body and pressure points.
  • You are looking for an all-foam mattress with more support – Some all-foam mattresses are too soft and sag in the middle. The Casper Wave is designed with medium firmness and is made to suit all people. It offers more support in the lumbar and hip region than other all-foam beds.
  • You are looking for a bed with some premium features – With its five layers, latex and open-cell foam construction in its foundation layer, the Casper Wave comes at a price but offers some luxury features that other, lower-priced, all-foam beds don’t have.
  • You want a foam bed from a mattress company with years of experience – There are many online mattress companies these days, with more showing up on the scene every year. Casper was one of the first and has had a few years to iron out the kinks in terms of customer service and product quality. If you want a company with history, Casper might be for you.

Since the Casper Wave is a fairly new mattress, time will tell how it suits people of all different body types and weights. Although current reviews are mostly limited to a few key mattress specialists, it’s no doubt that the Wave offers some attractive features that the general public will be interested in.

While the price point is a lot higher than the Casper original, those with back issues and others looking for premium materials in their mattress may be happy to shell out the extra bucks for quality.

Plus, the 100-night sleep trial makes giving the new bed a try pretty low risk. If the Wave is half as good as the original Casper mattress, there are soon to be thousands of satisfied customers.

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