This Casper mattress from Costco totally blew me away

After testing plenty of mattresses, I can honestly say that the Casper Original mattress was among the worst. Although the ubiquitous brand does have its fans at Reviewed Casper mattresses have never managed to excel in our rigorous testing labs. So when I got the Casper Select, I was wholly prepared to take down the well-known bed-in-a-box brand another notch. But then I actually tested the mattress I discovered that far from being yet another disappointment, the Casper Select was in fact pretty great.

If you’re shopping for a dreamy mattress and already interested in purchasing something from Casper, here’s everything you need to know to make a decision.

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What is the Casper Select?

The Casper Select is a foam mattress manufactured by Casper and exclusively sold at Costco.

Casper Original vs. Casper Select price

In February 2024, Casper relaunched its entire line of mattresses. As a result, the Casper Original has been discontinued and replaced by the Casper One in the brand's lineup. However, it's still possible to find the original online and in stores. The Original can still be purchased for $716 for a Twin, while the California King costs $1,356. Numerous mattresses in a box rival its price and provide better comfort. For instance, our favorite foam mattress, the Tuft & Needle Original, is a fraction of the cost and far more supportive and comfortable on the whole.

The Casper Select memory foam mattress is a well-deserved challenger to the Original. Its price is seldom discounted—this is Costco, after all—but it’s already far cheaper than the Original. The mattress starts at $549 for a full (Costco doesn’t carry a twin or twin XL), and goes up to $649 for a queen or $849 for a king or California king. In other words, even if you need the biggest size available, it’s cheaper than the Original version's queen—which is the most popular and common mattress size in the U.S.

What are the differences between the Casper Original and Casper Select?

The Casper Original is made of three foam layers and measures 11 inches tall. According to a PR spokesperson, the Original has cooling features that aim to prevent you from overheating at night. However, in my experience, I wouldn’t say that it’s cooler than any of the other mattresses we’ve reviewed either.

The Select is 12 inches tall and contains four layers of foam. A PR spokesperson didn't point to specific cooling features, though the production description mentions that it's made with "breathable open-cell foam." Indeed, this mattress felt consistently cool in the weeks I spent sleeping on it—and that’s really saying something, seeing as I had it during two Northeast heat waves when overnight temperatures didn’t dip below the low 70s.

Casper claims both mattresses have “zoned support,” which basically means that different parts of the mattress provide more or less support to your body overnight. The company says this design “ergonomically aligns” your spine. However, every time I chat with the customer service desk about how the different levels of support are created, I can’t get a straight answer. That said, it’s tough to discern how much of this is marketing fluff as opposed to features that will make a difference in your sleep. I’m also not sure what it means when it comes to rotating your mattress—something that’s thought to promote even wear.

What’s it like to sleep on the Casper Original and Casper Select?

My experience with the Casper Original left a lot to be desired. By the time I’d had it for about a month, I was looking forward to seeing it go. When I finally got my next mattress, a firmer option from Brooklyn Bedding, I realized that I hadn’t slept well in an entire month. It wasn’t as though I woke up feeling poorly every day, so much as I woke up feeling rejuvenated after my first night on the next mattress.

The Casper Original wasn’t super squishy and forgiving like the Puffy Lux, but it also wasn’t firm like the DreamCloud. It was just this strange no-man’s-land.

After such a bad experience with the Casper Original, I was prepared to hate the Casper Select. I went in to unbox it in the office and was immediately surprised.

Minutes after opening it, the Casper Select had great edge support even though most mattresses sometimes need 24 hours to fully take shape and reach their final firmness. (Edge support refers to whether the edges can retain some structure to support the pressure of a person’s body weight.) The next day I napped on it, and messaged my editor floored that not only did I not hate the mattress, I actually liked it. So I took it home for a while.

I loved sleeping on the Casper Select. It has officially joined the shortlist of mattresses I eagerly recommend to people. It felt like it would be a crowd-pleaser in that it wasn’t too firm or too forgiving—much like another mattress I loved, the Leesa Hybrid. I'm a stomach sleeper and also sleep on my side—even on my back, I never woke up with so much as a crick in my neck. It had the right balance of support to cushion.

In fact, though it’s a foam bed, it has a medium firm sleep surface and feels far more like a hybrid mattress—which are known for being supportive and supple, and also for their cooling properties. The Casper Select really differentiated itself from every other foam mattress I’ve slept on.

What are the warranty and trial periods for the Casper mattresses?

Both the Casper Select and Casper Original have 10-year limited warranties. While Costco is the only vendor of the Casper Select, Casper itself is responsible for warranty claims on the mattress, according to a customer service representative from Costco. So if you have an issue, you’ll look to Casper for customer support and repairs or a replacement.

You'll want to keep your bed frame in mind. Setting a Casper mattress on the floor will negate the brand's warranty, as will placing the bed on non-wooden slats, wood slats spaced more than 4 inches apart, or a box spring.

The Casper Original has a 100-night trial period. According to one customer service rep, the Casper Select can be returned up until 90 days after delivery. Another rep, however, indicated that it's covered by the 100% satisfaction guarantee and has no return limit. I’d suggest talking to your local Costco to clarify.

Mattresses that are returned to Casper are donated. In fact, the company will coordinate with a local charity to pick up the mattress from your home should you decide it’s not the bed for you.

The Select, in contrast, will be returned to Costco. I thought you’d have to tie it to the top of your car like a Christmas tree and drive the thing back—nope, Costco can arrange for the mattress to be picked up on your behalf at no charge. From there, it’s sent back “to the sender,” which would be Casper, in this case.

A Costco rep couldn’t confirm exactly what happens to returned mattresses once they’re back in Casper’s possession, though if it’s anything like other mattress companies, the beds are likely donated or recycled.

Which Casper bed is worth it?

If it wasn’t obvious enough: I’d tell anyone who is deciding between the two versions to go with the Casper Select. Not only is it cheaper, it’s also a far and away better mattress.

To be honest, I was incredibly sad to let go of the Casper Select. It’s not the best mattress I’ve ever slept on—that honor goes to the Leesa Hybrid and Tuft & Needle Original—but it is a really good option, especially for people on a budget.

The biggest downside is that the Casper Select can only be purchased by Costco members in-store or online. But as far as I’m concerned, buying a membership, which starts at $60 for a year, would more than pay for itself. Even if you were to consider the fee as part of the total cost, a queen mattress, for example, comes to $709—still lower than many of our other favorite options, including the Leesa, which will run you into the quadruple digits. Of course, the mattress isn’t the only perk of joining Costco—you'll also get access to reasonably priced bulk items from great brands, including Squishmallow.

To be clear, I haven’t done a total 360 on Casper as a brand. I still think it’s largely overhyped, and the company’s direct offerings are overpriced. But I’m much more fond of it now (and that's also partly because of the Casper Hyperlite sheets that we recently tested). I can’t drag its name through the mud, as the manufacturer makes some great mattresses—just not every mattress it produces.

What other mattresses in a box do we recommend?

• If you want a cooling mattress, it doesn't get better than the Serta Arctic, which is the best cooling mattress we've ever tested and also features some excellent motion isolation.

• If you’re looking for a firm mattress, the Tuft & Needle Original might be the right place to start. Its our favorite foam mattress and is often available at a deep discount.

• Those in want of a softer foam may like the sensation of the Nectar mattress, which provides a bit of sink-in effect from memory foam, without the quicksand feeling. It's also one of the more affordable mattresses we've tested.