I Tested Out 5 Different Mattresses and Casper’s Wave Hybrid Was the Only One That Helped My Back Pain

• Value: 18/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Ease of Setup: 18/20
• Aesthetics: 19/20
• Pain-Relief: 18/20
• TOTAL: 91/100

I went most of my adolescence sleeping in a twin bed, sandwiched in the corner of the bedroom that my sister and I shared. I was at an age where my bones were still soft like a puppy’s and I could fall asleep in almost any position or location (in front of the refrigerator and in the back seat of a car, to name a few) without waking up nearly paralyzed from a stiff back or neck.

That’s no longer the case. Although I’ve retained my ability to fall asleep at the drop of a hat (a skill that I hope to never lose), even resting on a slightly pancaked pillow makes me feel three times my age. Because of this, I’ve gone through at least five mattresses in the last three years, trying to find one that cradles my bones and limits pressure on my hips, knees and shoulders. There was a firm innerspring model from a mattress super store, followed by a custom Helix hybrid, which I tried for a few nights before returning, a Nest Bedding hybrid that was much too soft, a three-layer foam situation from Leesa, which I loved, but sadly didn’t survive an interstate move and finally, a Casper Wave Hybrid.

When Casper first launched, almost everyone I know bought the original foam mattress. It came conveniently rolled up in a box, and the branding made it especially appealing to Millennials, myself included. But when I tried my friends’ Caspers, I found I didn’t love the soft foam feeling of the Original Mattress.

Then, in 2019, Casper made a new iteration of its famed foam model. By adding pocketed microcoils, layers of targeted foam and gel-filled pods, the brand found a solution for total spine-alignment in its Wave Hybrid—something I never thought I’d geek out over. What makes Casper’s updated model so great is that it pays particular focus to spine alignment and how it’s affected in every sleep position. I’m a die-hard side and back sleeper, constantly switching between the two positions, (depending on what’s most comfortable for my dog, of course), so I personally need a mattress that’s soft enough to not cause pressure on my hips and shoulders, but firm enough to offer support under my lower back. Because this Casper model uses softer materials under the shoulders and firmer ones around the hips, waist and lower back, it aligns my spine no matter how I sleep.

You really can feel the different zones on the Wave Hybrid, too. Because I’m a semi-petite 5’4” it took me a few nights to find its sweet spot. I had to scoot down a few inches toward the bottom of my mattress (nothing an extra pillow didn’t solve) to really feel the support of the gel pods beneath my lower back. But once I did, I knew I was going to have trouble getting out of bed in the morning—this time, from pure comfort. I noticed a difference from the very first night, when I didn’t wake up at 5 a.m. with the sudden urge to lay on my hardwood floor to get some pain relief. It took a few more weeks to fully adjust, so definitely give it at least a month before deciding whether or not this mattress works for you.

I also have to mention that this version is Casper’s priciest, coming in at $2,595 for a queen; compared to the $1,095 queen-sized Original Foam Mattress. I personally like the firmer, bouncier, floating-on-air feel a hybrid delivers and the convenience of the bed-in-a-box model. And to be honest, having finally found a solution to years of back pain is priceless.

Like any Casper mattress, you can try the Wave Hybrid for 100 nights, risk-free and it comes with a ten-year limited warranty. However, if you wait until Black Friday, it could pay off; last year, the brand offered 15 percent off any purchase that included a mattress, which would knock $300 off the Wave Hybrid. And we have a feeling this year could be the same.