The Casper Element (formerly Essential) is one of the best foam mattresses you can buy for less than $1,000.
The Element is Casper's attempt to make a budget mattress without sacrificing comfort and support.
While it comes with a simpler design, the Casper Element is still a comfortable mattress with good support for your back.
If you are looking for a good quality mattress but don't have the budget for a $1,000+ one, then the Element is a good choice.
See the mattress on Casper's official website or read my 10-minute Casper Element review below.
If you are not ready to settle for the Casper Element and want to compare more options, see my collection of the best mattresses we've reviewed so far.
You can see our top pick in each category as well as our head to head comparisons of the best mattresses.
What's In This Mattress Review?
Use this table of contents to skip to the features you care most about.
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About Casper
Casper is one of the biggest names when it comes to online mattresses. They currently sell three mattresses: the budget Casper Element, the mid-range Casper Mattress, and the luxury Casper Wave Hybrid.
Across all their offerings, Casper focuses on creating quality products at affordable prices as well as delivering great customer experience. Each mattress comes with a long trial period and a generous warranty.
With the Casper Element, they have introduced an even more affordable mattress without compromising the sleeping experience.
Social Impact
Casper takes care to protect the environment throughout the manufacturing process. They use Certi-PUR certified foams that are checked for volatile organic compounds emissions (VOCs) and ozone-depleting chemicals.
All manufacturing and assembly are done in the United States, providing much-needed local jobs. This also allows Casper to closely watch over the production process to ensure the quality and integrity of their mattresses.
Finally, Casper does their best to give returned mattresses to charity instead of restocking them.
To know more, check out our in-depth Casper wave review and Casper hybrid mattress review.
Price
One difference between the Casper Original and the Casper Element is the price.
The Casper Element is a budget mattress, with a Queen size currently priced at $536. In contrast, the Casper original mattress costs $986 for a queen size.
You are unlikely to find any other good quality online mattress priced this low.
If you are looking for a budget mattress, the Casper Element is a great choice. Here is the full price list after the discount.
If you don't want to pay the full amount at once, check whether you qualify for financing through Affirm. You can pay as little as $100 per month at 0% interest (for the Queen size).
Purchase Process
Important buying tip: Only buy this mattress on Casper's official website to enjoy their 100-day return period.
The ordering process is easy and quick.
They have a comparison table where you can quickly compare their three mattresses before you place your order. That is the Casper Element, the Casper mattress, and the Casper Wave.
If you are sure about getting the Element, then go ahead and order it.
Remember, first to take a look at their warranty and return policies before you place your order. You don't want any nasty surprises after buying the mattress. Their terms and conditions of returns and warranty are pretty standard.
If you are satisfied with the fine print, choose your preferred mattress size and add it to the cart. You can pay using your credit card or check if you qualify for Affirm financing (takes just a couple of minutes).
Note that if you opt to use Affirm, you'll not be able to use discount codes with your purchase.
Delivery and Setup
Casper provides curbside mattress delivery throughout the United States. The mattress is delivered in 2-3 days though it can take slightly longer depending on your location. In a few locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City, same-day delivery is available.
If you want the courier to deliver the mattress and help you set it up inside, Casper provides White Glove delivery services at a flat fee of $149. The fee includes the removal of your current mattress if you want to get rid of it.
But you can also set up the mattress yourself if you don't want to pay for the extra delivery services. The box it comes in is smaller than you expect. You just need to get it inside, remove the mattress and let it puff up to its normal size.
Shipping
Casper delivers the Element mattress free of charge to the 48 contiguous states in the United States. Additional shipping fees apply for deliveries to Alaska and Hawaii.
Shipping to most of Canada is also free. Shipping fees are charged for certain areas.
Aesthetics and Styling
There is nothing special about Casper Element's styling.
It has a lower profile at just 10 inches in thickness. It's ash grey throughout, including the top and siding. While the knit cover is textured, there are no patterns on the surface.
The only thing that stands out is the blue Casper tag and ‘Element' label on the side. Otherwise, the mattress is quite bland, aesthetically speaking. But this doesn't matter much since you'll be covering the mattress anyway most of the time.
Casper Element Mattress Construction
The Casper Element has a very simple and basic construction. It has two layers that provide cooling, support, and pressure relief.
Before I mention the layers, let me point out a couple of things about the materials used inside the mattress.
- The mattress is 100% designed and manufactured in the United States.
- The foams are Certi-PUR certified.
- The cover is made from eco-friendly materials, including recycled bottles.
Comfort layer: 3″ AirScape perforated breathable foam
The top layer consists of perforated foam that keeps the mattress cool,
The polyfoam does not hug your body quite as closely as memory foam, but it still provides some soft pressure relief.
Base support: 6.5″ High-density foundational foam
The base consists of traditional polyfoam. It's denser than the other layers, which provides additional compression support (no sagging) and ensures the mattress lasts long.
Cover
The Casper Element comes with an eco-friendly cover that's made with rayon, recycled polyester, upcycled cotton, and lycra. The recycled polyester is made from plastic bottles.
Smell/Off-Gassing
One of the main sources of smells in new mattresses is the adhesive used to stick the different layers together. Chemicals in these adhesives start to give off unpleasant and sometimes harmful smells as soon as you unbox the mattress.
Casper uses water-based adhesives in all their mattresses. This eliminates the need to use many chemicals and, as a result, results in less off-gassing.
But as with any foam mattress, there is a little smell to be expected. It's the smell of fresh foam. But it's not harmful at all (the mattress foams are CertiPUR-US certified). It should go away in a couple of days.
If you don't like the smell, I suggest leaving the mattress uncovered in a well-ventilated room. You can leave it in the guest bedroom or the garage until the smell wears off.
Sleeping Experience and Customer Feedback
The Casper Element is still a new mattress; hence there aren't many customer reviews yet. But we will update this section with additional customer feedback as more people try out the mattress.
The few Casper Element mattress reviews rate their sleeping experience between fairly good and excellent.
To some, it's a bit too thin to properly support someone with a big body. For most, the mattress is surprisingly good for its low price tag.
Firmness
Casper Element is a medium-firm mattress (there's only one comfort level available). It's a 5-6 out of 10 on the firmness scale with ten being very firm.
The top layer is on the softer side, while the foundation is firm. The result is a mattress that can hold up your weight well without sinking in too much. It also feels soft enough to be comfortable.
Sinkage
The sinkage will depend on your weight. For people between 90 and 120lbs, it has a medium sink. It'll sink in just enough to provide contouring but not too much that it feels ‘swampy.'
For those with a heavier body, the sinkage is noticeably more than in most mattresses. This is because of the thinner profile and the lack of a transition layer to provide compression support.
If you weigh 200lbs or more, I wouldn't recommend the Casper Element. The sinkage will be too much to the point of hurting your back. Buy a thicker mattress.
Motion Transfer
There is a bit of motion transfer in the Element mattress. But the disturbance is not too much to wake your partner up when you turn at night or wake up to use the bathroom unless they sleep very lightly.
Hot/Cold Issues
Thanks to the open cell foam in the top layer and the breathable cover, the Element mattress stays cool.
Warranty
Casper provides a 10-year limited warranty. It covers defects in the material and workmanship. It's only valid as long as the mattress is used properly on the right foundation.
The warranty is non-prorated.
Read The Warranty at Casper.com
Return Policy
You have 100 days to return your mattress if you don't like it. Returns are free, and Casper will give you a full refund.
Returned mattresses are given to charity or recycled.
Summary
The Casper Element Mattress is perfect for you if you are looking for a good quality budget mattress. If you are not ready to spend $700 or more on a mattress, get the Casper Element.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- An unbeatable price without compromising quality.
- Generous return period and warranty.
- Free shipping to all US states.
- White-Glove delivery is available.
Cons
- The mattress is not ideal for plus-size customers.
- Poor edge support.
- No firm or soft comfort options – just medium firm.
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How the Casper Mattress Compares
See how the Casper mattress compares to other top online mattresses in the following in-depth matchups.
- Leesa vs. Casper vs. Purple vs. Ghostbed
- Tuft and Needle vs. Casper
- Helix vs. Casper
- Nectar vs. Casper
- Leesa vs. Casper
- Leesa vs. Casper vs. Tuft & Needle vs. Saatva
- Ghostbed vs. Casper
- Casper vs. Tempurpedic
- Lull vs. Casper
- Saatva vs. Casper
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