Casper Wave Hybrid Review 2024: Testing the Best Mattress for Back Pain

8.0

Casper Wave Hybrid

Like

• Zoned Support Max gives you targeted support
• Sleeps cooler than other 100% memory foam mattresses
• Excellent motion isolation & edge support Ideal for most sleeping positions

Don’t like

• A little expensive for those on a tight budget
• People under 150 pounds might not need the added support

Product details

• Type Neutral hybrid mattress
• Firmness Medium
• Trial 100 nights
• Warranty 10-year warranty

There are countless mattress brands online, but only a few truly stand out above the rest. When it comes to the world of online beds, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Casper. It’s one of the earliest pioneers of the mattress-in-a-box concept. Over the years, through clever marketing and social media campaigns, the Casper mattress has become a popular choice in the online space.

But a lesser-known choice in its lineup is the Casper Wave Hybrid, the brand’s most top-of-the-line option. Picture the Casper mattress on sleep steroids. It’s designed to provide targeted support for your back, and it’s even been endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association. In this review, I’ll break down everything you should know about this mattress and who it’ll work best for.   

Read more: How CNET Tests Mattresses: We Do the Work So You Don’t Have To

First impressions

Like other online beds, the Casper Wave Hybrid arrived in a box. Since it was rolled up tightly in plastic, I let it expand on the foundation for a while so it could off-gas and inflate. However, it was quite heavy, so I had a friend help me move it around. 

I noticed that the coils in this mattress helped it expand rather quickly, faster than your average all-foam bed post-unboxing. The foams on top still needed some time to properly inflate, but after a couple of resting hours, the bed was ready to be tested.

When I first hopped on this bed, I immediately felt a general feeling of comfort. Even though it has memory foam, it doesn’t feel like a memory foam bed. The responsive coils help to balance that sink-in sensation that you’d otherwise get. I doubt many folks will find this mattress to be uncomfortable. It’s soft and really accommodating.

The main thing I took away from my first experience with the Casper Wave Hybrid was support. Being a heavier guy, I sink into all-foam beds more than the average Joe. On this mattress, I felt perfectly supported, especially under my lower back. That being said, I didn’t find it to be overwhelmingly supportive. The Zoned Support in this mattress is present, but it’s also subtle. You might not notice it right away, but over time it seems beneficial for those with back pain.

Video: Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress Review

Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole review the Casper Wave Hybrid mattress.

Casper Wave Hybrid mattress firmness and feel

What does the Casper Wave feel like?

The Casper Wave Hybrid has a soft, neutral foam feel. It’s a straightforward type of feel that’s designed to be generally comfortable for a variety of sleepers. The transitional layer of memory foam gives the bed pressure relief, while the coils and other foams offer more responsiveness. This bed strikes a nice balance of overall comfort.

If you’re new to the online mattress buying process, picking something with a neutral foam feel is often a safe way to go. Not everyone knows what they’d prefer when it comes to the feel of a bed, and we can’t all be online bedding product experts. Like many of the other Casper mattresses, the feel of the Wave Hybrid could work for just about anyone. Although, diehard fans of memory foam might want to look elsewhere.

How firm is the Casper Wave Hybrid mattress?

The bed is available in one firmness level, which is around a medium. It’s a suitable option for all sleeper types. Whether you like to sleep on your back, side, stomach or a combination of all three, you should be good to go with the Casper Wave Hybrid. 

Keep in mind that firmness is subjective based on your body type and sleeping preferences. If you’re a strict side sleeper who prefers a softer firmness, you may want to consider something else. The same goes for back and stomach sleepers who want a firmer mattress.

Casper Wave Hybrid mattress construction

There’s a lot going on under the hood of this thing. Since it has coils alongside a targeted Zoned Support system, the Casper Wave Hybrid takes the design behind the Casper Original to the next level. It’s 13 inches thick, on par with other hybrid beds, and comprised of these materials:

1. It starts off with a thick layer of pocketed coils encased in a foam border to help enhance edge support.
2. Above the coils is the first layer of the bed’s Zoned Support Max system. It’s a transition foam with circular cutouts and contours to help keep your spine more aligned. This layer even has gel pods that run along the center thirds to increase support under your lower back.
3. Then you have a layer of memory foam that acts as the second Zoned Support Max layer. It’s divided into three sections, where the middle is firmer than the head and foot. This also helps to support your back more than the average bed-in-a-box.
4. Above that, you have a softer comfort foam that Casper calls AirScape. This layer is perforated with holes to help airflow.
5. Just beneath the bed’s soft knit cover is another layer of AirScape, which is coated with a top layer of cooling gel.

You can remove the cover of this mattress, but it isn’t machine washable. If it gets dirty, you’ll have to spot-clean it with warm water and mild detergent.

Casper Wave Hybrid mattress performance

Motion isolation

If you sleep with a partner who’s easily woken up by your tossing and turning at night, you’ll want a bed that deadens motion. The Casper Wave Hybrid performs well in this regard. The memory foam helps to absorb cross-mattress movement, and the coils don’t reverberate motion like a traditional innerspring unit. All-foam beds usually perform better than hybrid ones in this category, but I doubt many couples will have issues with motion isolation on this mattress.

Edge-to-edge support

If you or your partner sleep close to the edges of a mattress at night, the last thing you want is for someone to fall off the bed. Lucky for you, that shouldn’t ever happen on the Casper Wave Hybrid. Its foam-encased coils help to strengthen the bed’s perimeter and fortify those edges under pressure. Since the bed was designed with “support” in mind, it makes sense that it’s no different in this regard.

Temperature

There are some cooling features on the Casper Wave Hybrid that are designed to help the bed sleep temperature-neutral. For one, it has a cooling gel that’s coated on the top comfort foam. If you peel back the mattress cover and feel that foam, you’ll notice it’s cool to the touch. The main comfort layers of Airscape are breathable and perforated to give the bed a nice amount of airflow. I’d say it should be temperature-neutral for most sleepers.

If you’re an especially hot sleeper, and sleeping cool is a top priority, there is an active cooling version of this bed called the Wave Hybrid Snow. This model features a cooling cover and special cooling strips to help draw away bodily heat. These features definitely make the Wave Hybrid Snow an active cooling option, but it’ll cost you around $500 extra. Since the price of the original version is already up there, that might be out of most people’s budget. But it could be worth it if you want a cooler sleeping version of the bed.

Durability

Hybrid beds generally last longer than all-foam mattresses. In terms of support, coils provide more long-term durability than a dense foam can. Since the Casper Wave Hybrid has those coils, it should be able to handle all body types, including heavier people. It’s also a good practice to rotate your bed every few months or so to even out the sleeping surface over time. This, combined with the bed’s enhanced support system, could help it last for years and years to come.

Off-gassing 

When you order something online and unbox it, sometimes there’s a bit of a funky odor. This is often the case with mattresses that ship in a box. Don’t worry – there’s nothing wrong with your brand-new bed! The Casper Wave Hybrid may smell kind of weird at first, but it should dissipate after a couple of days. Most beds need time to off-gas, and you should know that it’s a completely normal part of the process. 

Who is the Casper Wave Hybrid mattress best for?

Even though the Casper Wave Hybrid is designed to be supportive and accommodating, it might not be right for everyone. People prefer different beds for different reasons, but let’s talk about who this bed will be most ideal for.

Sleeping position

Since the Casper Wave Hybrid is around a medium firmness, it’ll work for all sleeper types. I’m a combination sleeper who rotates between different positions at night, and I find this mattress to be ideal for that preference. It should be supportive enough for primary back and stomach sleepers, while having enough pressure relief for side sleepers. If you’re a petite-size person under 150 pounds, the bed could feel firmer to you and not as ideal for side sleeping. If you’re of an average build though, it’s going to be a comfortable mattress.

Body type

Because it’s a hybrid mattress that has coils for support, it should be able to accommodate all body types. Even heavier people like myself, over the range of 200 pounds, will get plenty of support from it. Also, if you have chronic back pain, the enhanced Zoned Support system in the mattress will likely help to alleviate some of your pain at night.  

This mattress doesn’t have an official weight limit. A good rule of thumb is to go with hybrid beds if you’re heavier and all-foam mattresses if you’re smaller. Average-size folks can go either way design-wise. Coils or foam, you get to choose. How fun! 

Casper Wave Hybrid mattress pricing

There’s no getting around it: this premium hybrid bed comes with a hefty price tag. Regardless of sizing and discounts, there’s a slim chance you’ll be able to purchase it for anywhere under the $2,000 mark. That being said, if you’re a heavier person who needs a bed to help alleviate your chronic back pain, I don’t see you finding a better option. There are other online beds with Zoned Support that are more affordable, but Casper Wave Hybrid’s is second to none. 

Casper regularly offers promotions and deals, and if you time it right, you can score a new mattress for at least 10% off. For holidays like Cyber Monday, you can expect even bigger discounts. Find out what Casper and other mattress brands are offering at our best mattress deals page.

Trial, shipping and warranty

In terms of policies, the Casper Wave Hybrid is backed by industry standards. The mattress will ship to you for free in a box, and once it’s in your possession, you get 100 nights to try it out risk-free. Within that time frame, you can return it for completely free as well, but you get a 10-year warranty if you decide to keep it. It’s also important to make sure you’re using the right foundation for the bed, otherwise you could void that warranty.

The final verdict

To put a bow on this review, I’d recommend the Casper Wave Hybrid for anyone who wants a hybrid bed with a soft, neutral foam feel. Since it has a medium firmness, it’ll work for all sleeper types, and if you’re experiencing back pain at night, look no further. This is one of the most supportive beds online for chronic back pain.

You might like the Casper Wave Hybrid mattress if:

• You’re a back, side, stomach or combination sleeper.
• You want a neutral-feeling bed.
• You like a medium feel.
• You weigh more than 200 pounds.
• You have back pain from your current mattress.

You might not like the Casper Wave Hybrid bed if:

• You’re strictly a side sleeper under 150 pounds.
• You prefer sleeping on all-foam mattresses.
• You prefer a softer, plush feel.
• You’re on a tight budget.

Other mattresses from Casper

Editor’s Note: The following mattresses have also been discontinued but can still be purchased through Amazon while supplies last.

The Casper Wave Hybrid is the brand’s most premium bed, but here are some other Casper mattresses to choose from if you’re looking for something else in their lineup.

Casper Nova: This is the softest Casper mattress at around a medium-soft on our firmness scale. It’s designed to be pressure-relieving enough to suit the needs of side sleepers. It has coils for support to handle all body types, and it features a Zoned-Support design that’s similar to the Casper Wave. In terms of price though, it’s also on the more expensive side.

Casper Snow: If sleeping cool is a top priority, this is the Casper mattress for you. The Snow is a newer cooling option to the Casper lineup. It features a phase change material just beneath its cool to the touch cover and even has Heat Delete Bands to help draw away your bodily heat while you sleep. In terms of firmness and feel, it’s similar to the Casper Original Hybrid and also comes with Zoned Support.

Casper Original Hybrid: This is the entry-level hybrid mattress from Casper. It has a neutral feel, a medium firmness and should work great for all body types due to its support coils. Basically picture a more supportive version of the Casper Original.

Casper Original: One of the most popular choices in the online space is the Casper Original — the brand’s flagship offering. It’s a simple, three-layer foam bed that has a neutral foam feel and medium firmness. It also has a Zoned-Support feature. Simply put, this is a comfy foam bed that’s a safe pick for most sleepers out there. Not to mention, it’s one of the most affordable Casper beds.

How does the Casper Wave compare to other mattresses? 

Casper Wave Hybrid vs. Purple Restore Hybrid 

When looking at the more premium options between the Casper and Purple brands, there’s a lot to consider. In terms of feel and firmness, the Casper Wave Hybrid should be the safer choice for the average sleeper. The neutrality of the bed should appeal to just about anyone.

On the other hand, the Purple Restore Hybrid has a material called the GelFlex grid, which gives it a unique feel that not all sleepers might enjoy. It’s a divisive material that people either tend to love or hate. That being said, if you’re more adventurous, look into the Purple bed, but if you’d prefer something more traditional, go with the Casper.

Casper Wave Hybrid vs. Nectar Hybrid 

The main things to consider in this match up between Casper and Nectar comes down to feel, firmness and pricing. The Casper Wave hybrid is a premium option that comes with a big price tag, but you also get a generally accommodating firmness and feel.

With the Nectar Hybrid, you’re getting a firmer option around a medium-firm with a dense memory foam feel. This firmness and feel isn’t as generally appealing as what’s found on the Casper Wave Hybrid. However if you like memory foam beds of the firm variety, this could be your choice between the two. The Nectar Hybrid is also the more budget friendly option compared with the Casper Wave Hybrid.

Casper Wave mattress FAQs