Casper Unveils New Low-Priced Mattress, The Essential

We receive free products to review and participate in affiliate programs, where we are compensated for items purchased through links from our site. See our disclosure page for more information.

Casper has added one more mattress to their product line, The Essential, which became available for purchase online in early October and is the company’s best cheap mattress yet. They announced the arrival of their higher-end Wave mattress in September.

The Essential – along with the original Casper mattress and the Wave – means that after years of only one choice, customers now have three Casper mattresses to choose from.

“We’re proud of our original Casper mattress—it’s become wildly popular—but understand that it tops many consumers’ budgets,” says Jeff Chapin, Casper co-founder and chief product officer to Forbes. “So, we analyzed our millions of data points and utilized three years of research to create a streamlined, simpler version for a value-conscious customer.”

Casper essentials layers

casper.com

The Essential is the most budget-friendly of Casper’s three mattresses. A Twin retails for $350.00, while the original Casper twin will cost you $895.00. Similarly, a Queen-size Essential costs just $600.00, compared to $1295.00 for an original Casper mattress in a Queen.

There are some significant construction differences between the Essential and the original Casper mattress. The biggest differences are in the height – Essential is 8.5″ and the Casper is 10″. The Essential also features three layers to Casper’s four.

Both mattresses include the hybrid foam construction and open cell foam (intended for cooler sleeping) but the Essentials will not feature a high-density memory foam layer or a transition layer (among other details) that can be found in the Casper and the Wave.

In an article about the new mattress, Forbes contributor Seth Porges suggests that one reason for the introduction of a more budget-friendly mattress could be Casper’s move to fill in any market gaps, and generate competition from other less expensive bed-in-a-box brands like Tuft & Needle and lesser known brands.

“From a business perspective, this could be seen as part of a larger Casper effort to effectively flood the zone, and fill in market gaps that the company’s limited lineup had previously ceded to competitors,” writes Porges.

As with the original Casper and Wave mattress, the Essential comes with free shipping and 100-night trial (plus free returns).

Check out our review of the original Casper mattress, here.

All images from Casper.com.

Subscribe to Mattress Clarity!

Get special coupons, discounts, and giveaways!

Katie Golde

Katie Golde

Senior Digital Content Manager/Managing Editor​

About Author

Katie Golde is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and previously served Managing Editor and Head of Sleep Research for Mattress Clarity. She handled the daily operations of the site and you’ll still see her in plenty of reviews, from mattresses to travel pillow and bed pillow reviews – plus the occasional How-To video. In addition, Katie reported, writed, and edited sleep health and sleep industry news for the site.

Since joining the Mattress Clarity team in 2016, she has reviewed hundreds of sleep products, like bed pillows and mattresses and written over 200 sleep-related stories for the site. She probably knows more about bamboo sheets and bed pillows than any one person should.

Katie has been writing about wellness-related topics, including sleep, for the last eight years. The first sleep story she wrote covered the best and worst foods to eat before bed. Her previous work can be found in print and online publications like Discover Magazine, USA Today, Bustle and The Huffington Post.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in Journalism with a focus on Interactive Publishing from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism as well. During her graduate studies, Katie focused on health and science reporting and she received the G.D. Crain Award for demonstrating leadership, management, and entrepreneurial excellence during her final innovation project.

Education & Credentials