Tuft & Needle vs Puffy Mattress Comparison: Which Will You Choose?

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The bed-in-a-box market has a seemingly endless amount of options, and it can be difficult to find just the right one when there are so many great mattresses from which to choose.

Two such examples are the quality mattresses Tuft & Needle and Puffy Cloud, which are two of the more popular bed-in-a-box mattress on the market.  This Tuft & Needle vs Puffy comparison will examine the construction of both mattresses in detail and attempt to highlight the main similarities and differences between them.

Product
Firmness
Score
Tuft & Needle Mattress
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
3.6/5
Puffy Cloud Mattress
Medium-firm: 7/10
3.9/5
Product
Tuft & Needle Mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 6.5/10
Score
3.6/5
Product
Puffy Cloud Mattress
Firmness
Medium-firm: 7/10
Score
3.9/5

Tuft & Needle vs. Puffy: Top Similarities

  • They have a similar thickness and both feature two layers.
  • They have a similar base layer and are about the same in terms of firmness.

Tuft & Needle vs. Puffy: Key Differences

  • They incorporate different materials in their construction, with Puffy Cloud having memory foam and Tuft & Needle having a proprietary foam called Adaptive foam.
  • The Puffy Cloud’s comfort layer is thicker than the Tuft & Needle’s by a small margin.
  • The Tuft & Needle has a balanced foam feel, while the Puffy Cloud has a classic memory foam feel.

A mattress is opened to show its construction.

Tuft & Needle Construction

  • The Tuft & Needle is 10” tall and features two separate layers of foam.
  • The cover is thin and soft and doesn’t really affect the overall feel of the mattress too much.
  • The first layer is 3” of an adaptive foam, which aims to have great pressure relief and also good responsiveness.
  • 7” of standard base polyfoam makes up the base and is seen in a lot of other bed-in-a-box mattresses.

Tuft & Needle Mattress

The Tuft & Needle is a great value mattress that is also extremely comfortable.

Clarity Score 3.6/5

Material

Foam

Trial Period

100 nights

Shipping Method

Free shipping minus HI and AK

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6.5/10

Warranty

10-year limited warranty

Price Range

$$$$$

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Stomach Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight stomach sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.6/5

Tuft & Needle Mattress

The Tuft & Needle is a great value mattress that is also extremely comfortable.

Clarity Score 3.6/5

Material

Foam

Warranty

10-year limited warranty

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6.5/10

Shipping Method

Free shipping minus HI and AK

Trial Period

100 nights

Price Range

$$$$$

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Stomach Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight stomach sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.6/5

Tuft & Needle Mattress

The Tuft & Needle is a great value mattress that is also extremely comfortable.

Clarity Score 3.6/5

Material

Foam

Firmness

Medium-firm: 6.5/10

Trial Period

100 nights

Warranty

10-year limited warranty

Shipping Method

Free shipping minus HI and AK

Price Range

$$$$$

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Stomach Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight stomach sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
4.6/5

The inside of a foam mattress.

Puffy Construction

  • The Puffy Cloud is 10″ tall and also consists of just two foam layers.
  • The cover is thin and doesn’t affect the feel of the mattress too much.
  • The comfort layer is 4” of a gel memory foam that provides great softness, pressure relief, and body contouring.
  • The base layer is 6” of polyfoam and is similar to the base layer of other all foam mattresses.

Puffy Cloud Mattress

Puffy is a comfortable memory foam mattress that is especially great for back and side sleepers.

Clarity Score 3.9/5

Material

Foam

Trial Period

101 nights

Shipping Method

Free shipping

Firmness

Medium-firm: 7/10

Warranty

Lifetime warranty

Price Range

$$$$$

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Kids
This bed is perfect for young sleepers.
Back Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from back pain.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
5.0/5

Puffy Cloud Mattress

Puffy is a comfortable memory foam mattress that is especially great for back and side sleepers.

Clarity Score 3.9/5

Material

Foam

Warranty

Lifetime warranty

Firmness

Medium-firm: 7/10

Shipping Method

Free shipping

Trial Period

101 nights

Price Range

$$$$$

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Kids
This bed is perfect for young sleepers.
Back Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from back pain.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
5.0/5

Puffy Cloud Mattress

Puffy is a comfortable memory foam mattress that is especially great for back and side sleepers.

Clarity Score 3.9/5

Material

Foam

Firmness

Medium-firm: 7/10

Trial Period

101 nights

Warranty

Lifetime warranty

Shipping Method

Free shipping

Price Range

$$$$$

We recommend this mattress for the following sleeper types:

Kids
This bed is perfect for young sleepers.
Back Pain
This bed is perfect for anyone suffering from back pain.
Back Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight back sleepers.
Side Sleeping
Ideal for lightweight and average weight side sleepers.

Financing Options

Financing options are available for this mattress.

Average Customer Rating
5.0/5

Construction Differences and Notes

  • The Tuft & Needle’s Adaptive Foam is soft yet responsive, so it should give good pressure relief while still allowing people to move around on the mattress. It will feel more like people are sleeping “on” the mattress (rather than “in” it).
  • The gel memory foam on top of the Puffy Cloud is 4” thick and very soft. It’s not as responsive as the Adaptive Foam on the Tuft & Needle, so people may have more trouble moving around on the mattress. It will feel more like people are sleeping “in” the Puffy Cloud.
  • The Tuft & Needle should be a cooler sleeping mattress than the Puffy Cloud. The Adaptive Foam is more breathable than gel memory foam, so people should avoid overheating on this mattress.
  • Both mattresses should be about equal in terms of durability.

Firmness and Feel Differences

Both of these mattresses felt like a 6.5/10, or about average in terms of firmness.

That said, heavier people might have a different experience, especially on the Puffy Cloud. They may press through that very soft top layer and engage the support layers beneath. Because of this, they may think the Puffy Cloud is firmer than I did. On the other hand, lighter people may think the Puffy Cloud is softer.

Here’s how it felt on the Tuft & Needle:

  • The Tuft & Needle was supportive when I  was on my back. I felt my hips sink in just the right amount, but not too far. The Tuft & Needle has a thinner comfort layer than the Puffy Cloud, which makes it the more supportive mattress.
  • When I was side sleeping on the Tuft & Needle, I also felt nice pressure relief but did feel a little pressure on my shoulders and hips.
  • When I was on my stomach, I felt properly supported.

Here’s how it felt on the Puffy:

  • Back sleeping on the Puffy Cloud, I also felt decent support and the foam conformed to my body, but I would say the Tuft & Needle offered better support.
  • I felt the best while side sleeping on the Puffy Cloud. I am medium-weight, so I pressed into the mattress without bottoming out, and I felt no pressure on the shoulders and hips. Between the two mattresses, I felt better pressure relief on the Puffy Cloud.
  • I did need more support and firmness when I was on my stomach. See our best mattresses for stomach sleepers for some more supportive options.

The Tuft & Needle has a balanced foam feel, because the Adaptive Foam is soft yet responsive. I sink in a bit, but it is easy to move around, and I feel like I am sleeping on top of the mattress.

The Puffy Cloud has that classic memory foam feel where people will sink into that soft memory foam. It is more like sleeping “in” the mattress. As a result, it is more difficult to move around on this mattress.

See more about the Tuft & Needle’s balanced foam feel in the video below:

See what I thought of Puffy Cloud’s memory foam feel in the video below:

Motion Transfer Differences

Between these two mattresses, the Puffy Cloud handles motion transfer better. It has 4″ of gel memory foam on top, and this material is quite good at isolating motion.

If someone sleeps with a partner, the Puffy Cloud is the better choice. People should feel less of their movements on their side of the mattress, so the Puffy Cloud should be the better mattress for couples.

See how the Tuft & Needle deals with motion transfer in the video below:

Now compare this to the motion transfer of the Puffy Cloud mattress in the video below:

Edge Support Differences

Neither of these mattresses features particularly good edge support, and I did not feel secure sitting on the edge of either mattress. Also, when I was lying down near the edge of both mattresses, I felt like I might roll off.

That being said, the Tuft & Needle is just a bit better with edge support. The Adaptive Foam did not collapse as much as the gel memory foam did on the Puffy Cloud.

People can see the edge support differences in the photos below.

A man sits on the edge of his mattress.

A man sits on the edge of the mattress.

Marten’s Take

Marten is a staff writer for us and has a much different body type from me: He is 6’7″ and weighs about 230 lb; I am 5’9″ and 160 lb. Here is what he thought about these mattresses and how appropriate they are for heavier sleepers:

In my experience, the Tuft & Needle felt like a 6.5/10 in terms of firmness, and the Puffy Cloud felt like a 7.5 or 8/10. My experience was different than Joe’s. This is mostly because, especially on the Puffy, I am pressing through the soft comfort layer and engaging the support layer beneath.

When I’m on my back on the Tuft & Needle, I’m not getting quite enough support, and my hips are sinking in a little too far. When I am on my side, I am feeling some good pressure relief on my shoulders and hips. When I am on my stomach, I’m not getting enough support and am bowing in at the hips.

On the Puffy Cloud, I feel better support on my back than I felt on the Tuft & Needle. My hips sink in, but not too far, and I feel decently supported. When I am on my side, I am pressing through the mattress and feeling some pressure on my shoulders and hips. When I am on my stomach, I need more support and firmness overall.

If you are a heavier back sleeper, lean toward the Puffy Cloud. If you are a heavier side sleeper, lean toward the Tuft & Needle. If you’re a heavier stomach sleeper, you probably need something firmer overall.

Marten’s experience on the Puffy Cloud was not surprising. When he was side sleeping, he pressed through the mattress and hit those support layers. Again, side sleepers who need the best mattress for heavy people may want to choose the Tuft & Needle. Also, he needed more support on his stomach with both mattresses. Heavy stomach sleepers should consider a hybrid mattress or firmer foam mattress.

Who Should Pick the Tuft & Needle…

  • Back or stomach sleepers- Between the two mattresses, the Tuft & Needle is more supportive.The comfort layer isn’t as thick on the Tuft & Needle. If someone sleeps primarily on their stomach or back, they should feel less like they are sinking into the mattress.
  • Hot sleepers- The Tuft & Needle is the more breathable of these two mattresses and should offer the cooler night’s sleep. If someone struggles with sleeping hot, the Tuft & Needle should be the better choice for them.
  • People who like sleeping on top of their mattress- This mattress has more of a balanced foam feel where people get some of that foam experience, but it is still easy to move around on the mattress. The Adaptive Foam is also quite responsive overall, so sleepers shouldn’t feel stuck in this mattress.

Who Should Pick the Puffy…

  • Light- or medium-weight side sleepers- As long as people aren’t too heavy, they should get better pressure relief on the Puffy Cloud. It has 4” of memory foam that allows people to sink into the mattress, so sleepers should feel little pressure on your shoulders and hips.
  • Those who prefer a classic memory foam feel- If people like to slowly sink into their mattress, the Puffy Cloud should work for them. It has that quicksand feel, so it should feel like people are sleeping in the mattress.

RELATED: Best Mattresses For Side Sleepers

Overall

After looking closely at these two mattresses, it shouldn’t be too difficult to choose between them, because the differences between them are so large.

The Tuft & Needle should work for stomach and back sleepers who prefer a balanced foam feel, while side sleepers and fans of soft memory foam should consider the Puffy Cloud.  Consumers should read through this article multiple times, assess their own sleeping characteristics, and then make a more informed buying decision.

Joe Auer

Joe Auer is the editor of Mattress Clarity. He mainly focuses on mattress reviews and oversees the content across the site. He likes things simple and takes a straightforward, objective approach to his reviews. Joe has personally tested nearly 250 mattresses and always recommends people do their research before buying a new bed. He has been testing mattresses for over 5 years now, so he knows a thing or two when it comes to mattress selection. He has been cited as an authority in the industry by a number of large publications. When he isn't testing sleep products, he enjoys working out, reading both fiction and non-fiction, and playing classical piano. He enjoys traveling as well, and not just to test out hotel mattresses! Joe has an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and an MBA from Columbia University.