Tuft & Needle vs Allswell: which budget mattress should you choose?

Looking for the best mattress at a budget price? Then Tuft & Needle and Allswell are two brands you should be looking at. Both of these mattresses are well reviewed and come with an MSRP that's cheaper than the best cheap mattress deals. 

Founded in Phoenix, Arizona in 2012, Tuft & Needle is a direct-to-consumer mattress and bedding brand owned by Serta Simmons Bedding. It’s best known mattress is the wallet-friendly T&N Original (which used to be called the Tuft). It also sells a mid-range mattress called The Mint and a premium mattress called The Hybrid. 

Allswell is a design-centric bedding and mattress brand that's owned by Walmart, but only sells direct to consumer. Launched in 2018, its best known mattress and the cheapest in its range is simply called The Allswell. It also offers a mid-range mattress called The Luxe, and a premium mattress called The Allswell Supreme.

In this article, we’ll compare the T&N Original and The Allswell mattresses and answer the question of which budget, bed-in-a-box mattress is the best investment for your money.

Tuft & Needle vs Allswell mattress: design

T&N Original

The Tuft & Needle Original is a 10 inch thick, all-foam mattress, constructed from two layers. The top layer is 3 inches of the brand's proprietary, open cell Adaptive foam, which is infused with graphite and cooling gel for breathability. This lies on a 7-inch base layer of support foam. 

The Allswell

The Allswell, which is also 10 inches thick, is a hybrid mattress constructed from a combination of memory foam and pocket coils. There are four layers in total, beginning with 3/4 of an inch of gel memory foam, quilted into the cover. This is followed by a two-inch layer of graphite and copper-infused foam. Beneath this lies a six-inch core of pocketed coils, featuring thicker coils along the sides for edge support. This all rests on a 3/4-inch base made of polyurethane foam base.

Winner: Allswell 

The four-layer hybrid design of the Allswell is much more sophisticated than the two-layer, all-foam Tuft Original. By combining memory foam with coils, The Allswell is  constructed in a way that offers a nice balance between the extremes of all-spring and all-foam mattresses.

Tuft & Needle vs Allswell: comfort and firmness

Tuft Original

While the Tuft’s design is simple, the combination of a softer top layer and a firmer foam core is in practice quite effective. Consequently, this mattress provides both pressure relief on hips and shoulders, and good spinal alignment, without the sensation of feeling stuck... at least for those with lighter and medium-builds. Heavier people, however, may feel themselves dipping too much into the bed. We’d describe this bed as a 6.5 in terms of firmness.

The Allswell

Despite being a budget model, the Allswell's complex hybrid design adds up to an impressive level of comfort. The inclusion of a pocket coil core serves to minimise motion transfer and prevent you from sinking into the bed. The two layers of memory foam provide good pressure relief on hips and shoulders. Edge support is good on both sides, and the use of gels and airflow around the coils help keep the mattress cool. We’d describe this bed as a 7.5 in terms of firmness.

Winner: Allswell

The more sophisticated design of the Allswell is reflected in a higher level of comfort and support overall. It's particularly recommended for heavier people, back sleepers and front sleepers, as well as couples, given the superior motion transfer and edge support.

However, note that the Tuft Original is the softer of the two. So if you’re a side sleeper or combination sleeper, or just looking for a softer bed that you sink into, then this mattress may be preferable. By the same token, if you’re seeking a mattress that has a bit more bounce that you lie on, not in, you’ll get on better with The Allswell.

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Tuft & Needle vs Allswell: price

At MSRP, the T&N Original costs $350 for a twin, $395 for a twin XL, $495 for a full, $595 for a Queen, $750 for a King, and $750 for a Cal King. You can add antimicrobial protection by HeiQ for $50.

The Allswell costs $265 for a twin, $295 for a twin XL, $345 for a full, $465 for a King, and $465 for a Cal King. 

Winner: Allswell 

The Allswell is considerably cheaper than the T&N Original at all sizes, although note that it is not available at Queen size. That said, it’s always worth checking whether discounts are available; check our regularly updated selection of the best cheap mattresses.

Tuft & Needle vs Allswell: The small print

Tuft Original

Tuft & Needle mattresses are delivered free to your doorstep across the continental United States; shipping fees may apply in Alaska and Hawaii. California residents are eligible for free removal of your old mattress. All of Tuft & Needle’s products come with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year limited warranty.

The Allswell

Allswell offers free delivery over $35 to the 48 contiguous United States & DC. A $50 shipping fee applies to orders for Alaska and Hawaii regardless of the order total. Mattresses come with a 10-year limited warranty and a 100-night sleep trial, although they recommend trying one for at least three weeks. 

Verdict: Draw

Both companies offer broadly the same terms and conditions, which are pretty much standard for the mattress industry.

Tuft & Needle vs Allswell: What other people thought

Tuft Original

The Tuft & Needle Original mattress has an average customer rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon, based on ~15.5K reviews. 72 per cent of reviewers awarded it 5 stars, with only 5 per cent giving a one-star review. Mattress experts are also broadly positive, noting that the mattress offers excellent value given its low price, while being realistic about its limitations. 

For example, a reviewer on our sister site Tom’s Guide wrote: ‘T&N’s adaptive foam comfortably hugged the contours of my body, even as I tossed and turned throughout the night. There’s no uncomfortable sinking feeling or obvious shifting.’ 

The Allswell

The Allswell does not have any customer reviews on Amazon, but it has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Walmart’s website, based on ~3.5K ratings. Around 68% per cent gave it five stars, with only 4 per cent posting a one-star review. Expert mattress reviewers are also very positive. For example, Slumber Yard wrote: ‘It’s a comfortable mattress that accommodates all body/sleeper types and performs well in almost every category.’

Winner: draw

In general, both mattresses get positive reviews from customers and experts alike, describing them as excellent value for money.

Tuft & Needle vs Allswell: which should I buy?

The Allswell is the clear winner between these two mattresses. Not only does it offer a superior sleep experience in terms of comfort, support, motion transfer and edge support, it also happens to be significantly cheaper.

That said, it is the firmer of the two mattresses. So if you prefer a softer mattress that you sink into, then Tuft & Needle is still worth considering, especially if you’re a side sleeper or combination sleeper of light or medium build, as it will provide more pressure relief. Plus discounts are always being offered, so do check whether The Allswell’s pricing advantage actually applies at the time of purchase.