GhostBed vs Casper: Which cooling mattress is best for your sleep?

When it comes to GhostBed vs Casper, the biggest consideration, in our opinion, is between the brands’ cooling mattresses. Namely, the GhostBed Luxe and the Casper Wave Hybrid Snow. Both are among the very best mattresses for people who overheat during sleep, and both offer stacks of cooling comfort to help hot sleepers find relief. But which one, if either, is right for you? 

In this GhostBed vs Casper comparison, we get under the hood of the Luxe and the Wave Hybrid Snow to see how each stacks up in terms of design, support, comfort, price and that all-important chill factor. Ultimately, here we’re aiming to help you figure out which is the best cooling mattress for you if you’re torn between GhostBed and Casper. You can read more about each separately in our GhostBed Luxe mattress review and Casper Wave Hybrid Snow review, but this article is here to weigh up the differences between the two.

Both are excellent choices on paper, and each offer similar sleep trials, plus free shipping. GhostBed claims its Luxe mattress is ‘The Coolest Bed In The World’ and has priced it from $1,895, while the Casper doesn’t come cheap either – it starts from $2,295, though there are often deals on both. 

• Full vs queen mattresses: key differences explained

GhostBed vs Casper: At a glance

GhostBed and Casper are popular mattress in a box brands with a growing range of memory foam and hybrid models. Each manufacturer offers a no-risk free trial and good warranties, so the first key difference between them is the warranty and starting price. The Luxe starts at $1,895 and has a 25-year warranty, while the Wave Hybrid Snow is priced from $2,295 and has a much shorter 10-year warranty.

As we explain in our Casper Wave Hybrid Snow review, $500 of the Casper’s cost includes an extra layer of the brand’s proprietary Snow Technology. There are various mattress sales running throughout the year, so if you have your heart set on either the GhostBed or Casper, it’s always worth checking to see if you can get money off (see the prices and deals section).

Another key difference is that the GhostBed Luxe is a pure memory foam mattress, while the Casper Wave Hybrid Snow features a layer of coils for extra bounce, plus it’s firmer too, so the Luxe offers a plusher feel for hot sleepers. It’s super-close in terms of risk-free trial periods, with GhostBed offering 101 nights and Casper offering 100 nights. So if you change your mind during the trial period, you can contact the brand for a refund and to collect the mattress.

GhostBed vs Casper: Side by side

GhostBed vs Casper: Prices and deals

• GhostBed is the more affordable option
• But Casper packs a lot in for the price
• Both brands run regular mattress sales

As mentioned, neither mattress comes cheap, but there’s plenty of comfort, support and innovative cooling tech on offer to justify those higher price tags. And compared to very premium cool beds, such as the Tempur-Pedic Breeze (from $3,899) or Serta Arctic mattress (from $3,099), the GhostBed Luxe in particular comes across as more affordable.

The Wave Hybrid Snow starts at $2,545 for a twin and costs $3,395 for a queen. The extra-cooling Snow Technology bumps up the price by $500 across all sizes (except the Twin, which is an extra $700), but there are usually Casper mattress sales and deals to lower the price by around 15%. That reduces the cost of a queen size to $2,885, saving you over $509.

So the GhostBed Luxe is the more affordable of the two, starting at $1,895 and priced $2,395 for a queen. There are regular GhostBed mattress sales to lower the prices here too, with discounts of up to 30% being common. That reduces the cost of a queen size to $1,677, plus you get two free pillows worth $190, saving you $908 in total. That’s great value for money.

There is free shipping and returns with both, plus you can pay an extra $199 for in-home delivery and set-up too. For that price, GhostBed will also remove your existing mattress if you arrange it in advance, which saves you having to figure out how to dispose of a mattress.

GhostBed vs Casper winner: This isn’t as simple as it may first appear. Yes, the GhostBed is the cheaper of the two, but Casper is packing a lot of cutting-edge cooling tech into its Wave Hybrid Snow; if staying cooler for 12+ hours in bed is important to your sleep comfort, it’s the better choice. However, there’s no denying how competitively priced the GhostBed Luxe is, and how much it also offers in terms of cooling. Plus it has a fractionally longer trial and a warranty that doubles Casper's. For a cheaper alternative, read our Leesa vs Casper Original comparison.

GhostBed vs Casper: Build and materials

• The GhostBed Luxe is an all-foam mattress
• The Casper uses a mix of foam and coils
• Both focus on premium cooling comfort

GhostBed
The cooling GhostBed Luxe mattress is built over seven layers, starting at the top with half an inch of Ghost Ice fabric. This cool-to-the-touch cover is made with phase change material that reacts to your body temperature to keep you cool.

Next is an inch of gel memory foam that introduces plenty of softness and creates a full body hug feel. Below this, a layer of cooling fiber promotes good airflow over the top of the patent-pending Ghost Ice layer. This crucial layer promises to transfer heat to keep the core of the Luxe mattress cool. There are two other brands that we recommend to people searching for a more breathable mattress, and we explore them both in our Purple vs Tempur-Pedic comparison.

Layer five is a standard 2” layer of gel memory foam for pressure relief and body-heat regulation. This sits on the brand’s own Ghost Bounce layer, designed to be responsive (a little bouncy) yet still contouring. All these layers rest on a durable 7.5” base of high-density foam for support from the bottom up.

GhostBed mattresses also use CertiPur-certified foam, so you can be sure the Luxe is toxin-free and safe to sleep on. The cover is made with a blend of fabrics, with synthetic latex and high-density foam in the layers. If you want a bed that’s certified organic, take a look at our best organic mattress guide.

Casper
Casper’s Wave Hybrid Snow also has plenty to offer, starting at the top with a QuickCool cover. This is also infused with PCM so that it remains cool to the touch. And like the GhostBed mattress, the premium foam is cozy and conforms to your body to relieve pressure, although it does have a firmer feel.

Next is a thin layer featuring cooling gel on perforated breathable Airscape foam, then there’s six HeatDelete bands to direct heat away from your body and through another Airscape layer (featuring thousands of perforations).

In the middle of the Casper sits a memory foam layer divided into three areas of zoned support to align your spine. This combines with gel pods under the waist and lower back areas to add continuous support. The foam layers all sit on top of a spring layer, which adds lift and more support and airflow. The Wave Hybrid Snow also features a firm foam border for edge support.

The polyurethane foam used in Casper mattresses doesn’t contain any harmful, ozone-depleting chemicals and other nasties, as verified by CertiPUR-certification, while the cover uses recycled polyester, cotton, rayon and Lycra. 

GhostBed vs Casper winner: It’s a close one, but the extra addition of the Snow Technology on the Casper helps it to surge ahead, while the layer of springs elevates the comfort and breathability for hot sleepers. Both mattresses are high quality and thoughtfully designed, so you definitely get what you pay for on the Wave Hybrid Snow and the Luxe.

GhostBed vs Casper: Support and comfort

• The plush GhostBed is superb for side sleepers
• The Casper has a slightly firmer feel
• Both focus on pressure relief and spinal alignment

GhostBed rates the Luxe as one of its best mattresses for side sleepers as well as for back sleepers looking for a cloud-like surface to snooze on. Because the Luxe has a slightly softer, medium-plush feel, it’s also an ideal choice if you need ample support and cushioning at the neck, shoulders and hips. You’ll get that body cradling effect here but without sinking in too much.

For couples and restless sleepers, the Luxe is very adept at motion isolation, ensuring minimal disturbance between sleepers, so you shouldn’t disturb each other as much when changing sleep position during the night. The seven layers on offer each work hard to deliver an overall feeling of luxury comfort and cooling, all while relieving pressure and ensuring your spine is aligned when you’re lying down.

As mentioned earlier in our GhostBed vs Casper comparison, the cooling power on offer with the Luxe is very impressive for the price. We love the Ghost Ice Fabric, made with phase change material to react to your body heat, coupled with the Ghost Ice Layer to keep the entire core cool.

If you want a slightly firmer surface, then the Casper is the better choice. Even so, the cooling tech really is the star of the show here, with Casper’s Airscape 3 layer bringing together triple layers of perforated foam to boost airflow throughout the entire mattress. 

The Snow tech with HeatDelete bands pulls away excess heat for more than 12 hours, which is more than enough to see you through a good night’s sleep. We also like the QuickCool cover that remained cool to the touch during testing.

Lastly, the zoned support on the Wave Hybrid Snow ensures neutral spinal alignment, with a little more softness around the shoulders, plus gel pods at the waist and lower back to keep your posture in the best position for sleeping.

GhostBed vs Casper winner: It’s a draw. Both mattresses use plenty of features to help you sleep comfortably for longer, with the GhostBed being slightly cozier thanks to its plush feel. If you sleep very hot, then the extra cost of the Wave Hybrid Snow could be money well spent to ensure you sleep deeper for longer. But the GhostBed Luxe is very impressive for the price, especially with that Ghost Ice Layer transferring heat to keep the core of the mattress cool. 

GhostBed vs Casper: User reviews

At first glance it looks as though there are over 1,000 reviews for the Wave Hybrid Snow on Casper’s site, with a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars overall. However, upon closer investigation it’s very difficult to sift out user reviews specifically for the Wave Hybrid with Snow Technology.

Of the reviews that we did find, customer feedback mentioned the excellent cooling properties, with comments such as, “The Snow Technology seemed to really work especially now that it is getting to 80 degrees where we live.” Another explained how, “It’s firm, yet super-comfortable and keeps me cool all night long. The Snow Technology is totally worth it!” 

Critical user reviews mentioned that the Wave Hybrid Snow was just too firm for them, while some customers reported problems with delivery.

There are over 1,770 user reviews of the GhostBed Luxe, generating a 4.8 out of 5 star rating. Positive user comments include, “Best sleep I’ve had in a long time. I purchased the Luxe and it is very cool to touch”, and “I’ve only been sleeping on the mattress for a week, but my back already feels better.” 

It isn’t all plain sailing for GhostBed either, with some customers saying they did not feel the cooling effects of the Luxe, while some others said the firmness wasn’t right for their needs. Wading in on this last point, mattress firmness is very subjective, which is why all reputable brands offer trial periods so you can experience the firmness for yourself.

GhostBed vs Casper winner: GhostBed wins when it comes to customer feedback. Not only were there more comments, most of which were positive, but the company itself was quick to reply, although some less favorable comments hadn’t received a response at the time of writing this article.

GhostBed vs Casper: Which should you buy?

There are a few key differences between GhostBed and Casper to help you decide between them. The first is firmness, with the GhostBed Luxe offering a softer, plush feel. This makes it the best choice for side sleepers, back sleepers and combination sleepers. The GhostBed is also the better pick if you want more body cradling comfort, high pressure relief and strong motion isolation. 

The Casper offers a firmer feel that better suits back and stomach sleepers, people with heavier bodies, and couples who enjoy a firmer sleeping surface. It’s also a great choice if you want non-stop pressure relief and the feeling of sleeping on top of the mattress, rather than in it.

Both mattresses are designed to cool hot sleepers, with the Casper Wave Hybrid Snow designed to keep you cool during long stretches of sleep. But there’s no discounting the tech that helps the GhostBed Luxe to stay cool from the core up.

So that leaves the price. The GhostBed is more affordable, especially when on sale – and it comes with free pillows to make it even better value for money – while the Casper is more expensive, even when on sale. We would argue that it is well-priced compared to similar luxury cooling beds that charge a lot more, so if you have the budget and sleep very hot, it’s worth considering. 

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