Simba vs Casper: Which is the better bed-in-a-box mattress?
We compare everything you ever need to know about the two UK bed-in-a-box mattresses
Update: Since Casper has stopped trading in the UK, this competition has become a little skewed. For more information on the closure, see here. However, if you feel Casper is the winner in this head-to-head, you might be able to grab one of the remaining mattresses via Mattress Online, but we cannot guarantee a secure warranty.
Simba and Casper are two of the best-known brands in the fast-growing bed-in-a-box industry, but which one is the best? Before attempting to answer that question, you should consider what they’re made from, how they feel to lie on and, of course, how much they cost.
Having tested both the Simba Hybrid and Casper, we’ve unpicked the ways in which the two differ, explaining what they do well – and the ways in which they could do even better. Armed with this info, you should be able to make an informed buying decision, and avoid the hassle of having to return a mattress inside its 100-night free trial period.
If you’re still undecided, we’d recommend taking a look at our best mattress list for some more options. First, however, here’s everything you need to know about the Casper and Simba hybrid mattresses.
Simba hybrid vs Casper mattress: Construction and features
The main way the Casper and Simba differ in terms of construction is that the Casper is made entirely from foam, while the Simba uses a combination of foam and pocket springs.
The UK Casper has four different layers in total: a 33mm open-cell foam top layer; 33mm of memory foam; 33mm of transition foam; and finally, 140mm of supportive base foam. In the latest version of the mattress, introduced at the end of last year, Casper added “contour cuts” that supposedly help relieve pressure while maintaining “comfort, support, temperature, and durability”.
Simba, too, is made from four different layers. First comes the 40mm “Simbatex” comfort layer, followed by 2,500 (in king size) 20mm conical springs designed to offer support, then 35mm of memory foam and a 155mm supportive foam base. The Simba base, too, has seven different “zones” to ensure maximum levels of support.
In total, the Casper mattress is 240mm thick, while the Simba is fractionally thicker at 250mm. Both have removable, washable covers (although only the top cover unzips on the Simba Hybrid), but neither have handles to let you move or rotate the mattress.
You can use both mattresses on any flat bed base (sprung divans aren’t a good idea), but if you have a slatted base the gaps between slats ought to be smaller than 3in, and you should regularly rotate the mattress every three to six months to prolong its lifetime. Whichever you choose, though, you’re covered by a 10-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
Winner: Draw They use slightly different materials, but it’s difficult to argue that either the Simba or Casper mattress has a superior construction to its rival. Whether you choose an all-foam or hybrid mattress ought to be decided by what it feels like to lie on, which we cover in more detail below.
Simba hybrid vs Casper mattress: Comfort and performance
When you first unpack the Simba hybrid and Casper mattresses onto your bed, there’s not a drastic difference in terms of how firm they feel. That said, the Simba is slightly harder, perhaps seven out of ten, (where ten is the firmest), compared to a six out of ten for Casper.
One important thing to point out, though, is that both mattresses become softer after their initial break-in period, and in our experience this was more pronounced with Casper than Simba. What’s more, although Simba and Casper are comparable from a temperature control point of view – both feel warmer than mattresses with natural fillings – we noticed Casper becomes noticeably softer as it heats up each night.
If you get particularly warm, then, you can end up feeling like you’ve sunk into a giant marshmallow with Casper, where Simba feels more like it does when you first get into bed.
Although it has pocket springs, you shouldn’t buy Simba expecting the sensation of a traditional pocket sprung mattress – it’s much more akin to an all-foam mattress in this sense, which is hardly surprising when it’s predominantly made from foam. Having said that, it’s plausible that the springs have something to do with the more consistent levels of support.
Winner: Simba
Firmness is a very personal thing, but based on our tests Simba comfortably beats Casper in terms of performance thanks to its more consistent levels of support both in the medium to long-term, and as the mattress warms up each night.
Simba hybrid vs Casper mattress: Price
There’s not a huge amount to dissect here. As far as bed-in-a-box mattresses go, Casper is on the cheaper end of the scale, with prices starting at £375 for a single and rising to £575 for a double and £650 for a king size. Simba is only a touch more expensive, though, and will set you back £379, £599 and £699 for those sizes, respectively.
Winner: Draw
Although Casper is cheaper than Simba across the board, it’s not quite enough for it to chalk up the win. Regardless of which size you choose, the difference in price is less than £50; a sum not great enough to be a determining factor.
Simba hybrid vs Casper mattress: Verdict
As you’d expect from two of the biggest names in the bed-in-a-box industry, our comparison between Casper and Simba is a pretty close-run thing.
It’s nigh on impossible to separate the two as far as features and price are concerned, so the defining factor has to be comfort and performance.
While choosing a mattress is a very personal thing – and your opinion may well differ to ours – Simba is the clear winner in this respect for the simple reason that it offers more consistent levels of support. If you’re happy with the way your Simba feel when it arrives, we’re confident you’ll be happy on it in the weeks and months that follow.