Casper Dream Hybrid Review 2024: Casper’s New Most Accommodating Bed – CNET

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Casper Dream Hybrid

First impressions of the Casper Dream Hybrid mattress

I was pretty excited to unbox all of the new Casper beds because of how popular the Casper brand is and the fact that I’ve always regarded its beds highly. We received all of the Casper beds on a cold day in February, which usually isn’t important but we noticed something interesting with these Caspers that’s true of all mattresses. 

When we removed the Casper Dream Hybrid from the box and the plastic, it looked more misshapen than the average mattress. The Dream has a layer of memory foam in its construction, and memory foam is especially sensitive to changes in temperature and when it’s very cold, the foam becomes incredibly firm until it warms up a bit. The Dream Hybrid looked better in comparison to the Casper One and the Casper Snow and Snow Max because the Dream Hybrid doesn’t use as much memory foam as the others, and it uses coils. 

A mattress being misshapen out of the box is perfectly normal and expected, and even though these Caspers were more misshapen than usual, it only took about a day for them to look normal and firm up.

When I first started testing the Casper Dream Hybrid it felt very familiar in a good way. The other Casper beds in its new line are a departure from the old beds, but the Dream Hybrid is similar to the Casper Original Hybrid with an accommodating firmness and feel that I enjoy. 

Video: Casper Dream Hybrid review

Watch me review the Casper Dream Hybrid in this video review. 

Construction and feel

The Casper Dream Hybrid has four distinct layers and is similar in design to the more affordable Casper One mattress but with a few significant differences.

The bottommost layer of the Casper Dream Hybrid is a two-inch-thick layer of “Casper Core” support foam. Most hybrid features feature a layer of support foam on the bottom like this to provide the coils with a stable foundation. Above this foam layer is a six-inch-thick layer of individually wrapped pocketed coils that functions as the primary support layer of the mattress. 

I generally prefer coil beds like the Dream Hybrid for the added bouncy feel, and coils are usually better for support and durability throughout the life of the mattress, but there are plenty of sleepers who prefer foam beds because foam has better motion isolation, is easier to move and is usually more affordable. If you are interested in a foam mattress, then the aforementioned Casper One is the only option available from Casper.

Above the coil layer on the Dream Hybrid is a layer of “Align Memory Foam.” This layer functions as a buffer between the main comfort layer and the supportive coil layer below. Above this layer of memory foam is the main comfort layer which is what Casper calls “Breathe Flex Foam.” 

The top two layers of the Dream Hybrid are essentially the same as on the Casper One mattress, but the feel of the beds is significantly different thanks to the responsive coil layer. It has a soft, neutral and accommodating feel that most sleepers should enjoy, and the Dream Hybrid feels very similar to the old Casper Hybrid. If you’re looking for a dense, sink-in memory foam-type feel, the new Casper Snow mattresses have that type of feel as well. For something generally comfortable for pretty much everyone, though, I would recommend the Dream Hybrid.

Zoned support design

Previous Casper beds like the Casper Original and the Casper Wave Hybrid were known for featuring a zoned support design. What this means for a mattress is that it is divided into separate sections with varying firmness levels that are meant to promote improved spinal alignment. 

This design is more advanced on the Casper Dream Max and the Casper Snow Max, but there is a distinct zoned support layer in the Dream Hybrid. The center third of the “align” memory foam is noticeably firmer than the outer thirds, and when we opened up the mattress, this difference was very apparent.

This difference is less apparent when actually laying on the mattress though, as it is designed to be subtle. I would expect you’ll notice the firmness difference when you first begin sleeping on the bed and your body is adjusting to it, but after that this design should help to keep your spine in better alignment and possibly help prevent or alleviate back pain.

Casper Dream Hybrid firmness and sleeper types

The Casper Dream Hybrid has the exact same firmness level as the now-discontinued Casper Original Hybrid at a flat medium. This means that the Dream Hybrid will generally be accommodating for all sleeper types, back, stomach, side and combination. A medium firmness profile like this works well for combination sleepers and for couples especially. 

The Dream Hybrid is the most accommodating choice of the new Casper beds when it comes to firmness. The Dream Max Hybrid is significantly softer and designed for side sleepers, and the Casper One Foam is much firmer for back and stomach sleepers. 

Casper Dream Hybrid mattress performance

Edge support

The edge support of a mattress refers to how well the perimeter of the bed holds up under pressure. If the edge compresses too much, you can feel like you are going to roll off the mattress, which usually leads to poor sleep. 

Fortunately for the Dream Hybrid, the edges are reinforced by the same “Casper Core” support foam found on the bottom layer. The coil layer is actually encased foam around the perimeter and that makes the edge support really solid. I didn’t observe any of that roll-off sensation on the Dream Hybrid.

Motion isolation

If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night because your partner tosses and turns a lot, having a mattress that does a good job of isolating cross-mattress motion is really important. 

The Dream Hybrid is overall pretty average in this category. The support layer is pocketed coils, which have almost entirely replaced traditional innersprings in mattress design. These coils do a much better job at isolating motion, so we don’t see this being a deal breaker for the vast majority of sleepers. However, if you are a really light sleeper who wakes up easily if your partner tosses and turns, it could happen more on this bed than others, and you might want to opt for a foam mattress. 

Temperature regulation

The top layer of foam on the Casper Dream Hybrid is noticeably different from the old Casper models. Before, it was called “Airscape” foam, and I observed that foam to be very breathable thanks to it being perforated. The new “Breath Flex” foam on the Casper Dream Hybrid isn’t perforated, but it does have an open-cell design and is light and breathable. Having coils also improves the breathability of the Dream Hybrid in comparison to a foam mattress so we think this bed should sleep solidly temperature neutral.

However, if you do want a bed with active cooling elements Casper’s new Snow and Snow Max mattress are noticeably cool to the touch, and we also have a best cooling beds list you can check out.

Casper Dream Hybrid mattress pricing