Which mattress should you pick from two of the biggest brands in the market? Find out in this in-depth comparison.

McKenzie is a certified Sleep Science Coach and mattress expert. She has personally tested over 150 beds and a variety of different sleep products. Before she was writing about sleep, she was writing music news for an online entertainment magazine.

The hunt for a new mattress can be daunting, considering the number of options you have to sift through. There are now hundreds of mattress companies, online and in stores, and the mattress industry looks completely different than it did 10 years ago. That's why I've pitted the most popular and sought-out beds against each other -- so you have an idea of their differences, pros and cons and which mattress might be best for you from an expert's perspective.

I've been around the mattress block a few times. I have years of mattress-testing experience under my belt and have tried over 100 beds (and counting). That's why I'm confident I can help match you with an accommodating pick. 

In this comparison, I dive into the Casper Original mattress and its memory-foam competitor, Nectar . Learn what I like and dislike about each mattress, and which one might be the best option for you.

Does a soft or firm mattress appeal to you most? Firm mattresses typically offer better support, while soft mattresses are great at relieving pressure. The Casper falls somewhere in the middle, around a 5 to 6 on the firmness scale out of 10. The Nectar, on the other hand, is around a medium-firm, which is a 6 or a 7 on the firmness scale. So, Nectar offers a tad more support that will benefit back and stomach sleepers the most. Casper offers a nice balance between soft and firm that's widely accommodating to most sleeping positions.

Feel is a bit different than firmness. It refers to the way the materials make you perceive the mattress. Does it wrap around your curves? Does it slowly pull you into the top layer of the mattress? Is it bouncy? You get the idea. 

The Nectar mattress has a traditional memory-foam feel. By that, I mean it's slow to respond to pressure and it takes a few seconds to warm up to your body. When you first lay down it'll feel a little firm, but the foam will start to hug your curves as you become nestled into the bed's top layer. If you've ever tried a TempurPedic mattress , it's similar to that. 

The Casper mattress isn't like a normal memory-foam mattress. It's much more neutral, meaning it's not going to pull you into the bed and "remember" your body shape. Instead, it bounces back to normal once pressure is applied, which is a plus for people who like to switch positions on their mattress. Sometimes memory foam can turn people off, but Casper offers a contouring feel without making you feel like you've become one with the top layer. It's kind of like the foam found in the comfiest couch you've ever sat on: supportive and cozy.

What's your favorite sleeping position  -- your stomach, back, side, or a combination of them all? Believe it or not, this plays a pretty significant role in the firmness level you should seek out.

Due to Casper's more middle-of-the-road firmness level, I recommend it to side and combination sleepers. It's going to provide a little more pressure relief to your shoulders and hips while you're on your side than the Nectar mattress does, especially for sleepers under 230 pounds. It's also easier to switch positions since Nectar is so slow to respond to movement. 

I think Nectar, on the other hand, will be better for back and stomach sleepers seeking a tad more support. It's firm enough to keep your spine from sagging into the mattress, and the memory foam provides an ample amount of pressure relief as it hugs your curves.

Foam mattresses  like Nectar and Casper are best for people under 230 pounds. Heavier individuals, however, might like the Casper Hybrid because it has steel coils in the base layer rather than foam. Hybrid mattresses  are more supportive, durable and longer-lasting than foam mattresses, which is why I always recommend them to people over 230 pounds. Foam beds may not offer the right amount of back support for plus size sleepers , nor will they last the expected seven or so years that they're supposed to.

Foam mattresses are good at absorbing motion, especially memory foam. It's hard to tell which is better in this case because the Nectar and Casper both offer solid motion isolation. So, if you have a partner who's a big middle-of-the-night mover, either mattress will help kill that motion across the mattress so you don't feel it.

This refers to how strong and sturdy the perimeter of the bed feels. Couples who share beds should look out for this also, just in case you're ever kicked to the edge. Casper and Nectar both get average marks in this category. You're not going to feel like you're about to roll off the side, but the edge support on these mattresses is not as good as it is on a hybrid mattress with steel coils.

The Casper and Nectar mattress both have designs that help make them sleep cooler than traditional mattresses used to, but they don't sleep cold. If you're a hot sleeper who always sweats when you sleep, you may want to look at our best cooling mattress  options. Otherwise, I think your pajamas and where you keep your AC at during the night will play a bigger role in how hot you sleep.

Here's a look at the inside of a Nectar mattress:

Here's a look at the layers inside a Casper mattress:

The inside of a Casper mattress.

This is where Nectar beats Casper – the Nectar is one of the most affordable, quality bed-in-a-box mattresses out there and that's one reason why I think the brand's mattresses are so popular. That's not to say that Casper is expensive, it's just that Nectar is particularly wallet-friendly compared to similar beds on the market.

Below are the beds' MSRP prices, but keep an eye out for promotions, which are very common in the mattress industry. Nectar is typically much more generous with free accessories and big promotions up to $400 off, making it much more affordable than Casper.

If you're buying a mattress online , the stakes are a bit higher, because you can't actually feel it before hitting that purchase button. With that in mind, Nectar and Casper both offer risk-free trials, free shipping and warranties to help sweeten the deal. Nectar's, however, are a bit more worthwhile.

As you can see, there are quite a few differences between the well-known Casper and Nectar mattresses. Both are well-received bed-in-a-box  foam mattresses, but their differences mainly come down to firmness level, feel and price. It's not about which bed is best, it's about the bed that's best for you. Nectar is going to be a better pick for memory-foam lovers who want a more supportive feel; Casper is for people who might be turned off by memory foam and want something more neutral. Price and sleeping position are also big factors in this decision. Here's a breakdown of who I'd recommend each bed to. 

Reasons you might prefer Nectar:

Reasons you might prefer Casper:

Nectar is made with a dense memory foam, while Casper has more of a neutral-foam feel that bounces back quicker than memory foam. Nectar is also a little bit firmer, and ideal for back and stomach sleepers in search of more support. Side sleepers, on the other hand, will probably like Casper better. A Nectar is also a little more affordable than a Casper mattress.

The Nectar mattress might be better for hot sleepers because it's designed with cooling tech, but Nectar Premier is more ideal because of its cooling cover and other temperature regulating features. 

Nectar retails for cheaper than a Casper mattress, and the brand usually has promotions that include hundreds of dollars of free accessories. 

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.