Casper Snow Max Hybrid Mattress Review 2024: A Premium Bed Tested by Experts

8.0

Casper Snow Max Hybrid

Like


  • Responsive coils and foams provide plenty of support

  • Great for people who prefer a dense memory foam feel

  • Zoned support system and cooling features are added bonuses

  • Ideal for side and combination sleepers

Don’t like


  • Not the best option for those seeking a firmer mattress

  • People under 150 pounds might not need the added support

  • Not ideal for people who want a neutral feeling Casper bed

  • Not for those on a tight budget

Product details

  • Type

    Dense memory foam hybrid mattress

  • Firmness

    Medium to medium-soft or 4

  • Trial

    100 Nights

  • Warranty

    10 Year

  • Price

    $$$

Casper is a popular mattress brand best known for making soft, neutral foam beds that cater to the masses. Historically, Casper has put out these types of generally accommodating beds, but recently, the company switched things up, and it now offers a new perspective on what a Casper mattress could be.

With the launch of its 2024 line, Casper released five new beds, two of which are dense memory foam options reminiscent of something more like a Tempur-Pedic mattress. The Snow Max Hybrid is the most premium of these two, providing the most amount of body-conforming pressure relief and targeted Zoned Support. In this review, I’ll give you the rundown on the mattress and who it would be best for so that you can make a well-informed decision before you buy. 

First impressions

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Jonathan Gomez/CNET

We unboxed this mattress on a colder day in the middle of winter. I suppose it was kind of fitting for a bed called Snow Max Hybrid. Right off the truck, we started the unboxing process, which took little to no time at all and was super easy to manage between two people.

The temperature outside combined with the cooling qualities of the bed definitely affected how quickly the bed expanded out of the box. It was rather misshapen at first, but like any other mattress we’ve unboxed at our space, we gave it a full night to get to its true form.

The next day, it looked like the bed advertised on Casper’s website. To us, this meant the bed was finally ready to be tested. I was expecting this mattress to feel like every other Casper that has come through our doors for the past six years. I was quickly proven wrong upon testing responsiveness. 

The bed has a dense memory foam sensation, very similar to something like the original Nectar mattress. When I hopped on this mattress, I found it to be much softer comparatively, providing lots of pressure relief. The Snow Max Hybrid also feels quite cool to the touch, much more so than the average hybrid mattress online.

Video: Casper Snow Max Hybrid Mattress Review

Watch me review the Casper Snow Max Hybrid mattress in this video review. 

Casper Snow Max Hybrid mattress firmness and feel

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Jonathan Gomez/CNET

What does the Casper Snow Max Hybrid feel like?

There’s no getting around it: This bed doesn’t feel like your standard Casper. It has a dense, viscous memory foam feel. You’ll get that body-conforming, sink-in sensation from this mattress, something that lots of fans of memory foam crave having in their bed.

Since memory foam beds are a bit divisive from person to person, not everyone will enjoy the feel that’s found on the Snow Max Hybrid. If you’re searching for a generally accommodating neutral hybrid bed, you may want to look elsewhere. Based on what I’ve observed as an online mattress expert, those who go the route of a dense memory foam option rarely go back to any other type of bed.

How firm is the Casper Snow Max Hybrid mattress?

These types of dense memory foam mattresses can be quite firm for the average sleeper. In the case of the Snow Max Hybrid, it’s actually on the much softer end of the firmness spectrum. We’d place it right in between a medium and a medium-soft on our scale. 

This firmness ranking makes the Snow Max Hybrid a great choice for most side and combination sleepers. It has a nice amount of pressure relief that shouldn’t be too resistant against the pressure points in your shoulders and hips. If you’re looking for a firmer version of this memory foam mattress, consider the Snow Hybrid, and if you want a more neutral-feeling hybrid bed from Casper that’s also softer, check out the Dream Max Hybrid.

Casper Snow Max Hybrid mattress construction

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Jonathan Gomez/CNET

The Snow Max is a hybrid bed that has a combination of coils for support and various foams for comfort. It’s comprised of the following layers:

1. On the bottom, there are two inches of base foam to provide a foundation for the rest of the mattress.

2. Then you have the bed’s main support system of pocketed coils. These are encased in a foam border to help out with edge support.

3. On top of the coils, you have the first layer of Casper’s Align Memory Foam. It has cutouts to provide pressure relief and support to different areas of your body.

4. Next is the second layer of Casper’s Align Memory Foam. It’s divided into three separate sections and gives the bed a Zoned Support feature to help keep your back properly aligned as you sleep.

4. Resting above this layer are Casper’s Heat Delete Bands, which run horizontally across the mattress to help draw away your bodily heat at night.

5. Then you have the bed’s main comfort layer of Soothe Memory Foam, which is coated with a phase change material to also help regulate sleeping temperature.

6. The bed is wrapped up in a cool-to-the-touch cover, which should help the bed sleep slightly cooler than your standard online bed.

Casper Snow Max Hybrid mattress performance

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Jonathan Gomez/CNET

Motion isolation

This refers to how well a bed deadens cross-mattress movement. If you’re in a relationship with someone who’s a light sleeper, you’ll want a bed that doesn’t reverberate a ton of motion. Lucky for you, since the Snow Max Hybrid is a dense memory foam option, it will isolate motion well. I’d say the Snow mattresses will absorb the most motion out of all the Casper beds.

Edge-to-edge support

Sometimes, our partners can hog the entire mattress… unknowingly (or so they say). If this sounds like your sleeping situation, you’ll want a bed that exhibits good edge support. The foam border that encases the pocketed coil support system strengthens the edges of this mattress. If you happen to sleep close to the outer perimeter of the bed, you shouldn’t be falling off any time soon.

Temperature

Out of all the new Casper beds, I’d consider these Snow options to provide the most amount of active cooling advantage. All the added cooling features do noticeably affect how cool this bed sleeps, so I think it’s a great option for especially hot sleepers. I can see it even making the cut for our Best Cooling Mattress list in the future.

Keep in mind here that, much like firmness, sleeping temperature is also a subjective thing. It varies on a case-by-case basis and often depends on exterior factors rather than the mattress itself. If you outfit the bed with a jersey sheet set and a heavy comforter, the bed could sleep closer to temperature neutral. Rest assured, though, the Casper Snow Max Hybrid is cool — no pun intended. 

Durability

A quality hybrid bed such as this can last for several years, sometimes even over a decade. We’ve found that coil beds generally last longer than those that have dense support foam. Foam layers can degrade faster over time as you lie on them night after night, whereas coils retain their shape more since they’re made of metal. Since the Snow Max Hybrid is indeed a hybrid mattress, it’ll likely last you for the next seven to 10 years, if not longer.

Off-gassing 

There’s no getting around it; sometimes, your brand-new bed has an off-putting odor right out of the box. Like other products that ship to you in a box, oftentimes, there’s a factory smell. Don’t worry. Nothing is wrong with your new mattress. It’s commonly referred to as off-gassing, and it’s a completely normal part of the bed-in-a-box process. If there’s a smell, it should go away after a couple of nights. 

Who is the Casper Snow Max Hybrid mattress best for?

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Jonathan Gomez/CNET

Although this is the most premium Casper bed that money can buy, it still may not be the most appropriate mattress for everyone. Here’s who we think will work best for the Snow Max Hybrid.

Sleeping position

Since this mattress is on the slightly softer end of the firmness spectrum, it should work for all sleeper types, but it’s most suited to side and combination sleepers. If you’re more of a back or stomach sleeper, it might not provide enough support or resistance for that preference. If you’re not a fan of a soft memory foam feel, consider a different Casper bed altogether.

If you like memory foam but want a firmer version of the mattress that’s better for all sleep styles, look into the standard Snow Hybrid. The Casper Dream Hybrid is now the brand’s most accommodating option in terms of firmness and feel. It’s around a proper medium and has a soft, neutral hybrid feel. The softer version of this bed is the Dream Max Hybrid, one of the comfiest Casper beds nowadays for side sleepers.

Body type

Being a hybrid mattress, this bed is supportive enough to handle all body types. This includes much heavier people. I myself am a bigger person, around 250 pounds, and I find this bed plenty supportive for my weight range.

If you’re a smaller person, it’ll also provide plenty of support for your body type, but it could be overkill. You could benefit from sleeping on an all-foam mattress like the Casper One Foam. Not to mention, you’d be saving a lot more money.

Casper Snow Max Hybrid mattress pricing

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Size Measurements (inches) Price (MSRP)
Twin XL 38×80 inches $3,125
Full 54×75 inches $3,625
Queen 60×80 inches $3,745
King 76×80 inches $4,625
Cal King 72×84 inches $4,625

One of the biggest things to mention about the Casper Snow Max Hybrid is its price. There’s no getting around it: this is a rather expensive online bed. If you have the budget to spend for a bed with the most amount of support and cooling advantages, it could be worth it. Otherwise, I’d look into the other beds from Casper.

Pricing does change often for online beds, and Casper usually discounts its beds around major holidays. After you apply a discount, you can expect to pay close to three grand for a queen size.

Trial, shipping and warranty

As a brand, Casper also backs its beds with the standard policies for the online space. Its beds ship to you in a box for free, and once it’s in your possession, you get a 100-night trial period to try it at home risk-free. If you happen to not like it within that time frame, you have a return option, but if you decide to keep it, you’re backed by a 10-year limited warranty. Just be sure to use the right foundation for the bed. Otherwise, you could void your bed’s warranty.

The final verdict

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Jonathan Gomez/CNET

It’s interesting to see that Casper’s top-tier bed is now a softer, dense memory foam option. Although it’s a departure from what we’ve come to expect from the brand, I still think it’s a pretty comfortable mattress. This leaves us with the question: who will really benefit from this bed?

I’d say if you want a pressure-relieving memory foam mattress that has the most amount of targeted Zoned Support and cooling features, definitely look into the Snow Max Hybrid. I’d say the only real downside to the bed is its current price; quite the sticker shock.

You might like the Casper Snow Max Hybrid mattress if:

  • You want a premium hybrid mattress
  • You’re a primary side or combination sleeper
  • You like a bed with a dense memory foam feel
  • You want the most amount of cooling features and Zoned Support

You might not like the Casper Snow Max Hybrid bed if:

  • You’re looking for an all-foam mattress
  • You’re a smaller person who doesn’t need extra support
  • You want a firm mattress for back and stomach sleeping
  • You’re looking for a more affordable option

Other mattresses from Casper

There are many other beds to consider in Casper’s new 2024 line. The standard version of the Snow Max Hybrid is the Snow Hybrid; it’s a slightly firmer option with enhanced support for back and stomach sleepers. It also has active cooling and Zoned Support features.

If you don’t like memory foam and prefer neutral-feeling beds, the Dream collection from Casper is worth your consideration. The Dream Hybrid has a neutral hybrid feel and is around a medium on our scale. The Dream Max Hybrid is the softer version of this bed for side sleepers, with an enhanced Zoned Support system.

The One Foam is now Casper’s most affordable all-foam offering. If you’re just looking for a foam bed with a neutral feel, consider this one. It’s a much firmer style of mattress, around a medium-firm, so it’ll work best for back and stomach sleepers who want a firm bed.

How does the Casper Snow Max Hybrid compare to other beds? 

Casper Snow Max Hybrid vs. Casper Snow Hybrid

These are Casper’s newest dense memory foam mattresses. They have lots of similarities in the way of support systems and cooling, but the Snow Max has the most between the two; hence the name. Its Zoned Support system is designed to be more targeted, and it has slightly more cooling capability than the Snow Hybrid. It’s also designed to be on the softer side to suit the needs of side sleepers.

When it comes to price, the Snow Hybrid is the more affordable option. You’ll have to spend quite a bit more for the Snow Max, but it may be worth it if you’re primarily a side sleeper looking for a cooling bed with tons of support.

Casper Snow Max Hybrid vs. Casper Dream Max Hybrid

These are both more premium options from Casper that are on the softer end of the spectrum, mainly gearing them toward side sleepers. They both have the exact same type of targeted Zoned Support system, which makes them great beds for mitigating nightly back pain.

The biggest differences between the two have to do with feel, price and cooling features. The Snow Max is designed to be an active cooling mattress from Casper, and it has more of a dense memory foam feel. Comparatively, the Dream Max has more of a soft, neutral foam feel that’s more synonymous with previous Casper beds. It’s also slightly softer and more affordable than the Snow Max.

Casper Snow Max Hybrid Mattress FAQs

What is Casper’s snow technology?

Casper has advertised its beds to be especially cool through its use of the proprietary Snow Technology. In the past, you could purchase the Wave and Nova mattresses from the brand with a Snow upgrade, helping them sleep cooler than the standard models.

It’s basically a cooling system that’s proprietary to Casper. It’s a combination of the Heat Delete bands that run widthwise along the bed, the phase change material coated on the memory foam, and the cooling cover on top. These three features combine to make up the Snow Technology from Casper. Casper claims it can help you sleep around 5 degrees cooler than the flagship One Foam bed.

Zoned support is basically a support system within a mattress to help keep your back in a neutral alignment while you sleep. Zoned support is found within the transitional layer of memory foam of the Casper Snow Max Hybrid. This layer is divided into three sections, where the middle is firmer than the outer two. This gives you support under your lower back where you need it and pressure relief to the other areas of your body. If you have chronic back pain, this isn’t a bad feature to have in your next bed. 

How long do hybrid beds last?

Mattresses that use coils for support are generally more durable than all-foam beds over time. This is just because a chunk of dense support foam can degrade in the long run faster than a supportive layer of steel coils. The average lifespan of a mattress is usually within seven to 10 years. Hybrid beds often last much longer than that. Considering the Casper Snow Max is the most premium bed in the current Casper lineup, I’d say it’ll last you for several years to come.