Puffy vs. Ghostbed Comparison 2023 : Which Mattress Is Better?
Here we have two mattress industry disruptors claiming to be the most cooling bed on the market. Both have innovative materials that help keep you cooler than traditional memory foam. Both are more comfortable than but just as supportive as conventional innerspring mattresses.
Puffy and Ghostbed both have proprietary materials claiming to offer the best night’s sleep of your life. So which mattress should be your next big purchase? Although both make excellent choices, only one can be our top choice. We’ve broken it all down in our Puffy vs. Ghostbed review. Let’s take a look.
Winner – Ghostbed
Ghostbed Luxe
The Ghostbed Luxe uses seven different layers of cooling technology although they aren’t all separate memory foam layers. The fabric itself is a Japanese technology that wicks heat away from your body.
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Loser – Puffy
Puffy Lux
The Puffy Lux features 7 layers of comfort and cooling technology. With a washable, removable cover and grippy underside, the real magic comes in the perfectly crafted foam combinations and densities.
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Pricing data and promotions as of January 2023. Your costs may vary.
In This Article
Puffy vs. Ghostbed
Let’s lay down some early groundwork.
Puffy Key Takeaways
What To Like
- ultra cooling Cloud Comfort foam
- affordable options
- responsive proprietary foams
What Not To Like
- no options for heavier people
- slightly more expensive than Ghostbed
Ghostbed Key Takeaways
What To Like
- ice layers help you stay very cool while sleeping
- price is more affordable than Puffy
- a suitable option for heavier people
What Not To Like
- 20-year warranty as opposed to Puffy’s lifetime warranty
- couples may prefer Puffy’s responsive foam over latex
Puffy And Ghostbed Comparison
Puffy and Ghostbed do have some similarities, but not everything is exactly the same.
How are Puffy and Ghostbed Similar?
Let’s start with what they have in common.
Contouring And Support
You’d never buy a mattress like your grandmother’s, right? It was noisy and felt like a small torture device. It’s MO? Forcing your body to conform to its surface night after night, slowly crushing your pressure points and possibly your will to live.
The problem with conventional mattresses is the surface. If it’s supportive, it doesn’t give way underneath your broadest points. It might keep your spine aligned if you sleep on your back or your stomach, but side sleeping? Not a chance.
If it’s too soft, it just gives completely. The sagging can make your spine feel like it’s being twisted into a pretzel. Every time you move, your partner feels it, so you both try to be a still as possible until one of you falls asleep. Make sure you’re the first one asleep.
Ghostbed and Puffy both use modern technology to alleviate these issues. The top layers of both beds are soft materials that gently cradle your curves. The foam allows your body to sink further in at your broadest points (think shoulders) and fills in the gaps around your waist and lower lumbar region.
Your spine stays aligned the way it would if you were upright without sacrificing your pressure points. Underneath, denser foam pushes back against your body. It gives the mattress structural integrity, so there’s no sagging and helps give the bed a longer life than older memory foam and innerspring models.
Edge Support
Those dense foam layers give the mattress edge support as well. With traditional innerspring mattresses, the coils help support each other even to the edge of the mattress. When memory foam first appeared, it was difficult to sit on the edge of the bed because it just collapsed underneath you.
It also created a sweet spot in the middle of the mattress. If you tried to sleep at the edges, you also felt the compression. It was difficult to use the side to get comfortable or if you were part of a couple.
Both Puffy and Ghostbed have good edge support. The sides of the mattress don’t feel like they’re giving out underneath you, so you can sleep on the edge and not fight over a sweet spot.
You can also use the edge of the bed to sit whether tying your shoes or convincing yourself to go for that early morning run you said you would.
Motion Isolation
Memory foam and latex are excellent at dampening the effects of motion on the mattress. Maybe your partner turns into a kungfu master in the night, levitating three inches off the bed while changing positions and crashing down on one side or the other.
Both Puffy and Ghostbed dampen that effect, so you no longer jiggle the teeth right out of your head. It’ll keep your side relatively still, and they can change positions however they want. They can’t do anything about getting kicked in the ribs in the process, but motion? Not an issue.
Manufacturing And Customer Service
Both companies build their mattresses right in the United States from materials manufactured here. There’s no wait time for overseas shipping, and you know that you are supporting US-based industry when you purchase either bed.
Neither company confirms the location of their customer service agents, but they appear to be located in the United States as far as we can tell. They both have good reputations for customer service and answering issues quickly. You shouldn’t have any trouble with language barriers or being misunderstood.
Shipping And Delivery
Both Puffy and Ghostbed are manufactured to order. They’re safely compressed for shipping. Each mattress arrives at your front door in a small (ish) box and is ready for set up whenever you are. Just unpack the box and gently tear the plastic away from the mattress. Never cut it away because you might accidentally cut the mattress.
Give both a few hours to inflate again and make sure that each one is at least 80% of its average size before using. It may take a bit, but they should both be wholly restored within eight to ten hours.
The delivery driver won’t be available to help you set your bed up for either company, so make arrangements ahead of time if you need help. You should also make arrangements for the removal of your old mattress if you need help with that as well.
Sleep Trial
Both companies allow you to try your mattress out for a period of 101 nights. You should give your new mattress at least 30 nights before you start thinking about returning it. New mattresses need some time to break in fully. Your body also needs time to adjust to the new mattress so that old pains can subside and your muscles can decompress.
Financing
If you aren’t able to afford the full cost of the mattress or don’t wish to pay in full at this time, you can apply for financing through both companies’ websites. Qualified buyers can receive a decision in minutes and then you can check out as usual. In both cases, payments are usually less than $100 a month and don’t charge interest.
Accessories
Both companies offer a few different accessories to complete your bedroom. You can purchase bedding materials like comforters, mattress pads, and the Puffy pillow as well as three different foundation styles (including adjustable).
Ghostbed has a pillow made of the same types of materials as the mattress. You can complete your purchase with other bedding materials such as a comforter and mattress protector. They offer two different bases, one traditional and one adjustable.
You can order your mattress and your accessories together or separate and check out as usual. They can also be part of your financing options if you need.
How Are Puffy And Ghostbed Different?
Not everything is the same. Let’s get to the good stuff.
Mattress Models
Both companies may have similar philosophies, but they don’t offer the same types of bed models.
Puffy
Puffy has two different bed models, the original and the Lux. The original mattress uses two different layers of foam to achieve contouring and support. The first layer is Puffy’s proprietary Cooling Cloud foam. It gently wicks heat and moisture away from your body and disperses it, so you sleep cooler. The support layer underneath gives the mattress structural support and keeps your spine aligned.
The Puffy Lux uses three different layers. The first two use Puffy’s cooling foam, but the top layer is a contouring layer that hugs your body and fills in any gaps. The second layer is a transitional layer that provides support where you need it and gives where you need it. Underneath, the dense support foam pushes back against your body and keeps your spine aligned.
The original Puffy is rated about a six on a ten point firmness scale. Medium firm mattresses are considered universally comfortable and suitable for combination support. The Puffy Lux is rated between a five and a half and a seven on the ten point scale. The adjustable foam underneath provides plenty of support while making the bed feel deceptively soft.
Ghostbed
Ghostbed also has two different models, the original and the Luxe. The Ghostbed original uses three layers. The first is aerated latex. Latex is naturally antimicrobial and bouncier than traditional memory foam. Underneath, gel infused memory foam transitions your body to the support layer and assists the latex layer in wicking heat and moisture away from your body. The dense support layer gives you support and provides structural integrity for the mattress.
The first layer of foam is a blend of gel with a topper of something called “Ghost Ice” technology. It provides cooling benefits and returns the mattress to the ambient room temperature as you shift around. Underneath, the Ghost Bounce layer performs like latex, providing responsiveness and adjusting as you change your sleep position. The dense support foam underneath gives the entire thing structural integrity.
Materials
All their materials behave like memory foam or latex, but there are a few key differences. Puffy uses a proprietary foam that bounces back quickly and doesn’t have the traditional memory foam hug. It uses a type of gel infusion that creates one of the most cooling fabrics we’ve ever seen. It behaves more like latex than traditional memory foam as well.
Ghostbed uses a blend of latex and their own proprietary cooling fabrics. These also create some of the most cooling beds we’ve seen. The material uses active phase change technology, so heat is stripped from the surface of the mattress quickly, and you never get any hotspots.
Warranty
Puffy guarantees their mattresses against defects for the life of the bed. You shouldn’t see any abnormal sagging or wear and tear that would affect the support of the mattress. Be sure to read the terms carefully, but you can contact the company if you suspect your mattress has a defect.
Ghostbed guarantees their mattresses for 20 years. The same type of rules apply. If you believe that your mattress is showing abnormal sagging or wear and tear, contact the company for a replacement or repair.
You should support your mattress adequately on a foundation with slats that aren’t too far apart, an adjustable frame, a platform bed, or even the floor. You should also use the mattress only for its intended purpose. IF you don’t, you risk voiding the warranty for both mattresses.
Price
The two companies are relatively similar with their pricing, but there are a few differences. Let’s take each company separately.
Puffy original mattresses begin at just under $800 for a twin and go up to about $1350 for a California king. You can pay as low as $25 a month if you qualify through their Klarna financing option.
Puffy Lux mattresses start at just under $1450 for a twin. Their largest sizes, California king and regular king, are just under $2000. You could pay as low as $36 a month through the Klarna financing option.
Ghostbed original mattresses start at just under $500 for a twin and go up to about $1100 for a California king. You could pay as low as $83 per month through their Affirm financing option.
The Luxe starts at $995 for a twin and goes to just over $1800 for a California king. You could pay as low as $62 per month through their Affirm financing option.
There’s not a huge difference between the Puffy and Ghost bed original mattresses and between the two higher-end versions, the Puffy Lux and the Ghostbed Luxe. If budget is your strictest criteria, then Ghostbed probably wins, but Puffy does have a few options that might make it worth spending a little bit more, (Can we say Lifetime Warranty?)
And The Winner Is…
Ghostbed! Buy Online Now
We’re confident recommending Ghostbed as the best choice based on our analysis of key factors that an average, discerning mattress shopper would care most about.
…then expound a bit, pointing out why you would personally prefer the winning mattress.
- Quality – Tie
- Price – Ghostbed
- Reputation – Tie
- Sleep Trial – Tie
- Warranty – Ghostbed
- Customer Support – Tie
- Product Selection – Tie
For sleepers with specific needs…
Side Sleepers: Choose Ghostbed Luxe
Here’s why … The Ghostbed Luxe uses several layers of contouring and transitioning foams to give the bed a softer feel without losing any of your support. Even though you’re side sleeping, you won’t feel like you’re sinking into quicksand. Also, edge support is excellent.
Stomach Sleepers: Ghostbed original
Here’s why… The Ghostbed original rates at about a six to six and a half on the ten point firmness scale. It’s suitable for combination sleepers and should keep you cool even with your face smashed into the surface of the mattress.
Back Pain: Ghostbed original
Here’s why… Ghostbed original’s latex layer provides targeted lumbar support and helps put your spine in the ideal position. Because it’s ultra cooling, it discourages tossing and turning, something likely to make back pain worse.
Heavy People: Ghostbed original
Here’s why… Heavy people have unique needs. If the bed materials don’t take extra weight into consideration, they can degrade more quickly, and lose support. Ghostbed is rated for combined weights of up to 750 pounds, so you’ve got plenty of room if you’re on the heavier side.
Couples: Choose Puffy Lux
Here’s why … Unless you fall into the category above, Puffy’s proprietary fabric provides excellent bounce and response for couple’s activities. It also keeps you cool after everything is over. If you’re heavier, choose the Ghostbed original with its responsive latex layer and higher weight rating.
Conclusion
Puffy and Ghostbed are both excellent cooling options. We think Ghostbed’s durability and weight rating, plus slightly lower price, edges Puffy out in this running. If you aren’t sure about the life of your mattress, Puffy’s lifetime guarantee may sway you.
Ghostbed’s cooling fabrics create some of the most refreshing sleeping we’ve had in a while. While Puffy’s proprietary foams are some of the most exciting new materials we’ve seen in a mattress, we still think Ghostbed’s ice layers have similar effects. The price difference and weight rating won us over.
What do you think about the price of a mattress? Are you all for saving money, or would you splurge a bit for the sake of your health and wellbeing? Let us know in the comments below.