For me, mattresses are not a priority. Up until last autumn, I was still sleeping on the same mattress that I had for a decade. It was the same mattress that I had at home for over ten years before it was given to me. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a mattress's average life expectancy is around eight years. It's enough to say that I wasn't sleeping well. The mattress was old and felt like an old mattress. I would sink everywhere I moved. I would often wake up feeling numb and aching from the lack of firmness. The soreness that I would go to bed with (I am a runner and weightlifter) didn't seem to be as restorative.

When my partner started complaining about his back and shoulder pains from poor nighttime sleep, I knew that I needed a new mattress. We went to a mattress store and bought a decent but cheap model to help us get out of our small apartment. Although it was a huge help, neither of us felt great about sleeping.

When the opportunity to test mattresses at SELF presented itself, I was excited to offer my services. Casper's Wave Hybrid Mattress was a great choice. It promises "less aching, more sleep" and I was eager to test it.

After about a month of using the Casper Wave, we are getting the best sleep we have ever had. I used SELF’s mattress buying guide. It is based upon recommendations from sleep experts. Continue reading to find my complete Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress review.

Online ordering was a big plus for me, as I am uncomfortable around salespeople trying to push me. It is great to be in control of your mattress and not feel pressured to buy something more expensive.

It was a bit tricky once it arrived. Casper is a mattress in a box brand. However, the box weighs more than 100 pounds and comes in a large rectangular cardboard box. It was difficult to move up the steep, narrow stairs of my apartment because it didn't have handles. I would have struggled to lift it up by myself, even if I tried. It took me a while to get it up. My partner had to wait to help me. He described it as being "moderately challenging" because of its heavy weight and unwieldy form. It was difficult for him to lift it by himself. However, it would be easier if he had a partner. For comparison, the previous mattress arrived with handles and looked like a mattress. Even though the mattress was heavy, it was easy to lift up the stairs.

It took two people to lift the mattress out of its box. We then had to remove the plastic wrap and lay it flat to allow it to "inflate."

Casper has made my sleep much more comfortable. My main observation was that I woke up less often when my partner moved, which allowed me sleep uninterrupted throughout the night. This allowed me to sleep deeper, something that I struggle with according to my fitness tracker.

I haven't had to wake up with the painful cranks in my neck that used to plague me with my old mattress. My back is also feeling fresher and less sore.

Wave Hybrid is described by Casper as the "most supportive" mattress. It has up to 86 gel pods that are placed underneath your back and waist to give you more support than foam. This supports your spine and prevents sinking. I had a similar problem with my old mattress. My shoulders and back would sink in when I shifted, making it difficult to sleep well. Ouch.

This support allowed for less motion transfer. We have a difference of over 100 pounds between us so motion transfer is huge. In the past, if my partner got up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, I would be immediately shifted awake. Although I still wake up at night, it is less frequent. It's just a lot less jostling.

The support offered by this mattress has been very pleasant for my partner. His right shoulder and back pain was a problem that he had experienced before. It made it difficult for him to do his job. His right shoulder would sink into the mattress and cause pain throughout the night. He can still comfortably sleep on his side, but his shoulders are supported by the mattress.

The mattress is very comfortable. My partner and I immediately noticed this when we got on it to check it out after installation. It's not too firm but it supports all areas that require support. I was able to lay down on the mattress for the first time, on my back. I could feel that the mattress didn't leave any of my joints exposed. I felt supported in my ankles, knees and hips. It also supported my lower back. This allowed me to lie down on my back and feel completely satisfied. I didn't need to move around to find the right position.

This is great for sleeping on the couch or in bed. It's possible to view TV from a supine position, and I can also read or do work on my laptop when I prop myself up. My lower back would hurt if I tried to work on my bed for more than 20 minutes.

My apartment building from the late 1800s gets very hot in summer. Our window unit AC doesn't do much to cool it. It was my expectation that I would wake up every night sweating, but it hasn't. Wave Hybrid has perforations to circulate air away, multiple layers of foam that let body heat dissipate, so temperature was not a concern.

Although I cannot say that my sleeping environment is cool, the room temperature in late spring and early summer are too hot. However, I don't feel as though I'm being smothered in my own body heat. I can actually sleep with a blanket on in these hot nights. This is important because it helps me fall asleep.

Casper mattresses come with a high-end price tag. It's no surprise that this mattress feels luxurious to the touch. The mattress' outer knit layer feels extremely soft. Below it, layers of polyurethane foams are CertiPUR US certified. They are free from certain chemicals like phthalates and ozone-depleting chemical and are topped with special cooling material. The mattress's deepest layer is made up of resilient springs that give it lift and support, and make it easy to get in and out.

Online purchasing a mattress eliminates the need to talk with a salesperson and also allows you to try it before buying. Casper is a great option for risk-free online mattress shopping. They offer a 100-day free trial, which means you can return your mattress if it doesn't suit your needs within the first 30 nights.

My opinion is that the best mattress blends seamlessly into your daily life. This is what the Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress achieves. It makes my partner and me sleep so much better that we don't even talk about mattresses anymore.

Although the mattress is expensive, I understand that this could be a major deal-breaker for some people. However, if you have the budget it can really improve your sleep. It feels durable because of its quality materials and carefully constructed construction. It's possible it will last for another ten years or more.