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This Amazon exclusive from Tuft and Needle is a great bed-in-a-box for sleepers on a tight budget, but it won't work for everyone.

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.

Tuft and Needle, the ultimate budget bed-in-a-box brand, is best known for its wallet-friendly mattress options. It's one of the several online brands that have broken through to the mainstream mattress retail space -- you may have even seen its products at Target or Crate and Barrel. 

The Tuft and Needle Nod, exclusive to Amazon, is the epitome of affordable mattresses and will fit just about any budget. It's simple and it's not fit with any fancy bells and whistles, but that's all a part of its charm. If you want a comfortable, budget-friendly mattress that won't cost an arm and a leg, read our Tuft and Needle Nod mattress review to find out more. 

The original Tuft and Needle Nod is what you'd expect a basic mattress to look like. It does come with a cover, a feature that some low-budget mattresses go without. It's on the thinner side and made only with foam, so it doesn't have steel coils in the base to add extra support like the Tuft and Needle Nod Hybrid. 

I'd say this mattress is ideal for a dorm room, a kid's room or as a temporary option when you're in a bind and need a cheap mattress. It's comfortable and feels quality, but I don't see it lasting as long as the Original Casper or Tuft and Needle bed. I could see a lot of people liking its feel, though. It's soft but it doesn't suck you into the bed like memory foam  does. It's a lot more neutral and responsive to pressure, a plus for people who switch positions during the night. 

Tuft and Needle did a good job giving this mattress a balanced feel that appeals to a wide range of sleeping positions. It has a medium firmness level or a 5 out of 10, with 10 being the firmest. It's soft enough for side sleepers but firm enough for most back and stomach sleepers who need proper spinal support. It cradles your hips and shoulders and simultaneously keeps your lower back from sagging into the bed. 

A lot of online mattresses that come in a box are around 10 inches thick or more, but the Tuft & Needle Nod comes in two height options: either 6 or 8 inches tall. It's also only two layers: a bottom layer for support and density with comfort foam in the top layer.

The two layers that make up Tuft and Needle Nod.

Here's a breakdown of the 8-inch Tuft and Needle Nod mattress's layers:

 It's a simple, straightforward design -- pretty much like everything else about this mattress. 

Some people dislike the restricting feel and resistance that memory foam can give you, especially when you try to move positions. Luckily for those people, the Tuft and Needle Nod mattress doesn't feel like memory foam at all. Poly foam is a more responsive, lighter foam with better aeration and less density. It gives the comfort of memory foam without the "stuck" feeling, and it's a generally comfortable foam that most people end up liking. It's like cloud foam found in slide sandals; it molds to your body and provides pressure relief with ample support. 

Considering the fact this bed is all foam, I wasn't surprised to see that it was great at stopping movement across the mattress. It absorbs motion from your partner (or pet), so you won't bounce and jiggle every time they change positions or get up in the middle of the night.

This is where the Tuft and Needle Nod mattress takes a back seat. It's thin and not great for support, so the edges aren't as sturdy as the Tuft and Needle Nod Hybrid or the regular Tuft and Needle mattress. If you share a mattress with a partner and you usually have to sleep near the very edge, you won't feel like you're falling off. Still, you probably aren't going to feel comfortably supported unless you're more petite. 

I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that the Tuft and Needle Nod mattress isn't going to actively cool you down. The good news is it's not going to heat you up either. I think it's good at keeping most people's temperature neutral because it doesn't retain heat like a traditional memory foam mattress. If sleeping hot is a problem for you, make sure to check out our best cooling mattress to get a more comfortable night's sleep. 

When deciding whether or not a mattress is right for you, take your sleeping position and weight into consideration. Believe it or not, it matters.

Side sleepers typically like medium to soft mattresses that provide pressure relief to the hips and joints, while back and stomach sleepers often sleep best on medium to firm beds that provide ample back support. Tuft and Needle Nod has a medium firmness level that appeals to each of these sleeping positions. 

Remember, though, the lighter you are, the firmer a mattress is going to feel, and vice versa. For example, if you're a petite side sleeper, you will probably want a softer mattress because this will feel more like a medium-firm. 

I recommend Tuft and Needle Nod to people under 230 pounds. It's only two layers and 8 inches thick, so it won't be very supportive or durable for a heavier individual. It also won't last as long as a mattress should, which is an important consideration when you're spending hundreds of dollars on something. 

People over 230 pounds should consider the Tuft and Needle Nod Hybrid bed. It's still a budget mattress but is made with steel coils in the foundation to provide a bit more support. 

Here's the main reason why you'd want to buy a Tuft and Needle Nod mattress: The attractive price tag. It's one of the most reputable low-cost mattresses on the market, so you can trust you're getting a quality mattress for cheap. It has over 3,000 reviews on Amazon and almost a five-star rating, so the proof is in the pudding. A queen size 8-inch Tuft and Needle Nod is about $499, almost $400 cheaper than the Original Tuft and Needle model. 

Even though you're buying from Amazon, you'll get the perks that Tuft and Needle offers its mattress-buying customers. You'll receive:

Be forewarned, the mattress will have a new-car like smell when you first open it from the box. It happens with every bed-in-a-box mattress unless it's made with organic materials, and the smell goes away after a few days. You can sleep on it right away, but your Nod mattress will take around 48 hours for the bed to fully inflate. 

Not everyone wants a big, fancy mattress with high-tech abilities or new cooling technology. Some just want a simple, affordable bed that'll help you sleep well at night, and that's exactly what the Tuft and Needle Nod offers. It's a safe pick for anyone on a tight budget. It's also a great starter mattress for your kid who outgrew their toddler bed because of its value and simple construction. 

You might like this mattress if:

You might not like this mattress if:

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.