The Casper Snow Max is a hybrid, bed-in-a-box mattress with a Medium firmness level. It has a thick base layer of polyfoam and pocket springs for support, with layers of memory foam for comfort on top. It has a few cooling features, which Casper calls 'Snow Technology': a cooling cover, foam coated in phase change material, which helps regulate heat, and aluminium-graphite bands, which contribute to heat transfer. The mattress is fiberglass-free, and the brand advertises that it's assembled in the USA.
Our Verdict
-
7.4Light Weight
-
8.6Average Weight
-
8.9Heavy Weight
The Casper Snow Max is best suited to average-weight and heavier side sleepers. If you fall into either of these categories, you'll sink deeply enough into the mattress to relieve pressure on your shoulders and hips, so you can sleep comfortably in this position. Lighter-weight sleepers, on the other hand, don't sink far enough into the mattress for optimal comfort and may prefer a plusher mattress.
Superb pressure relief for heavier-weight sleepers.
Excellent pressure relief for average-weight sleepers.
Enveloping comfort layers add pressure relief for joints.
Only provides decent pressure relief for lighter-weight sleepers.
-
7.9Light Weight
-
7.9Average Weight
-
8.0Heavy Weight
The Casper Snow Max offers very good performance for back sleeping, regardless of your weight range. It's supportive enough to keep your lumbar lifted, so your back stays in a neutral position throughout the night. The enveloping comfort layers help cushion joints, relieving pressure on your lower back and shoulders.
Supportive enough for most sleepers, regardless of weight.
Enveloping comfort layers add pressure relief for joints.
-
7.7Light Weight
-
7.7Average Weight
-
7.9Heavy Weight
The Casper Snow Max is a good choice for stomach sleeping. It offers good support, regardless of your body type, keeping your hips lifted so your back doesn't arch as you sleep. At the same time, the comfort layers help cushion pressure points, like your knees and hips.
Supportive enough for most sleepers, regardless of weight.
Enveloping comfort layers add pressure relief for joints.
Check Price
Test Results
Longevity
The Casper Snow Max offers disappointing longevity. While the memory foam upper comfort layer is dense enough to be considered good quality, the layers below are made of less dense, lower-quality foam. Consequently, this mattress is prone to sagging and forming permanent indents prematurely.
Most of the foam layers aren't dense enough to provide long-term durability.
Most of the memory foam layers aren't very dense, making them less durable and more prone to sagging. The upper comfort layer is dense enough to meet the standard for good quality, making it passably durable. However, the lower comfort layer is made of less dense, low-quality foam, and while the lumbar section is a little denser, it's not much more durable. Similarly, the transition layer is also made of low-quality foam. In general, you can expect this mattress to show wear and tear pretty quickly compared to those made with higher-quality foam.
Pressure Relief
The Casper Snow Max offers impressive pressure relief. With three layers of memory foam, it has an enveloping feel, allowing you to sink into the surface, though it doesn't contour you very closely. It delivers fantastic body conformity for heavier people, who sink most deeply into the mattress, and average-weight people get similarly excellent body conformity. The exception here is lighter-weight people, who don't sink as far, resulting in pressure relief that is just decent.
Superb pressure relief for heavier-weight sleepers.
Excellent pressure relief for average-weight sleepers.
Only provides decent pressure relief for lighter-weight sleepers.
This mattress offers excellent body conformity overall, but its performance depends on your weight. It's most conforming for heavier sleepers, who sink deeply into the mattress. Sleepers in this weight category get fantastic pressure relief, so their hips and shoulders sink far enough for very comfortable side sleeping. Similarly, this mattress provides excellent pressure relief for average-weight sleepers, who also sink pretty far into the mattress's surface. Lighter-weight sleepers, however, only experience decent body conformity while lying on this mattress, so it's not ideal for side sleepers in this category.
You sink very deeply into this mattress, but it only offers alright contouring, which is surprising considering the memory foam comfort layers. This provides a plush sensation, like you're sleeping more 'in' than 'on' your mattress, but without a tight hugging feeling.
Support
The Casper Snow Max provides good support for lighter, average-weight, and heavier people. It keeps the heavier parts of your body lifted, so your spine stays in a straight line, which is especially important when sleeping on your back or stomach.
Supportive enough for most sleepers, regardless of weight.
Regardless of your weight, this mattress offers good support. It keeps the heavier parts of your body, like the hips, from sinking too far into the mattress. This keeps your spine in a neutral position, so you can sleep comfortably.
Cooling
The Casper Snow Max delivers exceptional cooling. Its heat transfer is effective enough to keep you cool if you have trouble falling asleep in the heat. It does an even better job of cooling over eight hours, so it's ideal for hot sleepers who tend to wake up overheated later in the night.
Cooling enough for very hot sleepers.
Cooling is a strong point for this mattress. It keeps you cool as you fall asleep and throughout the rest of an eight-hour night, even if you sleep very hot. This outstanding cooling performance likely comes from the brand's 'Snow Technology.' The cover contains polyethylene fibers that feel cool to the touch, and the top layer of foam is coated in phase change material, which absorbs and releases heat as it changes states. Below that layer of foam, there are six 'HeatDelete Bands,' aluminum-graphite bands; Casper says the bands draw heat away from you as you sleep.
Motion Dissipation
The Casper Snow Max provides excellent motion dissipation. Most movement isn't noticeable, and even larger movements, like when a pet hops on the bed, are only noticeable nearby and don't last long. Overall, it's a solid option if you sleep lightly and want to avoid being disturbed by movement from a partner or pet.
Movement stays localized, instead of traveling through the mattress.
Movement settles quickly, making it less likely to wake you.
This mattress offers excellent motion isolation. You don't feel smaller movements, and while you might notice bigger ones, like your sleeping partner rolling over, they're mainly felt nearby. Movement doesn't travel throughout the mattress much, and it fades quickly.
Responsiveness
The Casper Snow Max responds slowly to movement, which creates the enveloping feel associated with memory foam. However, it also makes it harder to move around on. It's not a bouncy option, either, giving the mattress a static, lifeless feel.
Lacks bounce and responsiveness, especially compared to most hybrids.
This isn't a responsive mattress, which makes sense given the amount of memory foam in the comfort layers. Memory foam is typically slow-moving, and despite the springs and polyfoam base layer below the comfort layers, that's the effect we see here. The mattress responds slowly when you compress it, taking a few seconds to return to normal. This can make it feel harder to move around, so you may struggle to change sleeping positions and feel like it takes extra effort to get out of bed.
The Casper Snow Max is 13.6" (34.6 cm) tall, so you may need to use deep-pocket sheets.
The Casper Snow Max has a Medium firmness level, offering enough support and pressure relief for a range of body types and sleeping positions. It's best suited to average-weight and heavier side sleepers thanks to its excellent body conformity for sleepers in this weight range, but it's less effective for lighter side sleepers who don't sink as deeply into the mattress. This mattress is also supportive enough for most back and stomach sleepers. Regardless of your weight, it offers enough support to keep the heavier parts of your body lifted, so your back stays in a straight line.
The polyfoam built into the sides of the mattress provides good edge support. While you do sink pretty deeply into the sides, you don't sink much farther at the very edge. This avoids creating a ramp, so you feel secure when you sit or sleep near the sides, instead of feeling like you could slip off the bed.
The cover consists of 71% polyester, 28% polyethylene, and 1% spandex. The polyethylene fibers make the cover feel cool to the touch, which contributes to the mattress's fantastic cooling performance.
While the cover has a zipper, the manufacturer warns not to remove it. The cover isn't machine-washable either.
There's extra polyfoam built into the sides of the mattress, which provides good edge support.
There are three memory foam comfort layers above the pocket coils, giving the mattress its slow-moving, unbouncy feel. The top comfort layer is coated in phase change material, which absorbs and releases heat as it changes states, helping to keep you cool as you sleep. The lower comfort layer is zoned, with a slightly denser piece of foam in the lumbar section that may contribute to the mattress's increased firmness in this area. Below that, the memory foam transition layer is also zoned. However, instead of completely separate pieces of foam, this layer has channels cut into it to increase and decrease the firmness in seven different areas. At the very bottom of the mattress, there's a thick base layer of polyfoam. Together with the pocket springs, this layer helps support you, so your hips stay lifted, and your spine stays in a straight line.
There are 4.5" (11.43 cm) of foam above the pocket springs, which is quite a lot of cushioning compared to many hybrid mattresses. These layers help relieve pressure, which is especially beneficial for side sleepers who need adequate body conformity to avoid pressure points at the shoulder.
The support layer consists of 14-gauge pocket coils. Together with a thick base layer of polyfoam, they provide support to the heavier parts of your body, like the hips, which helps keep your back in a straight line.
None of the foam layers is particularly resilient or bouncy, but that's to be expected with memory foam. The upper comfort layer is the most resilient, but it still moves very slowly, and the layers below respond even more slowly to movement. This can give the mattress a sluggish, lifeless feel and make it difficult to change sleeping positions.
Popular Mattress Comparisons
The Casper Snow Max Mattress is a high-end hybrid with Medium firmness. It's the upgraded version of the Casper Snow, and as a result, the two mattresses have a lot in common. They share a similar design, with layers of memory foam on top of a pocket spring support system, but the Snow Max has additional memory foam in the transition layer and six HeatDelete Bands, while the Snow only has three. While these mattresses offer comparable performance, the slightly altered design of the Snow Max introduces a couple of improvements, as well as a couple of weaknesses. The main differences are that the Snow is more supportive, while the Snow Max provides better cooling and better motion dissipation. This makes the Snow more comfortable for back and stomach sleepers, and the Snow Max a better bet for hot sleepers and partnered sleepers.
The main downside of the Casper Snow Max, apart from its steep price tag, is a lack of responsiveness. The memory foam comfort layers respond very slowly when you move around, which makes it feel harder to switch sleeping positions or get out of bed. If you like memory foam, but prefer a less expensive, more responsive option, you might like the Leesa Original. Its memory foam layers are infused with gel beads, which help it respond more quickly to movement.
If you're wondering what we recommend, check out our picks for the best memory foam mattresses, the best cooling mattresses, and the best mattresses for side sleepers.
The Casper Snow Max is a better mattress than the Purple RestorePlus Hybrid for most people. The Casper provides better support and motion isolation, which makes it a more comfortable option for most sleepers. In particular, it's a better option for couples, thanks to its excellent motion dissipation. That said, the Purple is even more cooling than the Casper, and it's bouncier and more responsive, which makes it easier to move around on.
The Casper Snow Max is a better mattress than WinkBeds The WinkBed. The Casper provides more robust support and better pressure relief than The WinkBed, making it more comfortable for a variety of body types and sleeping positions. It also offers better cooling and motion dissipation, making it a better choice for hot sleepers and couples looking to sleep peacefully together.
The Casper Snow Max has a few advantages over the Casper Snow, but whether or not the additional cost is worth it comes down to your sleeping position. If you sleep mostly on your side, consider the Snow Max. Its pressure relief is only slightly better than the Snow's, but it's more cooling and offers better motion dissipation, which can help you sleep more soundly with a partner. It also has better edge support, so you can use the entire surface of the mattress without worrying about rolling out of bed. If you sleep on your back or stomach, stick with the standard Snow mattress, since it's more supportive. That additional support helps keep your hips lifted and your spine in a neutral position, so you sleep more comfortably.
The Casper Snow Max is a better bet than the Casper Cooling Select Hybrid for most people. The Snow Max offers more support and pressure relief, making it more comfortable for a range of sleepers. It’s also more cooling, and it dissipates motion more effectively, so it’s a better choice for hot sleepers and partnered sleepers. That said, if you’re shopping on a budget, the Cooling Select Hybrid is still decently comfortable for most sleepers, and it’s more responsive, making it easier to move around and shift sleeping positions. It’s also a little more durable, which is especially welcome at its much lower price.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Casper Snow Max mattress comes in Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, and Split King sizes. We tested a Queen-size model, and here you can see the labels for our unit.
If you've tried this mattress, let us know about your experience in the comments!