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Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

nytimes.com

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Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#51

Post by kcanini »

givemefive wrote: post #40
tdeck wrote: post #14

Worth listening to this story from Marketplace: Why are there so many mattress stores? https://www.marketplace.org/2016/05/02/world/why-are-there-s... Basically, mattresses in the US are sold at a very high markup (couple hundred times the cost) so it's an easy way to make money.

couple hundred times? So you're saying my $800 mattress cost $4 to make and deliver? ok dude.. I could see the markup being twice or even a little more than twice, but not 200x

They must have meant "couple hundred percent".

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#52

Post by kcanini »

cm2012 wrote: post #44
tdeck wrote: post #14

Worth listening to this story from Marketplace: Why are there so many mattress stores? https://www.marketplace.org/2016/05/02/world/why-are-there-s... Basically, mattresses in the US are sold at a very high markup (couple hundred times the cost) so it's an easy way to make money.

It is nowhere near a couple of hundreds times cost. How about 2 orders of magnitude less.

They must have meant "couple hundred percent".

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#53

Post by microcolonel »

I'm not convinced that a mattress is even a useful product. I have been mattress free for about a third of my life and it's basically fine.

The best argument for sleeping on a bed that I've heard is "chicks don't dig it", which has not been my experience, certainly not once you get through the door. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#54

Post by realdlee »

shanev wrote: post #46

I did a ton of research on mattresses when getting a new bed two years ago. Casper was my first choice since I heard so much about it from my startup friends. I wanted one that was biodegradable with no off-gassing. I took a deep dive into Casper's safety claims and it opened up a whole can of worms. I've never seen an industry with so much greenwashing. The organizations that certify the mattresses as being safe are…

any recommendations on making your own foam mattress?

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#55

Post by patrick_haply »

shanev wrote: post #46

I did a ton of research on mattresses when getting a new bed two years ago. Casper was my first choice since I heard so much about it from my startup friends. I wanted one that was biodegradable with no off-gassing. I took a deep dive into Casper's safety claims and it opened up a whole can of worms. I've never seen an industry with so much greenwashing. The organizations that certify the mattresses as being safe are…

For anyone else who has never heard of greenwashing like me two minutes ago:

> Greenwashing is like whitewashing with a green (environmental) brush: companies and organizations making themselves and their products sound or look like they’re really helping the environment. And they lure you in — creating the perception that you can help, too. In some cases you are helping. In some cases, it’s greenwashing.

Source: http://greenwashingindex.com/about-greenwashing/

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#56

Post by jackvalentine »

Hydraulix989 wrote: post #49
joshuamcginnis wrote: post #18

I got a sour taste in my mouth for Casper when I learned of their Federal lawsuits against affiliate bloggers who reviewed their product. I personally felt like Sleepopolis's review of Casper was as fair and observational as one could get with such a thing. Lawsuit Details: https://sleepopolis.com/blog/casper-sues-sleepopolis-with-fe... Casper Mattress Review: https://sleepopolis.com/mattress-reviews/casper-mattress-…

That is absolutely insane, this "unlawful" review is as informative and objective as it gets: https://sleepopolis.com/mattress-reviews/tuft-and-needle-vs-... You shouldn't be able to sue someone for writing a review, this reeks of violating one's First Amendment rights.

Reading the complaint (https://sleepopolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/caspers-a...) it looks like Casper is suing them for not disclosing their referral links are referral links whilst alleging that they steer people away from products they don't get good referrals on.

I have no idea about the basis or any of the details but it's not just "wrote review, got sued".

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#57

Post by _raoulcousins »

joshuamcginnis wrote: post #21
DrJokepu wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Their products are more affordable than much of their competition, they are very comfortable and easy to assemble. They only have online retail presence, no physical retail locations. The only thing I dislike about my Casper mattress is that sitting on the edge of the bed is a bit uncomfortable.

Lookup "Zinus Memory Foam 12 Inch Green Tea Mattress" on Amazon. It's an incredible mail-order memory foam mattress for under $200. 7000+ 4+ reviews.

I'm lying on mine now. Incredible deal. It sounds like a too good to be true price. I'm sure it's not a very high quality mattress, but it was a huge improvement over my previous one and I'm comfortable.

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#58

Post by smacktoward »

halestock wrote: post #19

For those looking for a new mattress, I'd highly recommend Thr Mattress Underground[0]. It's an unbelievably comprehensive resource for mattress reviews and discussion, and goes into great detail about the mattress industry in general (and the "disruptors" including Casper, among others). [0] https://www.themattressunderground.com

Another great resource is Sleep Like The Dead: http://www.sleeplikethedead.com/

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#59

Post by lewisl9029 »

anilshanbhag wrote: post #42

Is it me or does anyone else fine $550 twin size mattress insanely expensive ? On amazon[0] you can find so many options under $100. I had one of these and used it for two years - it was still good in the end. [0] https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3...

I moved into a new apartment not too long ago, and I was initially thinking of getting a Casper for my new bed, but ended up going with one of the higher-end foam mattresses on Amazon instead for ~$200: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0125QZQNW

I've never tried a Casper, but this $200 mattress is by far the most comfortable mattress I've ever slept on. It's honestly very difficult for me to imagine how a Casper could justify its $400+ premium for someone who's even slightly price conscious.

Maybe someone who has tried both a Casper and a $200~ foam mattress on Amazon can shed some light on the differences.

Re: Casper, Mattress Maker, Raises $170M and Plans I.P.O

#60

Post by shanev »

realdlee wrote: post #54
shanev wrote: post #46

I did a ton of research on mattresses when getting a new bed two years ago. Casper was my first choice since I heard so much about it from my startup friends. I wanted one that was biodegradable with no off-gassing. I took a deep dive into Casper's safety claims and it opened up a whole can of worms. I've never seen an industry with so much greenwashing. The organizations that certify the mattresses as being safe are…

any recommendations on making your own foam mattress?

Check out the DIY threads here: https://www.themattressunderground.com/mattress-forum/index.....

You usually have some kind of firm base, a middle layer, and a soft top layer. I went with a firm latex layer (44 ILD), a medium latex layer (30 ILD) [1], and a wool topper [2]. Very comfortable with good support, and a decent amount of bounce.

[1] https://sleeponlatex.com/products/natural-latex-mattress-top...

[2] https://www.holylamborganics.com

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