Our CNET Sleep editors have examined extra beds than the typical sleeper — round 300 completely different ones, the truth is — and have devoted lots of of hours to the craft. We take satisfaction in our mattress testing methodology.
Firmness and really feel
Once we begin mattress testing, we first decide the firmness and really feel of the mattress. Firmness is solely how onerous or gentle a mattress is. Now we have a number of staff members take a look at and charge every mattress to get essentially the most well-rounded image of how a mattress performs in these classes.
The texture of the mattress describes how the mattress reacts. Is it sluggish responding like conventional reminiscence foam? Does it snap again like latex foam? It will translate to the way it will really feel rolling round on the mattress at evening.
The Mattress Smasher 9000 objectively assessments the firmness of every mattress.
We additionally take a look at firmness objectively utilizing our proprietary CNET gadget, the Mattress Smasher 9000. This machine presses into the center of a mattress, and our corresponding software program measures firmness on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest. Whereas we additionally take a look at every mattress personally for perceived firmness and really feel, we will help our opinions with the information from the Mattress Smasher.
Sturdiness
The sturdiness, or how lengthy a mattress will final, relies on what it is produced from. Mattresses with individually wrapped coils as the bottom are extra sturdy than all-foam choices. In addition they are usually dearer.
Mattress efficiency
The important thing efficiency standards we assess for mattresses embrace movement isolation, edge help and temperature.
We take a look at how the mattresses isolate motion by putting a glass of water on the sting of the mattress and rolling round to see how a lot it strikes. Movement isolation is an enormous deal if in case you have a companion who rolls round and wakes you up.
Edge help is how sturdy the perimeter of the mattress is. The take a look at for that is easy: we sit and lie on the sting to see if it offers approach beneath stress.
When assessing temperature, we look at the supplies and development of the mattress. Supplies like latex and gel reminiscence foam can maintain a mattress from retaining physique warmth.
Learn extra on how we test mattresses.
