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In our years of mattress testing, we have established tests that we use to evaluate mattresses on key factors.
Firmness and feel
You can think of firmness as how hard or soft a mattress is when you lie on it. We’ve tested hundreds of mattresses and have an extensive catalog to compare with every new bed we test.
When we evaluate the sensation, we have the hand with the bed. While pressing the bed, we look at what the material does. Does it take a second to spring back like traditional memory foam, or is it quick and bouncy like latex foam?
Durability
Mattresses don’t last forever, and you want to buy one that does. Based on its construction, we hypothesize how well a mattress will withstand the use of the night. Beds that have steel coils as a base usually last longer than foam mattresses.
Motion isolation
Movement isolation is how well a mattress dampens movement across the entire surface. It is a great deal for people who sleep with a partner or a pet that moves at night. Let’s jump and jump on the motion isolation mattress and see how much motion is detected. We also put a glass of water on the edge of the bed and roll and jump next to it. If it does not fall, a mattress has a good isolation of the movement.
Edge support
The support of the mattress is how strong the perimeter of the bed is. We put it on the edge of the mattress and evaluate how sturdy it feels. If we feel that we will fall, then a bed does not have good edge support.
Temperature
Hot bedrooms need to look for mattresses with cooling technology. Many mattresses claim to have it, but we know the difference between marketing and building cooling that actually keeps you cool.
Our CNET Sleep editors have chosen the beds and other products we write about on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Find out more how we test mattresses.
