Our team of nine mattress experts have been doing this for years. We have tested and reviewed approximately three hundred mattresses and dozens of sleep accessories, bedding has top hats has headphones for sleeping. During this time, we established a testing methodology that each mattress undergoes upon arrival at our Reno testing center.
We take a holistic approach to mattress testing, which means our team is involved to ensure we represent all types of people. Our team is made up of a mix of genders, body types and sleeping positions.
CNET’s mattress expert Owen Poole tests the motion isolation using a glass of water.
Firmness
We assess and record two types of firmness: subjective and objective. When testing firmness, I lie on the mattress in all sleeping positions and note the sensation against my back, stomach, and hips. Our entire team participates in this process to ensure that the assessment of firmness is not based on a single body shape.
The Mattress Smasher 9000 objectively measures mattress firmness levels.
The objective firmness level comes from our Mattress Smasher 9000. Not only is it incredibly orange, but it can also scientifically rate the firmness of a bed based on the strength of a 160-pound person. We always make sure to test a bed ourselves before the MS9K is used to ensure our experience is unbiased.
Motion isolation
Motion isolation is how well a bed dampens movement across the surface. This may not seem like a big deal, but if you sleep with another person or a furry friend, a bed with poor motion isolation may keep you up at night.
To test motion isolation, we do two things. First, I lie down on a bed and close my eyes while a teammate moves on the bed next to me. I do this in each sleeping position and assess the amount of movement I feel all the time. Second, we do the water test, which involves placing a glass of water on the edge of a bed and rolling towards it. The bed receives a lower motion isolation score if the water slams or rocks.
Peripheral support
If you’re like me and tend to sleep on the edge of the bed or have mobility difficulties, you know how important edge support is. To test the strength of the bed’s perimeter, we sit and lie on the edge and gauge how much it collapses. It doesn’t have good edge support if we feel like we might roll or the edge will collapse under our weight.
Many of our favorite beds, like Big Fig, have sturdy edge support, meaning you have access to the entire surface of the bed for sleeping.
Temperature
All beds that pass through our laboratory are tested in a temperature-controlled room. Many brands claim their beds cool, but their performance doesn’t back this up. We are passionate about a bed backing up its claims. We review the construction of the bed and rely on our first-hand experience to assess how cool it is.
