Our CNET Sleep editors have examined extra beds than the common sleeper — round 300 completely different ones, the truth is — and have devoted a whole bunch of hours to the craft. We take pleasure 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 just how exhausting or smooth a mattress is. We’ve a number of group members check and fee 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? This can translate to the way it will really feel rolling round on the mattress at night time.
The Mattress Smasher 9000 objectively exams the firmness of every mattress.
We additionally check 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 check every mattress personally for perceived firmness and really feel, we will assist our opinions with the info from the Mattress Smasher.
Sturdiness
The sturdiness, or how lengthy a mattress will final, is predicated on what it is produced from. Mattresses with individually wrapped coils as the bottom are extra sturdy than all-foam choices. Additionally they are usually costlier.
Mattress efficiency
The important thing efficiency standards we assess for mattresses embody movement isolation, edge assist and temperature.
We check how the mattresses isolate motion by inserting 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 associate who rolls round and wakes you up.
Edge assist is how sturdy the perimeter of the mattress is. The check for that is easy: we sit and lie on the sting to see if it offers means underneath stress.
When assessing temperature, we study the supplies and development of the mattress. Supplies like latex and gel reminiscence foam can preserve a mattress from retaining physique warmth.
Learn extra on how we check mattresses.
