We’ve been testing mattresses, bedding and sleep accessories for years – some members have been doing this for eight years. We estimate that our team has rolled in and rolled, sleeping on 350 different mattresses from dozens of brands, from Bigwigs like Serta and Tempur-Pedic to niche players like Sonu and Airweave.
Our bed testers had different weight and type, height, gender and sleep preferences, which allowed us to conduct an overall assessment of each mattress from a variety of perspectives. Many mattresses have been tested for a long time, from one or two months to five years.
CNET’s sleep team always brings mattresses home for long-term reviews, such as our 30-turn mattress test series.
We test gel mattresses like any other bed, focusing on temperature. When the new mattress arrives at our testing facility, it performs a set of strategic hands-on testing. We analyze features such as firmness, sensation, temperature regulation, motion isolation, edge support and other unique features that the mattress may have.
firm
In the mattress industry, the number of firmness is 1 (softest) to 10 (strongest). We also use direct terms such as “soft” or “medium” to describe it. Our team took turns to evaluate and evaluate the firmness of each bed, which gave us solid advice on which sleep position and body type is the best suit. After a subjective analysis of firmness, we let our unique mattress crusher do our own thing and give us objective firm scores.
Feel
We also subjectively reviewed the feeling of each mattress, which is separate from the firmness. Does the bed feel elastic and responsive? Is it easy to switch positions? Or does it fit our curves and stay in shape for a while? Does the mattress have a soft plush pillow top feel, or is it more neutral? Can we feel the support of any coil or partition? We will try our best to describe what it feels like to lie on each bed to help you determine if it is right for you because we know you can’t test them yourself.
Check the memory foam layer of the Nectar Ultra. You can see that the foam remains in shape and is slow to respond.
Temperature regulation
Given that everyone’s body is different – many mattress brands exaggerate the cooling capacity of their beds – it’s tricky to objectively determine the warmth or cooling of the bed. In most cases, the mattress has a higher temperature neutral than positive cooling. Few beds are suitable for bills that our team considers to be truly positively cooled – even those with gel foam.
When testing mattresses, we will do our best to see how hot the mattress is. Many external factors play a role here (e.g. climate and environment, tables, pajamas, etc.), so we test beds in temperature-controlled rooms without sheets or bedding. Using our extensive knowledge and experience, we analyze their constructions and materials and explain how they affect temperature. In the long-term review, we were also able to conduct a more in-depth analysis of temperature regulation.
Sports isolation
The motion isolation of the bed describes the condition of its death or absorption motion over the entire surface. This is a particularly important feature for those who are light sleeper or who share a bed with a partner, child or pet. We tested one person, one still lying in the bed, another lying in the bed, another running around and switching positions. Are the people lying still quarreling with them? Is the movement delicate? The second method is to place a glass of water on the edge, roll it towards it and away from it to see if the slos dirt of the water or if the glass falls off.
One way to test exercise isolation is to use a glass of water.
Edge support
For those who share beds, edge support is another important feature. Testing edge support means we evaluate how the mattress maintains the structure and support around it. We sat on the edge and saw how the bed reacted. Will it get stuck and let us get out, or will it feel solid? We also pushed the edge down with our fist to observe how much the edge compresses under pressure.
Special features
Some brands have unique features on certain beds, such as cooling covers for hot sleepers or partition support for people with back pain. We test and review these other characteristics to determine if the claim reaches hype and which type of sleeper will benefit the most.
Read more: How CNET Tests a Mattress
