Our sleep experts have been testing mattresses, bedding and accessories for years (some of which have been tested for eight years). At this point, we have tested over 300 mattresses from dozens of brands, from Purple and Tempur-Pedic to more niche companies like Sonu and Airweave.
Our team consists of bed testers whose weight and type, height, gender and sleep preferences vary, which helps us 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.
We test king-size mattresses like any other bed. When the new mattress arrives at our testing facility, it passes through the rigorous, hands-on tests from each of our experts. We analyzed specific features that mattresses may have, including firmness, sensation, temperature, motion isolation, edge support, and other special features.
firm
Firmness is scored on a scale with values of 1 (softest) to 10 (softest) and we describe it using industry terms such as soft or medium-solidity. Our entire team took turns assessing and ranking the firmness of each mattress, which allowed us to suggest what sleep position and body type the best suit. After a subjective analysis of firmness, we let our unique mattress Smasher 9000 do things and give us objective firm scores.
Close-up of mattress Smasher 9000.
Feel
Another subjective element we review is the feeling of the mattress, which is different from its firmness. Do you feel spring and reaction when lying on it? Is it easy to switch positions? Or is the dense memory foam fit our bodies and keeps us 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 without having to test them all on your own.
Read more: Why is foam in mattresses important
temperature
Temperatures can be tricky when considering the personal preferences of each sleeper and the many mattress brands exaggerate the cooling capacity of their beds. When testing and reviewing mattresses, we detail how to sleep on mattresses. Many external factors play a role here (e.g. climate and environment, bedding, pajamas, etc.), so we test beds in temperature-controlled rooms without sheets or bedding. Using our extensive knowledge and experience, we analyze their construction and materials and explain how they affect temperature.
Sports isolation
Test the motion isolation of the blink mattress with a glass of water.
Movement isolation is what we use to describe the effect of a mattress moving on its surface. This is a particularly important feature for those who are light sleepers or who share a bed with a partner or pet. We tested its motion isolation by having one expert lie in the bed while the other person moved around and switched positions. 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 glass tip is falling or falling.
Edge support
For king-size mattresses, edge support is usually not as important as smaller sizes like queens or twins. In any case, testing edge support allows us to evaluate how well it maintains its structure and support around it. We sat on the edge and saw how the bed reacted. Will it get stuck and give the feeling of us getting out of here, or is it solid and supportive? We also pushed the edge down with our fist to observe how much the edge compresses under pressure.
Special features
Some brands include special features in their mattresses, such as cooling covers for popular sleepers or partition support for people with back pain. We test and review these other characteristics and determine which type of sleeper will benefit the most.
