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Our team of nine mattress experts has been doing this for years. We’ve tested and reviewed around three hundred mattresses and dozens of sleep accessories, from bedding to toppers to headphones for sleep. During that time, we’ve established a testing methodology that each mattress undergoes when it arrives at our Reno testing facility.
We take a holistic approach to mattress testing, which means our team is involved to ensure we’re representing all types of people. Our team has a mix of genders, body types and sleeping positions.
CNET mattress expert Owen Poole tests motion isolation using a glass of water.
Firmness
We rate and record two types of firmness: Subjective and objective. When I test firmness, I lie on the mattress in every sleeping position and note how it feels against my back, stomach and hips. Our whole team takes part in this process to ensure that the firmness rating is not based on one body type.
The Mattress Smasher 9000 objectively measures the firmness levels of mattresses.
The objective firmness level comes from our Mattress Smasher 9000. Not only is it impressively orange, but it can scientifically rate the firmness of a bed based on the force of a 160-pound person. We always make sure to test a bed ourselves before the MS9K gets a turn to ensure our experience is unbiased.
Motion isolation
Motion isolation is how well a bed dampens movement across the surface. It might not seem like a big deal, but if you sleep with another person or furry friend, a bed with poor motion isolation can keep you up at night.
To test motion isolation, we do two things. First, I lie on a bed and close my eyes while a teammate moves around on the bed next to me. I do this from every sleeping position and rate how much movement I feel the whole time. Second, we perform the water test, which involves setting a glass of water on the edge of a bed and rolling toward it. The bed receives a lower motion isolation score if the water sloshes around or topples.
Edge support
If you’re like me and tend to sleep on the edge of the bed or have mobility limitations, then you know how important edge support is. To test the strength of the bed’s perimeter, we sit and lie on the edge and rate how much it caves. It doesn’t have good edge support if it feels like we might roll off or the edge collapses under our weight.
Many of our favorite beds, like Big Fig, have strong edge support, meaning you have access to the entire surface area of the bed to sleep.
Temperature
All of the beds that come through our lab are tested in a temperature-controlled room. Many brands claim their beds are cooling, but their performance doesn’t back it up. We’re passionate about making sure a bed backs up its claims. We examine the bed’s construction and rely on our first-hand experience with it to rate how cool it feels.
