Over the course of our years of mattress testing, we’ve refined a process that focuses on a few key factors: firmness and feel, durability, and performance. We evaluate each bed with the average sleeper in mind.
Hardness and feel
Hardness and feel are the first factors we evaluate. They can help you narrow down which bed is right for you. Think of firmness as how firm or soft your mattress is. Feeling is where we come in handy with mattresses. How does the bed bounce when we move around on it? Does it have the traditional feel of a memory foam mattress, or is it more like bouncy latex foam? The firmness and feel of each bed are noted in our reviews.
Durability
We can estimate the durability of a mattress based on its material. Pocketed coils help hybrid mattresses last longer than all-foam mattresses because they have more structure. All-foam mattresses are more likely to sag. That’s why many people choose to spend a little more on a hybrid mattress.
edge support
When we say edge support, we’re talking about the strength around the perimeter of the mattress. The best hybrid mattresses tend to perform well in this category. While testing, we lay on each edge of the bed to determine how firm it was. It doesn’t have good edge support if we feel it might roll off.
motion isolation
Movement isolation is important for people who have a partner who moves around at night. You don’t want that movement to wake you up. We jumped and bounced on the bed to test the amount of movement in the bed. Additionally, we placed a cup of water on the mattress and rolled it toward it to see if it tipped over.
temperature
Sleep fever is one of the most common troubles people face. We evaluate how hot or cool a bed feels when sleeping on it by looking at the materials and construction of the mattress. Certain materials like gel memory foam and phase change covers can help you avoid nighttime fever.
CNET editors select the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about how we test mattresses.
