Sleep Like The Dead has so far spent 6,000 hours gathering 25,500 mattress reviews from 900+ sources. Here is a brief summary of our unbiased research findings. – 12 Key Mattress Research Findings 3. Buying a mattress online 5. Longevity / lifespan 9. Mattresses and sex 10. Mattresses for large, small people 12. Returning a mattress – How Best To Use This Site – About Our Mattress Research – Why Trust Us Do not assume that you will be satisfied with a top-rated mattress type or brand. Learn about a bed's characteristics, pros & cons before buying to ensure that it is right for you personally. Select a mattress type for detailed analysis and ratings. MORE INFO: See the mattress types compared in 20 additional ways. The chart below includes many of the more popular and / or widely available brands (in alphabetical order). Select a brand for detailed ratings. COMPARE THE ABOVE MATTRESSES AND MANY MORE in our side-by-side mattress comparison.
DON'T SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? Search our mattress ratings using box below. Mattresses of various price points have some important differences. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at our mattress price comparison. Buying a mattress online has important similarities and differences to buying in a store. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at buying a mattress online: what to know as well as the mattress manufacturer / brand comparison. The following shows the firmness level that tends to be suitable for average-sized people depending on their body type; your own personal preference may differ. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS as well as firmness suggestions for people of above- and below-average size at our mattress firmness guide. Mattress longevity or lifespan can vary especially by mattress type. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress longevity comparison. About 8% of people report that their mattress retains heat and sleeps hot to an extent that undermines sleep quantity / quality.
Some mattress types have more of a problem on this issue than others. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress heat retention. A mattress with good motion isolation localizes or absorbs a person's movement, such as their getting in / out of bed and their changing of positions. A mattress with poor motion isolation sends a person's movement across the bed to possible disturb another person. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress motion isolation comparison. Off gassing is an odor that a mattress may release when unpackaged due to its chemical composition. Some mattress types are more likely than others to have a problem. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress off gassing odor. The different mattress types have various pros and cons in regard to suitability on this issue. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattresses and sex. Among several other factors, mattress thickness is a key attribute that small and especially large people should consider.
GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at the mattress guide for large & small people. The life of a mattress tends to be a fraction of its warranty length. GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at mattress warranties: what to know. The top reason people seek to return their mattress is that it has a firmness level unsuitable for one's personal preference, body type, or sleep position. Less common reasons include sleeping hot, persistent off gassing odor, and unsuitability for sex. Chart: Main reasons for seeking a mattress return GET THE FULL STORY AND ANALYSIS at returning a mattress: what to know. Adjustable bed bases / foundations often provide a variety of health and comfort benefits. Available are value-priced models ($600-$1100), middle-priced models ($1101-$1500) and luxury-level models ($1501-$3500+). GET THE FULL STORY, RATINGS, AND ANALYSIS at adjustable bed reviews. Do you really need a new mattress? Oftentimes, a mattress topper can effectively soften an overly firm mattress or revitalize an aging mattress.
GET THE FULL STORY, RATINGS, AND ANALYSIS at mattress topper reviews. The best place to start your research is the page you are on right now or the mattress comparisons page – specifically the mattress type comparison. Once you have chosen a type, then choose a brand and model of that type. Then, if necessary, choose a seller of the mattress from the retailer comparison. Our mattress reviews and ratings are based on 25,600+ consumer experiences collected from over 890 credible sources. See research sources & methodology for details. Our mission is to help people make smart sleep-product buying decisions – and to sleep like the dead as a result. This can only be achieved by providing unbiased, truthful information. Is it time to buy a new mattress? You have more options than ever before. The big news is that department and specialty stores such as Macy’s, Sears, and Sleepy’s are no longer the default destination. Now great mattresses—at great prices—can be found at Costco and online sellers such as Casper and Tuft & Needle.
Not only are those companies lower-pressure—no pushy salespeople—but their prices are often gentler than you’d expect. And though you can’t try out mattresses at a warehouse club or website, those sellers’ return policies don’t penalize you for changing your mind. These days even electronics retailers such as Abt Electronics, P.C. Richard & Son, and HHGregg are getting in on the game in hopes of bolstering the razor-thin margins of entertainment gear with the fat markups that usually accompany mattress sales. All of that choice means you can find an excellent deal. But no seller, whatever its selection, offers the perfect mattress. In our tests, no single mattress earned top-notch scores across the board. In our back-support test—which measures how well a mattress supports the curve of the spine—the top scorers were the Sleep Number i8 and Sleep Number c2 adjustable air beds. But they rated a notch lower for side support—a measurement of how well a mattress keeps the spine horizontal in that position.
At Consumer Reports, we test for attributes such as back and side support because a mattress that feels comfortable in the store may not be supportive enough night after night. So use our mattress Ratings to find the most supportive options, then lie on the mattresses, if possible, to find the one that is most comfortable for you. Paying more doesn’t guarantee a better bed, either. The priciest mattress in our Ratings, the Dux 515 from the boutique retailer Duxiana, costs $7,600. Although it made our list of picks because of fine side support and durability through a simulation of eight years of use, the latex-topped innerspring was softer than claimed and offered less consistent back support. For that price, you have every right to expect stellar performance across the board. How to save when you shop Keep your old mattress going Once your mattress is about 10 years old, start thinking about a replacement. In the meantime, you can flip or rotate some older innersprings to address minor dips.
And if your mattress is newer and doesn’t have significant sagging, you might get away with adding a mattress topper. If you’re waking up achy, simply try a new pillow first. Try lying before buying Lying down on a mattress in a store can feel awkward, but more than 80 percent of subscribers we surveyed who’d done so told us they were satisfied with their purchase. Spend at least 15 minutes on a mattress. Shift positions and lie on your sides, back, and stomach, depending on how you sleep. But don’t write off online sellers or other stores just because tryouts aren’t possible; you might be passing up a bargain. Many businesses, such as warehouse clubs, have fixed prices that won’t budge. But for retailers that do negotiate—particularly specialty chains—huge markups let them lower prices by 50 percent or more during their frequent sales. Unless you’re switching from an innerspring to a foam or adjustable air mattress, you might also save $150 or more by keeping your old foundation (a box spring or other type of base, depending on what kind of bed you have).
One strategy: Any time of year, insist on a sale price for a mattress you know you want, and don’t be afraid to walk out if you feel you’re getting a raw deal. Ask about trial periods, return policies, and restocking and pickup fees before buying. Most companies let you sleep on a mattress for 30 to 60 days before deciding to return or exchange it, but it helps to confirm that before buying. Keep in mind that many sellers will charge a 15 to 25 percent restocking fee on top of shipping, though you might at least be able to save on shipping by driving the mattress back yourself. Beware of sleazy sales tacticsAdvertised specials are meant to get you into the store, not to sell you the best mattress. Because stores usually keep the most expensive models up front, start in back with the least expensive beds from a few top brands, and work your way up in cost. But you can aim too low; our tests often show that the cheapest mattresses are just that.Ask for a particular mattress at a store and you’ll often be told it was replaced by another nearby that’s “exactly the same.”