Our e-mail newsletter shares the latest programs and initiatives Consumer Reports will not sell or rent your email address to third parties. See our Privacy Policy.A good night's sleep is worth a million bucks, but a mattress doesn't have to cost a fortune. In Consumer Reports' latest buying guide, the organization tested 12 mattresses from companies like Ikea, Sealy and Costco, and found that some of the more expensive ones actually weren't exactly top-notch, while those with a lower price-tag didn't always mean low quality. For example, the $1,200 ComforPedic Loft Crestwood Luxury Plush was ranked lowest, while the $780 Beautyrest Glover Park Firm Pillowtop was the best in conventional, innerspring mattresses. But the biggest discovery? That the descriptions used to label a mattress' firmness mean nothing. "The only way to determine if the cushiness and the firmness is right for you is to lie down on the bed and try it for yourself," said Consumer Reports Expert Shopper Tod Marks.
"Don't get seduced or sucked into terms like 'ultra-plush,' 'super-plush,' even 'cushion-firm.' They aren't standard terms and vary from mattress maker to mattress maker. Still though, where can a shopper start? offers a good list of what you should look for in a mattress, such as testing in your sleep position. And in a previous buying guide, we found that mattresses with continuous coils offered the most comfort. Head on over to Consumer Reports for even more eye-opening findings. In time meantime, click through our slideshow to find out the effects of sleep deprivation.Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram. Do you have a home story idea or tip? (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)Looking for the best mattress for your money? To cut through the clutter of advertising you'll see out there, Consumer Reports has a look at the best mattresses and mattress retailers. The magazine broke out their findings by category: Traditional innerspring, memory foam and adjustable air.
In each category, Consumer Reports recommends a best buy, as well as other mattresses they recommend based on ratings. Innerspring: The Denver Mattress Doctor's Choice for $500. The Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid Trust Cushion for $1,275 is also a best buy in this category, with a higher rating, but it's obviously a bit more expensive. Memory foam: Tuft & Needle Ten for $600. (Message from Tuft & Needle: "We don't actually use any memory foam in our mattress. We use our own time of polyfoam, T&N Adaptive™ foam. We created it with a foam scientist to have the pressure relief and comfort of memory foam and the breathability and support of latex foam.") The Novaform 14" Serafina Pearl Gel (Costco) is also a "best buy" pick for this category, but it's more expensive at $800. Adjustable air: Sleep Number c2 Bed for $800. It's important to remember that price does not necessarily equate to satisfaction with mattresses. A more expensive mattress may not make for a better product.
For more tips on finding the right mattress for you, check out Consumer Reports' buying guide here. Read more: What you need to know about sleeping pills On the question of retailers, Consumer Reports ranked the Original Mattress Factory stores as the top choice for customer satisfaction. Costco Wholesale was a close second. The high placement for Costco may reflect their return policy on mattresses: A full money back refund without penalty and no time limit. That really makes Costco stand apart! I particularly like the warehouse clubs for mattress shopping, and I've long advised people to test the mattress right there in the store for an extended period. Bring a book or tablet to Costco or Sam's Club and get those mattresses off the displays or yank them off the walls. Then lay there for 15 minutes and see how you like the feel before you buy. There's one more option I want to mention to you. Casper is a new mattress company that's beloved by millennials. Their mattress comes via package delivery in this tiny box and you open it and watch it unfold before your eyes.
The mattress, which sells for between $500 and $950, is made of memory foam and latex. Here's the reason a lot of young people really like this company: Casper gives you 100 nights to test out their mattress. If you don't like it, you send it back for 100% refund. 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.