During our years of testing mattresses, we’ve refined a process that focuses on a few key factors: firmness and feel, durability and performance. We assess each bed with the average sleeper in mind.
Firmness and feel
Firmness and feel are the first things we assess. They’re what help narrow down which beds are suitable for you. Think of firmness as how hard or soft the mattress is. Feel is where we get handsy with the mattresses. How does the bed bounce back when we move around on it? Does it have a traditional feel of memory foam mattresses, or is it more like bouncy latex foam? Each bed’s firmness and feel are noted in our reviews.
Durability
We can estimate the durability of a mattress based on what it’s made from. Pocketed coils help hybrid mattresses last longer than all-foam mattresses because they have more structure. All-foam mattresses are more susceptible to sagging. That’s why so many people opt to spend a little more and get a hybrid mattress.
Edge support
When we say edge support, we’re talking about how strong the perimeter of the mattress is. The best hybrid mattresses tend to perform pretty well in this category. While testing, we lay on each edge of the bed to determine how sturdy it is. It doesn’t have good edge support if we feel like we might roll off.
Motion isolation
Motion isolation is important for people with a partner who moves around at night. You don’t want that movement to wake you up. We jump and bounce on the bed to test how much movement travels across the bed. Additionally, we place a glass of water on the mattress and roll toward it to see if it tips over.
Temperature
Sleeping hot is one of the most common annoyances people face. We look at the materials and construction of a mattress to assess how hot or cool the bed sleeps. Certain materials like gel memory foam and phase-changing covers can help keep you from heating up at night.
CNET editors pick the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read more on how we test mattresses.
