Our sleep experts have been testing mattresses, bedding, and accessories for years (some as long as eight years). Currently, we’ve tested more than 300 mattresses from dozens of brands, from big names like Purple and Tempur-Pedic to niche companies like Sonu and Airweave.

Our team of bed testers of varying weights, types, heights, genders, and sleep preferences helps us evaluate each mattress holistically from multiple perspectives. Many mattresses are tested over long periods of time, ranging from one or two months to five years.

We test king mattresses just like any other bed. When a new mattress arrives at our testing facility, each of our experts puts it through rigorous real-world testing. We analyze specific characteristics including firmness, feel, temperature, motion isolation, edge support and other special features a mattress may have.

sturdiness

Hardness is rated on a scale of 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest), and we use industry terms like soft or medium hardness to describe it. Our entire team takes turns evaluating and ranking each mattress’s firmness, which allows us to make recommendations on which sleeping positions and body types are best. After a subjective analysis of hardness, we put the unique Mattress Smasher 9000 to work and gave us an objective hardness score.

Feel

Another subjective factor in our review is the feel of the mattress, separate from its firmness. Does it feel bouncy and responsive when you lie on it? Is it easy to change places? Or does dense memory foam conform to our bodies and temporarily hold our shape? Does the mattress have a soft, plush, pillowy feel, or is it more neutral? Can we feel any coil or zoned support? We try to describe exactly what it feels like to lie on each bed to help you decide if it’s right for you without having to test it yourself.

Read more: Why the foam in your mattress is important

temperature

Temperature can be difficult to review, given each sleeper’s personal preferences and the fact that many mattress brands exaggerate the cooling capabilities of their beds. When we test and review mattresses, we detail how hot or cool a mattress should be while sleeping. Many external factors come into play here (e.g. climate and environment, bedding, pajamas, etc.), so we test the bed in a climate-controlled room without sheets or bedding. Using our extensive knowledge and experience, we analyze its structure and materials and explain how they affect temperature.

motion isolation

Motion isolation is the term we use to describe the effectiveness of a mattress in dampening movement on its surface. This is an especially important feature for light sleepers or those who share a bed with a partner or pet. We tested motion isolation capabilities by having one specialist lie on a bed while the other tossed and switched positions. The second method is to place a glass of water on the edge and roll it toward or away from it to see if the glass tips over or over.

edge support

With a king-size mattress, edge support is generally not as important as with smaller sizes like a queen-size mattress or a twin mattress. Regardless, testing edge supports allows us to evaluate their structure and retention of perimeter supports. We sit or lie on the edge of the bed and see how the bed reacts. Does it collapse and feel like we’re going to roll off it, or is it sturdy and supportive? We also pushed down on the edges with our fists to see how much the edges compressed under pressure.

special features

Some brands of mattresses have special features, such as a cooling cover for hot sleepers or zoned support for those with back pain. We test and review these additional features and determine which type of sleeper benefits the most.