Our CNET sleep team has spent years testing mattresses. All testing happens in our 6,000-square-foot mattress warehouse in Reno, Nevada. In addition to the rooms where the beds are held, we have have two mock bedrooms that we test and film reviews in. Testing mattress is an extremely hands-on process where we analyze the construction, feel, firmness and performance of each bed.
Our team has a variety of genders, body types and sleeper positions, which allows us to get a full picture of how a bed performs and who it is best suited for. CNET editors choose the goods and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you purchase using our links, we may get a commission. Learn more about how we test mattresses.
Firmness and feel
While testing, we approach mattresses from a consumer perspective, honing in on who will or won’t like a particular mattress. We do this with two main criteria: firmness and feel. Firmness describes how hard or soft the mattress is. We have several people test each mattress and rate how firm it is.
The feel is the other essential factor to consider when testing a mattress. Some beds will have the traditional sinking memory foam feel, while others will have a neutral foam feel more like a cloud. Both the firmness and the feel of each bed are highlighted in our reviews.
Performance
We also test mattresses in key performance categories like edge support, motion isolation and temperature regulation. Edge support is how stable the perimeter of the mattress is. Motion isolation matters if you have a partner who moves around at night and you don’t want to be woken up by their movement. Finally, temperature regulation describes how well the mattress disperses body heat. Many mattresses claim to be cooling, although very few actually are.
