Our mattress testing experts have tested over 200 mattresses and counting. We’re really good at examining families and evaluating them according to the needs and values of the average person. During testing, we take into account some key factors that help us evaluate each mattress.
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Firmness and feeling
We start with the two most important factors when it comes to mattresses: firmness and feel. You can think of firmness as how firm or soft a mattress is. I know what you’re thinking, who wants a firm mattress? Too much pressure relief isn’t always the best option for everyone, but some people, such as stomach and back sleepers, need a firmer mattress with more support to keep their spine aligned during the night. Side sleepers, on the other hand, benefit from a softer mattress that provides pressure relief on the shoulders, hips, and knees. We rate solidity on a scale of 1 to 10, which corresponds to terms such as “medium” or “medium firm.”
Feeling is the other big feeling that we notice immediately. What does a pillow-top mattress look like when you lie on it? Does it have the feel of sinking memory foam or a more neutral foam that bounces back quickly? For pillowcases specifically, we take into consideration how thick they are and the texture they give the mattress. How firm the mattress is and what it feels like is noted in every review.
performance
We take into account many performance factors when testing the best pillowtop mattresses. The first is edge support, or how structured the perimeter of the mattress is. Testing this is as simple as sitting on the edge of the bed and assessing how supportive it is. If we feel like we are going to fall off the mattress by sitting on the edge, it means it does not have good edge support.
Motion isolation is important if you sleep with a partner who tosses and turns or has a different sleep schedule than you. We test this by placing a cup of water on the mattress and rolling it across the bed to see if it will flip over. We also know how well a mattress distributes heat and regulates temperature.