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Our team of nine professionals has been doing this for years. We’ve tested and reviewed nearly three hundred mattresses and other sleeping accessories, from blankets to above to headphones for sleeping. At this point, we’ve established the testing process that every mattress goes through when it arrives at our Reno testing facility.
We use a comprehensive mattress testing system, which means our team takes steps to ensure we represent all types of people. Our team is diverse in gender, body types and accommodations.
CNET mattress expert Owen Poole tests isolation using a cup of water.
Stability
We measure and document two types of resilience: Subjective and objective. When I try to get fit, I lie on a mattress in any sleeping position and see how it feels on my back, stomach and hips. Our entire team is involved in this process to ensure that fitness does not depend on one body type.
The Mattress Smasher 9000 tests the firmness of mattresses.
The ultimate in durability comes from our Mattress Smasher 9000. It’s not spectacularly orange, but it can scientifically test the firmness of the bed using the force of a 160-pound person. We always make sure to test the bed ourselves before the MS9K arrives to make sure our experience isn’t biased.
Isolation
Isolation is how the bed reduces surface movement. It may seem like a big deal, but if you’re sleeping with someone or a furry friend, a separate bed will help you get a good night’s sleep.
To try to isolate ourselves, we do two things. First, I lie on the bed and close my eyes while my partner moves around on the bed next to me. I do this every time I go to sleep and check how much I feel the whole time. Second, we do the water test, which involves placing a cup of water on the edge of the bed and rolling it over. The bed receives a small amount of isolation if the water moves around or falls.
Edge support
If you are like me and love to sleep on the edge of the bed or have mobility issues, then you know the importance of edge support. To measure the strength of the bed, we lie on the edge and measure the number of cavities. It doesn’t have good edge support if it looks like we could roll over or the edges are thin due to our weight.
Many of our favorite beds, like the Big Fig, have strong side support, meaning you have access to the entire height of the bed to sleep.
Heat
All beds that come through our lab are tested in a temperature controlled room. Many brands claim that their beds are cold, but their practices do not support it. We like to make sure that the bed lives up to its claim. We evaluate the design of the bed and rely on our experience to determine how well it feels.
