How to Choose a Mattress

The three most common mattress types are adjustable air, foam, and innerspring. Deciding which one is best for you depends on a bunch of factors, says Chris Regan, CR’s senior test project leader in charge of mattress testing—from what you’ve enjoyed sleeping on in the past, to the amount of bounce you like in your bed, to how far you’d like to sink into it.

Below, we take a closer look at specific mattress types to help you identify the right one for you. For more buying guidance about mattresses, read on to learn how to assess a mattress in a store and how our specific testing and ratings can help.

These mattresses—not to be confused with air mattresses—can be inflated (or deflated) to your desired firmness.

They allow you to adjust the firmness level with an electric pump that you control with a remote or a smartphone app.  With queen- or king-size mattresses, you can designate a separate air chamber on each side, a great solution if you and your partner prefer different firmness levels. 

That customization costs, though. While you can find a foam or innerspring mattress for as little as $300 (in our ratings, just three models fit that bill), the cheapest adjustable air mattress we recommend is 10 times that, at $3,000.

For specifics, check out our ratings of adjustable air mattresses.

These mattresses, made entirely of foam layers, provide a cradling, curve-conforming feel. They’re made of one or a combination of three types of foam: 

• Memory foam mattresses soften when they come into contact with the warmth from your body and conform to your curves. 
• Nonmemory polyurethane foam mattresses cushion without the slow sink of memory foam. They’re often easier to shift your body on. 
• Latex mattresses cradle you while also offering a more resilient feel than synthetic foams. Foam mattresses tend to have better stability than innerspring mattresses—after all, motion transfers more easily across bouncy coils. The catch? Some sleepers may find foam mattresses difficult to move around on. They also tend to retain more heat than innerspring mattresses because the coils allow for more airflow. 

Innerspring mattresses have a layer of steel coils topped with layers of fiber padding (often made of cotton or wool), foam, or both.

• Hybrid mattresses combine a coil layer (or layers) with substantial layers of foam. 
• Pillow-tops have an extra layer of foam or padding sewn on top of the mattress. 
• Eurotops have that extra layer sewn under the cover. 

There’s a lot of noise out there when you’re trying to find a mattress. But according to CR’s experts, these are the criteria that matter: 

• Mattress size. Consider the amount of space in your bedroom and who will be sleeping in the bed. King-sized beds may not fit inside smaller bedrooms, while twin beds may constrict a couple from sleeping comfortably. Here are the measurements of the mattress sizes you’ll most frequently come across, noted in width by length: Twin 38x75 inches; Twin XL 38x80 inches; Full/Double 54x75 inches; Queen 60x80 inches; King 76x80 inches.
• Mattress firmness. Sixty percent of respondents in a January 2023 CR survey viewed firmness as their most important mattress shopping criterion. And yet mattress brands make it hard to comparison shop; one company’s “soft” might be another’s “extra firm.” That’s why we measure each mattress’s firmness levels against an objective industry test standard. That way, you can compare the firmness of different mattresses across brands. To get you started, check out the best firm mattresses and the best soft mattresses from our tests.
• Mattress support. Because you spend about a third of your day on a mattress, it should keep your spine in alignment. You can filter our ratings for mattresses with the best support for sleepers of all sizes or explore the best mattresses for side sleepers and for back sleepers, according to our tests.
• Durability. Durable mattresses don’t sag or soften after just a few years of use. Our durability test simulates eight to 10 years of use. You can filter our ratings for the most durable mattresses.
• Stability. A mattress with a high stability score isolates motion well, so a sleep partner’s movements on one side of the mattress won’t jostle you awake on the opposite side. For mattresses with good motion isolation, check out our picks of the best mattresses for couples. You can also filter our ratings for the most stable mattresses. 
• Comfort. Comfort levels are subjective, of course. A very comfortable mattress for one person may feel awful for another, which is why we’ve surveyed CR members about their perceived comfort of nearly 67,000 mattresses. From those surveys, we’ve identified the foam and innerspring mattresses from the most comfortable brands.
• Materials. If you’re sensitive to chemicals, have allergies, or suffer from a respiratory condition, consider a pick from our roundup of the best mattresses without harmful chemicals or VOCs. You can also learn more in our coverage of chemical-related certifications for mattresses.

Once you’ve narrowed your options, head to a store or showroom to try mattresses out in person. Don’t be intimidated by sellers who hover. Wave them away and tell them you need some time to make a decision. Then evaluate each mattress based on the following mattress shopping tips:

• Check for spinal support and pressure relief. Spend 5 to 10 minutes on your sides, back, and stomach (a total of at least 15 minutes), paying particular attention to the position you usually sleep in. Check that your back doesn’t over-arch or sag into the mattress. Make sure your pressure points are comfortable. (For back sleepers, that’s the shoulders, pelvis, and back of the head; for side sleepers, it’s the hips, shoulders, knees, and arms.)
• Evaluate the edge support. Roll to the edge of the mattress. Do you feel as if you’re about to slide off? If you often find yourself sleeping near the edge (because of a partner, kids, or pets), you should look for another mattress. If you typically sit on the edge of the mattress at home, try it at the store, too. Again, if you’re slipping off, try a different mattress. 
• Shop with your partner. It’s important that both of you feel comfortable and supported in bed. With both of you assessing the bed at once, you can also test whether the mattress’s motion isolation is up to snuff. Do you feel jostled when your partner tosses and turns, or does your half of the bed remain stable? Keep in mind that it helps to get the largest bed you can afford and accommodate in your bedroom. The larger the mattress, the more space each of you will have to stretch out comfortably.
• Negotiate. Ask yourself whether your mattress of choice is worth the price. The answer should be yes—but it doesn’t hurt to haggle. According to our 2022 survey of almost 4,000 members who purchased a new mattress recently, 68 percent of online hagglers and 59 percent of hagglers at walk-in stores reported success. The median discount was an impressive $245.
• Understand the trial period. A mattress’s trial period typically depends on where you’re buying it from. For instance, the window of a free trial and the amount of money you have to pay for an exchange will vary depending on whether you bought the mattress from a company’s website or from a department store.
• Note the warranty. A good-quality mattress typically has a warranty ranging from 10 to 25 years. It usually covers manufacturing defects, such as significant sagging or broken coils, but not typical wear and tear (like body impressions less than an inch deep). It’s also possible that the warranty’s coverage will change over time. (For instance, the longer you’ve had your mattress, the more you’ll have to cover in terms of transportation and repair.) Check the manufacturer’s or retailer’s site before you buy it, and ask the seller for any clarifications.
• Inspect the mattress on delivery day. Before accepting delivery, make sure the mattress has no stains or damage. For white-glove deliveries, check that mattress labels include a statement about the mattress being made from all-new materials. If you bought a mattress-in-a-box, inspect the mattress as soon as you unroll it, and contact customer service immediately if you detect any damage or other issues (for instance, corners that don’t inflate properly).

Here are some common questions about mattresses—and answers from our experts, based on many years of rigorous testing. 

Price and quality don’t always align, and generally speaking, you can get a good-quality mattress for around $1,000. (We even found some great performers for under $600.) After testing more than 200 mattresses in our labs—including one model with a price of more than $6,000—we’ve found that when you’re paying sky-high prices, you’re generally paying for nice-to-haves (say, an organic cotton cover) instead of the elements that directly affect back support or durability. 

It depends on the warranty as well as the kind of bed you have. Some brands require you to buy their box spring for full warranty coverage. You’ll otherwise need a box spring if your bed has a traditional metal frame with rails but won’t need one if your bed comes with a platform base or a strong slatted-wood foundation. 

Like so much else to do with mattresses, the best thickness for a mattress is a personal preference. That said, anything under 7 inches is probably too thin, says Chris Regan, CR’s senior test project leader in charge of mattress testing.

Regan notes that among CR’s ratings, the average thickness for an innerspring mattress is 13 inches, while the average foam mattress is 11 inches, and the average adjustable air mattress is 12½ inches thick.

When it comes to mattresses, comfort is subjective. The best mattress for back pain could be firm for some people but medium-firm or medium-soft for others. When you lie on a mattress, ask yourself: Does my spine feel aligned or over-arched? 

That said, a 2015 study from Utica College suggests that a medium-firm mattress, as defined by the person sleeping on it, can help with back pain.

Our testing suggests that gel-infused foam beds don’t sleep cooler than those without gel infusions. Innerspring mattresses containing gel did, slightly, but those mattresses tend to sleep cool anyway.

That’s because their coils allow for airflow, while foam mattresses tend to retain heat. No mattress will actively cool you while you sleep unless it’s equipped with a mechanical cooling device or a cooling topper.

Where you buy your mattress determines whether you have a range of options to choose from, how knowledgeable the salesperson is, and how easy it is to return or exchange a mattress. We surveyed almost 4,000 CR members who purchased a new mattress between January 2021 and March 2022 about their mattress-buying experience, whether online or in-store, and how much they paid (and whether they haggled). 

Forty-one percent made their purchase online compared with 43 percent in 2019-2020 and 45 percent in 2020-2021. This is a significant shift in how CR readers have historically purchased mattresses. In 2015, for example, only 14 percent of mattress owners said they bought them online. And while shoppers tend to be about as satisfied with online sellers as they are with walk-in ones, we also found that, on average, virtual shoppers paid less for a mattress than those who shopped in person.

We asked respondents about their experience in each store based on:

• Price
• Selection
• Sales service
• Customer support
• Floor-model cleanliness
• On-time delivery
• Delivery quality (in general)

We arrive at our mattress recommendations through rigorous testing, using scientific instruments and sleepers of various shapes and sizes. Scores for each evaluation are carefully weighed to calculate an Overall Score.

How CR Ranks Mattresses
At CR, we attach an Overall Score to each mattress based on a calculation of its ratings across a battery of tests and survey data regarding its comfort and owner satisfaction. Our mattress ratings showcase each mattress’s Overall Score, as well as how it performed in specific tests and surveys.

We conduct a series of 12 tests on each mattress we rate. Below are a few examples of those tests.

• For back sleeper support, we use a laser to map each tester’s spine in a neutral standing position. Using sophisticated sensors, we map the surface of the mattress while sleepers lie on their back. We then compare the standing curve of the spine to the curve in the mattress. For side sleeper support, we measure the alignment of the spine when the sleeper rests on the mattress.
• To determine stability, we drop a 38.5-pound weight onto the mattress and measure the vibrations at the point of impact and across the mattress.
• To simulate years of use, we operate a machine that moves a 300-plus-pound wood roller across the surface of the mattress 30,000 times. We then look for any changes in support, sagging, firmness, or damage.
• To measure firmness, we apply a load to the mattress which gradually increases to 1,000 newtons (225 pounds). While that load is increasing, we plot the curve of the mattress’s deflection. Several points on this curve are then analyzed to determine the actual firmness of the mattress.

We incorporate comfort and owner satisfaction ratings from our member surveys into the Overall Score of each mattress. We also use these survey results to help us determine the brands that will leave you happy with your mattress. 

Two surveys inform our mattress buying guidance: One tallied the experiences of CR members with the nearly 67,000 mattresses they bought between 2012 and 2022. The other asked nearly 4,000 CR members about their shopping experiences across multiple mattress stores.

• To rate mattress comfort, we simply asked them how comfortable was their mattress—leaving it to respondents to define “comfort.” 
• To rate mattress owner satisfaction, we asked members to assess such factors as firmness level, value, and quality of sleep. We also asked them whether they’d recommend their mattress to family and friends.