Mattress companies will
sell you the promise of a perfect night's
sleep, sometimes for thousands of dollars. Their offerings-- hybrid
mattresses, cooling gels, and customized sleep settings--
can be confusing to navigate. To help you pick,
Consumer Reports puts mattresses to the test. This video is interactive,
so click any chapter to skip around. [MUSIC PLAYING] We determine how
well a mattress will support your spine,
whether you sleep on your side or your back. We simulate eight
years of use to see how a mattress keeps its
shape, firmness, and support. We even cut mattresses
open to see what's inside. This guide will arm you
with expert knowledge to pick the style or model
that best suits your needs. Consumer Reports'
online subscribers can find specific
brand and retailer recommendations as well as
product ratings on our website. While you can find
mattresses that use all sorts of materials, from
foams and latex to mostly air, almost half of those sold
are the classic inner spring. The springs are actually
metal, usually steel coils. In some models, those coils
are individually wrapped. Others are coils within coils. And some even have an
hourglass look to them. Many inner spring manufacturers
are offering hybrid models, adding several inches of
cushioning, foam or padding, and gel-infused foam layers
above the inner springs. Our tests showed
none of these add-ons truly sets one inner spring
mattress apart from another. One way we figure this out is
by measuring the natural curve of a person's spine
and then monitoring whether those curves are
supported on a mattress. Our tests do find that
inner springs overall are a bit better than
other types of mattresses for side sleepers. Often, inner springs are
easier to move around, compared to memory foam
mattresses, because they offer more bounce. But there's a downside. Some models can
transmit bounciness. So if you've got a restless
co-sleeper, you'll feel it. We drop a weighted
ball on each mattress to see how well it
resists that bounciness. You can get a sense of this
when you shop in a store by lying down with your partner
and checking whether you feel his or her movements. Memory foam mattresses are
steadily gaining in popularity. They make up 19%
of mattress sales. And a recent Consumer
Reports survey of almost 62,000 subscribers
found 75% of memory foam mattress owners were
completely or very satisfied with their choice. Memory foam is
mostly polyurethane, a durable plastic
substance that response to the heat and
pressure of your body and is supposed
to conform to it. Some memory foam beds
offer dual firmness. That way, you and your partner
can customize how firm or soft you want your side. Memory foam also
does a great job of isolating movement
so you won't get jostled when your partner tosses and
turns on his or her sleep. But changing positions
on some memory foam requires effort,
because you tend to think into the mattress. Some people also
say it sleeps hot. Many manufacturers are
infusing the foam with gel that they claim will
reduce surface temperature. One of the major downsides of
some memory foam mattresses is the plasticky chemical smell. That's likely the
polyurethane-based memory foam. But other chemicals, like
flame retardants and fillers, which can be used in
foam and other beds, could also lead to
obnoxious odors. Consumer Reports says be sure
to error out any memory foam mattress for at
least 24 to 48 hours before you cover it with
sheets and sleep on it. If you're worried
about the smell but still want the
memory foam feel, you might want to opt
for natural latex. Natural latex is
made using serum from rubber trees
that's processed using one of two methods
whose names you may hear-- Dunlop and Talalay. Dunlop produces a
firmer material, while the more expensive Talalay
yields a softer mattress. Many manufacturers will layer
a mattress using both processes to create a customized feel. There are also synthetic
latex mattresses. These tend to be less
expensive than natural latex but are blended with
other chemicals. Adjustable air mattresses allow
you to control the firmness. No, we're not talking about
the plastic inflatable ones you throw on the floor
for guests or camping. These are mattresses
filled with pockets of air, called air bladders,
surrounded by foam. Many come with other
layers of material, like foam or gel tops,
for added comfort. In our survey of almost
62,000 subscribers, people with arthritis,
back pain, or neck pain are most satisfied sleeping
on an adjustable air mattress. Most adjustable air
mattresses allow you to customize half the bed to
your desired level of firmness anytime you want with a
remote control, usually right from the bed. However, some people find
the foam support that divides the two sides
uncomfortable to roll over, so think about this if you
tend to move around a lot. Try adjusting the firmness
up and down at the store. You want it to respond quickly
and relatively quietly. More companies are selling
mattresses marketed as green, natural, or organic,
partly in response to consumers' questions about
chemicals in mattresses. For example, there are
concerns with the use of certain fire-retardant
chemicals-- in particular, polybrominated
diphenyl ethers, known as PBDEs. PBDEs have been banned in some
states, Canada, and Europe over health issues. Newer flame retardants have
replaced the use of some PBDEs, but there are worries
with those, as well. Some mattresses can also contain
formaldehyde and other fuming chemicals from
certain adhesives, the materials used in
mattress construction. And harmful
pesticides can be used to grow conventional cotton. But natural and organic may
not mean what you think. The term "natural"
isn't regulated by the government or any third
party, so it's meaningless. And a mattress can
be labeled organic even if only a portion
of its materials are certified organic. Consumer Reports says there
are two meaningful third-party certifications to look for-- the Global Organic
Textile Standard, or GOTS, and the Global Organic
Latex Standard, or GOLS. GOTS requires an organic
mattress contain at least 95% certified organic fiber. And it prohibits the use of
harmful processing materials and chemicals, allergenic dyes,
and many other potentially harmful ingredients. The GOLS label requires
that any latex in a mattress come from a certified
organic source. Natural latex mattresses may
have both the GOLS and GOTS label. There are other labels that
can help lessen your exposure to certain chemicals. The Oeko-Tex Standard
100, the Greenguard Gold, and the Greenguard labels
all test final products for potentially harmful
chemical emissions and set limits on volatile
organic compounds, or VOCs. The Oeko-Tex takes
it a step further and bans the use of
certain flame retardants and dyes containing
carcinogens and allergens. If you're concerned
about chemicals added to polyurethane, look
for the CertiPUR-US label. It forbids the use of
certain flame retardants and requires testing for
other chemical emissions, such as formaldehyde
in polyurethane foam. Prices for mattresses
with green claims run from as little as
$600 to more than $25,000 for luxury versions. In general, if you're
looking for certification, expect to pay around
$2,000 or more for a queen-sized mattress. Our Consumer Reports
survey data shows people typically spend
about $500 to $1,750 on a new mattress. And those who successfully
haggled over the price saved a median of around $200. There are upscale
brands charging $30,000 to more than $100,000
for luxury materials like horse hair and cashmere. But our tests find you can
buy a perfectly good mattress for under $1,000. The sweet spot? It's about $600 to $1,500. And with more online-only
mattress retailers springing up, pricing is
getting more competitive. We tested many mattresses
sold on the internet and recommend several. Consumer Reports says
look for companies that offer at least
a 30-night trial, free shipping on returns, and
full credit on that return. Generally, online manufacturers
don't rely on sales, so the advertised price
is what you'll pay. However, at a physical
store, aim to pay 50% or more off of the regular price. That's sometimes called
the MSRP, or Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. Stores usually list
these prices right along with the sale prices. Skip extended warranties. They usually only cover
manufacturing defects, not normal wear and tear. Consumer Reports
says save your money and buy new sheets instead. When it's time to give
a mattress a test drive, don't let sexy sales terms like
"ultra plush," "super soft," or even "firm" sway you. Consumer Reports independently
measures firmness by applying a slow, steady
force to each mattress. The mattress'
response to that force is recorded, averaged, and
assigned a value from 1 through 10. 10 represents a very firm
mattress, and 1 is very soft. Our tests consistently
find differences between what manufacturers
claim and our results. So concentrate on whether
it feels right to you. A few tips. First, choose the
firmest mattress that's still comfortable. You want your mattress
to support your spine but still allow it to
maintain its natural curve. Next, bring your
pillow from home. When lying on your back,
make sure the mattress meets the curve of your lower back. On your side, you don't
want your shoulders and hips taking on too much
pressure or sinking in too far, which
can throw your spine into an uncomfortable shape. Try to roll into a
different position and note whether it's easy. After lying on the bed
for at least 15 minutes, if you feel pain at
your heaviest points, the mattress may be too firm. Aches, numbness, or
tingling mean you're on a mattress that's too soft. Here are common
sizes you'll see. The largest mattress is the
king, at 76 by 80 inches. California king's aren't as wide
as kings, but they are longer-- 72 by 84 inches. A queen is 60 by 80 inches. Fuller double beds are 53
by 75 inches, and twins, 38 by 75 inches. Many companies will craft
a custom size, too-- for a price. Now that you've got the basics,
visit ConsumerReports.org to subscribe and find our
specific mattress brand ratings based on our in-depth
expert testing. We're a not-for-profit, and we
pay for all of the items we. test.
