Best Mattresses According to Consumer Reports Testing

Consumer Reports has conducted a study of the models of mattresses that performed the best and cost less than $1,000. The entire Consumer Reports’ includes the details and ratings of 12 mattresses as well as 10 ways to get better sleep and what to ask prior to purchasing a mattress.

Mattress Brands Tested

The brands of mattress tested were Ikea, Sealy, Serta, Simmons, Stearns & Foster and Tempur-Pedic as well as Costco’s Novaform brand. The mattresses from Simmons had the widest variations when it came to performance. The Beautyrest Glover Park Firm Pillow got a Consumers Reports’ Best Buy rating $780 and got the best rating of a conventional innerspring mattress. The lowest rating was a ComforPedic Loft Crestwood Luxury Plush from among foam models at $1,920.

Mattresses Models

During the Consumers Report test foam model mattresses performed a bit worse than the innerspring mattress. The top rated mattress was Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Simplicity, $1,200. The top rated foam mattress was Sleep Innovations Novafoam Memory Foam Collection Serafina. It received a Consumer Reports’ Best Buy rating at $900 and was tied with Tempur-Pedic, which cost $300 or less.

In a March 5, 2013 press release Bob Markovich, home and yard editor for Consumer Reports is quoted as saying “You don’t have to spend thousands to get a great mattress. Our first full performance Ratings make it easier to find one that works for you and your sleep partner if you have one – and we found there are many affordable options.”

Five Tips for Choosing a New Mattress

Consumer Reports’ latest tests confirm that more coils, fancier fabrics and frills found on pricier models don’t result in a better sleeping experience. Research has proven that best mattress isn’t always necessarily the firmest.

1. Try before buying.

Don’t rely on softness or firmness claims as nearly half the mattresses Consumer Reports tested were softer than promised. Gauge comfort by lying on any mattress that is a consideration. Spend at least ten minutes on each side, back, and stomach. Be certain to try it using your sleeping position.

2. Win the name game.

Mattress makers offer some lines nationally. Those that are available at major retailers like Macy’s, Sears, and Sleepy’s are typically exclusive to those chains. Retailers often change model names, it’s hard to compare models store to store so use it’s a good idea to use Consumer Reports performance Ratings as a guide.

3. Consider the winter months.

If a person is interested in using a temperature-controller chamber they need to know about the Consumer Reports tests. The results showed that three innerspring and three memory-form mattresses were better at retaining body heat, which should help keep users warm when the weather turns cold. Theses mattresses also should do this without feeling clammy when it’s hot.

4. Keep an old box spring if possible.

Replacing the box spring that goes beneath a mattress can cost anywhere from $150 to more than $300. When getting a new innerspring mattress keep the box spring if it is not sagging or damaged. If switching to memory foam, a solid platform may be necessary to provide enough support. When it comes to both foam and innerspring mattresses some companies require consumers to purchase their box spring to receive the full warranty.

5. Don’t forget to haggle.

Most mattresses have huge markups that allow retailers to run frequent “sales” of up to 50 percent off. Approximately one-third of Consumer Reports’ subscribers who haggled slashed $150 or more off the price off their mattress and box spring.

Source

Consumer Reports

Press Release

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