Consumer Reports

Mattress Madness Buying Guide

Stores and online brands compete for business

Some mattresses brands sold online are well-known. But now they’re being joined by more and more online retailers you may not know, increasing the competition for traditional brands you see at a mattress store. That’s why Consumer Report performs a myriad of mattress tests so you can find exactly what’s right for you.

Take, for example, CR’s durability test, which simulates eight years of use to see how well a mattress stands up over time. CR has also developed a standardized firmness scale to help compare mattresses across different brands, from one (for soft) to 10 (for firm).

Testers also check to see how well a mattress will support big, tall, and petite people. One size does not fit all. The ratings are set up so that you and your partner can each find what you need in a mattress.

Even better, CRs tests consistently find that you don’t have to spend thousands to get a good mattress. 

For memory foam, the $995 Casper Mattress is a CR Best Buy. It’s one of the few mattresses that do well for back and side sleepers, especially petite sleepers. It earns top scores among memory foam mattresses for durability.

If you like a mattress on the firmer side, CR suggests you consider the $1,400 Avocado Green. It’s an innerspring mattress that performs well for all types of sleepers of all sizes.

If you prefer a softer mattress, CR says you may want to try out a new mattress from Sealy Posturepedic, the Performance Copper 2. It’s a softer hybrid mattress combining memory foam and innerspring materials for about $1,500.

CR says you may still be able to try out a mattress that’s sold online. Some online retailers, like Casper, now have showrooms. In any case, most online mattress retailers have generous return policies. For example, many offer a trial period of 100 nights. If you don’t like the mattress you bought, the retailer will take it back, free of charge. 

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