See Also
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by Editors of Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is our top source for mattress information. In this report, editors create a detailed how-to-buy guide. Topics include mattress myths, how to choose, price differences, anatomy of a… mattress, mattress comparisons and sleep tips. The report is built on the outcome of several tests, including those of industry insiders who tore apart and analyzed 18 top-brand mattresses, an online poll and reports from 59 staffers who tried out different mattresses at a mock mattress store. In addition, four couples slept on specific mattresses at home for a month. Because comfort is a personal preference, Consumer Reports is unable to recommend a specific brand or model over another.
by Editors of Consumer Reports
This informative article doesn't recommend any specific brands but it's still very important reading for anyone buying a mattress. The most important thing to know is that while a new flammability standard… has gone into effect, stores are still allowed to sell mattresses that do not meet this standard until they are all sold. The article, which is free to non-subscribers, also discusses the different ways mattress fires could start. Editors also comment on the Consumer Products Safety Commission's estimate of how many lives the new regulations could save. Editors also advise on how to tell if a mattress does or does not meet the new flammability standards.
by Editors of Which.co.uk
This article at UK-based Which? magazine compares 17 memory-foam mattresses with subjective tests as well as durability testing intended to simulate ten years of use. There's also a short buyer's guide to… accompany ratings for comfort, durability and more. Unfortunately, only one of the recommended memory-foam mattresses is available in the United States, and even that model, the Kaymed Classic, is very hard to find. Mattresses from Tempur-Pedic and Sealy are tested as well.
by Leanna Skarnulis
by Jamie Oslawski
by Mary Duenwald
This article reports that despite high prices and manufacturer claims, very little research has actually been conducted to learn which mattresses are the most comfortable. The article provides advice and… commentary from experts on what to look for when selecting a mattress, as well as some basic shopping guidelines and how to tell whether your existing mattress needs to be replaced. However, no specific recommendations are made as to the best models, brands or types of mattresses.
by Sarah Breckenridge, Sarah Felix
by Editors of Choice.com.au
This excellent article in Choice, a publication of the Australian Consumers' Association, does not rate individual mattresses, but does provide overall buying information. It goes into great detail about… coil construction and spinal alignment as well as mattress selection for individuals with special health needs. It's an excellent overall primer for the shopper who wants to fully understand mattress construction.
by Peter Jon Lindberg
Editor-at-large Peter Lindberg tests beds in six hotels. To aid in the testing process, the author wore a Mini-Mitter Actiwatch-L, a wristwatch device that measures restlessness. Few differences were found… among the six beds as measured by Lindberg's personal experiences or the Actiwatch, although the Simmons Heavenly Bed is deemed the favorite. A sidebar article covers which beds are available in which hotel chains.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Amazon.com features foam, inflatable and some conventional mattresses as well as mattress pads and other related items. Navigation is easy, since both the overall rating and number of reviews is listed… right on the main search page. While the listings might look like a bit of a mix to users, there are most certainly some useful and worthwhile comments about mattresses from major manufacturers like Sealy. Again, the comments are so different from user to user, it only stresses the need to go into a store and test-drive the product you intend to buy before making a final decision.
by Contributors to Macys.com
Though Macy's lists neither the rating nor the number of reviews on the main search page, we still give it high marks for ease of use. Customers can browse by price range, brand, size and firmness.… Unfortunately, there were few comments left by users here and even mattresses listed under a "Customer Favorites" tab had only a handful of evaluations; some had none at all. We also question the criteria used to select "favorites" since some of the mattresses listed when we last visited had only mediocre customer ratings and some highly negative comments. On the upside, most of the comments are thoughtfully written and provided useful information. Only the Simmons Beautyrest Vanderbilt Classic "Adrian" Firm Pillowtop Mattress Set seems to maintain consistently high feedback.
by Contributors to WalMart.com
WalMart.com is also an easy-to-use site with slightly fewer search options than Macys.com. This site clearly has the most user comments so shoppers looking for consensus should find what they're looking for… here. The Simmons DeepSleep Mount Sill Plush Mattress gets solid reviews. One user called it the "best mattress I have ever owned." The 8" Tight Top Spring Mattress-in-a-Box also ranks high in owner feedback.
by Contributors to Viewpoints.com
This opinion site boasts that it can help you find things you like based on the opinions of those you identify as being like you. The site also contrasts the most positive review of a product with the most… critical review of a product, making it easier to spot potential issues as well as get to the good stuff about an item as well. Customers give solid reviews to the Tempur-Pedic Classic, Sleep Number Bed: Select Mattress, Simmons Westin Heavenly Bed, Simmons Beautyrest World Class and Tempur-Pedic 8" Memory Foam Queen.
by Editors and contributors
by Editors of SleepLikeTheDead.com
by Elisabeth Leamy
by Editors of GH on TV
by Daniel Burrows, Liz Hoffman
Site owners Daniel Burrows and Liz Hoffman have compiled many pages of information on viscoelastic memory-foam and latex mattresses, along with a smaller amount of information on other types. Although no… specific brands are particularly recommended, the site has good information on memory-foam densities, temperature sensitivity, types, construction and more. There are some good pro/con lists comparing types. It seems the editors prefer latex over other types, but there isn't a strong endorsement.
by Editors of Better Homes and Gardens
by Editors of AllergyBuyersClub.com
Retailer Allergy Buyers Club provides ratings for the mattresses they sell. Unfortunately, the methodology for creating those ratings is not explained, and all are relatively high. That said, there is some… useful information here, including recommendations as to what type of mattress is best for what type of consumer and a comparison chart that puts pluses, minuses and a typical user profile in an easy-to-see format.
by Melissa Schorr
by Contributors to ReviewCentre.com
ReviewCentre.com is based in the United Kingdom and offers a variety of products consumers can review, including mattresses. However, there are few owner-written reviews here. The Ergoflex Memory Foam… Mattress, which is sold in the U.K., receives more than four dozen reviews and maintains a 9.6 out of ten rating. Though this site is based in Britain, some of the mattresses reviewed here are available in the U.S.
by Alan Hedge, Ph.D., Richard D. Guyer, M.D.
Alan Hedge, Ph.D., of Cornell University, compiled this article referencing the Cornell University Ergonomics group's mattress guidelines for spine health. Look for mattresses designed to conform to the… spine's natural curves, distribute pressure evenly to help circulation, and minimize the transfer of movement from one sleeping partner to the other. Cornell's testers also favor mattresses with perimeter edge support. In a peer-review comment, Dr. Richard D. Guyer, M.D., Co-Founder and Fellowship Director, Texas Back Institute, adds some practical pointers on dealing with the mattress buying experience.
by F.M. Kovacs
According to this study, previous recommendations by orthopedic surgeons in favor of the use of firm mattresses for low-back pain were largely unsubstantiated by the scientific literature. This double-blind… study was undertaken by Spanish researchers to assess the effect of different firmnesses of mattresses for patients with low back pain. 313 adults with nonspecific low-back pain were randomly assigned to sleep on firm or medium-firm mattresses for 90 days. The study concluded that medium-firm mattresses lessened pain and improved disability.
by Editors of MemoryFoamMattress.org
by Susan Bernstein
by Contributors to Epinions
Owners at Epinions review a number of mattresses. Because mattress preference is personal, it's difficult to decipher which mattresses are "best" since many of the reviews are split down the middle.… However, we do take the reviews into consideration while looking for trends. Among the more frustrating aspects here is that those mattresses that do earn a five-star rating with at least a few reviews are mainly discontinued models. In fact, almost all of the mattresses reviewed here are unavailable. Still, there is something to glean from reading comments about different major manufacturers.
by Daniel
The mattress review blog is written by an anonymous poster known only as Daniel, but the half-dozen or so reviews that are posted to date do go into some depth about the products they discuss and contain… thoughtful ideas about whether they're worth the price and deliver on manufacturer promises. No real ranking system is given, but the writer is clear about which mattress he likes and which he doesn't. It is also not clear that Daniel has personally tested all -- or any -- of these beds.
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