Best Innerspring Mattress in 2024
Our CNET Sleep editors have tested more beds than the average sleeper (about 300 different ones, in fact) and put in hundreds of hours of research. We’re proud of our mattress testing methods.
Hardness and feel
When we begin testing mattresses, we first determine the firmness and feel of the mattress. Firmness is how soft or hard the mattress is. We have multiple team members test and rate each bed to get the most complete picture of how the bed performs in these categories.
Mattress feel describes how the mattress responds. Is it as slow to respond as traditional memory foam? Will it spring back like latex foam? This will translate into a feeling of rolling around in bed at night.
The Mattress Smasher 9000 objectively tests the firmness of each bed.
We also use our proprietary CNET equipment to objectively test hardness Mattress Crusher 9000. The machine presses into the middle of the bed, and our corresponding software measures firmness on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest. While we also personally test each bed for firmness and feel, we can back up our opinion with mattress crusher data.
Durability
The durability or longevity of a mattress depends on the material it is made of. Mattresses with individually wrapped coils as a base are more durable than all-foam mattresses. They also tend to be more expensive.
Mattress performance
The key performance criteria we use to evaluate mattresses include motion isolation, edge support and temperature.
We tested how well the mattress isolated movement by placing a glass of water next to the bed and rolling it to see how much it moved. Movement isolation is important if you have a partner who rolls over and wakes you up.
Edge support refers to the strength of the perimeter of the bed. The test for this is simple: we sit on the edge and lie on the edge to see if it yields under pressure.
When evaluating temperature, we examine the materials and construction of the mattress. Materials like latex and gel memory foam can prevent the mattress from retaining body heat.
Read more How we test mattresses.
