Made up of initial body support (male and female average, 30%), change in body support over time (25%) stabilisation (15%), change in height and firmness (10%) permeability (10%) fatigue (5%), smell (new and fortnight average, 5%).
We roll a cask-shaped roller over each mattress for 30,000 cycles to simulate approximately eight years' use. Then, based on sleeping assessment in dorsal and lateral positions.
Using an oscilloscope we measure the movement of the mattress after a standard impact (17.5kg), simulating the turning body of a sleeping person. We also count the number of bounces up and down before the mattress is calm again. Higher-scoring mattresses exhibited fewer bounces and less movement during standard impact.
We roll a cask-shaped roller over each mattress for 30,000 cycles to simulate usage of approximately eight years. Then, we measure height and firmness straight out of the box, and again after this test to note any differences. The lower the score, the greater the difference.
We roll a cask-shaped roller over each mattress for 30,000 cycles to simulate approximately eight years' use. Visible damage such as cracking, broken springs or pilling contributes to fatigue score. A higher score means less damage.
We recommend mattresses with a score of 70% or more. However, we cannot recommend the second top-scoring model from Snooze, as it exhibited rust when cut open for assessment.
Price paid by CHOICE in November 2019. This mainly applies to mattresses sold by traditional retailers, as bed in a box brands typically sell at a lower set price.
A corner of the mattress is cut to count layers and note layer types. A visual cross-section of each mattress is included in the gallery of each product page.
If applicable. Bed in a box brands offer home trial periods that range from 30 to more than 100 nights. If you're unhappy with your purchase, you can exchange the mattress for a different model (if available) or a full refund.