Trying to find the mattress that best suits your needs is not always an easy task. Discover in this post how we analyze the best-selling mattresses to find the one that best suits your body, uses the best materials, have the longest life, or is the best value for the money. On average we invest around 25 years in our mattress. Choosing a wrong mattress can lead to sleep problems in the long run. For this reason, technical analysis of mattresses plays a crucial role. There are several difficult aspects to choosing a mattress (not to mention that a lot of it is based on personal taste). At TOP 5 we have taken this task very seriously and we have analyzed the 5 best-selling mattresses in the American market in a rigorous and totally impartial way to find what is the mattress of your dreams (or the closest on possible).
Now, let’s summarize what tests we have done at TOP 5 to evaluate the mattresses: A durability test that simulates the use of the mattress for a period of time between 6-8 years. A test in which we measure the elastic point to observe the elastic capacity when pressing a very small area without affecting the rest of the mattress. A zoning test that evaluates the ergonomics of the mattress. A test of subjective comfort in which we have asked different people in weight and height to lie on the mattresses and tell us their opinion. A washing test, in which we wash the mattress cover at 100掳 / 140掳 and check how much it shrinks. Finally, a test consisting of the evaluation of the ease of use by the weight and handling of the mattress.
HOW WE HAVE ANALYZED TOP 5 THE BEST SELLING MATTRESSES
Durability Test: DIN EN1957
This test consists of simulating the normal use of the mattress for a period of 6 to 8 years to observe how its functionality changes. In other words, it serves to see how hardness changes as time passes. The rule says that to draw conclusions it must be laminated 30,000 times, however, the main differences in the hardness of the mattresses evaluated can be observed in the first 100 to 15,000 cycles, so normally the process is reduced to the observation of 4 to 5 years of use. But … how is this process carried out? First we remove the mattress from its packaging. In the first week we perform a rolling with a roller to complete 100 cycles and, after 5 hours, we check its hardness. After this first test, the roller is passed again until 15,000 cycles are completed, and then we can re-measure the hardness and extract results. Here we show you an outline, to make it easier to understand the steps performed by TOP 5 in this test:
In more detail, these five steps are carried out using two machines. The first machine used is a rolling roller (or Rolling Mill) of 140 Kg that rolls on the mattress, as we mentioned above, in the first step completing 100 cycles and in the second, 15,000 cycles. Thus we managed to simulate that the number of nights the mattress has been used corresponds to 6-8 years.
The second machine used is a test bench (or Bench Test) with rollers that measures the hardness of the mattress after going through the 100 and 15,000 lamination cycles. Here you can see the two machines that we have used to evaluate the five mattresses:
Testing bench
Lamination Roller
Machines provide us with two key measures:
- The technical hardness, which is the force necessary to sink the mattress 1 mm
- The subjective hardness, which is the degree of hardness of the mattress on a scale from 1 (very hard) to 10 (very soft).
And… how do we evaluate the results?
The best mattress would be one that maintains the same initial characteristics and provides the same support after several “years of use”. To evaluate it, we check the values of the technical hardness in the initial conditions (we do it after the first 100 cycles) with those obtained after 15,000 cycles and we obtain the percentage (%) of hardness loss. We also remove the cover and check if the interior has been damaged during this process (both the core and the sides of the mattress). The lower the percentage of firmness lost, the greater the durability of the mattress.
Elasticity Point Test: DIN SPEC68200
The purpose of this test is to test the ability of each mattress to compress into a small area without affecting the rest of the mattress (particularly the adjacent area). For the sake of clarity, here’s an example: we want to know if you’re going to wake up when your partner (or your pet) moves through the night.
How do we do it?
The test is performed with an indenter (below you can see an image) that applies force to the mattress in two specific points according to the regulations. The indenter is located just above the center or core of the mattress and 450mm to the side, coinciding with the shoulder area and the final value is the height of the midpoint between the two hemispheres. Thus, the independence of the sides of the mattress can be appreciated.
Indenter
How do we evaluate the results?
A mattress will have better properties in its point of elasticity the higher the value of the height of the midpoint. This means that the mattress can be more compressed for the parts of the body that sink more without affecting the support it provides to the rest of the body.
Zoning Test
How well does the mattress support the weight of my back?
This test serves to check how the body sinks along the mattress, obtaining a curve that shows the areas that the mattress has (3, 5 or 7 zones).
How is the test performed?
A machine makes small crevices along the mattress, applying weight at several points and measuring how much sinks at each of these points.
How do we evaluate the results?
The results we obtain are a series of values (in mm) that represent the level of subsidence in the mattress in each of the points. It’s reflected in a graph where you can easily identify the different areas.
Based on the results provided by 2 or 3 specific points on the mattress, we can identify the level of support of the mattress for the back and the side position when sleeping.
Machine used in Zoning Test
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 
聽 聽 聽聽
3 Zones聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽5 Zones聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽7 Zones
Subjective comfort test
What is the purpose of this test?
The aim is to have a different perspective on how people perceive the characteristics of the mattress based on their experience. This test is 100% based on subjective opinions.
How do we do it?
The mattresses that are going to be evaluated are presented with a cover. So that the participants can test them blindly and thus avoid possible prejudices or partial opinions.
We ask participants to rate from 1 to 10 their perception of: men’s support, hip support, spine alignment, and perceived firmness in turning.
How do we evaluate the results?
Each mattress will be rated based on the average of the scores provided by all participants.
Washing test
What is the purpose of this test?
The purpose of the wash test is to check the shrinkage of the mattress cover by following the washing instructions provided by the manufacturer.
How do we perform this test?
The different parts of the cover (i.e. the top, sides and bottom) are accurately measured before and after being washed once at the maximum temperature allowed to be reflected on the wash label.
How do we evaluate the results?
We calculate how many mm the cover has shrunk, both in length and width, and determine the total shrinkage area. The higher the value of this area, the lower the mattress score.
Ease of Use Test
What’s it for?
The objective is to evaluate how easy it is to move or rotate the mattress in case a client needs it.
And how do we perform this test?
In this category we pay attention to two main aspects: the weight of the mattress and whether or not there are handles (and their location).
How do we evaluate the results?
The heavier the mattress, the more difficult it will be to move and therefore the score will be worse.
As for the scoring system of the handles, we usually give it in the following way:
1 – No handles
5 – The handles are under the mattress
10 – The handles are on the side of the mattress
Other tests we perform are:
Check if the mattress gives off a certain smell when you open it
Examine for moisture retention
In this post we have shown you only some of the tests we have done on the five best-selling mattresses in the US and shortly we will show you the results. Check out our mattress reviews in the meantime!
