Which is the Best Matress?
Which is the Best Mattress?
Patients (and even referring physicians) often ask me which is the best mattress? Which mattress should they buy? What they want to know is which mattress will help them sleep better. There is astonishingly little scientific evidence on what makes for a good mattress. We do know that support of the spine is important. However, there is really little to no evidence on what mattress allows us to sleep better.
There was a time when we could say a firm mattress is better than a soft one as it offers better support. A hard mattress would be too uncomfortable. In recent years, manufacturers have figured out how to separate the support layer from the comfort layer. Therefore, mattresses that offer good support can be soft, medium or hard.
Consumer Reports has the best research on mattresses. It rates mattresses on
1. Support: for side sleeping and back sleeping, separately for petite, average and large/tall people.
2. Durability: analysis of how well a mattress maintains it shape, height, firmness and support over 8 years of simulated use.
3. Stabilization: how much vibration is transmitted across the mattress, such as when a bed partner moves.
4. And gives the mattress a firmness rating from very soft to very firm.
The 15 best mattresses are:
First: Sleep Number i8 bed
Second (tied): Sleep on Latex Pure Green Firm, & Sleep Number c2 bed
Fourth: Charles P Rogers Powercore Estate 5000
Fifth (tied: Casper The Casper, & Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid Elite Kelburn
Seventh (four way tie): Stearns & Foster Lux Estate Middletown (or Lux Estate Everwood); Novaform 14” Serafina Pearl Gel (Costco); Serta Luxury 12” Gel Memory Foam, & Lull the Lull.
Eleventh (three way tie): Denver Mattress Doctor’s Choice; Purple The Purple Bed; & Beautyrest Recharge World Class Keaton.
Fourteenth (tie): Beautyrest Platinum Hailey Luxury Firm; & Charles P Rogers Ste Regis Pillowtop.
You should always try out a mattress by lying on it for half an hour in the store, or buying one with a trial period at home during which you can return it. Happy Sleeping and Dreaming!
