Our team of sleep and mattress experts has been testing mattresses, bedding and sleep technology for years, dedicating thousands of hours to honing our craft of honestly reviewing beds and sleep-related products. At this point, we’ve collectively tested well over 350 beds from dozens of mattress brands, including Helix, Purple, Casper, Leesa and so many more.
Our team of mattress testers thoroughly analyzes characteristics such as firmness, feel, temperature regulation, motion isolation, edge support and any special features.
Firmness
Firmness is one of the primary characteristics we examined when selecting the best latex mattresses. During testing, our sleep experts of varying weights and body types try the bed in each sleeping position to evaluate how well it performs based on different needs. If it’s a soft latex mattress for side sleeping, we examine how well it cradles our pressure points — mainly shoulders, hips and knees. When searching for the best firm mattress for back sleeping, we examine how supportive the mattress is while maintaining comfort.
Testing the firmness of the Plank Firm Luxe mattress as a back sleeper.
We follow up our subjective analyses of firmness by finding an objective firmness score with our Mattress Smasher. We run the test for each bed between three and seven times and take the average to determine its final objective firmness level.
Feel
The feel of a mattress is another important element we analyze and review, influenced by the type of foam and coils used in its construction. Is it bouncy and responsive? Is it easy to switch positions? Or does the foam conform around your body and hold your shape for a while? Does the mattress have a soft, plush pillow-top feel, or is it more neutral? Are the coils or zoned support noticeable? We do our best to describe exactly what it feels like to lie on each bed to help you determine if it’s right for you without having to test them all yourself.
Because latex foam has a natural tendency to feel bouncy and responsive, most of the latex mattresses in this list have a similar springy and buoyant feel. Firmness is where they differ the most, primarily determined by the density and thickness of the latex foam used.
Read more: Why The Foam in Your Mattress Matters
Temperature regulation
Each individual’s preferences, body type and even health conditions can influence how hot or cold a mattress feels. Over the years, we’ve found that many mattress brands exaggerate the cooling capabilities of their beds, which is why we detail how hot or cool the mattress sleeps during our testing process. Does the mattress sincerely feel cool to the touch and give a satisfying chilling sensation for hot sleepers? Or will it sleep more temperature-natural? Do the materials retain body heat and keep you warmer?
Testing the edge support of the Organica Plush by Amerisleep.
We also push down on the edges with our fists to observe how much they compress under pressure. Many mattress brands add reinforcements around the perimeter to enhance edge support. Solid edge supports help create a stable and consistent sleeping surface across the entire mattress — and most latex mattresses perform average to above-average in this category, depending on their construction.
CNET editors select the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may receive a commission. Read more about how we test mattresses.
