Best Pillow-Top Mattresses for 2025, According to a Mattress Expert Who Sleeps on One

We also use our proprietary Mattress Smasher 9000 to compute objective firmness levels. While we always test a bed before we use the MS9K, it’s essential to have objective numbers to compare.

Motion isolation

Motion isolation is how well a mattress dampens movement across the surface of the bed. It’s essential for people sleeping with a partner, kids or pets. Traditionally, memory foam does the best job at motion isolation.

We have a few tests we put a bed through to assess motion isolation. First, I would lie on the bed and close my eyes. Then, a team member would move around next to me, with increasing levels of movement. We would do this in every sleeping position. The second test we use is setting a glass of water on the edge of the mattress and rolling toward it. 

Edge support

Edge support is the strength of the bed’s perimeter. If you tend to sleep on the edge of the mattress or have mobility issues, edge support is a big deal.

To test edge support, our team sits and lies on the edge of the bed and we note how much the bed gives. If I feel like we might fall off, the bed receives a poor edge support score. Traditionally, many memory foam mattresses rate lower in edge support, though it can happen across all bed types.

Temperature

Many brands claim that their mattresses are cooling when they really aren’t. Here’s where our established industry knowledge comes in to help you decide what’s real and what’s just marketing. Including “cooling” technology, like special foams or covers, doesn’t mean that you’ll actually feel it. 

Our testing rooms are all temperature-controlled, and we test beds without sheets or bedding to get as close to the real deal as possible. When we lie on each bed, we make sure we note if the bed is cooling and if we feel any of our body heat trapped while testing.