Ratings for Mattress Types

A dizzying array of brands, models and features can make mattress shopping confusing. Many manufacturers use studies to rate their mattresses and find ways to improve the rankings. Nick Robinson, publisher of Sleeplikethedead.com began working with mattress companies to provide reviews from actual consumers because of his 10-year battle with insomnia. This research data includes more than 9,000 reviews and comments of mattress owners collected on the website as of May 2010. Ratings range from Excellent to Poor.

Air

• You can store air mattresses flat and inflate to use them. They come in handy when extra company sleeps over.

  The Sleep Number air mattress received a comfort rating of 79 percent while durability and pain relief rankings were Good and Excellent.

  The Comfortaire mattress received a comfort rating of 85 percent, a Good to Excellent rating in durability and a Good ranking in the pain relief category.

Innerspring

• An innerspring mattress uses wire coils as its support system.

  Sealy mattresses received a 65 percent overall comfort rating and ranked Poor to Fair in the pain relief category---an overall Fair rating.

  Serta mattresses received an overall comfort rating of 63 percent. In the durability category they received a Poor to Fair rating and a Fair rating for pain relief.

  Simmons mattresses received an overall comfort rating of 61 percent. Poor to Fair was the rating for durability. These mattresses rated Fair in pain relief.

  Kingsdown innersprings received an overall comfort rating of 60 percent; both the durability and pain relief ranking were Poor to Fair.

  Stearns Foster mattresses received an overall comfort rating of 59 percent. Both the durability and pain relief categories received a Poor to Fair rating.

  Spring Air innersprings received a 42 percent overall comfort rating; the rating for both durability and pain relief was Poor.

Memory Foam

• Polyurethane with additional chemicals, such as acetone and toluene, make up a memory foam mattress.

  Tempurpedic mattresses received an overall rating of 80 percent, a Good rating for durability and a Good to Excellent rating for pain relief.

  Bodipedic memory foam received an overall comfort rating of 82 percent, with a fair rating for durability and a Good-Excellent grade for pain relief.

  Select-a-Firmness mattresses received an overall rating of 80 percent. The durability rating was Fair, and the pain relief category received a Good to Excellent ranking.

  Spa Sensations mattresses received an overall rating of 82 percent. They received a Fair rating for durability; their pain relief category received a Good to Excellent ranking.

  Novaform mattresses received an overall comfort rating of 78 percent. For durability these mattresses received a Fair rating and a Good to Excellent rating for pain relief.

  Bragada memory foam received an overall comfort rating of 70 percent, the durability rating given was Fair and the mattresses rated Good in pain relief.

  Night Therapy mattresses received an overall comfort rating of 82 percent; the durability ranked Fair, and in pain relief they rated Good to Excellent.

  Bergad/Isoform mattresses received an overall comfort rating of 80 percent, a Fair to Good rating for the durability category and pain relief ranked as Good.