The best king mattresses of 2024, tested and reviewed by CNET’s sleep experts

Our sleep experts have been testing mattresses, bedding and accessories for years (a few have been testing for up to eight years). At this point, we’ve tested over 300 mattresses from dozens of brands, from big names like Purple and Tempur-Pedik to more niche companies like Sonu and Airweave.

Our team consists of bed testers of different body weights and types, heights, genders and sleep preferences, which helps us provide a comprehensive assessment of each mattress from multiple perspectives. Many mattresses have been tested for long periods ranging from a a month or two to five years.

We test king size mattresses just like we do any other bed. When a new mattress arrives testing facilityit undergoes rigorous, hands-on testing by each of our experts. We analyze specific characteristics including firmness, feel, temperature, motion isolation, edge support and other special characteristics that a mattress may possess.

Hardness

Hardness is rated numerically on a scale of 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest) and we use industry terms like soft or medium hard to describe it. Our entire team takes turns rating and ranking the firmness of each mattress, allowing us to make suggestions about which sleeping position and body type are best suited. After subjectively analyzing the firmness, we let our one-of-a-kind Mattress Smasher 9000 do its job and give us an objective firmness score.

Feel it

Another subjective element we look at is the feel of a mattress, separate from its firmness. Does it feel springy and responsive when you lay on it? Is it easy to change position? Or does the dense memory foam fit around our bodies and hold our shape for a while? Is the mattress soft, plush? pillowy feelingor is it more neutral? Can we sense coils or zoned support? 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 yourself.

Read more: Why the foam in your mattress matters

temperature

Temperature can be difficult to review when considering each sleeper’s personal preferences and the fact that many mattress brands oversize their beds. cooling capabilities. When we test and review mattresses, we describe how hot or cool the mattress is for sleeping. Many external factors come into play here (such as climate and environment, bedding, pyjamas, etc.), so we test beds in temperature-controlled rooms without sheets or bedding. Using our extensive knowledge and experience, we analyze its construction and materials and explain how they affect temperature.

Traffic isolation

Motion isolation is a term we use to describe how well a mattress prevents movement across its surface. This is an especially important feature for light sleepers or those who share a bed with a partner or pets. We test its motion isolation capabilities by having one expert lie on a bed while another tosses around and changes positions. The second method is by placing a glass of water on its edge, rolling towards and away from it to see if the glass tilts or falls.

Edge support

Edge support is usually not as important for king size mattresses as it is for smaller sizes such as queen or twin. Regardless, testing the edge support allows us to gauge how well it holds the structure and support around the perimeter. We sit and lie on the edge to see how the bed reacts. Does it flex and feel like we’re going to roll over, or is it firm and supportive? We also press the edges with our fists to observe how much the edge compresses under pressure.

Special features

Some brands include special features in their mattresses, such as cooling covers for hot sleepers or zoned support for those with back pain. We test and review these additional features and determine which type of bedding would be most beneficial.