Our team of sleep and mattress experts has tested over 200 mattresses collectively. During that time, we’ve established testing methods that assess each mattress for each key performance factor. 

We test all mattresses the same, though when selecting which beds make our best lists, we consider each option based on the topic. In this case, it’s back sleepers. There are several perfectly good mattresses that we rate highly, but won’t won’t make this back sleepers list because they are better suited for someone else.

Firmness: We’ve rated every mattress we’ve ever tested for firmness, comparing them to each other. This has allowed us to establish a firmness scale ranging from soft to extra firm. Mattress for back sleepers will fall on the firmer side of the scale -- medium to medium-firm and up. 

Feel: When testing and rating how a mattress feels, we touch and feel the bed while watching how the materials respond. Is it light and bouncy? Or does it take a while to snap back like traditional memory foam? 

Durability: We hypothesize a bed’s durability based on its construction. Beds with steel coil bases generally hold up better in the long run, though plenty of foam mattresses have a good lifespan. 

Best body type: Using the firmness and construction of each bed, we determine who is best suited for a bed. For example, heavier body types need the extra support of coils. Petite body types will find that mattresses feel firmer because they put less pressure on them.

Best sleeping position: We also consider sleeping position when testing mattresses. We lie on each mattress in every position -- back, stomach, side and combination -- taking extra care to note how it feels on our backs and pressure points. 

Motion isolation: We use a few tests for motion isolation. First, two people lie on the bed and bounce around to see if the other can feel their movements. This is essential if you have a partner who moves around often at night. We also place a glass of water on the edge of the mattress and roll and bounce around to see if it tips over. 

Edge support: Think of edge support as the strength of the bed’s perimeter. We sit and lie on the edge of each bed and rate how well it supports our weight. If we feel we might roll off it, the bed doesn’t have good edge support. 

Check out how we test mattresses for even more of the nitty-gritty of our process.