Bed Mattress Reviews -- Making Sense of Consumer Mattress Ratings and Comparisons

When reading bed mattress reviews, it is important to understand that many reviews found on internet websites are negative, no matter what the product is. An unhappy consumer will naturally be more driven to take some action, if not to solve their own problem, then at least to help others avoid making the same mistake.

This is especially true for bed mattress reviews, which have such a wide range of possible ratings. Often the problem is not the mattress itself, but the wrong match between the brand or model and the individual sleeping on it. People vary so much, not just in size and weight, but in their perceptions and definitions of physical comfort.

Go find any two people similar in size, weight, age, health and gender. It is quite likely that one will prefer an entirely different mattress than the other.

Maybe one will like a firmer feel, but even the type of bed preference may be different -- such as one will like memory foam and the other will like a firm spring coil.

Then add in the extreme variations of physical characteristics, and you can see quite plainly that mattress choice is very individual. They will certainly not post the same bed mattress reviews.

Overall mattress ratings are based on the number of reviews, both positive and negative, which are then added together and averaged out. An equal number of one-star reviews and five-star reviews results in a three-star overall rating.

But this can be quite misleading, because the overall rating does NOT reflect the two extremes of feelings. It would have the same rating if ALL of the reviews were three-stars. But if that were the case, you would have an entirely different picture of that mattress!

Tips on Using Bed Mattress Reviews

• Pay most attention to mattress reviews that have a large numbers of respondents. If a particular brand or type of mattress you are looking for only has 2 or 3 reviews, it's best to disregard it. That's just not enough to get an accurate picture of what this bed is really like.
• Notice if a large portion of the bed mattress reviews of a particular brand or model repeat the same complaint. That's a better indication that it's something to worry about.
• If most reviews are about body impressions of 2 inches or less, it likely means that only the top padding is to blame. If it were poor inner construction, the damage would be a lot worse than that. Broken coils are a lot more serious than flattened padding, but just because it's not due to construction mechanics doesn't mean it's not annoying! That is why...
• ... if most complaints are about the top padding caving in, then you know it would be best to buy that particular mattress without the pillowtop or "comfort layers." Then add your own separate toppers as you see fit. You will save enough money to buy the best topper for your needs.
• If the most complaints are about broken springs, poor construction, the answer is simple -- avoid that mattress!
• Beware of overly positive bed mattress reviews that are short on details, especially if they mention a particular mattress store. They may be solicited (or paid) by the company that sold them the mattress -- or maybe they are friends of the owner... or maybe they ARE the owner!
• Also, be cautious of statements by owners or managers of mattress stores, mattress salespeople, mattress wholesalers, and so on, about choosing one brand or type of mattress over another.

I have seen innerspring mattress salespeople criticize latex mattresses for having weak support, when they are actually among of the most therapeutic and durable mattresses on the market.

I have also seen sellers of one BRAND of mattress badmouth the quality of another brand. While they might have insider knowledge worth considering, they can't claim to be completely unbiased.

Use consumer bed mattress reviews as a starting point, but don't let them make the decision for you. This may seem obvious, but we are all susceptible to the opinions of others.