Buying a new mattress can be a minefield. Prices and discounts vary widely and different brands offer an astonishing range of features that all promise the best night's sleep.
But which claims stand true and which ones ring false? Does an expensive bed always guarantee a superior sleep? Do more springs equal more comfort?
To find the answers, our lab experts scientifically test and review dozens of mattresses a year from popular brands including Sealy, Sleeping Duck, King Koil, Koala, Ikea, Emma, Tempur and plenty more (see our mattress reviews).
We asked them to sort the facts from the fiction when it comes to the common mattress myths you hear when shopping. We hope you can rest easier now.
Myth 1. Cost = comfort
We have great news – you don't need to spend a fortune to get a good night's sleep. In fact, our testers regularly find cheaper mattresses that rate as good as or better for comfort than ones that cost thousands of dollars.
The bad news? They've also found very pricey mattresses that rate poorly too – one even costs more than $4000.
Testers regularly find cheaper mattresses that rate as good as or better than ones that cost thousands
To bust this expensive myth, our lab tests assess comfort extensively in multiple ways. First, using lasers, experts conduct body support tests for both male and female body types in back and side sleeping positions.
Our tests use lasers to assess comfort levels.
Then, to see how comfort changes over time, they evaluate each mattress as new and after a simulated eight years' use, using a huge roller machine which passes over it 30,000 times!
Our experts also test separately for sagging and stabilisation, too. CHOICE members can check and compare individual scores for each of these tests in our reviews.
"If you like the mattress now and its comfort and sagging scores don't decrease much in the eight-year score, then you can rest easy knowing that you'll likely be comfortable in eight years' time," says CHOICE's mattress master, Peter Zaluzny.
CHOICE verdict: Myth sprung! Cash doesn't always equal comfort.
Myth 2. Advertised firmness = actual firmness
You'd think this would be pretty straightforward. A bed marketed as 'firm' should be... er... firm, right?
Except our testing continually shows this isn't the case. Instead, we've discovered 'firm' mattresses that are actually 'soft' and 'soft' ones that rate 'firm' – it's a mislabelling mess out there!
That's why we run our own firmness lab tests to let you know what you're actually going to be laying on, night in, night out. Find out which mattresses live up to their firmness claims in our mattress review.
CHOICE verdict: Myth sprung! Don't rely on mattress retailers' claims about mattress firmness – try them out for yourself and check our reviews to see how firm the mattress really is.
Myth 3. More springs = a better night's sleep
There's no correlation between spring count and comfort. It's as simple as that.
One of our top-performing mattresses had half as many springs per square metre as a $5000+ hybrid mattress, but still scores better for comfort in our tests – by a lot. And many foam mattresses without springs also perform well.
"You can ignore salespeople's claims that a mattress with more springs will be more comfortable – our testing shows that this isn't the case at all," says Peter.
CHOICE verdict: Myth sprung! Don't get duped into paying more for a mattress with more springs. It doesn't mean it's more comfortable.
Myth 4. 'Cooling' mattresses = a cooler night's sleep
Many mattress manufacturers like to talk up their special 'cooling technology' that supposedly stops the bed from getting hot at night. Though we've found a few that live up to those claims, most mattresses tend to run medium-warm or warm, which can be an issue if you're a hot sleeper.
If you're a particularly sweaty sleeper or live in a hotter climate, you're probably better off looking for a mattress with a higher sweat repellent score in our test (this assesses a mattresses' permeability and water intake).
Most mattresses tend to run medium-warm or warm, which can be an issue if you're a hot sleeper
Humans are generally pretty grubby animals: when we sleep, we release sweat, bodily fluids, dead skin cells and other delightful substances. The more permeable a mattress, the less it retains this gunk, which means less damage to the mattress (and less sleeping on gross stuff).
Spring mattresses tend to come out ahead in this area, as they have plenty of space to let the gloop through – unlike foam mattresses, which are basically giant sponges.
CHOICE verdict: Myth (partially) sprung! Mattress manufacturers' cooling claims tend to be full of hot air. Sweaty sleepers and people in the tropics are better off with a more permeable mattress.
Look for models with a high sweat repellent score in our mattress reviews to find which are the most permeable.
Myth 5. Discounted mattresses = a good deal
Our 2017 investigation into mattress pricing found that bricks-and-mortar retailers can add mark-ups as high as 200%, and rename mattresses so that you can't easily compare one mattress with the same model from a different retailer. This disadvantages us by taking away our bargaining power.
Yet we were still able save as much as $2600 on a mattress, illustrating just how much traditional retailers pad their profit margins.
Bricks-and-mortar retailers can add mark-ups as high as 200%
"There's no reason to pay the RRP for a mattress. If you're buying from a bricks-and-mortar store, you should always push for a lower price," says Peter.
It's much harder to bargain with online retailers – they usually have more fixed prices and a limited range of mattresses, so discounts will be harder to negotiate. But you can pick up good discounts in sales periods, so keep an eye on prices so you can jump on good deals when you see them.
CHOICE verdict: Myth sprung! Deep discounts from mattress retailers don't necessarily represent good value.
Don't pay full RRP for a mattress from a traditional retailer. Unless you have specific needs, you may be better off opting for a great deal on a high-scoring mattress. Take a look at our detailed mattress reviews to find out how to get more bang for your buck.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
