If you are in the market for a new bed, you have encountered the question, what the best memory foam mattress review sources? Reviews continue to play a growing role in the buying process for many consumers, with surveys estimating about 60% of the US checks reviews before buying. People like reviews because they offer insight into the positive and negative aspects of a product and/or company, and may help shoppers make wiser decisions and avoid problems.
There a number of places you can look for reviews online, but should know the pros and cons of each to make sure you get the real lowdown on the memory foam mattresses you are comparing. The truth is there is so much information available on the web that it may be difficult to know for certain whether or not a particular source is accurate. There are a few hints that will let you know if you can trust what you are reading. Remember, try to find as much information as you can and don’t restrict yourself only one resource when researching. Here, we will examine some of the top memory foam mattress review sources you can use to get the fullest scope of information and make a knowledgeable choice.
Top Memory Foam Mattress Review Resources
When you consider the various information sources out there, you want to consider a few key factors:
- Verifiability – How do you know that an actual customer posted the reviews you are reading? Some sources may be prone to manipulation by either the brand or competitors.
- Trustworthiness – Is the source prone to bias? Some sources may have interests that could compromise reviews, such as taking advertising dollars, paid “pro” memberships, or vested brand interests.
- Helpfulness – Are reviews from this source helpful for shoppers? Some sources may be more adept at garnering truly informative reviews than others. Review sources that ask consumers to explain their experience in detail and display averages and popular pros and cons can be more helpful.
Manufacturer/Retailer Websites
One of the best memory foam mattress review sources can come directly from manufacturer and retailer websites. When a person buys a particular item they will generally go to the major retailer website in order to leave appropriate feedback. For large corporate brands and for direct-to-consumer brands and retailers, this is usually the first place to look.
Depending on the company, you will see different systems for reviews and some may not allow reviews at all. Testimonial style reviews (text referrals posted and managed by the brand) are least verifiable and trustworthy. Standard reviews are better, and third party verified-reviews are best. Third party verification indicates that someone other than the retailer has established that the reviewer is a real consumer, and reviews will often say “verified buyer” or similar to designate those who actually own the item.
Consumer Review Publications
Consumer review publications can provide a lot of information about a particular mattress you may be interested in. These include consumer magazines, websites, and journalistic reviews. These will generally contrast pros and cons, explain buying experiences, or compare various models. You may be able to get detailed information on price, purchase experience, delivery process, return policies, sales people, durability and more. For the consumer that is looking for more thorough information, a consumer review publication may be the best memory foam mattress review source for you. However, these sources are often supported by advertising revenue, and neutrality can be an issue. They also may only focus on the most popular brands and models, leaving many options out.
Third Party Review Websites
Third party websites are another great memory foam mattress review source for finding out the best and worst about particular brands and beds. What this offers consumers is information presented in an (ideally) unbiased fashion that doesn’t try to talk up or down a particular company. Instead, it gives consumers the real break down of what memory foam has to offer with all of the fluff that can be distracting to consumers. Usually, these sites serve as review aggregates, inviting people to share the experiences with a company or product. Membership can be either public or private, and most are usually free. Some review sites exist to collect advertising or referral traffic revenue, so that is something to consider. Others may offer preferential treatment to brands who pay for upgraded membership, which can also affect reviews. The other thing to consider with third party and unmonitored public memory foam mattress review sources is that anyone can leave a review – a customer, non-customer, employee, unethical competitor, spammer, etc. You have to look closely at the reviews and source when determining whether the information is trustworthy and reliable.
Social Media
Never underestimate the power of social media. Social media can provide excellent memory foam mattress review sources because many people are open and honest on these platforms. People are so used to voicing their opinion about various things through these outlets that it is only natural that they also include information about their recent purchases. Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are exceptionally high traffic areas for people expressing what they loved or hated about their memory foam mattress. There are also a number of open forums that allow people to converse freely about a particular bed. This type of dialogue allows people to feel more secure about future purchases and just gaining the right information to make appropriate decisions regarding their purchase. Social media allows a more relaxed environment for people to truly express their opinions about memory foam mattress. You can also ask trusted friends or family for reviews and suggestions via social pages, and see how brands interact socially with others.
How to Compare Memory Foam Mattress Reviews
Now that you know where to find memory foam mattress reviews, the next step is learning how to analyze and compare what you find in the most effective and efficient way possible.
First, keep in mind that no mattress is going to get praise from 100% of people because everyone has different tastes and preferences. The satisfaction average for memory foam is about 81% . The means that the memory foam mattress review average is approximately 4 out 5 stars, offering a baseline for comparison. If a bed is scoring above or below this, see what people are complaining about or praising in reviews (service, price, durability, comfort?).
Balance the pros and cons, and see which are more relevant to your situation. If a bed has 50 legitimate good reviews and 5 unflattering reviews, this alone shouldn’t deter you. However if a bed as 50 good and 50 bad reviews, or more bad reviews than good, this might indicate red flags or problems you need to consider before buying.
When you are comparing reviews of different brands or models, look at the ratings as well as the number of reviews (more samples are more reliable) and the variety and reliability of sources available. Also consider patterns involving quality, customer service, and claims versus performance.
Here is an overview of review information comparing three 12″ medium-firm memory foam mattresses similar on specifications. The key differences among the brands below involve the type of memory foam used: the Rhapsody from Tempurpedic utilizes conventional memory foam, the Revere from Amerisleep has plant-based memory foam, and the Prodigy from Serta iComfort features gel-infused memory foam. We looked at the reviews on the brand websites, and check third party review sites to see if similar patterns emerged across other memory foam mattress review sources as well. When you are comparing as a shopper, you will want to dig deeper and ensure that the beds and reviews match what you are looking for.
Mattress Amerisleep AS2 (formerly Revere) Sealy Optimum Elation Gold Serta iComfort Prodigy III Tempurpedic TEMPUR-Cloud Luxe
Average Owner Satisfaction 98% 76% 74% 81%
Price, Queen $1,199 $2,124 $2,074 $3,699
Foam Density 3” 4.0 lb MF
9” 2.0 lb Base2" ? lb gel MF
4" ? lb gel MF
7" ? lb base2" ? lb gel MF
1" ? lb gel MF
2" ? lb MF
1" ? lb poly foam
6" ? lb base2.75” ? lb MF
2” ? lb MF
9” ? lb Base
Heat Issues 3% 11% 6% 13%
Odor Issues 3% 10% 10% 18%
Durability Issues 2% 18% 20% 6%
Warranty 20 years (10) 10 years (10) 10 years (10) 10 years (10)
Trial Period 100 days Depends on retailer 120 days 90 days
Overview
There are a number of ways that people can gain valuable information about memory foam mattresses. No matter which outlet that you choose, remember that you are doing a necessary part of the purchase process which is researching! The major thing that consumers need to do is try to utilize as many sources as possible to ensure that they have gained as much information that they can. There is no such thing as too much information when you are trying to make the best mattress purchase. In the end, the best memory foam mattress review should be created by tapping into as many platforms as possible.