Best Mattresses for Big and Tall People

How We Test Mattresses
At CR we buy and test queen-size mattresses because that’s the most widely sold size. Using lab equipment and human subjects, we evaluate how well a mattress supports the body for both back and side sleepers of various sizes, how easily sleepers can shift their weight without disturbing their partner, and how well the mattress keeps its shape over time.

To simulate the typical eight- to 10-year useful life span of a mattress, we conduct a mechanical test in which a 308-pound roller is passed over each model 30,000 times. For firmness, rather than take a manufacturer’s word for it, we apply a load of up to 1,000 newtons (4.4 newtons equal a pound) to each mattress, then plot the results on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest.

We test mattresses from the big names, such as Sealy, Serta, Stearns and Foster, and Tempur-Pedic. We also evaluate direct-to-consumer brands, such as Casper and Tuft & Needle, and bring in mattresses with innovative construction, such as the Reverie, which consists of foam springs you can arrange to adjust firmness, and the Purple, which has a rubberlike grid as a top layer to promote airflow.