NBC’s The Today Show hosted Consumer Reports for its take on mattresses. Some of the results may surprise you.

At 7 minutes, the video is long, but it’s stuffed with helpful comfort tips, including the scientific reason why a mattress should be replaced every 8 years or so.  Some of the other advice includes:

  • How to reduce morning aches and pains with proper pillow choices
  • Why “hot sleepers” should stay away from memory foam
  • How to properly test a mattress in the store before you buy it

After its testing and a series of interviews with consumer and industry workers, Consumer Reports also concludes that — for a queen-sized bed — a $1,000 list price is going to give you “a lot of bed”; there’s little need to spend more.  And, furthermore, because mattress prices are usually negotiable by half-off or more off, you could buy that $1,000 mattress at a significant discount.

More than 70% of people successfully negotiate lower mattress prices.

Consumer Reports acknowledges that there’s no “#1 mattress”, per se, because mattresses are a personal fit in terms of both firmness and size.  With respect to durability, however, most will last for years.