7 of the best soft mattresses of 2025

Over the years we have been testing mattresses, we have established tests that we use to evaluate mattresses based on important factors.

Strength and feel

You can think of firmness as the hardness or softness of a mattress when you lie on it. We’ve tested hundreds of mattresses and have an extensive catalog to compare with every new bed we test.

When assessing the feel, we handle the bed carefully. As we press on the bed, we observe what the material does. Does the rebound take a second like traditional memory foam or is it fast and springy like latex foam?

durability

Mattresses don’t last forever and you want to buy one that will last. Based on its construction, we assume how well a mattress will hold up to nighttime use. Beds with steel springs as a base generally last longer than all-foam mattresses.

Motion isolation

Motion isolation refers to how well a mattress absorbs movement across its surface. This is a big problem for people who sleep with a partner or pet that moves around at night. To isolate motion, we jump and bounce on the mattress and see how much motion is detected. We also put a glass of water on the edge of the bed and roll and jump around next to it. If the mattress doesn’t tip over, it has good motion isolation.

Edge support

The edge support of a mattress indicates how strong the circumference of the bed is. We lay and sit on the edge of the mattress and assess how stable it feels. If we feel like we are falling, then the bed does not have good edge support.

temperature

Hot sleepers need to look for mattresses with cooling technology. Many mattresses claim to have them, but we know the difference between marketing and cooling design that actually keeps you cool.

Our CNET Sleep editors handpick the beds and other products we write about based on editorial merit. If you purchase through our links, we may receive a commission. Find out more about how we test mattresses.