Detailed review protocol
How we Score and Test Mattress Responsiveness
We time how quickly the mattress regains its shape after pressure is removed and combine that result with practical repositioning checks.
- Settled12 lb load at rest
- ReleaseLoad removed quickly
- About 80%Primary response timing
- Full shapeBounded tail penalty
What ease of movement tells you
Ease of movement describes how readily a sleeper can roll over, change position, and get out of bed. It is related to response time, but it also reflects sinkage, surface resistance, and the way layers work together.
How we test response
We place a 12-pound medicine ball on the mattress and wait until the surface is fully compressed and still. We then remove it quickly while recording with a high-frame-rate camera and an on-screen timer. Frame-by-frame review captures two points: when the surface is about 80% recovered and when it has returned fully to shape.
The mostly recovered time establishes the response result because a sleeper can move before the final, small amount of expansion is complete. A long delay between mostly recovered and fully recovered receives a limited tail penalty. Sinkage and bounce then show whether the surface resists or assists a larger position change.
Sinkage and bounce are reported as descriptive measurements. For sinkage, the same 12-pound ball is placed about 12 inches from the edge and photographed against a fixed reference. For bounce, it is dropped from 18 inches above the surface, then video frames are used to measure maximum compression and rebound. Neither result is automatically good or bad because different sleepers prefer different levels of contour and spring. They inform the ease-of-movement conclusion when they explain the response result.
How the score is assigned
Ease of movement contributes 9% of the overall mattress score. It combines response speed at 70%, sinkage resistance at 20%, and rebound assistance at 10%. Response remains dominant, while the smaller sinkage and bounce components distinguish a fast surface from one that also helps the sleeper roll, stand, or change position.
Mostly recovered anchors
“Mostly recovered” means the surface has regained about 80% of its original shape. Results between anchors are interpolated.
| Component score | Time to mostly recover |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0.20 seconds or faster |
| 9 | 0.40 seconds |
| 8 | 0.70 seconds |
| 7 | 1.00 second |
| 6 | 1.50 seconds |
| 5 | 2.20 seconds |
| 4 | 3.20 seconds |
| 2 | 5.00 seconds |
| 0 | 7.00 seconds or slower |
Full-recovery tail
Full recovery is used as a bounded penalty rather than a second full score. A delay of 0.5 seconds or less after mostly recovered carries no penalty. The penalty increases from 0.2 points at a one-second tail to 0.5 at two seconds, 0.8 at three seconds, and 1.2 at four seconds.
Sinkage and bounce components
Lower measured sinkage receives the stronger movement component because there is less material to move through. Bounce adds assistance, but its 10% weight prevents a highly springy surface from overriding slow recovery or deep sinkage. The component anchors and overall calculation are published on the mattress scoring page.