Last updated: October 8, 2026
Buying a mattress is an expensive decision you live with for years, usually after only a few minutes of lying on a showroom floor or none at all. ExportAZ Mattress (“ExportAZ Mattress”, “we”, “us” or “our”) exists to make that decision easier and less risky. This page explains who creates our content, how we test and score mattresses, how we check facts and correct mistakes, how we use AI tools, and how we keep our recommendations independent from the way we earn money.
1. Our Mission
Our mission is simple: to help people choose a mattress that suits their body, sleep position, budget and bedroom, through clear, honest and practical information. Online since March 2022, ExportAZ Mattress (“A-Z Mattress Review”) publishes reviews, comparisons and buying guides such as How to Choose a Mattress and our firmness guide, along with free tools like the Mattress Finder. We would rather tell you that a cheaper mattress will serve you well, or that you don’t need a new mattress at all, than push you towards something you don’t need.
2. Editorial Independence
We are an independent, reader-supported publication. We are not owned by, and do not belong to, any mattress manufacturer or retailer. Our editorial principles are:
- No paid placements. Brands cannot pay to be reviewed, to appear in a list, to move up a ranking or to change what we say.
- No pre-publication approval. Brands do not see or approve our reviews before they are published.
- Honest drawbacks. Every mattress has trade-offs. We name them, including for products we earn commissions on.
- Reader-first coverage. We include products we earn nothing from whenever they belong in a fair comparison.
3. Who Writes and Reviews Our Content
ExportAZ Mattress was founded by Ryan J. Cardona, who serves as lead editor. Ryan sets our testing standards, assigns and edits every review and guide, and has final responsibility for what we publish. You can read more about him and the site on our About page.
Ryan is supported by contributing reviewers who help with hands-on testing and research. Where practical, we gather impressions from testers of different body types and sleep positions, because a mattress that feels medium to one person can feel firm or soft to another. Contributors follow the same methodology and standards described on this page, and all of their work is edited by the lead editor before publication.
Our writers are not doctors or physiotherapists, and we never present our content as medical advice. When we discuss sleep health or pain, we rely on well-established general guidance from recognized health organizations, hedge our claims accordingly and recommend that readers with persistent pain or sleep problems see a qualified professional.
4. How We Test Mattresses
We combine hands-on testing with analysis of manufacturer specifications, owner feedback and the fine print of each brand’s policies. Where we evaluate a mattress hands-on, we follow the steps below in the same order so results are as comparable as possible. Where a step could not be carried out, we say so in the review rather than guessing.
- Unboxing and off-gassing. We note how the mattress arrives, how easy it is to unpack and move, how quickly it expands, and whether there is a noticeable smell and how long it takes to fade with the room ventilated. We also check which certifications (such as foam or textile safety standards) the brand claims.
- Firmness rating (1–10 scale). Testers lie on the mattress on their back, side and stomach and rate firmness on a 1–10 scale, where 1 is extremely soft and 10 is extremely firm, and around 6 is the industry’s rough “medium-firm” benchmark. We compare our rating with the brand’s own description, which is often different. Our firmness guide explains the scale in detail.
- Pressure relief by sleep position. We assess how well the comfort layers cushion the shoulders and hips for side sleepers, support the lower back for back sleepers, and keep the hips from sinking for stomach sleepers, noting where testers feel pressure building and how body weight changes the result.
- Motion transfer test. We use our kettlebell and wine-glass drop test: a kettlebell is dropped from a consistent height at set distances from a wine glass placed on the surface, and we observe whether the glass wobbles or tips. We supplement it with real-world checks, such as one tester rolling over or getting out of bed while another lies still. Our motion isolation roundup shows this test in use.
- Edge support. Testers sit on the edge and lie near the perimeter, checking how much the edge compresses, whether it feels secure when getting in and out of bed, and how much of the surface is usable for couples.
- Temperature. We note how warm the surface feels when first lying down and after an extended period, and consider the materials, cover fabrics and airflow design. We treat brand cooling claims with care, and explain what is realistic in our cooling mattress guide.
- Bounce and responsiveness. We assess how quickly the mattress regains its shape after pressure is removed and how easy it is to change position, which matters for combination sleepers, sex and getting out of bed.
- Durability signals. We can’t live with every mattress for a decade, so we look at proxies: foam densities where disclosed, coil count and gauge, the quality of materials and construction, the warranty’s definition of sagging, and patterns in long-term owner feedback.
- Trial, warranty and return policy review. We read the fine print: trial length and any mandatory break-in period, return fees or pickup charges, whether refunds are full or partial, warranty length and what it excludes, and the foundation requirements that can void coverage.
Why we use owner feedback: hands-on testing captures how a mattress feels new. Patterns in owner feedback, such as repeated reports of early sagging or customer-service problems, help us understand how it performs over time. We look for consistent trends, not individual reviews, and we never publish fake or paid testimonials.
5. Our Scoring Criteria
Each criterion is scored, then weighted to produce an overall score. For category-specific guides (for example, the best mattresses for back pain or for hot sleepers), we explain in the article if a particular criterion carries extra importance for that audience.
| Criterion | What we evaluate | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Support and spinal alignment | Whether the spine stays in a neutral line across sleep positions and body weights | 20% |
| Pressure relief | Cushioning at the shoulders, hips and lower back | 15% |
| Motion isolation | Kettlebell and wine-glass drop results; partner movement checks | 10% |
| Edge support | Perimeter stability when sitting and lying near the edge | 10% |
| Temperature regulation | Surface warmth, materials and airflow | 10% |
| Durability and materials | Foam density, coil quality, construction and owner-reported longevity | 10% |
| Value for money | Performance and materials relative to typical selling price | 10% |
| Responsiveness and ease of movement | Bounce and how easily sleepers can change position | 5% |
| Trial, warranty and returns | Trial length, return costs, warranty terms and exclusions | 5% |
| Off-gassing and certifications | Initial odor and the credibility of safety and material certifications | 5% |
| Total | 100% |
Scores help with comparison, but they are not the whole story. The written review explains who each mattress is best for and who should avoid it, which is often more useful than a single number.
6. Sources and Fact-Checking
Before publication, the lead editor checks every factual statement in a review or guide. Our standards are:
- Primary sources first. Product specifications, trial and warranty terms are checked against the manufacturer’s own website and policy documents, and certifications against the certifying body where possible.
- Health information from recognized authorities. When we discuss sleep health, we rely on established guidance from recognized medical and public-health organizations rather than marketing materials or anecdote.
- Clear attribution. We distinguish between our own observations, manufacturer claims and general guidance, so you know where each statement comes from.
- No invented evidence. We do not fabricate studies, statistics, quotes, experts or customer reviews, and we avoid false precision.
7. Updating and Corrections Policy
Mattress brands frequently change materials, prices and policies, so we review our key guides regularly and update them when products, prices or policies change, when we test something new, or when readers tell us something has changed. Each page shows a “last updated” date.
When we make a mistake, we fix it promptly. Minor corrections, such as typos or broken links, are made without notice. Substantive corrections that change a fact, score or recommendation are noted at the bottom of the page with the date and a short description of what changed. We never quietly alter a verdict to suit a brand.
8. Our Use of AI Tools
AI tools may assist our team with research, organizing notes, drafting outlines or text, and checking grammar. They do not test mattresses, and they do not decide our rankings or scores. Every page on ExportAZ Mattress is reviewed and edited by a human, and the lead editor is responsible for its accuracy. We check any AI-assisted text against our sources and testing notes before publication, and we do not use AI to generate fake reviews, testimonials or people.
9. Conflicts of Interest
ExportAZ Mattress earns money in two ways: affiliate commissions from some mattress brands, through links marked rel="sponsored", and optional paid sleep-consultation services listed on our services page. Commissions never change our rankings, and our Affiliate Disclosure explains these relationships in full.
When we receive a mattress free of charge or at a discount for testing, we disclose it in the review, and it does not oblige us to cover the product favorably, or at all. Our paid consultations follow the same independence standards: we recommend what suits the client, not what earns us a commission, and we tell clients when a recommended product is one we have an affiliate relationship with. Team members must disclose any personal financial interest in a brand they cover, and the lead editor decides whether they should step back from that review.
10. Contact Us About Corrections
If you believe something on our site is inaccurate, out of date or unfair, we want to hear from you. Please include the page URL, the statement in question and, if possible, a source:
- Email: [email protected] (subject line: “Correction”)
- Contact page: Contact ExportAZ Mattress
We review every correction request and aim to reply within a few business days. Brands are welcome to point out factual errors, but we do not change opinions, scores or rankings in response to commercial pressure.