A great place to start your DIY mattress exploration is to take a few of the mattress quizzes available. Many of them are well thought out and can give you a better understanding of what you’d like to build.
However…
Please Take These Mattress Quizzes with a Grain of Salt
It’s important to approach these quizzes with caution.
The Mattress Firm quiz, although they tout it as being powered by Google and SleepScore Labs, offered some interesting results. We took it several times, and our results appeared to be based almost exclusively on what kind of mattress we said we preferred.
Specifically, we claimed to be stomach sleepers who wanted a mattress to help relieve pain and who preferred plush mattresses. And, you guessed it, they recommended a whole bunch of plush mattresses to us.
The Issue with Preference-Based Recommendations
Should stomach sleepers sleep on a plush mattress?
It’s fairly well known in the mattress world that stomach sleepers need a somewhat firmer mattress relative to their BMI, or they can suffer back, hip, and shoulder pain.
But our fictional stomach sleeper needing pain relief was still dutifully suggested loads of plush mattresses simply because we said that’s what we preferred.
Your Preferences vs. Expert Advice
And if that’s what you prefer, then you should, of course, do what you want.
Ultimately, it’s your money and your bed, so if you’re a belly sleeper who prefers a plush mattress, that’s your choice.
But! If you’re seeking guidance, remember that these quizzes often serve more as sales tools than educational resources. Mattress companies are in the business of selling mattresses, not necessarily educating consumers.
Companies Focus on Sales, Not Education
If you say you prefer a super soft surface for sleeping, then by golly, that’s what they’re going to sell you.
They will likely not mention that you would probably sleep better on a firmer mattress due to your sleep position and/or BMI, especially if you are already suffering pain that may indeed be the result of an improperly supportive mattress.
Why? Because if they push you in a direction contrary to your stated preference, they know you’ll likely blame them if you don’t like it. If you say you like soft, and they sell you soft, if you don’t like it, that’s on you.
These quizzes are a good place to start and get a feel for some of your options, but they’re just a start. Keep that in mind.
Questions to Consider
The questions themselves can help you clarify your thinking. When one rebel took the quiz, they were surprised to find the recommendation of a plush over a firm mattress. She’d long believed she liked a firm mattress. However, when she tried some plush mattresses, she liked them far more than she expected.
The following are the sort of questions you might find on a mattress match quiz that are also helpful when creating your own mattress:
- What is your primary sleeping position? (Back, Stomach, Side, Combination)
- Do you experience any specific pain points when sleeping? (Back, Neck, Hips, Shoulders)
- What level of firmness do you prefer in a mattress? (Soft/Plush, Medium, Firm)
- What is your body type/BMI? (This can affect the type of support you need.)
- Do you tend to sleep hot or cold?
- What size mattress are you looking for? (Twin, Full, Queen, King, California King)
- Do you share your bed with a partner? If so, do they have different sleep preferences?
- Are there any specific materials you prefer in a mattress? (Memory Foam, Latex, Pocketed Coils, Wool, Organic)
Flexibility with DIY Mattresses
A great thing about a DIY mattress is that if you make your first best guess and find you don’t like what you put together? Yeah, you can just change it. Rearrange the layers. Change them out for different options. Add or subtract layers. Tweak until you find what you like.
The Quizzes ⬇️
And remember, these quizzes are best used for initial DIY planning purposes.
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