Of the many product tests conducted by Stiftung Warentest, the mattress comparisons are among the absolute reader favorites. No wonder, because when you try it out for a short time in the store, it is difficult for consumers to say which model will actually be good for you to lie on in the long term. In the current mattress test, the product testers have chosen a new favorite that beats all previous models in the comparison database. But some other mattresses also showed good results.
Twelve spring mattresses were newly tested, eight of which received a quality rating of “Good”. The test winner was the Schlaraffia myNap TFK, which costs around 350 euros. With an overall grade of 1.6, the Schlaraffia not only beats its competitors in the current test. According to Warentest, it is also “the new best of all the mattresses we have tested that are still available”.
This knocks the Emma 25 Flip (grade 1.7) from its throne, which previously held the title of the best mattress in the Warentest database. However, the Emma Flip is a foam mattress. Instead of looking at the decimal place of the product test rating, buyers should first consider whether they would prefer to lie on foam or spring core.
Both materials have advantages and disadvantages. Basically, foam mattresses are more warming, while the more ventilated spring mattresses are often better suited for sleepers who tend to sweat. There are also individual preferences when it comes to mattress hardness. According to the test results, the medium-hard Schlaraffia supports all body types well.
The spring mattresses BeCo Maxima Plus and the Emma 25 Hybrid achieved similarly good test results, each with an overall grade of 1.8. The BeCo is also medium hard and costs around 250 euros, the Emma Hybrid is soft and costs 540 euros.
However, the product testers were disappointed by a mattress with a new polyester core, which was also newly tested. The f.a.n. Futura costs an impressive 1300 euros, but is only satisfactory (grade 3.3). According to Warentest, the advertised environmental aspects such as “100% recyclable” do not justify the higher price. The Futura is no more sustainable than other mattresses; anything else is greenwashing.
Warentest dedicates a separate chapter to the topic of sustainability by comparing the ecological balance of foam, spring core and latex mattresses. According to Warentest, foam is the least harmful to the environment because its production (foaming plastics) uses the fewest resources and energy. For spring cores, however, steel springs have to be produced using a lot of energy and raw materials. Theoretically, they can be recycled afterwards while foam is burned. Nevertheless, according to Warentest, the bottom line is that the ecological balance is currently significantly worse.
Latex mattresses have a better ecological balance than spring cores, but worse than foam, but the material is not very common in Germany anyway. If you pay attention to the environment, you can also take a look at the mattress cover: According to Warentest, synthetic covers are more environmentally friendly than cotton covers.
You can find the complete mattress test here for a fee
