Motion Isolation: 3/5
We made sure to run a motion transfer test on this mattress because, by doing so, we can get a better idea of how good it is at isolating motion. A bed with good motion isolation is especially important if you share a bed with a partner who frequently stirs throughout the night or if you like to have your dogs or cats sleep alongside you.
To do this test, we placed a jar of green juice on the bed and had our testers walk on the mattress toward it. The more the juice or jar moves, the less motion the mattress isolates. Since this bed is springier than other hybrid mattresses, the motion isolation isn’t too great—we noticed immediately that the green juice shifted a little as testers walked toward it. If you’re easily woken at night because of movement, you may want to consider this during the bed’s 100-night trial period or opt for a mattress with better motion isolation.
Responsiveness: 5/5
We also held a bounce-back test to help us see how reactive the mattress was. The first part of the test involved placing a 32-pound weight onto the mattress and observing how springy the bed’s surface was. This test can help better figure out just how easy it is to switch positions when lying in bed.
We found that when we placed the weight on the bed’s surface, there was a noticeable bounce. This tells us that this mattress has a springy, buoyant feel that can significantly benefit combination sleepers who frequently change positions at night. It also informs us that the Birch Natural can generally support better spinal alignment.
When we removed the dumbbell, we saw that the mattress quickly regained its shape and size. This means this mattress may hold up better over time and not sag as quickly as others. This makes sense, as latex is known for being more durable than synthetic foams.
Pressure Relief: 4/5
We test just how pressure-relieving a mattress is by using two different methods: the bounce-back test and having testers lay on the bed themselves to gauge how it feels.
During the bounce-back test, you can get an idea of how supportive the mattress is by how much the weight sinks into the bed’s surface. We found that this mattress offered good support to the weight, but it didn’t cradle it as much as, say, a memory foam mattress would. If you want to get that body-hugging feeling from a mattress, pick up a pillow top to place on this pick.
When testers laid on this mattress in a few different sleeping positions, they also found that the bed was supportive but they didn’t experience a sinking, body-hugging feeling that other foam or hybrid mattresses have. Keep this in mind when choosing the right bed for you.
Edge Support: 5/5
Edge support is an important feature to look for when choosing a mattress, as it can prevent you from slipping, sliding, or rolling off the bed. We had our testers try out this pick’s edge support by lying down on the edge of the bed in three different sleep positions. The Birch Natural has pretty good edge support since it has strong perimeter coils and supportive latex, so the testers felt safe and secure while running this test.
