What is Ease of Repositioning?
Important if you change positions frequently

Being able to easily reposition yourself during the night can be important to achieving restorative, uninterrupted sleep.

For most who sleep in a combination of positions, moving around isn't an issue. But it's a concern that can become more apparent as you grow older and your mobility is effected. It can also be an issue for those with back pain, or those with joint or flexibility problems.

If a bed doesn't allow for good ease of movement, you might find yourself waking unnecessarily due to a bigger effort rolling from one position to another. You might also find it harder to get out of bed.

Fortunately, most modern mattresses perform well in this respect. Where we have concerns are with mattresses with very deep cushioning--where your body sinks in so deeply that movement can feel like trying to roll out of a hole. Memory foam mattresses that have a lot of that slow-melting memory-foam feel might also be a cause for concern. Some describe movement on memory foam to feel like being stuck in quicksand.

How Does GoodBed Test Repositioning?

It's pretty simple: We change from position to position, noting any difficulties. The most common issue we may notice is feeling like rolling out of a hole, where it feels like you need to roll both UP and over. We also take note of the cover and its padding/cushioning. In some cases, a deeply quilted or tufted cover could hinder movement.

You easily can (and should) test ease of movement when you try out a mattress in a store. Be sure to try moving into and out of all your favored sleeping positions, and try getting in and out of bed several times.

GoodBed rates Ease of Repositioning on a scale or 1 to 10, with 10 being easiest.

Below: Testing for any movement-related issues

Best Mattresses for Combination Sleepers

In our GoodBed Expert Reviews, most mattresses have performed well in terms of ease of movement, important for combination sleepers who may have mobility issues. So well, in fact, that the exceptions are more notable.

In our tests of the Novosbed mattress, for example, our tester noticed that due to the bed's particularly slow-responding memory foam, he had slight concerns about ease of movement. We had similar comments for the Love & Sleep mattress due to its deeper cushioning. In both cases, however, we believe that ease of movement will only be an issue for those with a chronic or known issue.

If you are a combination sleeper who changes positions through the night, you can be assured that the majority of mattresses perform fine in this respect. If, however, you tend to prefer very soft mattresses with deep cushioning, or lots of slow-responding memory foam, it might be something you want to test before buying.