The Consumer Council on Monday encouraged people to nap on mattresses – some of which were found to provide inadequate support – before making a purchase.

The watchdog made the advice after testing double mattresses from 14 brands that make pocket spring, interlocking spring, and foam models.

It found one was too hard and could not conform to a person’s back, and more than half of them were unable to support side-sleepers effectively.

The council's chief executive Gilly Wong said taking a trial nap on mattresses at stores could help people make smarter purchases.

"We highly recommend don't be shy. [Do] try out different mattresses to test out how you feel after you sleep on it. We recommend at least ten to 15 minutes. Frankly speaking, the longer the better," she said.

"So if the shop allows you to sleep longer, sleep as long as you could so that you can get a good sense according to your sleeping pattern, no matter it's back sleeping or side sleeping," she added.

The council also revealed that pocket spring mattresses offered more stability than interlocking spring models, allowing two people to rest with fewer disturbances.

"Choose [mattresses] according to your own and partner’s body shape, sleeping habits and posture," the council's report said.

The watchdog also noted that prices do not necessarily reflect the quality of the mattress, as they found a more than double price difference for two pocket spring models of the same rating.

Meanwhile, the watchdog reminded consumers to pay attention to their mattresses' warranty terms, after finding over half of them were eligible for free maintenance for the first one or two years of purchase.

It urged sellers to clearly explain any post-purchase costs and warranty registration procedures.
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Last updated: 2025-03-17 HKT 12:24