What we asked readers

First, we wanted to learn more about the pre-purchase experience. We asked what attracted readers to the brand in the first place, whether they had pre-conceived ideas about its reputation, and how the price compared with other brands. Purchase experience was also important, including interactions with sales representatives or chat bots, the delivery and what it was like to unbox.

Then, after months or years of sleeping on the mattress, we wanted to know whether it met our reader’s expectations and how it had fared over time. We asked about its comfort and quality, whether it distributes weight evenly, including at the edges, and how well it absorbs motion. We were also especially interested in back pain support and breathable materials (or lack thereof). Finally we asked whether it was easy to clean and rotate (most weren’t).

Telegraph readers’ favourite mattress brands – by the numbers

In total, we collected feedback on 78 brands. We were expecting to see the big names, such as Simba, Emma and Tempur, but our readers introduced us to plenty of smaller sleep stores and specialist orthopaedic brands.

We chose to focus on brands that yielded 50 responses or more. Each has a star rating out of five, determined by a score out of 100, which takes into account the metrics mentioned above.