The Fiedler matrices are a large class of companion matrices that include the well-known Frobenius companion matrix. The Fiedler matrices are part of a larger class of companion matrices that can be characterized by a Hessenberg form. We demonstrate that the Hessenberg form of the Fiedler companion matrices provides a straight-forward way to compare the condition numbers of these matrices. We also show that there are other companion matrices which can provide a much smaller condition number than...