Best Mattress for Heavy People (2023)

If you’re in the market for a new mattress and weigh 200 pounds or more, or you and your partner combined exceed 400 pounds, you may want to take a moment to read the following information. Because of the increased pressure being applied, there are certain aspects of a mattress to be on the lookout for to ensure you’ll find one that can offer you adequate support for a long time. After looking through our list of the best mattress for heavy people, make sure to keep reading our buyers guide to learn more about what to look for in a mattress as a heavy person.

Why You Should Trust Our Review Of Mattresses for Heavy People

At The Sleep Judge, we bring you comprehensive reviews of mattresses so you can decide which one is right for you. Our staff thoroughly test every mattress we review. We unbox them, sleep on them, jump on them, and see if they live up to what the manufacturers claim. We have personal experience with each mattress. Our reviewers log sleep time on each mattress. If the manufacturer says the mattress will do something, or won’t do something, we try it out and give you our honest opinion.

Every mattress we review undergoes the same rigorous process. That way we can compare and contrast them and give you an honest review of what we think. You can learn more about how we evaluate each mattress in our Our Mattress Evaluation Process article.

The Best Mattresses For Heavy People

A Mattress Buyers Guide For Heavy People

A Few Factors Regardless of Weight

Before we jump into specifics, let’s take a moment to cover a few key aspects of mattress shopping you should keep in mind, regardless of your weight:

• Pressure relief
• Proper alignment and support
• Material preference

You need to be well aware of your needs when it comes to these aspects so you can be more specific as you shop. For example, if you really count on edge support, you may want to check out innerspring products.

Importance of Quality Materials

— Support

Proper support is a critical element when deciding on the best mattress material, especially when you carry a lot of weight. Your body has different areas where it’s typical for more pressure to occur, such as the shoulders and hips. However, there are other areas like the lumbar which are often thinner. You should look for a mattress that offers the combination of firm support beneath, with quality comfort layers that will provide the comfort you need.

— Edge Support

It’s safe to say that sometimes you’ll wake up and just aren’t quite ready to jump out of bed and face the day. You may sit on the edge for a few moments as you allow yourself to really wake up. Or maybe you have a habit of sitting on the edge of your bed as you watch television or fold laundry. If so, edge support is something you really need to consider, as this will indicate the level of support you can expect. It can also give you an idea of the mattress’ support level if you tend to sleep close to the edge of your mattress. Some mattresses will bottom out, especially on the corners if you sit on the edge. As you read reviews, be on the lookout for edge support being mentioned.

— Mattress Thickness

You’ll find all kinds of mattress thicknesses out there. I’ve had everything from an eight inch to a 13 inch mattress, and it can be easy to overlook this feature until it’s too late. If you weigh less than 200 pounds, you can typically get by with a 10 inch mattress. However, if you exceed this weight, I’d strongly recommend that you limit your options to those 12 inches and more. As someone who carries a lot of weight, it’s important that you’re able to take advantage of the deep compression support you can only get with a thicker product.

If you have your heart set on a product that’s less than 12 inches, check to see if there’s a feature that may offer added support, such as an extra-thick comfort layer. However, as a general rule of thumb, you’ll typically want to go for a thicker mattress. While we’re basing heavy as over 200 pounds, it’s worth noting that the more you weigh, the more important deep compression support becomes.

— Firmness

First, when analyzing your firmness level, it’s important to consider your preferred sleeping position. Those who sleep on their stomachs or backs often fare well with a medium to firm mattress, while side sleepers often prefer theirs on the softer end of the spectrum. In general, the best bed for a larger person will feature a firmness in the mid to firm setting.

The more you weigh, the more you’re going to sink into the mattress. When it’s too soft, you may find that you sink more than you need to remain comfortable, which leads to another important consideration.

— Temperature Regulation

The deeper you sink into a mattress, the more it’s going to retain your body heat. Ideally, you want your body temperature to reduce just slightly in order to enter into the deeper stages of sleep. If you’ve ever woken up sweating, you know what a significant impact it makes when you have a mattress that’s not designed to keep you cool while considering your weight. Aside from looking for a higher firmness rating, there are a few other things to consider as you shop for a cool mattress:

• Foam mattresses tend to sleep hotter than innersprings and hybrids
• Traditional memory foam is known to trap air and sleep hot
• Open cell memory foam, gels, and cooling layers can help facilitate air flow

Products that feature these aspects on their website have often put more effort into ensuring their products can cool easily. Talalay latex typically has an advantage over Dunlop latex in temperature regulation. If temperature regulation is particularly important to you, I encourage you to take a look at some of the best cooling mattresses we recommend, where we test the effectiveness of the cooling properties with a thermal imaging camera.

Memory Foam Mattress Considerations

A memory foam product can often be an ideal choice for sleepers over 300 pounds. This is because they typically offer a high degree of support, and their visco-elastic properties allow you to enjoy the pressure relief you get with that added contour that memory foam is known for. We’ve briefly discussed the fact that some memory foams are known to sleep hot. However, don’t allow this generalization to hinder you from pursuing this excellent option. When you examine the manufacturer’s website of the product you’re considering, check to see if they recommend how they solve this problem, as it’s common for manufacturers to do so. You’ll often find that they add components such as copper or gel into the material, or involve processes which helps the mattress manage temperature regulation.

— Density

When dealing with memory foam, there’s a way you can estimate durability. This is through the product’s density. Heavy sleepers should limit their options to products featuring a density of no less than 5 pounds in the comfort layers. Anything less than this will wear more quickly over time. It’s worth noting that, since the comfort layer is where most direct compression will occur, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the specific density of these layers, as the density of the product as a whole won’t offer you this information.

Hybrid Mattress Considerations

Hybrid products offer you many options, and this is because they can use both coils and layers of foam, or a combination of different foam layers. This can prove to be the best mattress for overweight couples in that they can take advantage of a number of features specific to higher weights, such as:

• Good air flow
• Good edge support
• Better deep compression support
• Good degree of bounce

Hybrids use more than one material type, and you’ll typically find foams and latex products that are combined with an innerspring unit. When we think of innerspring products, we typically associate them with support and bounce. Foams and latex, on the other hand, are commonly associated with hug and contour. The two are completely different products on their own. However, when combined, they can complement one another in a way that brings to light their best qualities.

Latex Mattress Considerations

Since it doesn’t absorb heat the way some memory foam does, latex can be a great option for heavy side sleepers who tend to sleep hot. Furthermore, while it doesn’t offer the bounce of a spring mattress, it typically features quick response to help you move around. If you don’t prefer the sharp contour of memory foam, you’ll appreciate that latex offers a more rounded contour and better balancing of sinkage for heavier people.

— Good Durability Expectation

While we typically look at density when determining if a mattress will prove to be durable, this doesn’t apply as much to latex. However, latex products feature good durability in general. As a heavy person, this can be a great feature considering the increased pressure you’ll be exerting on the product.

In a latex mattress, you’ll typically find softer layers on top with a firmer core, and this is done to help your body conform while relieving pressure points. In the comfort layer, latex really shines as it takes much longer for it to develop body impressions, particularly when compared with materials like polyurethane foams and memory foams. While all foams soften over time, you can expect this process to be very gradual in latex foams. Not only does latex provide heavy people with the durability they need in the comfort layer, but it can also save time and money.

Conclusion

There you have it – our recommendations of some of the best mattress money can buy specifically for heavy people. If you consider yourself a heavy sleeper and have struggled in the past with finding a mattress that can support your weight, but can still offer you optimal cushioning and support all throughout the night, take a look at our top-rated suggestions above. It’s also important to read through customer reviews to see what others are saying who have tried-and-tested these products, and this should give you a deeper insight into the mattress you have your eye on.

Recent Updates

September 21, 2021: Three products have been removed due to the rising popularity in other mattresses currently on the market: the Novosbed, Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams EuroTop Latex Mattress and Spindle Mattress. These have been replaced with the popular GhostBed Flex, Saatva HD and Titan Firm Hybrid, which are all specifically designed for heavy people. Additional FAQs have also been included to address common customer queries.