Best mattress for heavy person with chronic pain

I and my wife are shopping for a new mattress as our old Spring Mattress is no more comfortable. We have presently a Sealy Ultra Firm mattress, which is now 6 years old. My wife is 79 years and is about 250 pounds and has problems which over the years have only got worse. She has back and hip pain and has extreme swelling on one of her legs. She requires physical help to get into bed and because of all these problems cannot even turn in the bed. She remains flat on her back the whole night - a back sleeper through the night. I am a side sleeper, and even though initially the ultra firm mattress was uncomfortable, I got used to it.

I went through the tutorials and the discussions in the forum but I am no wiser because there is too much technical stuff which at my age is difficult to comprehend. I also looked at other websites and and what I understand is that the best option would be to get a Latex Mattress or a “Coil on Coil” Mattress. Apart from the cost of Latex I am not sure if my wife will be comfortable in that. Foam mattress would not be suitable as she would sink to some extent and would find it very uncomfortable, more so because because she cannot turn or move. Unfortunately I cannot take her to a shop to physically check out the mattresses. I would be thankful for advice on the best options available, and where I can buy the mattress.

Hello nramchandran,

Thank you for posting your question on The Mattress Underground; you have come to the right place for help and information. You have quite a bit going on; and since I don’t know where you live, I will assume you are willing to shop online for your purchase. The most important thing to note if you do shop online is the return policy that each company offers. you don’t want to incur surprise charges that you are unaware of, or miss trial periods where you can return items that do not meet your needs.

I am going to recommend you look at a motion base to make the time your wife spends in bed the most comfortable it can be. Motion bases can enhance back and side sleepers, depending on the options. One of the TMU members is Reverie. My company sells their 5D base, and I would encourage you to look at the features and benefits for all of their bases. They offer a “Bedding Bonus” to people who mention The Mattress Underground when purchasing one of their latex mattresses, which we will talk about soon. I am also familiar with the Glideaway motion bases. What I like about Glideaway that could be applicable to you is their Elevation Kit Option. This may be a feature that could help your wife getting in and out of bed.

Regardless of what features and benefits appeal to you, having the ability to elevate her legs, and raise the head or elevation to assist with getting in and out of bed should help her daily. If you have a queen size bed, then you would both be in the same position through the night. If her legs are elevated, your legs would also be elevated. If you have a king size bed, then you could get two twin XL bases, and you could operate independently of each other; meaning if she had her legs elevated, you would not need to be in the same position.

Again, the Mattress Underground has Trusted members who specialize in Latex, and offer a TMU discount. Our company uses latex throughout our entire line, and latex is the best product to use on any motion base. Latex is rubber, and will not have any residual effects from bending or moving with your base.

Because your wife has been on a firm mattress and is a back sleeper, I would talk to one of the Latex Trusted Members about what configuration would be best for her. I believe they will recommend a layered mattress including a medium firm ILD on top, but let’s leave that to the experts. Our company doesn’t offer anything firmer than a 35 ILD. Because latex will feel different from the innerspring mattress you have had for the past 6 years, you should try and visit a local store that offers 100% latex mattress and see if you find it comfortable. I am assuming that you could go out to a store without your wife and try the beds, Again, if you have two twin XL bases, you could each get a mattress that is comfortable for you, and they could be different levels of soft and firm from each other.

This can be a daunting task, and it may be easier once you have decided on latex or spring to call the companies and talk through your important points with a knowledgeable customer service representative. Remember to ask for your Mattress Underground discount, and understand the shipping and return policies.

i wish you much success in finding a bed that both you and your wife find comfortable.

Debbie Lewis
Parklane Mattresses

Many thanks Debbie for a quick response and I appreciate it. We live in Reston ,Virginia for your information. I shall look up Reverie and Glideaway Motion bases and revert back.

You have not commented anything on the Coil on Coil mattress options mentioned earlier. Is not a good option according to you?

I had earlier looked into Legget & Platt adjustable split queen. I find it difficult to get the mattress for the split queen whereas most companies make mattresses for split king only. Somewhere I also read, I do not know exactly where, that the split queen width will not be sufficient for my wife. And I cannot accomodate a King Size in my room!

As for trying out the latex I would appreciate if you could let me know any dealers or shops that deal in Latex Mattresses.

I will wait to get the experts’ recomendations on the exact configurations for a Latex mattress.

Thanks again

Hello nramchandran,

I only mentioned latex in the last post, because spring on spring will not work well on an adjustable base, and I believe your wife would get the most comfort out of an adjustable base. The split queen would give each of you a 30" x 80" sleeping surface, and you should be able to find all latex options in this size.

Richmond Bedding represents Leggett and Platt adjustable bases.

A few of our Experts that you can get into latex details with are The Mattress & Sleep Company, Luma Sleep, and Flobeds. These links will take you to their pages so you can start a topic and ask them specific questions.

i believe if you talk to these experts about latex, and try a latex bed at a dealer in your area, you will see if this is the correct choice for you and your wife. The advantage of buying through The Mattress Underground Trusted Members is you know the quality and expertise are there, and you can receive a discount.

Debbie Lewis

Hello Debbie,
I have been busy doing doctors rounds and was unable to respond.
Thanks for your views and will contact the people mentioned in the posts.

Ramchandran