Heavier Guy Looking for a Good Mattress

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi all,

My name’s Chuck, I’m 385 lb (down from 475 and going further down, hoping to hit 300lb by next summer) and trying to find a new full-size mattress (single).

I used to think I was a fan of firm mattresses, just because I felt great discomfort in a saggy mattress and was relieved to find a firm spring mattress years back, even though I had to put a 2" walmart memory foam topper on it to make it more bearable.

Now I got rid of that bed, tried a hammock in the summer (mayan, lay diagonal and it forms a flat plane) but it’s just okay and I got used to sleeping on the floor with a blanket half the time because it turned out I’m a turner, mostly side sleeper, but sometimes stomach or least commonly back and hammocks make that really hard. Plus it’s hard to keep warm on the bottom.

Been looking into a bunch of options like the Tuft&Needle and the Casper. Asked them about weight capacity (500lb per side for 1000lb total on the T&N, 450lb total for Casper which seems too little, might leave a depression over time).

Then I went to Ikea yesterday and to my astonishment, the Margongava was my favorite by far. Described as “medium firm”, it’s an 8" latex that was on one of their boxsprings:

It’s the first “soft” bed I felt in years, where I sunk in but didn’t sag, and was completely supported. It’s kinda out of my budget at $800 for a full and another $400+ for the underneath. Plus I read at sleeplikethedead that people my weight really need something 12" or so.

All the other ikea latex/hybrid beds like the 9.5" Myrbacka were too firm or the 13" memoryfoam topped Sultan Hultsvik reminded me completely of the bed I got rid of. I’d sink in a little bit and then be met with this ultra-firm layer.

I kept going back to the Margongava but I keep wondering if it’s too thin and if I have to get that whole underside. The closest I could find was a Dream Foam UD Freedom as an 11" all latex bed. Gonna ask them if it can sit on slats (<3"). Just hoping this will feel close to the Margongava.

Anyone have other ideas? Been reading a bunch of sources and the excellent articles here, but it’s bleeding out my ears a bit, tbh.

2

Hi CLut,

Hopefully you’ve had the chance to read the mattress tutorial which has all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

There are also more guidelines and information in post #3 here and the posts it links to about choosing a mattress if you are in higher weight ranges.

There is more about the most important parts of the value of a mattress purchase in post #13 here but the most important is always how suitable a mattress is for you in terms of PPP and careful testing on a mattress is a much more reliable way to know this than any “theory” about the thickness of a mattress. If the mattress was on a firm foundation then it may have been too firm for you (again you would need to test it to know) but a box spring is an “active” part of a sleeping system so it would have a significant effect on the feel and performance of a mattress. While it’s true that higher body weights will often do better with a thicker mattress … this also depends on the specific design of the mattress and the type of materials that are inside it. There is more about the effect of thickness in post #14 here but what is inside your mattress or all the “active” parts of your sleeping system is more important than thickness alone so the types of overly generalized suggestions that only make thickness suggestions but don’t consider all the other factors that are involved in the design of a mattress that would make it suitable for some people and not others aren’t a reliable way to choose a mattress. The Morgongava uses “mostly natural” continuous pour Dunlop latex made by Mountaintop Foam which is a high quality and durable material that would certainly be durable enough for your weight.

All the “active” components of a mattress will make a difference in how it feels and performs in terms of PPP so if you were to purchase the Morgangava without a box spring and use a firm non flexing foundation underneath it then it would be a different sleeping system than using the combination together. If you test the Morgongava on the floor you will have a much better idea of the difference the box spring makes for you.

The UD Freedom uses synthetic continuous pour Dunlop also made by Mountaintop Foam. While synthetic latex is also a very durable material … it is less “supportive” than their blends which use use a higher percentage of natural latex and most of the configurations of the Freedom would also be softer than the Morgongava as well so I would make sure you have a more detailed conversation with Dreamfoam since they are more familiar with their mattresses than anyone else and would be the best source of guidance about whether the mattress would be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP in one of its firmer configurations. Both the Morgongava and the Freedom can be used on a firm non flexing slatted foundation that has gaps that are less than 3" between the slats.

The tutorial post includes several links to lists of some of the better online options I’m aware of. Posts #3 and #4 here also include links to some of the lower budget latex and latex hybrid mattresses I’m aware of as well. If you let me know your city or zip code I’d also be happy to let you know about any of the better local options or possibilities I’m aware of.

Phoenix

3

:ohmy:

I was seriously considering the Casper because I love plush beds and my husband likes firm, so I thought it’d be a good ‘middle of the road’ option… But I’m 6’, 250, and he’s 6’5, 250… And the Casper reps told you their mattress would hold a 450lb MAX?! Sounds like I might have to reevaluate the Tuft&Needle and hope it’s not too firm for me as a side sleeper…

4

Hi Meeyow80,

While there are many other good options available to you outside of Tuft & Needle and Casper that may also be worth considering … Tuft & Needle has changed their design since this topic was started and it would now be a little softer and more “supportive” than it was. There is more about the changes they have made in this topic (particularly in posts #2 and #6) that may be worth reading.

Phoenix