Latex/hybrid mattress for high BMI, hot sleeper, hip pain from bursitis

Talk To The Experts FloBeds
1

Hello, what a fantastic site you have here! Im looking for some advice or confirmation of the direction I’m going.

I’m 5" 4.5" tall, weighing 220 so a BMI of about 37. I sleep primarily on my side, but also sometimes lay with my upper torso on the side and my hips turned over toward the stomach side. I have bursitis in my hip, which flares and is very painful to sleep with, so I toss and turn a lot and that’s why the mixed side/stomach position comes into play. I also sleep very warm, so looking for a mattress that helps keep me cooler.

My current mattress is a 25-year old Stearns and Foster. It was ok when I was younger, but now that I’m older and a lot heavier, it’s just too firm. I tried a 2" foam topper purchased from a chain store, I don’t recall what type of foam it is, but I woke up with a sore back daily and it also felt too warm.

I am single and like the king-size bed, since I actively move around a lot when I sleep, and like to be able to move my legs to the cooler spots on the bed. My current mattress is pretty hard to rotate, even with the handles.

I’m thinking of a hybrid mattress, with some type of coil or spring on the bottom, and then latex on the top, with a wool-blend top. **Does that sound like the best option for me? I like the idea of the customizable beds where you build your own layers. **Does the build-your-own make it possible for a single person to disassemble and move the bed if needed? It seems like most of the latex beds I see on the associate websites don’t have handles.

Lastly: I tried a couple of Aireloom beds (Cobalt series — Glassell Luxury Firm and El Porto Plush) and they were both sooooo comfortable, but I have heard they don’t hold up well over time. It’s really hard to find good information about these beds, especially since the furniture store name for the bed seems to be different from what’s on the Aireloom website. **Do you know if you have, or can build, something with a comparable feel?

I loved the softness for side-sleeping but am concerned about getting something too soft because of the sore back I got from the foam topper I tried. My current bed without the topper does not give me a sore back, but my shoulder and hips get sore. How do I find the right balance?

2

My mattress search continues. Yesterday I tried an all-latex mattress at Minnesota Mattress Factory, a local business that makes their own mattresses. Their only latex bed is 6" of Talalay in the support layer (ILD 24), and the comfort layer is 3" Talalay (32 ILD). It was comfortable and feels supportive. I had the salesman take my picture lying on the bed, and my spine looks nice and straight. The quilted top is made of a cotton-poly blend.

A couple of questions from the experts: do you think this configuration would hold up well with my high BMI? I wouldn’t say the bed feels too soft, but it’s still better than what I have now. Do you have anything against this company? I see they are not on your “approved” list. I’m a little concerned with not being able to swap out layers since this is a fully sewn mattress, and I also like the thought of a natural aka wool or cotton blend on top, which this company does not do.

3

LD - I just checked out Minnesota Mattress Factory’s website and noticed two things. First of all they consistently misspell “Talalay” (they spell it as Tallalay) which seems unusual for a dealer who uses the product throughout their line. Secondly they don’t specify the layer breakdown or ILDs for their “Luxury Tallalay Latex” mattress, and I have to wonder if you might have them reversed. It would be unusual to be using an ILD of 24 for the 6" base layer and 2" of ILD 32 for comfort, more commonly the support layer is firmer and the comfort layer is softer. A support layer of 24 ILD would certainly not be advisable from my perspective for a high BMI individual. With all due respect is it possible you have the ILDs reversed?

  • Bill
4

It’s possible I have the order reversed, but I wrote it down as I asked the question. Assuming the reverse, does that configuration seem reasonable for me?

5

At your BMI I might tend towards a higher ILD for the base, but given that your direct experience found: “It was comfortable and feels supportive. I had the salesman take my picture lying on the bed, and my spine looks nice and straight.” it sounds like a good match. Talalay latex is a very durable material and since the objective is to have sufficient support to maintain proper alignment and comfort, it appears that this meets your needs.

  • Bill