Mattress Advice

Hey All,

I am in the market for a new bed, I have been doing some research and I now know what i like, so now I just need some advice:

First off I am 6’5" about 290#, so High BMI. my last mattress was a big name mattress vendor and it lasted me like 3 years, prior to that I had a double sided mattress I bought from a local vendor and that lasted me about 10 years before it started breaking down. I would like to find something that would realistically hold up 8 - 10 years.

I have done a bunch of mattress testing and so far I have found i like Memory foam, I do not like Latex, And I like the memory foam / inner spring hybrid mattresses.

I have tried many different mattresses and found the mattresses I like the best have been the Nest Cool Sleeper and the Beautyrest Black Hybrid.

My GF bought a Temperpedic Cloud Luxe Breeze a little over a year ago and I found it quite comfortable but I worry how well it will hold up to my size long term, and I aint shelling out $4k for a mattress. My budget is $1K - 1.5K…I could maybe stretch to $2k’ish if I had to.

I really liked the Nest Cool Sleeper, both the firm and med firm, so my question is will how will it hold up compared to the Temperpedic Cloud Luxe Breeze? would expectation of 8-10 years of comfortable life be realistic with my BMI?

I also REALLY liked the Beauty Rest Black Hybrid Wellington and Tolliver, but again I worry how well it will hold up to my size long term, and I aint shelling out $4k for a mattress. I have looked at the Wink Bed and the Saatva as they seem to be of similar design to the Black Hybrid Questions are:

  • Are the micro coils a gimmick? and/or do they hold up well?
  • As there are no show rooms for the Wink and Saatva I am curious how they feel compared to the Black Hybrid, has anyone directly compared the the Wink and/or Saatva to the Black Hybrid?
  • Are the materials of the Wink and Saatva inferior, equal to, or better than the materials of the Black Hybrid?
  • Any thoughts on if either the Wink or the Saatva would hold up better to my BMI long term?

Also I like the idea of the double sided mattress as it seems gives you better ability to flip the mattress around so you dont wear out any particular area more than another, which seems like it wold be better for my size. Are there any double sided mattress that would be worth me looking at based on my size and above preferences?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi kshen888,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Post #3 here has more information and suggestions about heavier weights that is worth reading. A high BMI presents special challenges and generally requires firmer materials (in the support layers especially). This could be firmer latex or innersprings (the type of support component would be a personal preference and in the right design either could be suitable) or even a zoned construction. The same overall guidelines apply with higher weights though that PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) along with using high quality durable materials that will maintain their feel and performance for longer periods of time are the way to make the best choices. Heavier people in general will need firmer and thicker comfort layers and firmer support layers than those who are lighter and because no materials will last as long with much higher weights the quality and durability of the materials and components is even more important than normal. I wouldn’t “rule out” any types of mattress and base your choices on your own personal testing.

The key will be finding componentry that will be of appropriate quality for your specific situation, which will then give you the best chance at have a successful comfort life, so I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components. Those in a higher BMI range want to be especially prudent in the choice of their components. For those in a higher BMI range, there is more information about selecting a mattress in the durability guidelines here. Specifically, if your BMI is 30 or higher:

Higher BMI ranges will need more durable materials and components in a mattress and in a BMI range of 30 or higher I would include any 1.8 lb polyfoam or 4 lb memory foam as a “lower quality/density” material (relative to a higher BMI only) and minimize their use to a total of “about an inch or so or less” in the mattress.

Polyurethane foam: If your mattress is one sided then I would look for 2.0 lb per cubic foot density or higher. If the mattress is two sided then I would use a minimum density of 1.8 lbs per cubic foot or higher.

Memory foam (or gel memory foam): If your mattress is one sided then I would make sure that any memory foam is at least 5 lb per cubic foot. If the mattress is two sided then I would use a minimum density of 4 lbs per cubic foot.

The Nest Bedding SmartHouse Cool Sleeper mattress uses a 2 lb polyfoam core, on top of which are 2" of 3 lb polyfoam, 2" of 4 lb convoluted memory foam, and a 2" quilt layer containing wool. This particular mattress doesn’t use an innerspring unit (as you prefer) and for your BMI I would recommend something using 5 lb memory foam.

Regarding the Beautyrest Black line, the major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).
Simmons doesn’t tend to share the densities of their foams, but there are a few sites like this one here where the specifications of many Beautyrest Black items are listed, and as you can see these foams are of a density I wouldn’t recommend for any BMI, and especially a higher BMI. The thing is that you can’t feel quality or durability when trying out a mattress, so it is imperative that you obtain the information I listed earlier about any mattress you are considering, and if you can’t find out that information I wouldn’t consider ordering that particular item.

The durability of the materials in a mattress and their relationship to the durability and useful life of a mattress can be a complex question and is relative to the individual needs and preferences of each person.

The loss of comfort (generally pressure relief) and support (spinal alignment in all your sleeping positions) is the biggest reason that most people need to replace a mattress and when this happens would be different for different people. A mattress that still provides good comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment and is still perfectly suitable for one person may be well past its due date and no longer provide comfort and/or support for someone else so durability and the timeframe when someone crosses the thresholds from “sleeping well” on a mattress to “sleeping OK” to “tolerating it” to experiencing more significant symptoms of pain or discomfort and deciding to replace it can vary with each person and can be very subjective.

Having said that … there are clear differences between the durability of different materials and mattresses and there are many factors involved that will affect how long one mattress will last relative to another one. There is more about the different factors that can affect durability and the useful life of a mattress in post #2 here.

Some relative comparisons of different materials and components are in post #3 here.

There is also more about how the suitability of a mattress choice and the sensitivity of each person to a range of comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment can affect the useful life of a mattress for each person in post #2 here.

What this means is that a mattress will generally have to be replaced long before the materials themselves have completely worn out or broken down because foam softening and the breakdown or permanent compression of the materials or components in a mattress will have different effects on different people and any specific estimates for any particular person may be a “rough guess” at best. What can be said with certainty is that higher quality materials that soften or change more slowly will maintain their comfort and support and last longer than lower quality materials that soften or change more rapidly, latex is the most durable of the different types of foam materials, higher density memory foams and polyfoams will last longer and maintain their properties longer than lower density foams of the same type, and that the layers both above and below any specific material or component in a mattress will affect the durability of that material as well.

While there is no way to know for certain how long any mattress will last or maintain it’s comfort and/or support for any particular person or how long it will take before they cross the thresholds between sleeping well on a mattress to sleeping “OK” to tolerating a mattress to finally deciding to replace it because there are too many variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new and meets the minimum quality/durability specs that are suggested in the guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer.

It’s always more realistic to think of about 10 years as a reasonable expectation for any mattress (this can be shorter for a higher BMI) no matter what the quality or durability of the materials and then treat any additional time after that as “bonus time” because after about 10 years the limiting factor in the useful life of a mattress will often be the changing needs and preferences of the person sleeping on the mattress and even if a mattress is still in relatively good condition after a decade … a mattress that was suitable for someone 10 years earlier may not be the best “match” any longer.

Having said that … if a mattress only uses the highest quality and most durable materials and for people whose needs and preferences or physical condition or body type hasn’t changed much over 10 years then “bonus time” or even “extended bonus time” with more durable materials such as latex, higher density memory foam or polyfoam, natural fibers, or other high quality materials that don’t soften or break down prematurely is much more likely and you will find some people who have slept well on their mattress for several decades but these are the more the exception than the rule.

No, they can be a quite durable comfort layer. They can offer good durability and added breathability, but they are part of a complete sleep system and whether or not you prefer the feel of them would be up to your own personal testing.

There’s no way to relate the feel of one mattress to another and then attempt to predict how other people will interpret the differences between mattress, as there are entirely too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved in choosing a mattress for someone else to make specific suggestions based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or theory at a distance that can possible be more accurate than your own careful and objective testing (using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post) which is always the most reliable way to predict which mattress will be the best match for you in terms of PPP (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

Saatva makes many different mattress models and you can read a bit more about some of those models in the simplified choice thread here. Winkbeds also is listed in that same thread, and the only model you may wish to consider at a higher BMI is their Plus model, but this uses 2.5" of latex, which you said you don’t prefer.

Compare the materials used in any mattress you’re considering to the guidelines I linked to earlier in this reply for your best approximation of better durability for a higher BMI.

I don’t keep track of all of the two-sided offerings that are available, either as mentioned here on the forum or available in brick and mortar stores, as it would be entirely too large of a task for one person to manage in an ever changing marketplace.

With two-sided mattresses, when a layer is on the bottom it is evenly compressed rather than compressed more under the heavier areas of the body and less under the lighter parts of the body that have a larger surface area. The bottom layers will also compress less than the upper layers would if the same layers are on top of the mattress because the materials above them will absorb most of the compression forces and these forces also spread over a larger surface area as they travel through the mattress to the bottom layers. In effect the layer on the bottom is resting when it’s on the bottom and any compression will be more evenly distributed over the entire surface. A two sided mattress will significantly increase the useful life of the top layers even with a material as durable as latex and it would be reasonable to expect an increase in lifespan of 60% - 70% (although not twice the durability).

Of course like everything else involved with mattresses there is also a tradeoff. With a two sided mattress there are soft layers on the bottom so these can’t be too thick or they could risk alignment (3" is about as thick as you would want to go). Because the firmer support layers are in the middle instead of on the bottom there is less room to add progressively firmer layers on top (or you would have layers that were too soft on the bottom) and a mattress with the support layer on the bottom has more design flexibility to design in more complex layering on top and to fine tune a mattress for the more specific needs and preferences of different people.

A two sided mattress also adds some extra costs to finish the mattress on both sides with the extra comfort layer and the quilting and cover on the bottom compared to a one sided mattresses that uses the same materials but it it can extend the useful life of a mattress significantly.

In the end it’s a preference issue and if a two sided mattress is perfect your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and is a similar or even slightly higher cost than a one sided mattress with the same amount of latex and a similar quality cover then the additional design flexibility of a one sided mattress may have little benefit to you and the two sided mattress would be better “value” for most people.

I’m not sure if you’ve read it yet, but you may wish to read the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well he will sleep), durability (how long he will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

While that is a lot of information, you had a lot of questions :lol: , so I hope you have a bit of time to read through things and this assists you as you fine-tune your mattress shopping process.

Phoenix