I need a mattress that is good for pressure relief, making sure pressure is distributed away from any one spot. I spend about 16-18 hours/day in bed and do not shift around much, either on my side or back. I weigh over 250 lbs.
I have been using Tempur-pedics, but they do not last that long, a few years. After that, the mattress “bottoms out” when I am in it and I can feel the box spring. It is actually quite dangerous because I can develop pressure sores very easily.
While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress. There are just too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is 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 you will sleep), durability (how long you 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.
While nobody can speak to how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) which is the most important part of “value”, the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label (or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new) so I would always make sure that you find out information listed here so you can compare the materials and components to the quality/durability guidelines here to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
There is also more information in post #3 here and the posts it links to that would be helpful for those that are in higher weight ranges.
While the process of how to choose a mattress would involve the same steps that are listed in the mattress shopping tutorial … most people in higher weight ranges will generally need or prefer firmer mattresses (firmer materials will feel softer because you will sink into them more) and materials and components that are higher quality and more durable than those that are in lower weight ranges (the materials and components in a mattress will soften and break down faster for those in higher weight ranges than they will for someone that is in a lower weight range that doesn’t compress the mattress as much). I would be particularly cautious about mattresses that use more than “about an inch or so” of memory foam that is less than about 5 lb density or polyfoam that is less than about 2 lb density … particularly in the upper layers of the mattress. Higher quality and more durable materials will also be more important because you also spend more time on your mattress which will soften and break down the materials faster.
Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines here relative to your weight range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article). The best way to know which type of materials or which type of mattresses you tend to prefer in general terms will be based on your own testing and personal experience because different people can have very different preferences.
One of the most effective “shortcuts” that can help cut through much of the confusion when you are buying a mattress is to focus first on finding and dealing with knowledgeable and experienced retailers and/or manufacturers that have your best interests at heart (and aren’t just interested in selling you anything that they can convince you to buy) before you begin to research which specific mattresses you are most interested in. These are the ones that already know what you would otherwise need to learn (including the information in many of the links I listed) and understand the importance of choosing a mattress that is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP and knowing what is inside any mattress that you are considering so you can make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering that would be a reason for concern in terms of durability. They can provide you with the type of information and guidance that can help you make the best possible choice. Who you choose to deal with can be one of the most important parts of a successful mattress purchase.
If you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about any of the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
If you are also looking at online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses in a wide range of designs, budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may also be worth considering.
Hello uuucrc,
I was also looking for a comfortable mattress option for my elder brother, who had a pretty bad accident in February, He is fine now, but is finding it difficult to sleep in his regular mattress, as he has two fractured ribs and his normal mattress just does not feel right. So, his doctor suggested a waterbed, saying that waterbeds are great for taking the pressure off the spine and other muscles as the person lying on the bed gets a feeling of floating in water. Now, there are various varieties too… and we are not sure which one to choose. His doctor said we can pick any variety, and my brother thinks a free flow one will be better. I did some research confidential[/confidential] and the mechanism can really help and it does seem that the free flow one would help. Have you considered a waterbed? As it seems that it could really help you too. I will post again to say how my brother likes it. All the best.
The website you linked has some misleading and incorrect information which isn’t unusual for a site that promotes waterbeds to the exclusion of other types of mattresses that may be a better choice for many people. While a waterbed can certainly provide good pressure relief … it can also lead to back issues and pain for some people if the waterbed they are sleeping on doesn’t keep their spine in good alignment in all their sleeping positions over the course of the night.
There is also no way for you to know whether a waterbed (or any mattress) will help someone else because the only way to know whether a waterbed would be a suitable choice for any specific person would be based on their own careful and extended testing on a specific waterbed that they are considering.
It’s also unusual for a member here to link to a commercial and “promotional” site on their first post on the forum … particularly when the site doesn’t provide particularly accurate information and depends on traffic and back links to build its SEO and income. Because of this I need to ask if you have any affiliation to the site you linked or to any other business in the industry and if you do then the forum rules require that you disclose any connection or affiliation on the forum.
It’s also somewhat odd that the website owner is from India and that you are posting from India as well so I have hidden your link for public viewing for the time being.