Mattress Purchase in St. Louis

[phoenix]

Hi Antilokhos,

My wife seems to really like the idea of a Sleep Number type adjustable bed. She says she can’t ever really decide how she likes a mattress as sometimes she likes it softer and sometimes firmer. Are there other methods out there to be able to easily adjust the feel of the mattress? I would guess the worst case would be getting a mattress that was on the firmer side and then getting a topper to soften it up when needed would work, but not quite as conveniently. Sleep Number seems likely to be more advertising gimmicks then legit product and a quick search through the forums seems to suggest that I my initial take was probably correct.

You can see some of my thoughts about airbeds in this article. I would also keep in mind that that there are different types of softness/firmness (see post #15 here) and when you adjust the firmness of the air bladder in an airbed you are mainly adjusting the support of the mattress … not the comfort layers of the mattress … and the softer the setting the more likely that you will experience sagging under the heavier parts of your body (generally hips/pelvis) which can compromise alignment.

And we both sleep hot, so at least using latex as the comfort layer sounds fairly appealing.

There is more about the variables that can affect sleeping temperature in post #2 here that can help you choose a mattress that uses more temperature regulating components and materials so you are less likely to sleep hot.

However, I am a big guy (6’6, 275) so I am a little concerned about making sure a bed will hold up for me, especially concentrating my weight by sleeping on my side. I have found some posts that give basic outlines on the appropriate densities for various materials, but I was curious how I should adjust those to compensate for my size. To ensure good durability I’d imagine I want to increase the material density, especially at the top of the mattress; but I’m not sure how far to take it.

Post #3 here and the posts it links to have more information about choosing a more suitable and durable mattress for those that are in higher weight ranges and should be helpful.

There are also some foam density guidelines in post #4 here and more detailed information about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here and the posts it links to.

Phoenix