Memory foam tempur pedic alternative for heavier sleeper

Mattress Talk
1

Hello and thanks for the great resources here. I would love to go deep down the rabbit hole into DIY but just don’t have the time for it currently, so I am looking for a ready made mattress, but hoping to get a good quality/value option still.

Specifically I am looking for a memory foam feel, but with adequate support for a weight ranging from 240-260 lbs. This will be one half of a split king so twin XL. Usually fall asleep on side or stomach, toss around at night and wake up on back, stomach or side.

I have slept on a tempur pedic for a week at a time in the past and liked the feel. It has the appeal of a good name in the general public so seems a “safe” option, but after reading the guide and posts here I don’t think it represents a good value compared to potential other options. The tempur pro adapt medium hybrid which I thought felt comfortable laying on in the store for 10 minutes, is for instance $2,900 in twin XL, which to me seems nuts. I don’t have a hard cap on budget if it would really be an ideal sleep surface, but would like good value for the money. I have also read they have decreased the density of their foam more recently, though one helpful post essentially seems to suggest that is in a base layer that will still outlast the comfort layer https://www.reddit.com/r/Mattress/comments/1cnkmw8/nectar_premier_copper_vs_tempur_pedic_adapt/?rdt=51926

So I’m looking for other options available in 2025. I am trying to make sure I get something from a “mattress company” and not just a “marketing company”. Any help and expertise appreciated!

I understand I should be looking for higher density foam for my weight, ~5 lb + I think from reading phoenix’s posts. Having a hard time ascertaining where to find that.

I have tried sleeping on a latex mattress, the avocado green with the 3” plush talalay topper my partner is using. While it’s not uncomfortable I think I prefer the conforming sinking feeling of memory foam, and from my memory of sleeping on Tempurpedic think it did a better job of relieving pressure points than the latex.

I have been sleeping on a purple restore plus soft for the past 2 months and am going to return it. I think the buckling gel column is fairly interesting and actually pretty helpful for reducing shoulder and hip pain when side sleeping, but not really the feel I like, and the layers below that don’t seem that great. I also have quality control and durability concerns from what I have seen (they sent me two mattresses both with the wrong dimensions halfway between twin and twin XL, the second one had uneven broken foam siding bulging out at the corner. Not inspiring confidence in long term quality)

I am curious if for what I am seeking, a memory foam hybrid or pure foam bed would be better. From what I can tell it sounds like memory foam hybrid may offer more support for higher weights, and better bounce, though it looks like some mattresses only put 2-3” of foam over springs and I’m not sure if that would really cut it for pressure relief and getting a moderate sinking feel.

Any suggestions where look? I am in a moderately rural area and no mom and pop mattress shops within 3 hours to go work with. As mentioned earlier I am fairly time constrained and can’t road trip to go check other options out. So will need to order online, something with good return policy.

Things that have caught my attention:
1.) Ghostbed - luxe vs flex (or the Venus version if that far IR thing isn’t a woo woo hoax, still need to research)
Pros:

  • listed as a trusted partner here
  • more affordable than tempurpedic
    Cons:
  • I don’t see the density of their layer compositions listed
  • Several Reddit threads about being difficult to work with on returns, not honoring policy (who knows may be fake reviews/smear marketing)

2.) Winkbed memory foam or memory foam hybrid
Pros:

  • generally well recommended by places like naplab, wirecutter, not sure how much of that is marketing
  • More affordable
  • More generous return policy
    Cons
  • I don’t see the composition of their layers posted

3.) Helix

  • not sure if this is more of a marketing company or not. I did see a YouTube video where a mom and pop mattress shop tears down name brand beds and looks at components and they said it looked good for the money, can’t find the link now. Comes up on places like wirecutter, etc

Thank you in advance for any insights or help!

2

Hey Bedsearch.

Thanks for asking your question in our Mattress Forum :smiley:

I see. I was going to recommend the FloBeds Big & Tall mattress but it’s an entirely latex setup.

Buckling column gel can be a great option for people with intense support needs, so I’m not surprised it has been helpful for your hip and shoulder pains.

The survey on the site recommends the Luxe for someone with your specific needs.

We have those for you here :smiley: Definitely within the durability guidelines we’d recommend for someone of your stature + support needs.

Helix does offer the Plus which is worth a gander, and Wink’s foam is 2.5 - sort of under what we’d recommend for your particular build, but above the industry standard in terms of durability.

NikkiTMU

1 Like
3

Thanks for your reply Nikki.

The composition link is really helpful, I did not notice the ability to toggle to that when viewing the trusted partners.

For the luxe composition it mentions
" * 2" of lbs/ft3 Ghost Bounce Foam" - looks like the density there is missing, any idea what that would be?

And the memory foam layer above that is listed at 4 lbs, " * 2" of 4 lbs/ft3 Phase change coated Gel memory foam"
I noticed in several other posts some of the forum administrators were saying for this weight range 5 lbs would be kind of the minimum to be comfortable with, “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 mattres” post 2 here

Do you think 4 lbs would be good enough? Any options you know of with 5 lbs?

I played around with this survey, I noticed that when I say I like memory foam it selects luxe, and when I say I like hybrid it suggests flex, with all the other answers being the same.

Can anyone speak to why someone would want to choose hybrid vs all foam? My understanding is the hybrid will be less sinking but more support (maybe better for heavier person?), is there more nuance than that?

For the ghost bed flex, it looks like there is 3" of foam (2" 4 lbs memory, 1" 2 lbs “transition foam” - would that be polyurethane and therefore a good density? or is that memory foam and not enough density?).
Is 3" of foam generally enough over coils to feel good pressure relief and get a nice conforming fit, or would that be a bit thin?

In terms of overall quality, is Ghost bed on par with what you would get for paying for Tempur Pedic, or is it a step down (or up)?

Thanks again!

1 Like