Need help finding the right mattress for heavy person

Hi 901-Memphis,

If a manufacturer is willing and able to provide the information here about the materials and components inside their mattresses then they are what I would call transparent but checking their websites (which most often don’t list the specs you need to know) or better yet making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local lists that you are planning to visit is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway (this is step 3 in the tutorial). This will tell you which of them carry mattresses that would meet your specific criteria, are transparent about the materials in their mattresses, and that carry the type of mattresses that you are interested in that are also in the budget range you are comfortable with. Once you have checked their websites and/or talked with the ones that interest you then you will be in a much better position to decide on the ones that you are most interested in considering or visiting based on the results of your preliminary research and conversations.

At Denver Mattress I would focus on the mattresses that they manufacture themselves because these are the ones where you will be able to find out the quality specs you need to know and I would ignore all the other major brands and the Green Choice mattresses that they also carry.

Phoenix

I was actually thinking about trying the Brooklyn Bedding soft, but I can’t seem to see what the difference is in the materials that makes it any different, do you know Phoenix?

I’m thinking a man of my size will sink into the soft version but it looks like I might not have a choice

Hi 901-Memphis,

I’m assuming that you are asking about what makes the soft version of the BME different from the medium?

If this is the case then they both use the same thickness and type of materials in each layer but the soft uses softer comfort layers than the medium.

Yes … you (or anyone) will sink into softer layers more deeply than you would with firmer versions of the same material.

Phoenix

We went to the Denver mattress in Florence KY today and they seem to be very knowledgeable, helpful and transparent. They list density of foam and materials used including coil gauge and everything I think we need to know.

I will attach the photo of the set we liked the most. It’s $1459 for mattress with “box spring” and also includes two pillows, frame and mattress protector

Okay i had to attach it through tinypic i couldn’t get it to upload right for some reason directly

Quilter Layers - Stretch Ticking, 1.5" 1.8 lb Convoluted Ef Foam

Comfort Layers - 2" 5lb Antibacterial body conforming Ef Memory Foam, 1.25" 1.8lb convoluted Ef Foam, 1 Flex net insulator

Support System - 567 pocket coils in 15 gauge steel (queen size)

Hi 901-Memphis,

The Richmond Euro Top would certainly be worth considering for someone that was in more average weight ranges but it would be a much less suitable choice for someone that is in a higher weight range such as yours.

The 5 lb memory foam is a high quality and durable material but there is 3 3/4" of 1.8 lb polyfoam in the top 6" of the mattress which is a lower density and less durable material than I would generally suggest in your weight range (I would look for 2 lb density polyfoam or higher) and 2 3/4" of the foam layers are also convoluted and convoluted foam layers are also less durable than solid layers of the same material (see post #2 here).

In terms of durability this would be a risky choice for someone in your weight range.

Phoenix

PS: [quote]
Okay i had to attach it through tinypic i couldn’t get it to upload right for some reason directly
[/quote]

That’s probably because it was larger than the maximum image size that can be attached to a post which is 800 x 800 pixels (see the help page here). If you try to attach a larger image without resizing it it first then you will get a “500 error”.

That stinks I didn’t see anything in my price range meeting all of the minimum durability criteria, that was the closest one and already stretches the budget

We tried to break in the mattress by walking on it and it has made a minor difference but still seems overly firm even for me. I know we still need more time to adjust but I am already starting to think about what’s gonna happen if nothing changes.

We will definitely now be making a size change, and going to a king size bed. Do you have any insight on this Zinus frame/foundation?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00W4DCK18/

I am trying to convince my wife to get a new frame off Amazon or similar and switching to the BME soft king, yet she is still upset about the medium and fears the soft will be too firm as well…

Either way do you think if we got that route the Zinus is acceptable for durability or maybe you know of something else from another site? I would gladly spend more on a frame if I could convince my wife to avoid overpaying at for the Richmond Eurotop king at Denver mattress…which is what’s probably going to end up happening since she wants to try it before she buys.

Hi 901-Memphis,

Based on “averages” … a medium firmness range will generally be inside the largest percentage of the bell curve that would be suitable for most people and with your weight range a softer choice could be more risky but of course not everyone fits inside the “averages” that would work well for most people which is the reason that a good trial period can be an important part of the “value” of an online purchase.

The break in and adjustment period will vary with different people and different mattresses (higher quality and more durable materials can take longer to break in) and it can also depend on what you are used to sleeping on but for most people it would be somewhere in the range of about a month or less although for some it will be much shorter (some people sleep well on a new mattress right away or after just a few days) and for others it can sometimes take several months.

Are you experiencing any actual “symptoms” when you sleep on your mattress or is it just a matter of preferences and more subjective “comfort” issues?

[quote]We will definitely now be making a size change, and going to a king size bed. Do you have any insight on this Zinus frame/foundation?

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00W4DCK18/[/quote]

Any mattress with a polyfoam support core will generally do best with a firm, flat, and evenly supportive support surface underneath it that has minimal to no flex under the mattress and for larger sizes with at least one center support beam that has good support to the floor to prevent any sagging in the middle of the mattress. The components (bedframe and foundation or platform bed) need to be strong and durable enough to support the weight of the mattress and the people sleeping on it without some of the parts bending, sagging, shifting, or breaking with extended use. The support surface under the mattress (which may be slats or a steel or wire grid) should have enough surface area to prevent the mattress from sagging through any gaps or spaces in the support surface over time but still allow some airflow under the mattress. If a foundation has a slatted surface then I would suggest that the gaps between any slats are no more than about 5" (with 1 x 3 slats) although less than 4" would be better yet.

I don’t have any specific knowledge about or personal experience with the Zinus platform bedframe so I can’t speak to how strong it is. The slats appear to be 3" apart (according to the questions and answers) but I would make sure that the slats are rigid and won’t easily bend or break under your weights and the weight of the mattress (many lower cost bedframes and foundations use slats that are thinner or use lower quality and weaker wood which can bend or break too easily).

There is more information about support systems (bedframes and foundations or platform beds) that are generally suitable for different types of mattresses and some examples of each of them in post #1 here and some of the information and comments in this topic (which would apply to any foam mattress) may be helpful as well.

Phoenix

I actually feel like I may have less back pain on the mattress and yes some of it may be personal preference but there seems to be too much pressure around my abdomen when sleeping in some positions.

Either way I don’t think I’ve had enough time to tell or pay enough attention to it to know for sure.

Hi 901-Memphis,

If your back pain is improved or if you are spending time sleeping on your stomach I would be very cautious about choosing a softer mattress. I would keep in mind that spinal alignment (most important) and pressure relief (second most important) and any actual “symptoms” (or lack of symptoms) you experience over the course of the night or when you wake up in the morning are the most important factor in how well you sleep and your body’s ability to rest and recover.

Phoenix

After 30 days on the mattress my wife still hated it. We returned the Brooklyn Bedding medium queen mattress yesterday and ordered the Brooklyn Bedding soft in a king. Also ordered the Brooklyn Bedding simple life foundation and a Knickerbocker monster bed frame. Hopefully it’s soft enough for my wife because I can sleep anywhere.

The return process was okay just waiting for the refund to actually show up.

Hi 901-Memphis,

Thanks for the update.

I’m looking forward to finding out how you like the soft version instead once you’ve had the chance to sleep on it.

Phoenix

I thought I would share this also you probably already know this information Phoenix, if not I asked Brooklyn bedding about the specs on their latex for the #bestmattressever.

Soft = 19ILD Talalay Latex with 30ILD Dunlop Latex
Medium = 28ILD Talalay Latex with 32ILD Dunlop Latex
Firm = 32ILD Talalay Latex with 34ILD Dunlop Latex

Hi 901-Memphis,

Thanks for the information but the ILD of the individual layers really isn’t all that important to know because they don’t have anything to do with the quality of the materials and they also won’t tell most people anything about whether the mattress is a good match for them in terms of PPP.

ILD/IFD is only one of several specs that makes one material feel softer or firmer than another (see post #4 here) and the ILD or IFD of different materials or even different types of the same material (such as different types and blends of latex) aren’t directly comparable to each other anyway (see post #6 here). The ILD or IFD of single layers or components also isn’t particularly meaningful because every layer and component in a mattress (including the base layer and the cover and quilting materials) will have an effect on the feel and performance of every other layer and component and on the sleeping system as a whole and putting too much focus on ILD/IFD or thickness or any other single specification (especially if it’s only a single layer or component) will most often be more misleading than helpful.

While knowing the specs that can affect the quality and durability of the layers and components in a mattress is always important … unless you have a great deal of knowledge and experience with different types of mattress materials and components and their specs and different layering combinations and mattress designs and how they combine together and can translate them into your own “real life” experience that can be unique to you (which would generally be a very small percentage of people) … I would tend to avoid using complex specs to try and predict how a mattress will feel or perform for you. When you try and choose a mattress based on complex combinations of specs that you may not fully understand or only based on specs for single layers or components that may not be as relevant or meaningful as you believe it is then the most common outcome is “information overload” and “paralysis by analysis”. Even the best mattress designers in the industry are often surprised at what a mattress they design “should have felt like” based on the specs when they design it and what it “actually feels like” when they test out their new design.

Phoenix

Yes that all makes sense I was just curious as to how they offer different firmness levels without posting any of the differences in materials on their website but now I know there’s lots of things that make it different.

After we have been on the Brooklyn Bedding best mattress ever king soft about 10 weeks I haven’t got much extra impressions on it. My wife still doesn’t love it, she won’t even admit she likes it even though she says it’s better than the wore out inner spring we got rid of. She still says it’s not “soft” enough, whatever that means to her.

I myself am happy with it mostly, it’s sinky soft yet supportive, the only thing I hate is the sinkage means if I shift while on my stomach my body goes one way but my clothes get stuck so I end up uncomfortable and could have my shirt tugging on my neck or something like that.

Overall I suppose I’m happy with the purchase, hopefully it holds up to my abuse though

Hi 901-Memphis,

Thanks for sharing another update.

That’s somewhat “faint praise” :slight_smile:

It sounds like your wife likes very soft mattresses that would be somewhat risky for most people in terms of alignment but it’s possible that a soft mattress pad may give her some additional surface softness that she may like a little more.

With latex comfort layers and a 2 lb polyfoam base layer durability certainly shouldn’t be an issue although of course no mattress will last as long for someone in your weight range as it would for someone that was lighter.

Phoenix

Just thought i would update in case you were curious. My wife finally said she couldn’t take the mattress anymore, (The Brooklyn Bedding #bestmattress ever Latex King size soft) She was more frequently complaining that she was unable to fall asleep or stay asleep because of back pain and general body pain. She continues to talk about how the mattress is very sinky but doesn’t “feel soft”. I too have not really been enjoying the sink, i kinda liked the medium BB mattress better.

With limited budget we ordered the Madison Euro Top from Denver Mattress. It doesn’t meet the guidelines for minimum material density, but she loves the floor model, and i guess like with our other less expensive bed my side will sink deep after a few years and her side will still be perfect.

The Madison Euro top specs are here, i just hope it lasts at least 5 years with my 300+lb body. I guess all the hours of research at least got me a decent foundation and frame.

Construction -

Mattress Height:13"

Quilt Layers:
Double Knit Ticking
1 1/2" of 1.8lb Density Convoluted EF Foam
1" EF Foam
Natural Rayon Fire Barrier
Comfort Layers:
2 3/8" of 1.8lb Density EF Foam
1 Flex-Net Insulator
Support System:
Coil Density: 567* Individually Wrapped, Foam Encased Coils (Queen size coil count shown)
15 Gauge Tempered Steel

Hi 901-Memphis,

Thanks for the update.

I’m sorry to hear that your soft BME didn’t work out as well for you wife as you hoped it would and she certainly seems to prefer much softer mattresses than most people.

I hope that the Madison Eurotop works out better for her although as you mentioned it would be a more risky choice for you both in terms of durability and PPP.

I’m looking forward to any updates you have the chance to share once you’ve had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.

Phoenix