We are trying to mattress shop and we were referred to this website by an employee of Spindle.
I am an obese woman 300lb and my husband is average size 200lb
We are intrigued by latex mattresses, but the spindle employee implied that traditional 3 layer mattresses may not meet my support needs.
I love the feeling of a soft cushy sleep surface. I love the idea of the organic materials and modular customizability of latex beds.
Any advice? Thanks so much !
Hi AlisonAnderson,
There is 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 (or that have a higher BMI) 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.
While it depends on the specifics of the layers and components in a mattress … as Spindle mentioned when you talked with them in some cases those that are in higher weight ranges (or a higher BMI) may need a thicker mattress than those that are in lower weight ranges as well.
I’m not sure where you live but 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 considering online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes a link to a list of the members here that sell mattresses online (in the optional online step) and many of them sell latex and latex hybrid mattresses that use different types and blends of latex that have a wide range of different designs, options, features, return and exchange policies, and prices that would be well worth considering.
Post #3 here also includes a list of online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses as well (with some overlap with the members list) and many of these sell component latex mattresses that either have options for more than 3 layers and/or contain more than 9" of latex.
Phoenix
Thanks Phoenix!
I did read the buying guides and forum posts as my initial research, and found your preferred retailer list, and went to Spindle in Acton (We are in Central Mass) My online research pointed to Latex as “top of the line” mattress material and exceptionally so for heavier people due to durability.
However at Spindle the sales person indicated innerspring may be the best fit? This confuses me, it goes against what I’m reading. The spindle folks referred me to Gardner Mattress in Woburn MA. The experience we had there was offensive and horrible. I noticed they’re also on your preferred list and oh my goodness I’d never refer ANYONE there. The sales person there originally tried to say body weight was irrelevant to mattress size/thickness… Then tried to say he wasn’t a doctor and couldn’t give an opinion, then he said I was probably going to have to “settle” for the best out of bad options. Wow. 
I want sufficient support, decent longevity, a cushy feel, and ideally organic materials. Cost isn’t as much of an issue, we’re willing to go up to $4k for the right mattress with the right longevity.
4 layer latex configuration (13 inches) VS some sort of hybrid configuration?
Secondary Question: The guy at spindle said Talaylay VS Dunlop was also irrelevant. I read otherwise online. Thoughts there?
Thanks so much for this tremendous resource you have. It’s a huge help!
Hi AlisonAnderson,
I’m not clear why their suggestion is confusing you.
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).
There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here 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 suitability, durability, and all the other 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).
In other words … the durability of the materials and components in a mattress is a completely different issue from the suitability of a mattress and how well you are likely to sleep on it and whether a specific mattress is a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences).
Each mattress category (see this article) can include hundreds of different mattresses with a very wide range of different designs, different “feels”, different characteristics, and different firmness levels. Every individual layer and component in a mattress (including the cover and any quilting material) will affect the feel and response of every other layer and component both above and below it and the mattress “as a whole” so each mattress category will generally include some mattresses that will be a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) and others that use the same type of materials and components and are in the same category and may be just as durable but have a different design or firmness level that may be completely unsuitable for you to sleep on … even if it uses the same general type of materials and components.
Gardner mattress has been in business for many years and they are completely transparent about the type and quality of the materials and components in their mattresses. They also have also built a great reputation with consumers and with many other manufacturers in the industry as well so I’m not sure of the specific reason for your comments and experience. I also wasn’t part of the conversation you had with them so I don’t know what was said, how it was said, or whether it was clearly understood, so I can’t make any meaningful comments about it (they would probably give a different version of the same conversation).
Based on your comments though (which I’m guessing were part of a larger conversation) … what they told you could certainly be true depending on the specifics of the mattress and the person. With some types of mattresses thickness makes less difference than with others. It’s also true that nobody can tell you which mattress would be best for you for certain because you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress so while a manufacturer can certainly provide some good guidance … you are the only one that can decide which mattress is best for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP. Mattress manufacturers also aren’t able to provide specific advice relative to any health conditions and this may be the reason for their comment about doctors. It’s also possible that they may have been giving you some “honest” opinions about the challenges involved in finding a suitable mattress in your weight range and perhaps weren’t as diplomatic as they could have been (weight is often a sensitive subject) or it’s possible that you may have taken some of their comments personally when it may not have been meant that way.
[quote]I want sufficient support, decent longevity, a cushy feel, and ideally organic materials. Cost isn’t as much of an issue, we’re willing to go up to $4k for the right mattress with the right longevity.
4 layer latex configuration (13 inches) VS some sort of hybrid configuration?[/quote]
Again 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 and there are 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).
There are certainly many people in your weight range that sleep well on a thicker “all latex” mattress (including some component latex mattresses with four 3" layers of latex) and there are others that sleep well on an innerspring/latex hybrid. There is also more about innerspring/latex hybrids in post #13 here and the posts it links to. Because most people are more used to innerspring mattresses … an innerspring/latex hybrid it is often a “fall back” suggestion for those that are uncertain about other types of mattresses or that don’t do as well on an all latex mattress…
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site can help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress, manufacturer, or combination of materials is “best for you” regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or whether anyone else has the same needs and preferences, criteria, or circumstances or would make the same choice.
Unfortunately nobody has a crystal ball that can predict which specific mattress or combination of materials and components you will like best or that you will sleep best on with any certainty based on specs or “theory at a distance” and I would be very skeptical of anyone who claims that they do. It just doesn’t exist.
Any type or blend of latex (either Dunlop or Talalay and made with synthetic rubber, natural rubber, or a blend of both) is a high quality and durable material so the choice between them would also be more of a preference and a budget choice rather than a “better/worse” choice. There is more about the different types and blends of latex in post #6 here and more about how Dunlop compares to Talalay in general in post #7 here but the best way to know which type or blend of latex you tend to prefer will be based on your own testing or your own personal experience.
Phoenix