My wife and I are in the market for getting a new mattress. We currently have an 6 year old Sealy that neither of us are pleased with (it was one I had when I was single) and we both wake up with aches and pains. One of our biggest issues in trying to figure things out is our difference in size. I am 6’3", weigh around 250 Lbs and sleep on my side. My wife is 5’0", weighs around 115 Lbs and sleeps on her back. My wife tends to like a slightly softer mattress while I like something slightly firmer. Any suggestions?
Hi Nightraptor,
My reply would be the same as my reply in post #2 here.
If you are interested in local options either to do some local testing as a reference point to find out which types of materials or mattresses you tend to prefer or for an actual purchase then if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area.
If you are also considering 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 that use different materials and components in a wide range of designs, budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may be well worth considering as well (assuming that the materials and components in any mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body weight).
Phoenix
Thank you for the response. I have had a chance to read through the tutorials. Our zip code is 55379 (20 miles or so Southwest of Minneapolis, MN). We are considering online mattresses and are strongly considering a mattress which could have different designs for each side. I have seen that Helix does this and Luxi also has a degree of customization. Do you have concerns with either of these companies or do you have other suggestions for online mattress companies which allow you to customize each side of the bed separately?
I like the idea of the hybrid design of the Helix, but am personally concerned about the use of only 1.5 lb foam in the support layers given my weight.
Hi Nightraptor,
Subject to confirming that any retailer or manufacturer on the list you plan to visit is completely transparent (see this article) and to making sure that any mattress you are considering meets your specific criteria and the quality/value guidelines here … the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the Minneapolis/St Paul area are listed in post #2 here.
You can see some comments about the quality and durability of the materials in the Helix mattress along with many of the other “simplified choice” mattresses in post #2 here in the simplified choice mattress topic but it uses lower quality/density materials than the minimums I would normally suggest in your weight range/ BMI (see the durability guidelines here)
You can also see some comments about the Luxisleep mattress in post #10 here. I would add a “slight” caution because of the 1.8 lb polyfoam base layer they use but with 6" of foam layers on top of the base layer it’s unlikely that it would compromise the durability or useful life of the mattress relative to your weight range/BMI.
I don’t keep a record of the individual mattresses or their specs that the retailers and manufacturers in the hundreds of forum lists throughout the forum carry on their floor or have available online (it would be a bigger job than anyone could keep up with in a constantly changing market) but checking their websites and making some preliminary phone calls to the retailers/manufacturers that are on the local lists is always a good idea before you decide on which retailers or manufacturers you wish to deal with anyway. 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.
Having said that … many component latex mattresses have side to side split layering that allows you to customize each side of the mattress individually (in queen size or larger).
There is more about the pros and cons of a component latex mattress with a zip cover and loose layers vs a finished mattress with glued layers in post #15 here and Post #3 here includes a list of many of the online manufacturers that sell component latex mattresses as well.
For local choices if you don’t mind purchasing individual layers and a cover and putting together your own DIY mattress where all the layers and components haven’t passed the fire regulations “as a complete mattress” then diynaturalbedding carries latex layers and covers where you can make a side to side split latex mattress as well.
Moss Envy also carries Savvy Rest mattresses that offer side to side splits but these are in much higher budget ranges than other very similar mattresses.
Phoenix
[quote=“Nightraptor” post=65100]Thank you for the response. I have had a chance to read through the tutorials. Our zip code is 55379 (20 miles or so Southwest of Minneapolis, MN). We are considering online mattresses and are strongly considering a mattress which could have different designs for each side. I have seen that Helix does this and Luxi also has a degree of customization. Do you have concerns with either of these companies or do you have other suggestions for online mattress companies which allow you to customize each side of the bed separately?
I like the idea of the hybrid design of the Helix, but am personally concerned about the use of only 1.5 lb foam in the support layers given my weight.[/quote]
Definitely test them out before you buy - you should consider a gel foam mattress. Its what i have and its very comfortable - although, very pricey.
Me and my partner are in a similar situation. I’m 250lbs and she’s like 130lb - so more than 100lbs, which we totally noticed on our old spring mattress. However, nowadays we sleep on a 12’ gel foam mattress which completely eliminates the “bulge” in the middle that we used to get.