Plus size couple - I have lower back pain and scoliosis, he has shoulder and neck pain

Mattress Talk 3) Needs & Personal Preferences
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me 38 F, 5’8", 300 pounds
husband 38 M, 5’8", 310 pounds
both primarily back sleepers but husband sometimes rolls onto his side
currently sleeping on Comfort Option TEN-18-45 in king size on a Best Choice Products adjustable base

I have a history of low back pain and I do have scoliosis. My husband frequently has shoulder and neck pain, he’s a mail carrier so it may be job related rather than bed related. d

Ten years ago, we purchased a Brooklyn Bedding #BME firm which was definitely the best mattress we’ve ever owned. It was slightly too firm and we put a memory foam topper on it and it was perfect. After 6 years, we stupidly decided to try a split king and got rid of the perfectly good BME.

The split king we purchased was a Titan Luxe and it was pretty good but my mattress lost the edge support on the upper right side. I tried rotating it so that it was on the lower left side but either way I felt like I was going to roll off the bed so we got rid of it. I do remember wanting a mattress topper on this as well. We actually cut our old mattress topper that we had used on the BME in half and I just used half on my side. My husband didn’t need a topper on his side. We could have pursued the warranty but we decided we just don’t like the split king anyway (can’t snuggle easily) so we decided to get a different mattress altogether.

We then purchased a Comfort Option TEN-18-45 in a king size. It felt good until about a year ago when we both started to wake up with our hands asleep. At first we thought maybe it was carpal tunnel because we both work jobs that could lead to that and we wore wrist braces for sleep but then I stayed in a hotel for a week and didn’t even need my wrist braces so I started to suspect it was the mattress. Occasionally my back is sore when I wake up. I think sometimes I sleep “twisted”. I do have scoliosis so this is very likely. The mattress itself feels very comfortable but it’s causing issues so we need something new.

We recently tried a Big Fig Classic and it felt too firm for my husband. He was waking up with a stiff and sore neck. I was pretty comfortable but I didn’t really like sleeping “on top” of the mattress. I would prefer a little more sinkage. So we returned the Big Fig.

Now we are stuck trying to figure out what to get. I have recently noticed that the adjustable base is actually leaning a little bit to the right on my side and now I wonder if that caused the Titan Luxe to fail prematurely on that side. I’m tempted to order another Titan Luxe but I’m worried that it will fail again.

We would like to spend less than $2K but I’m not sure if that is even possible with our weight and with our “special needs” for a mattress. I feel like latex might be the best option for longevity but I honestly don’t really love the feeling. But I can’t deny that the BME was a solid option that lasted 6 years with very little wear. I 100% regret getting rid of it and now they don’t sell that option anymore. :frowning:

Any advice would be absolutely wonderful. My head is spinning looking at all the options out there.

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Hello Jessa,

Thank you for sharing your history—it is incredibly helpful to see the progression of mattresses you have tried. Dealing with hand numbness and scoliosis simultaneously is a tricky balance because you need deep relief for the shoulders (to stop the numbness) but rigid support for the spine (to support the scoliosis and lower back).

As a chiropractor and mattress designer, I want to address the “hand numbness” and the “sleeping on top” feeling you experienced with the Big Fig and the Titan.

It sounds like on the Titan Luxe, you may have been bottoming out through the comfort layers and hitting the extra-reinforced, stiff coils underneath, which is by design necessary in certain weight criteria situations. The problem is that when you hit that extra firm wall of support too quickly, it creates pressure points that can cut off circulation or impinge nerves, leading to that numbness in the hands. Conversely, the Big Fig was simply too firm overall, preventing you from sinking in enough to get any pressure relief.

My Recommendation: The Back Science Series 1

Given your budget goal (under $2k) and your specific need for a balance between heavy-duty support and genuine pressure relief, I believe the Back Science Series 1 is the ideal candidate for you.

Here is why it addresses your specific “special needs”:

  1. **Support Without the bottoming out effect. The Series 1 utilizes a very robust 1000-count individually wrapped coil system. This high coil density provides ample support for your combined weight (300lbs and 310lbs), ensuring durability. However, unlike the “plank-like” feel of some heavy-duty mattresses, these independent coils allow for better contouring.
  2. The Lumbar-Flex Advantage: We utilize our patent-pending Lumbar-Flex Zoned Support. This is critical for your scoliosis and back pain. It provides reinforced lift in the center third of the mattress (where you carry the most weight) to keep your spine neutral.
  3. Solving the Shoulder/Numbness Issue: Because the zoning is concentrated in the center, the head and foot of the mattress remain slightly more compliant. This allows your shoulders to sink in just enough to relieve the compression that causes hand numbness, without sacrificing the support you need at the hips. It bridges the gap between the “too soft” and “too hard” experiences you’ve had.

A Note on Your Adjustable Base: You mentioned your current base is “leaning a little bit.” I strongly advise fixing or replacing that base before putting any new mattress on it. A leaning foundation will cause even the best mattress to fail prematurely and cause rolling/alignment issues.

You can get additional information at our website https://backscience.com). If you have any further questions, please feel free to email us or even give us a call at 800 667-1969 for a more in-depth discussion and sleep consultation.

As a valued member of The Mattress Underground, don’t forget to use the code TMU10 at checkout for an additional 10% off your purchase.

Dr. Rick Swartzburg, D.C.
Founder and Head of Product Design

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