Hi TandL,
I meant that in your case, with your heavier body type, I would tend towards considerably firmer choices than other people who had lighter body types. I should have added “other people with” in front of “lighter body types” to make it clearer.
The links in mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here are links to some of the site pages that provide some generic guidelines that may be useful in helping you understand some of the concepts involved in mattress design and theory but I would focus on your more detailed conversations with the manufacturer because otherwise you will get multiple suggestions that may be different and end up more confused than anything. With one mattress design, a certain ILD may be a reasonable option in a comfort layer but in another design that used a different combination of materials, a different ILD or thickness may be more suitable because every layer interacts with and affects every other layer. ILD numbers are also measured differently between different materials and ILD by itself is only one of the specifications of a material that will make a difference in terms of PPP (see post #2 here). Getting overinvolved in specs when you don’t have the experience or reference points to really know what all the variables mean in your own personal experience will lead you down the path of overanalysis, information overwhelm, and paralysis by analysis. The many variables, unknowns, and personal preferences that are involved and the fact that it would involve a much more detailed phone conversation with each person and because I don’t sell specific mattresses is the reason I don’t provide specific comfort advice on the forum.
When you can’t test a mattress in person then you are reliant on the knowledge and experience of the manufacturer you are dealing with (in combination with any testing you have done and any other helpful information you can provide them) and their “best efforts” to help you decide which of their own specific mattresses or options they provide would have the highest odds of success for you along with the exchange or return policies they offer so that you can use your own sleeping experience instead of testing the mattress before a purchase.
If you provided a specific reference point and feedback about PPP with a mattress you have tested where all the layers are known then I certainly don’t mind making some generic suggestions about how you could change it to make it softer or firmer in various ways (comfort or support etc) or help identify any weak links or give you any “cautions” about the mattress I would consider but if you are working blind then you are much better off dealing only with the people who know the most about their mattresses and are in the best position to offer you the most suitable guidance. Multiple voices or “suggestions” will generally only confuse the issue.
Phoenix