I bought a Tenpurpedic Cloud Supreme about 6 years ago thinking it would be durable enough for at least a few years. After about two-three years it started to develop a loss of support under the hips. Now it’s to the point that when you sit on the bed you nearly roll into a hole where the foam has broken down on either side of the bed where myself and my husband sleep. I have to sleep with a pillow under my thighs or I wake up with terrible back pain. I’m about 180 lbs and my husband is 300. Just wondering where we went wrong so I can make a better decision this time around.
This post is perfect timing - I was seriously considering this mattress. Our weight ranges are similar to yours. From what I understood the materials in this mattress were high quality and appropriate for the higher weight ranges. Can’t wait to hear responses.
Actually it’s only been about 4 1/2 years since purchase. I’ve noticed a difference in sleep quality for the past two years for sure if not more. Apparently memory foam and high density foam just isn’t very durable for heavier weights, no matter the quality. Thinking of going full latex.
Hi Cthome111,
Welcome to the Mattress Forum! 
I’m sorry your Tempurpedic isn’t working out for you as well as you had hoped it would.
At 300 pounds, there certainly will be more demands placed upon any mattress and you’ll want to be cognizant of that and the higher density/quality materials that you’ll want to consider, and even then you’ll more than likely still experience a shorter comfort life. I wouldn’t necessarily “rule out” any types of mattresses and base your choices on your own personal testing, and post #3 here has more information and suggestions about heavier weights that is worth reading.
In general, higher BMI ranges will need more durable materials and components in a mattress and in a BMI range of 30 or higher I would include any 1.8 lb polyfoam or 4 lb memory foam as a “lower quality/density” material (relative to a higher BMI only) and minimize their use to a total of “about an inch or so or less” in the mattress.
Polyurethane foam: If your mattress is one sided then I would look for 2.0 lb per cubic foot density or higher. If the mattress is two sided then I would use a minimum density of 1.8 lbs per cubic foot or higher.
Memory foam (or gel memory foam): If your mattress is one sided then I would make sure that any memory foam is at least 5 lb per cubic foot. If the mattress is two sided then I would use a minimum density of 4 lbs per cubic foot.
Your current mattress would contain the “minimum” I would recommend for the density of the polyfoam core (2.0 lb), and the upper layer of memory foam is below 5 lb, so a bit below what I would normally recommend.
If you’re starting again looking for a mattress, besides the earlier link I listed regarding higher BMIs, the best place to start you research would be the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice. Two of the most important links in the tutorial are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, BMI, and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for, and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase 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, especially important with a BMI over 30 or so), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the 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).
While no one can reliably predict how any specific mattress will “feel” for someone else or whether it will be a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances and you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress … outside of PPP (which is the most important part of “value”), the next most important part of the value of a mattress purchase is durability which is all about how long you will sleep well on a mattress. This is the part of your research that you can’t see or “feel” and assessing the durability and useful life of a mattress depends on knowing the specifics of its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it regardless of the name of the manufacturer on the label or how a mattress feels in a showroom or when it is relatively new so I would always make sure that you find out the information listed here so you can compare the quality of the materials and components to the durability guidelines here (and in post #3 that I linked to earlier) to make sure there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress that would be a cause for concern relative to the durability and useful life of a mattress before making any purchase.
All foams will soften over time, and it could be that you don’t have an affinity for memory foam (which is not a very supportive material by itself), or mattresses using polyfoam cores, or could be more sensitive to the softening that happens over time with different materials. There are many people with a higher BMI who are perfectly happy using “traditional” memory foam beds, but each person has their own individual preferences, and all that matters is what works best for YOU.
Out of curiosity, are you using the foundations that come with a typical Tempurpedic mattress set, or something different?
Latex will be the most durable of all foam materials, and it is available in a wide variety of firmness levels. A mattress using a latex support core is more durable, more resilient, more elastic, more adaptable to different weights and shapes and sleeping positions, more supportive (it has a higher compression modulus so it gets firmer faster with compression), more “natural”, and has a different more “springy” and responsive feel than polyfoam. It is a higher performance material. Of course it is also more expensive than a polyfoam core and for some people, a latex hybrid (using springs for the support core) which has the benefits and “feel” of latex in the upper layers (the top 3" - 6" which are the most subject to wear and tear and contribute more to the overall “feel” of a mattress) is worth the cost trade off. For others it isn’t. There’s a bit about the pros and cons of latex here.
If you have more specific questions as you go through your search, please feel free to post them here in your thread and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Phoenix
Thanks for the great reply! For a foundation we are using a flat platform (no box spring).
I’m surprised at the extent of the breakdown of the foam in this mattress…there’s actually an “edge” you can lie on where your body is slanted and you start rolling into the “hole”. Not very impressive for a $3500 mattress.
Definitely thinking of staying away from memory foam completely…if I have to spend that much money on a mattress I think durability is a huge issue. The only down side for me is that I won’t be able to try anything out first…I live too far from anywhere that would have latex mattresses to try out. But that being said, what it feels like initially doesn’t really tell you what your back will feel like the next morning. So I’ll probably end up ordering something and hope for the best…whatever it is will be better than what I have now for sure!
Thinking about this one
https://www.dreamfoambedding.com/product/ultimate-dreams-total-latex-mattress/
Or this one
Customizable for our differing weights in each side seems like a good idea to maybe increase the comfort and durability too.
Hi Cthome111,
Ok, thanks for that information. I just wanted to be certain that your foundation wasn’t something that had a bit of flex to it that could be contributing to your issues.
Yes, the edges of the mattress would be where the foam hasn’t undergone the same amount of breakdown from mostly mechanical stresses, as it has in the central area where you sleep, so this area would still have a firmer feel tan those central spots.
If you supply your postal code I can see if there are any good options of which I am aware closer to your home.
Using the guidelines I presented in my earlier post, along with an assessment of any company’s return/exchange policy, will be your best next steps in the process.
[quote]Thinking about this one
www.dreamfoambedding.com/product/ultimat...otal-latex-mattress/
Or this one
The Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams Total Latex will have a 6" core of either Talalay or Dunlop (you choose), and then it is topped with a 3" Talalay layer. They will help you select the correct plushness for the layers. A king size can be split in the upper comfort layer to change the feel on the left and the right side. The cover is a bamboo/wool/thin polyfoam quilted stretch-knit. They do allow an exchange in the comfort layer on top.
The SleepEZ Natural Select Sleep Latex Mattress has three layers of latex. The top one is 2", and the bottom two are 3". Each layer on each side can be configured with the choice of a soft, medium or firm blended Talalay or natural Dunlop layer in queen or king size. The natural cotton cover is quilted to wool. They also have an exchange option.
Both SleepEZ and Dreamfoam Bedding are members of this site which means that I think very highly of them and that I believe that they compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, knowledge, and transparency. They are extremely knowledgeable about latex and different configurations. My next suggestion would be a detailed phone conversation with each company to see about their recommendations for your particular situation, and then you can sit down and compare your options at home.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Phoenix