When shopping for a new mattress, many factors can make it difficult to make a decision, but weight should not be one of them. In many cases, the best mattress for larger people tends to have the same attributes as a good mattress for thin people. However, there are different needs in terms of functionality and design that a mattress should have to provide a good rest if you are overweight.
Whether you are shopping online or going to a store, there are some vital elements for mattresses for overweight people. If you are just starting out looking for a mattress, you may want to consider the following aspects. These elements and attributes are of vital importance when buying mattresses for heavy people with the necessary characteristics to ensure the best possible rest and sleep for all of them.
Important Features
The qualities that will make for a suitable purchase for heavier people are as follows:
Thickness
Generally, overweight people put more pressure on the mattress when they lie on it. Therefore, they need a good support surface. We suggest a product of at least 30 centimeters in height.
This may seem obvious, but height/depth is an issue that many people overlook. For people under 90 kg a mattress of 22 cm is usually more than enough. For heavier people, the ideal is to look for between 27-30 cm high at least (we’ve filtered some options below at 30cm or greater). What we're really looking for with height is deep support and compression. Larger people create a greater amount of pressure on the mattress and many thinner products will fail to provide the support you need, the depth of the product must be accompanied by good elements, because you can still find deep mattresses that do not offer adequate support since its padding and foams are for appearance only.
This combination of layers and depth, foams and other materials form the ideal mattress for people who are overweight. Some products of 25 cm height use advanced foams, an extra layer designed for comfort, or other manufacturing specifications designed to provide deep support and compression can also perfectly serve as overweight mattresses (always depending on your preferences and way of sleeping). However, as a general rule of thumb it is best to go for a high-profile as they are more likely to provide consistent support and resist deep compression very well. These elements become more important the higher your weight.
Firmness
It is important that larger people choose a product that does not wrap them, as this can cause back pain and it may feel quite hot while sleeping. Therefore, you should choose a mattress whose surface hardness is relatively high. In other words, the mattress must have a high or medium-high firmness.
When considering the level of firmness that is right for you, the most important factor to consider is your weight in terms of firmness and comfort. The greater your weight, the deeper and more pronounced the sag and hug will be in the mattress when you lie on it. Many people associate high sag with high softness. For example, a product rated 8 out of 10 on the firmness scale may be rated a 7 for a 95 kg person.
As a general rule, if you weigh more than 95 kilos you will notice an additional sag of between 2 and 4 cm (depending on the mattress and shape of your body).
Edge Firmness
If you want to find the best mattresses for overweight people, don't forget to consider edge firmness. Mattresses are used for sleeping at night on most occasions, but the bed can take on other functions during the day. If you find yourself sitting on the edge of the bed several times during the day, the firmness of the edge becomes very important.
Finally, in addition to being important when sitting on the edge of the bed, the firmness of the edge helps prevent the sleep surface from sinking more than necessary if you sleep near the edge at night.
In general, mattresses made with springs, pocket springs, or some hybrid designs are the best options. Most foam mattresses tend to have difficulties with edge firmness, especially with overweight people.
Breathability
A common problem in heavier people is night sweats. For this reason, it is important that the mattress they use has a high degree of breathability, that allows air circulation and distributes heat.
A very common complaint about overweight mattresses is the stark reality of being hot when sleeping. This is a problem for many people and is especially true because they use mattresses that do not ventilate or "breathe" well at night. By adding two warm bodies, sheets, blankets, the children, the dog… the situation can become quite uncomfortable. In overweight people there is greater mass, and therefore more heat is generated. Without a product that breathes well, you'll wake up more than once in the middle of the night covered in sweat or wanting to uncover completely.
Foam comfort and support layers tend to be warmer than springs. However, some advanced foam mattresses have largely solved the problem of heat retention. I highly recommend avoiding low quality memory foam mattresses and in general traditional, gel or basic memory foam mattresses. These types of mattresses usually have the simplest type of memory foam that absorbs and retains heat.
Spring mattresses do not absorb heat as much and one of their main characteristics is that they help keep the mattress cool. In addition, in most cases they are better in this sense than those of memory foam, gel mattresses or other layers of materials designed to improve ventilation.
What Type Of Mattress To Choose?
Let's see a comparison between the different types of mattresses to know which one is more recommended to choose:
Spring Mattresses
Generally, spring mattresses are the most recommended for people who are overweight. Thanks to their internal structure, these promote air circulation, so they do not retain heat and keep cool. However, there are some with low quality springs that do not support more than 100 kilos. Among this type of product, the most recommended are those with pocket springs.
Spring mattresses can be the best for overweight people, or the worst. Poor quality springs can create pressure points or inconsistent support due to the nature of their manufacture. If you decide to opt for a spring mattress, we suggest you choose one with pocket springs or double offset springs. This type of support layer can even use two layers of springs which improves the comfort, support, compression and general quality of the product.
Spring mattresses also tend to offer better edge support than foam support due to their reinforcement around the edge. If you sleep very close to the edge or you usually sit on the edge of the bed, then this type may be the ideal choice for you.
Latex Mattresses
The main characteristic of latex is the comfort they offer, since these mattresses adapt to the body and when they are not being used, they return to their original shape. The problem comes in relation to breathability. Most latex mattresses are made from synthetic latex. This material causes more sweating as they absorb heat. However, there are also natural latex options that are breathable.
For overweight people, latex can be a good option. Latex provides very good comfort and excellent ventilation (it does not absorb heat in the same way as memory foam). In addition, it tends to provide a greater "rebound effect" than memory foam and other types of foams (not at the same level as spring but not bad at all). Additionally, latex tends to offer a less "hug effect" and attachment to the body shape than memory foam. The latex hug is more rounded instead of adjusted to your figure as in memory foam. If you prefer a more balanced level of sinking, latex may be the best alternative for you.
Memory Foam Mattresses
These mattresses tend to provide greater comfort and adaptability than latex. However, they also have breathability problems. Therefore, if you are going to choose this type of product, it is important that it has components that regulate heat, such as a gel layer.
Memory foam mattresses can be a great option for people who are overweight. These can be very soft or very firm, depending on how they are made and the materials that have been used to fill it. Memory foam offers support and is known to relieve pressure points by providing a consistent hold and a hug that adapts to the shape of your body, no matter what position you are in. Memory foam can be the ideal material for overweight people, but ventilation must be taken into account, and mobility on top of the mattress, being trapped in foam as you toss and turn can be very uncomfortable. Look for brands that have already developed the solution to the problem of heat when sleeping and if possible, talk to people who have tried some of the models that you like, so you get a second opinion about the product you are purchasing.
Hybrid Technology
Finally, another recommended option surrounds those with hybrid technology that mix different materials. An example would be pocket spring support layers for good breathability, and memory foam comfort layers to dissipate pressure points.
Hybrid mattresses use springs and layers of foam at the same time on one side. These types of products share many of the benefits of spring mattresses, including: better breathability thanks to the improved air circulation provided by the springs, better edge support, rebound effect, better support and compression. Hybrids typically use layers of memory foam, latex, or other foams. The result is a product that is designed to minimize some of the negative aspects of foams and springs, with an emphasis on their benefits.
Your quality of life depends in large part on your sleep. Give priority to your comfort and follow our advice to choose the most suitable option for you.
