Best Memory Foam Mattress For Heavy People
When selecting a new mattress, if you weigh more than the average person you may want to make sure that you take certain factors into consideration when searching for the best mattress for your size.
Most of the time, the best mattresses for heavy people are the same for those for thinner people, except as it may relate to support, motion transfer, sleeping hot, and other factors.
These functional and construction needs which a mattress should have for heavier people to experience good sleep are extremely important to get right, and memory foam mattresses are an excellent choice for heavier sleepers.
In our case, I am roughly twice the weight of my girlfriend Kaye, as I am 6’1” and around 235 pounds. For some mattresses, this causes me to sink down lower than her and for her to “roll” over into me due to the different weight being placed onto the mattress when we sleep at night.
We had this problem with cheaper memory foam mattresses during our search for the right bed for us, so we know firsthand how important it is to get a well-built and well-designed mattress, especially a memory foam or hybrid combination foam mattress.
These factors we discuss below are very important when purchasing a memory foam mattress, if you are a heavier sleeper. Purchasing a mattress that has the correct characteristics for heavier people or a combined heavier couple will ensure you the best night’s sleep. Last updated
FAQ: Read about our overall favorite mattresses in our Top 10 Best Mattresses Guide
Quick Overview: Our Top Picks for Memory Foam Mattresses for Heavy People
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
 | Our Top Pick Helix Plus
| Claim My Discount → |
 | Nectar Sleep
| View Latest Price → |
 | Wright Sleep
| View Latest Price → |
Firmness
Most heavier sleepers tend to require and prefer a mattress on the medium to medium firm side (around a 6-7 on the firmness scale, with 10 being firmest). These firmer mattresses will hold their shape better and provide lasting support for years to come for heavy sleepers.
In addition, as it relates to memory foam mattresses, they tend to soften up over time so choosing a firmer mattress will enable it to break in and adapt to your body weight.
Medium to firm memory foam mattresses tend to offer more consistent support and feel, as the increased densities of the foams or other materials help provide necessary push back to counteract the weight being placed on them.
This is important, as it keeps heavier people supported by the comfort layers of the mattress and prevents sinking into the less comfortable support foams or base materials.
However, the best mattress for heavy people also has to be comfortable, and too firm mattresses may also cause stiffness or pain if not soft enough.
Mattress Thickness
Mattress thickness is something that is very important when selecting a memory foam mattress if you are heavier than normal.
For sleepers under 200 pounds, a 10” mattress is usually sufficient. If you are heavier than this, we suggest you look for a mattress that is at least 12” thick or thicker and combined of a variety of different foam densities.
Heavier people create a larger amount of pressure on the mattress so more compression support is needed, which many thinner mattresses do not provide.
There are some 10″ mattresses that utilize advanced foams and other design features that improve deep compression support and can allow them to function well for heavier sleepers as well.
However, for the most part it’s best to find a mattress with a thicker profile as it will more likely be able to offer consistent support and deep compression support. The heavier you are, or the heavier that your combined weight of a couple is, the more important a thicker profile and deep compression support are.
Sinkage / Motion Transfer
Sinkage is quite important for heavier people, as the heavier you are, the more you will compress the foam in your mattress.
As mentioned above, if you share a mattress with a partner and weigh significantly more than they do, in some cases you may cause them to roll into you due to this pressure difference on the mattress.
Choosing a well designed memory foam mattress with varying level of foam densities will help with this, as will selecting a firmer mattress.
Motion transfer is also something to take into consideration as a heavier person sharing a mattress. Turning over or adjusting your sleep position during the night can often cause significant motion transfer if your memory foam mattress does not have motion dampening features or is “bouncier” as many latex or hybrid foam mattresses are.
Choosing a pure memory foam mattress will often alleviate these effects, as they are less springy than ones containing latex or pocketed coils as well as memory foam.
Sleeping Hot
A common complaint from heavy people that purchase a memory foam mattress is “sleeping hot”. This term is used for memory foam mattresses that do not ventilate or breathe well throughout the night.
When you are sleeping together with a partner, and are heavier than normal, it can get uncomfortable quickly if you don’t have a well designed and constructed mattress that addresses this.
For heavier sleepers, there is more mass, hence more heat is generated. Without a mattress that breathes, you may find yourself waking up in the middle of the night sweating and shedding covers or feeling like you are sticking to the mattress.
Many advanced memory foam mattresses and latex mattresses have largely solved the problems with heat retention using more advanced cooling materials, open cell foam, gels, breathable covers, etc..
These are generally a feature of better memory foam mattresses, and often not a feature of inexpensive or basic models. Cheaper memory foam mattresses are more likely to be the type of basic memory foam that absorbs and retains heat and result in a hot, sticky, sweaty sleeping experience – even more so for heavier sleepers and even more so for heavier couples as well.
Edge Support
Memory foam mattresses with strong and stable edges will help prevent any significant sagging or collapsing near the edge when sleeping towards the sides of the mattress.
In some cases, memory foam mattresses struggle with this, especially the softer models which will compress and sag when sitting on the edge or sleeping near the edge. This is usually the case with cheaper memory foam mattresses which don’t have the more advanced foam densities or layers within them.
As mattresses are often used for more than just sleeping at night, such as sitting on the edge or more intimate acts, making sure to have proper edge support if you are heavier can be important. Choosing a firmer memory foam mattress model will often alleviate these issues.
Some mattresses offer edge support foam layers to make things firmer and prevent sinking down when sitting on the edge of the bed.
Memory Foam Benefits for Heavy People
Memory foam mattresses are great options for heavier individuals, as they are supportive and are known to relieve pressure points by providing even, consistent support that contours to your body, no matter what position you sleep in.
When choosing a memory foam mattress, make sure to take into consideration the material construction, breathability, and cooling materials used in them to ensure you don’t sleep hot.
Features such as a gel or latex used in the cooling and comfort layer, open cell structure, and breathable cover are important things to take into consideration, as well as mattress technologies such as Celiant and copper that can help ensure a great sleeping experience for heavier than average people.
Summary: Best Mattresses for Heavy People
There are so many factors to consider when shopping for the best memory foam mattress for heavy people.
Overall, you’re going to want a mattress that:
- Is a 6-8 on the firmness scale, where 10 is the most firm
- Is on average, at least 11-12” thick
- Provides an exceptional level of deep compression support
- Provide great support to spine, hips and neck
- Sleep cool (due to a combination of construction and materials)
Top 3 Best Memory Foam Mattresses for Heavy People
Our top picks for the best memory foam mattress for heavy people are:
1. Helix Plus
($1115 for a Queen mattress. Click here to save $75 on the Helix Plus mattress with our code: MFT75)
The Helix Plus is a 12″ hybrid, specially designed to suit the needs of heavier sleepers. It combines pocketed coils with the highest-quality foams to create a pressure relieving and supportive surface and provide heavier sleepers with extraordinary sleeping experience.
What makes this mattress special is the fact that each side of it can be customized to suit individual needs and sleep preferences of each sleeper.
The Helix Plus has an incredibly soft top comfort layer made of the Helix Dynamic Foam that contours to your body and cushions your shoulders and hips to provide you with the necessary comfort and pressure relief.
This top comfort layer aids in muscle recovery and reacts quickly to the body shape and any change in sleeping position and will allow you to sink into the mattress to a certain degree without making you feel trapped in foam.
The mattress has an additional layer of high-density foam designed for heavier weights that works perfectly with the other foam layers and pocketed coil layer to support heavy body weight with ease.
So, if you are a heavier sleeper and you are looking for a comfortable and supportive mattress that will be comfortable and breathable and still provide a great support in all sleeping positions, then the Helix Plus may be an excellent choice for you.
Get the full Helix Plus mattress review.
2. Nectar Sleep
($699 for a Queen mattress. Click here for the best price on a Nectar!)
If you are looking for a nice comfortable yet supportive mattress that can provide ample body support and help you sleep with its breathable material and light bounce – then the Nectar is an great choice if you are a heavier sleeper.
The Nectar is made up of a combination of memory foam and gel memory foam which provides heavier sleepers just the right amount of bounce, pressure relief, contour, and cooling .
It also has a great pillow top layer with a cover that includes Tencel which is often found in mattresses costing much more.
The mattress is excellent at distributing your weight evenly especially if you are overweight so that you won’t sink right into the bed. It sleeps cool and is breathable which helps prevent you from sleeping hot which is often a problem if you’re a heavier sleeper and/or share a bed with a sleeping partner.
The Nectar is also the most affordable out of the 3 mattresses we recommend today. You can get a Queen sized Nectar at as low as $699(using the link above).
Get the full Nectar mattress review here.
3. Wright Sleep
($1595 for a Queen, after saving $200 by clicking here and using our MFT200 coupon)
The Wright W1.27 mattress is the most expensive mattress on our list, but is worth the money due to its exceptional quality that rivals mattresses costing much more.
The Wright is a 12″ all foam mattress with high density, slower response memory foam which provides great support for heavier sleepers while being very comfortable and sleeping cool.
The Wright mattress uses gel infused memory foam that has been tested to sleep 3 degrees cooler than traditional memory foam, which is great for preventing heat buildup.
In addition, the Wright has excellent motion isolation features and great edge support with much less sinkage than other mattresses especially for heavier individuals and couples.
The Wright mattress comes in one firmness option, which we rate as around medium firm – around a 7 out of 10 (10 being firmest). It is one of the best mattresses for heavy people due to the reasons above, and one of our personal favorites!
Get the full Wright mattress review here.
