Plus size people, a comfortable mattress that will last with motion reduction

Shelly writes:

Hello Pete,In one of your blog replies, you write:

" Frankly, I can't understand why you, or anyone else, wouldn't just tell me about yourself...what you like, don't like and let me figure it out for you.
To do that, I need heights and weights and to know of any pre-existing physical ailments."

Here is our story:

We currently sleep on a Comfortaire mattress, king size, on a slatted platform bed. In the beginning, it was pretty good. Years later, not so good. Not sure who changed more, the mattress or us.

We stayed at a resort hotel and slept wonderfully; we were told the bed was a Simmons Beautyrest Felicity pillowtop. We test-drove some mattresses at a retail store and felt the most comfortable on a Simmons Beautyrest TruEnergy Bryanna. We also were presented Tempur-pedics to try but felt like it took a while after laying down for the comfort to kick in, and then felt like mobility, just rolling side to side, was limited.

"He" is 5'10 and pushing 300#; health problems don't include bone or muscular issues. His sleep positions of choice are back or side. Currently doesn't feel like he gets long, deep sleep and is therefore dependent on power nap during the day.

"She" is 5'7" and close to 200#. Her favored sleep positions are stomach and side. No health issues to identify but spends a lot of time flipping and flopping at night trying to get comfortable. That movement seems to transfer less with the independent coils of the Beautyrest.

Considering the support we need, while still providing the comfort level that we like and minimal motion transfer, what mattress set do you recommend? Our platform currently sits 17" off the floor so we will either need to support our new mattress with plywood-type "bunky boards" or a very low profile foundation.

Thank you in advance, Shelly

Hi Shelly,

Buying a mattress, for most consumers, is so difficult...it becomes more a game of Russian Roulette. The consequences of making a mistake are: Lose of a considerable chunk of change and physical pain that will worsen a pre-existing condition or create a physical problem where none previously existed. In the old days, you could rely on the advice of a salesman, but that also was a time when it was hard to buy a bad mattress. Times have changed dramatically, and not for the better.

Today's mattresses don't hold up well. Getting your money's worth is nearly impossible. This would be especially true for people carrying extra body weight. Even under average weight, it's hard to find a mattress that lasts more than only a few years.

The major problem is with the upper padding, which tends to compress easily. Not being able to flip your mattress anymore, that padding never gets a chance to recover. The only type of material that does a good job of providing comfort that lasts, is latex...the best you can buy since the 1920s...long proven and uncontested. The worst, is memory foam....which is today's big seller because of all the hype.

An unseen factor, about the mattresses you chose, is the gauge of wire used for the coils. Simmons uses a much thinner gauge wire for their "plush" model...too thin for most people. It creates a greater depth of softness that feels wonderful initially and loses its resiliency in a matter of months...not years, months!

Given what you find comfortable, I would suggest adding a 2" soft layer of latex to the luxury firm tight top models. Pillowtops are also good for making the sale, but not worth much shortly afterward.

Here are links to a Simmons Beautyrest Black model, also in luxury firm. The Black coil system is stronger with half the coils comprised of three wires to create a "cable coil"...the strongest on the market.... and a link to the latex toppers...a 2" soft Talalay Latex topper. Together, they provide proper support and a luxurious feel that lasts.

http://www.themattressexpert.com/XcartStore/product.php?productid=17844&cat=309&page=1