Picking a mattress when overweight is tricky because softer mattresses might not provide the support you need, despite being super comfortable.
If you are overweight or have a big build, a firm mattress will generally be best so your body doesn’t squish the mattress. However, it depends on how heavy you are - the heavier you are, the firmer your mattress should be.
Being overweight doesn’t mean being heavy.
Being overweight isn’t the same as being heavy. Someone weighing 155 lbs (11 stone) can be classed as overweight depending on their sex, age, and height.
Heavy people weigh over 220 lbs (15 stone 7.2 lbs). Generally, people over 220 lbs should always choose a firm mattress to support their body while sleeping.
When you are over 220lbs, a soft mattress will compress too much, making you sink into the mattress and putting pressure on your back, hips, and joints. When this happens, you’ll wake up with aches and pains and struggle to get high-quality sleep.
Medium is the middle ground.
Medium mattresses are as suited to people weighing 200 lbs as people weighing 150 lbs. The reason is that they balance support and comfort layers, providing an optimal amount of support and squishiness.
Medium mattresses also cater to different body types and weight ranges, providing greater or less support with medium-soft and medium-firm options.
Medium-firm is ideal for people weighing 200 lbs, a medium mattress is suitable for people weighing 160-190 lbs, and medium-soft is perfect for people weighing up to 160 lbs. You can use these basic rules to narrow your search for a mattress.
Zonal isolation
When you’re heavy, getting into bed can disturb your partner. In most cases, pure foam mattresses have better zonal isolation than spring mattresses so that you don’t make the other person bounce when you get into bed.
Spring mattresses are bouncer by design. However, some pocket spring mattresses have zonal springs that isolate the springs from each other. These mattresses are just as good as pure foam mattresses at isolating movement in bed.
Mattress recommendations
Here are a few mattress recommendations based on weight:
230lbs or over
When you weigh 230lbs or over, you need a firm mattress:
The Giltedge Beds Flex 150 Firm Mattress is an affordable mattress made from high-density response foam for support and reflex foam for comfort.
Pictured: Giltedge Beds Flex 150 Firm Mattress. Giltedge Beds have manufactured luxury divan beds and mattresses for over 30 years. Located in North England, Giltedge has an excellent reputation for making top-quality products at highly competitive prices that many more prominent brands cannot compete with. (Available on the Bedstar Website)
The Sleepeezee Jessica Support is foam encapsulated to reinforce the whole mattress and has 800 pocket springs for firm support.
Pictured: Sleepeezee Jessica Support 4FT 6 Double Mattress, Introducing the Jessica Support mattress, a uniquely created encapsulated mattress with edge-to-edge support. This mattress offers the perfect blend of technologies to deliver outstanding comfort and total support when needed. (Available on the Bedstar Website)
The Silentnight Mirapocket 1400 Puriel has natural fillings with 1,400 zoned Miracoil pocket springs and a luxury damask cover.
Pictured: Silentnight Mirapocket 1400 Puriel Mattress, A luxurious mattress featuring a naturally sourced wool comfort layer that blends optimum temperature regulation, gifting you the perfect night-time retreat for every season (Available on the Bedstar Website)
170-200lbs
If you weigh between 180-200lbs, a medium-firm mattress will do nicely:
The Silentnight Mirastar, Memory Cushion Top, has Miracoil reactive springs and a memory foam top, providing plush comfort with good support.
Pictured: Silentnight Mirastar Memory Cushion Top Mattress. The cushion top offers a thick body moulding memory foam layer for comfort and pressure relief. Three support zones provide pressure relief for hips and shoulders. (Available on the Bedstar Website)
The Giltedge Beds Visco Support offers fantastic value for money, with a soft memory foam top layer and open coil springs for firm support.
Pictured: Giltedge Beds Visco Support Mattress. Giltedge Beds have always believed in quality and value and have become one of the UK’s largest bed manufacturers. Giltedge Beds have been at the forefront of technical developments in the bed industry. They still strive to improve their designs and invest in new technology to provide the most innovative, beautiful, and competitively priced products. (Available on the Bedstar Website)
130-170lbs
If you weigh 130-170lbs, you have the luxury of medium mattresses:
The Birlea Sleepsoul Cloud is an incredible mattress with 800 pocket springs, 1.5cm of soft foam, and 2cm of memory foam that contours to your body.
Pictured: Brand new to Birlea, the SleepSoul Cloud mattress offers luxurious comfort, giving you a great night’s sleep. This mattress features 800 individual pocket springs, a euro top, and an extra layer of memory foam that helps spread weight evenly. (Available on the Bedstar Website)
The Giltedge Beds Sapphire 2000 is a premium mattress with 2,000 zoned pocket springs and a unique comfort layer made from polyester fibre.
Pictured: Giltedge Beds Sapphire 2000 Mattress. With impressive 2000 pocket springs and a luxurious deep layer of comfort fillings, the Sapphire mattress offers a beautiful mix of comfort and support. This mattress has a luxurious sleeping surface and is finished with a Tencel-infused soft knit cover. (Available on the Bedstar Website)
Here’s what the Which? Judges said...
You can expect good support, whatever your body size or sleeping position
It won’t sag or soften; It won’t restrict your movement
If you sweat during a muggy night, it’s breathable enough to allow moisture to pass
