I'm around 280 lbs and my current mattress is about six years old. It has deep dips where I sleep and my lower back has been hurting for months. When I look at buying guides they all say heavy people need a firm mattress. But I've also slept on soft hotel beds that felt fine. Is firm really a requirement at my weight or is that just something everyone repeats?
Mattress Advice
Do I really need a firm mattress because I'm heavy
The advice exists for a reason. At higher weights a soft mattress compresses before it can support you, so you bottom out and your spine ends up out of line. That's probably what's happening with your current one.
There's a difference between firm and hard. A lot of people go buy the firmest thing in the store and then hate it because it has no give under the shoulders. Support is the goal, not a specific firmness number.
Those hotel beds you liked — were they actually soft, or did they just have a thick pillow top over a firm core? That's usually the case and it's why they still support you.
Im 300 and change and went through this last year. The thing that mattered more than the firmness label was the coil system underneath. I ended up with a hybrid that has a firm base layer and a softer top and it's held up better than the all-foam bed I had before, which sagged in under twwo years.
what's your budget and do you sleep on your side or back? changes the answer a lot
Side mostly, sometimes back. Budget is flexible, I'd rather pay once. The all-foam sagging point is worrying because the current one is foam.
Side sleeping and a too-firm surface is a bad mix, it'll press on your hip and shoulder. Look at tne specs rather than the marketing — density of the foam layers matters so it doesn't crush down over time.
I'd push back slightly on the idea that heavy always means firm. I'm 250 and my medium mattress suits me fine. The old wisdim assumes everyone over a certain weight is a back sleeper. It's a rule of thumb, not a law.
The rule of thumb is about durability as much as comfort. Lower-density foams break down faster under more weight. That's the part most guides gloss over.
Also check the warranty terms. Some brands void coverage above certain weight ranges, which tellS you what they really expect.
One more thing, a firm mattress on a weak or flexing bed frame will still sag. Check what your foundation is rated for before blaming the mattress entirely.
The frame is a basic metal box spring from the same store, I never thought about its rating. The dips are right in thee middle though, so I assumed it was the foam itself.