So I've had this mattress for about three years. It looks perfectly flat and normal when nobody's on it. But the second I lie down, it's like the thing just gives up. I sink in and it feels like I'm sleeping in a trench. I'm 300 lbs. Is this just what happens or is my mattress broken?
Heavy Sleepers
My mattress looks flat until I lie down at 300 lbs
What brand/model is it? That matters a lot. If it's a cheap memory foam from amazon, three years at 300 lbs is honestly pretty good.
lol at 'sleeping in a trench'. I feel your pain though. I'm 280 and my old mattress did the exact same thing. Looked fine, felt like quicksand.
That's called body impression and it's the foam breaking down in the support layers, not the top. At 300 lbs you compress it way more, so it degrades faster. Three years sounds about right for a lot of mid-range foam beds.
SockDrawerGremlin that makes sense. My last one lasted maybe 4 years before I gave up and got a hybrid.
Flip it? Rotate it? Have you been rotating it at all?
VelcroSky I rotated it maybe twice in three years. Didn't know I was supposed to do it more often. It's not flippable though, only one side has the comfort layer.
Honestly if you're 300 lbs and sinking through the comfort layer, you need something with a denser support core. Most mainstream mattresses are designed around like 180-220 lb sleepers. Above that, you're basically stress-testing it every night.
MothballJumper is right. Also check if your foundation is the problem. If it's a slatted base with wide gaps or a flexy box spring, that can make it worse.
Seconding the foundation thing. I put a sheet of plywood under mine and it felt like a different mattress for like six months. Then the foam gave out anyway but still, cheap fix to try first.
Three years for a 300 lb sleeper is not unusual. Warranties are usually prorated and they'll claim "normal wear" anyway. Don't waste your time fighting it, just plan your next purchase around a higher density foam or a latex hybrid.
Plywood ujder the mattress is the most underrated mattress hack. Costs $30, saves you $800 for a few months.
Also worth checking: is the sinking worse in the middle or where you sleep? If it's just your spot, it's definitely foam fatigue. If it's everywhere, might be the foundation failing.
My hybrid has coils and honestly it's held up way better. Foam on top but the support doesn't completely collapse. Just my two cennts.
It's worse right in the middle where I sleep,which tracks with what MothballJumper said. I'll try the plywood trick this weekend and see if that buys me some time. Not looking forward to mattress shopping but here we are.
Shopping tip: lie on the bed for like 15 minutes in the store, not 2. And don't trust the return policy unless you read the fine print abbout body impressions.