Best Mattresses for Heavy People for 2024
The average mattress may not have enough support for plus-size folks. CNET’s sleep experts tested and picked the best mattresses for heavy people.
Our Experts
What to consider
Firmness
Sleeping Position
Feel
Construction
Body Type
Performance
Company Policies
Our Picks
Memorial Day sales are here. If you're looking to spend less on your next mattress, now's the time to snag a premium bed from a well-known brand. Our mattress experts have rounded up all the best Memorial Day mattress deals here.
Sleep soundly year-round with our mattress deals coverage. And be sure to check out all of our Memorial Day sales coverage for this season’s top sales.
If you want the best sleep, you need the right mattress for your body type. If you have the wrong mattress, you're likely to have a compromised sleep quality and potentially back or neck pain. For heavy people, the best mattress will need to satisfy a few criteria, like a good balance of support and softness. Heavier bodies need a mattress that is firm enough to provide adequate support for the body, but soft enough to help relieve pressure and provide comfort while sleeping.
There are a lot of options of options on the market, so it can be overwhelming to go shopping for a mattress. After spending hundreds of hours researching brand and testing over 100 mattresses, I've put together this list of the best mattresses that offer ample support for heavier sleepers. Whether its a memory foam mattress you're after, or if you want to pick one of the best firm mattresses, there is an option for you. Here are our top picks for the best mattress for heavy people.
What is the best mattress for heavy people?
The Big Fig mattress is an all-around supportive mattress for heavier body types.
The Big Fig mattress takes the crown as our overall top pick for the best mattress for heavy people. It's an ultradurable and supportive mattress designed at every turn with plus-size sleepers in mind. It's also fairly priced compared to other premium, thick hybrid mattresses. That said, we provided a full list of suitable hybrid mattresses that would also be great additions to your bedroom.
Note that all prices below are for queen-size models before any discounts are applied. If you're looking to upgrade your whole sleeping setup, we also have suggestions regarding pillows, sheets and other sleep essentials. Which is the best mattress for heavy people? Keep reading to see our picks.
Video: Best mattress for heavy people
Watch CNET video producer Owen Poole review the best mattresses for heavy people.
Read more: Best Cheap Mattress for 2023
Best mattresses for heavy people for 2024
Big Fig
Best mattress for heavy people
SCORE
Titan Plus Hybrid
Best firm mattress for heavy people
SCORE
Helix Plus
Best mattress for big and tall sleepers
SCORE
Saatva HD
Best pillow top mattress for heavy people
SCORE
WinkBed Plus
Best mattress for heavy people with back pain
SCORE
Amerisleep AS5 Hybrid
Best mattress for heavy side sleepers
SCORE
DreamCloud Premier
Best memory foam mattress for heavy people
SCORE
Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid
Best value mattress for heavy people
SCORE
What to consider when buying a mattress for heavy sleepers
When you're shopping for the best mattress for heavy people, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
People over the 230 pound range might find that a lot of beds have a softer feel than advertised. Firmer, more supportive options are typically the best beds for heavy sleepers.
Firmness
Firmness is one of the most important factors when choosing a mattress, but you should remember that your body type influences how you perceive a bed's firmness. A petite person will put less pressure on the bed, making it feel firmer. A heavier sleeper will put more pressure, making the mattress feel softer.
Durability
You want a mattress that will stand the test of time. The reality is that not all types of material will hold up. It's a good idea to look for mattresses with reinforced materials like coils and high-density foam.
Support
When you're sleeping on a mattress that isn't supportive enough, you'll likely wake up with a sore back or neck. Most heavy sleepers should opt for something that guarantees support, like a hybrid or innerspring mattress.
Edge support
Edge support is the strength of the bed's perimeter. An easy way to test a bed's edge support is by sitting on the edge; if you feel like you're going to slip off because the edge gives way to your weight, then the edge support could be better. This matters for people who need access to the whole sleeping surface.
Price and warranty information
Mattresses are a big investment. It's important to us that our lists include all budgets and price points. We also consider warranty information for each mattress so you know exactly what you get when you buy. Most companies offer robust trial periods and free returns, so you never have to worry if you don't love the mattress you select.
How we test mattresses for heavy people
Our CNET sleep team has spent years testing mattresses. All testing happens in our 6,000-square-foot mattress warehouse in Reno, Nevada. In addition to the rooms where the beds are held, we have have two mock bedrooms that we test and film reviews in. Testing mattress is an extremely hands-on process where we analyze the construction, feel, firmness and performance of each bed.
Our team has a variety of genders, body types and sleeper positions, which allows us to get a full picture of how a bed performs and who it is best suited for. CNET editors choose the goods and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you purchase using our links, we may get a commission. Learn more about how we test mattresses.
Firmness and feel
While testing, we approach mattresses from a consumer perspective, honing in on who will or won't like a particular mattress. We do this with two main criteria: firmness and feel. Firmness describes how hard or soft the mattress is. We have several people test each mattress and rate how firm it is.
The feel is the other essential factor to consider when testing a mattress. Some beds will have the traditional sinking memory foam feel, while others will have a neutral foam feel more like a cloud. Both the firmness and the feel of each bed are highlighted in our reviews.
Performance
We also test mattresses in key performance categories like edge support, motion isolation and temperature regulation. Edge support is how stable the perimeter of the mattress is. Motion isolation matters if you have a partner who moves around at night and you don't want to be woken up by their movement. Finally, temperature regulation describes how well the mattress disperses body heat. Many mattresses claim to be cooling, although very few actually are.
Other mattresses we've tested
The CNET Sleep editors test out mattresses to write honest mattress reviews and best lists. They've had their hands on hundreds of different beds and have valuable insight into the best and worst mattresses on the market.
Loom & Leaf mattress: Loom & Leaf is a memory foam bed with special cooling tech. It doesn't retain heat like traditional memory foam beds. It has two firmness levels to choose from, both on the firmer end. For a heavy sleeper, a medium or medium-firm mattress would be ideal.
Nectar Premier and Copper mattresses: The Nectar Premier mattress boasts 3 inches of pressure-relieving foam and an all-foam construction. The Nectar Premier is a good pick for stomach, back and combo sleepers, but not the best choice for heavier sleepers. It has no coils, so heavier body types may compress the mattress too much.
Nolah Original 10 mattress: This mattress is plush, airy, and pressure-relieving thanks to its neutral foam feel. It's medium to medium-soft on the firmness scale, making it ideal for side sleepers and some combination sleepers. It's still a good, affordable foam mattress that won't be too expensive.
Best mattress construction for heavy people
If you're a heavier sleeper, you should buy an innerspring or a hybrid mattress. All-foam bases just won't be able to match the support and durability of coils. That's not to say you can't enjoy the feel of memory foam. Many hybrid mattresses have layers of memory foam on top of their coils.
Best mattresses for heavy people FAQs
Do mattresses have a weight limit?
Technically, yes mattresses have a weight limit. Most mattresses support around 500 pounds (250 pounds on each side) due to the materials used. Certain brands like Casper claim to have no weight limits. Others, like Big Fig, make mattresses with materials that support more weight and advertise that. Big Fig mattresses support 1,100 pounds.
What is the best mattress for a heavy person?
The best mattress for heavy people is anything that is comfortable and gives them the support they need while sleeping. Those mattresses tend to include coils and fall at the firmer end of the scale. We consider Big Fig to be the best overall mattress for heavy people because of its high-quality materials and thick, 3-inch Euro pillow top.
What mattress types are best for heavier/larger sleepers?
Without a doubt, the best kind of mattress for heavy people would be a hybrid that combines pocketed coils or inner springs with some kind of foam, whether it be memory foam, latex foam, poly foam or some kind of blend. Hybrid mattresses offer more support than foam beds because steel coils are more durable and supportive than foam.
What mattress firmness is best for heavier or larger sleepers?
It primarily depends on your favorite sleeping position, but in general, firmer mattresses are better because they offer more support. The heavier you are, the softer mattresses will feel. For example, a bed that feels like a medium to someone who weighs 175 pounds might feel more like a soft mattress to someone who weighs 230 pounds.
Is a memory foam mattress good for a heavy person?
Yes, memory foam mattresses offer contouring pressure relief that can be helpful for any person of any size. Try to find a memory foam hybrid mattress that contains steel coils in the foundation layer to ensure your bed remains durable, supportive and comfortable throughout its lifetime.