What larger people should look for in a mattress

We are often contacted by customers who tell us that, because of their size, they’ve had a difficult time finding a mattress that is comfortable, supportive, and durable. We often hear that their mattresses are wearing out too quickly and not providing them with a good night’s sleep. We build our mattresses with all of our customers in mind, so we’re sharing our tips for what to look for in a mattress for larger customers.

Look for proper support

Proper support is vital for a good night’s sleep. Whether you prefer innerspring or foam mattresses, you’ll want to find one that offers high-quality support. For an innerspring mattress, we recommend a traditional innerspring unit over the popular pocketed coil systems. In a foam mattress, you’ll want to find one with a high-density foam core. You can learn more innerspring vs. foam support here.

Another aspect of proper support is a heavy-duty bed frame with a center support with a leg that touches the ground. This is important for anyone purchasing a mattress that is a full, queen, or king size. Some cheaper frames don’t have enough support (or any support) in the center of the mattress, which can cause it to bow. This can make body impressions worse or even damage the mattress.

Look for durability

If you’re finding that your mattress is wearing out much faster than it should be, you’ll want to make sure that your next mattress has features that make it more durable. So, what should you look for?

• A two-sided mattress: You can flip and rotate a two-sided mattress, which can help minimize body impressions and improve the comfort and durability of your mattress. While some body impressions are normal, flipping and rotating helps to even the wear across both sides of your mattress.
• A real working box spring: A real working box spring will flex, acting as a shock absorber for your mattress and improving comfort and durability. Most mattress manufacturers only make rigid foundations these days.
• High-quality upholstery materials: What’s inside your mattress has a huge impact on how long it will last. Cheap foams will break down quickly, while natural cotton and American-made, high-quality foams are built to last. That’s why we show you everything that goes into each of our mattresses, so that you can see and feel the difference between our mattresses and those from our competitors.

Look for comfort

Once you find mattresses that are going to provide adequate support and durability, you can focus on picking the mattress that is most comfortable for you. Whether you prefer a very firm mattress or one that feels like a fluffy cloud, there’s no reason that you should be limited in your options in terms of comfort. While pillow top or Euro top-style mattresses may be more prone to body impressions due to all the layers of upholstery, flipping and rotating will help minimize this issue.

Remember, the size of your mattress also has a big impact on you comfort. You want to make sure that you and anyone else who shares your bed have enough room to stretch out and get comfortable! In addition to all standard sizes, we can also make custom-size mattresses in nearly any dimensions. Check out our mattress size guide here. 

What we recommend at OMF

If you’re shopping for a mattress here at The Original Mattress Factory, we recommend checking out our Orthopedic line. Our Orthopedic mattresses feature our highest-quality innerspring unit for the very best support and durability. All of the models are two sided, and when you purchase a set, they’re paired with our highest-quality real working box spring. And the line features mattresses that range from very firm to very soft, so you can find the right fit for you.

As always, we recommend that you stop by one of our locations in order to test out the mattresses. Testing a mattress for at least 15 minutes in your natural sleeping position will give you a good feel for its support and comfort.

Check out Mattress Shopping 101.

Ready to start your mattress buying journey? Come to The Original Mattress Factory first. No one knows more than our team about what makes a great mattress great. Whether you buy from us or not, you’ll be better prepared to make a smart mattress buying decision. Find a store near you.