Best mattress for bigger bodies 2024: supportive beds for heavy people
Comfortable, supportive and durable beds for heavier sleepers
The quick list
1. Best overall
2. Best for very heavy people
3. Best luxury
4. Best affordable
5. Best for side sleepers
6. Best for combi sleepers
7. Best for average-to-heavy bodies
Expert advice
How we test
Our experienced testing panel reviews and researches all of the latest mattresses, using our findings to provide accurate and unbiased recommendations.
The best mattresses for bigger bodies are designed to give heavier people comfortable sleep every night while still providing all the support they need. This means that they need to be well-made with a firmer feel, and with sturdier edge support than you'll find on most mattresses. They also need to comfortably accommodate people who weigh over 250lbs, which can rule out a lot of the best mattresses on the market, but fortunately there are a few strong options available, many of them from some of the leading sleep brands.
We've selected seven of the best mattresses for heavy people, all of which are capable of keeping heavier bodies supported throughout the night, leading to a more restful night’s sleep and the reduction of aches and pains in the morning. And because these mattresses are built specifically for larger frames, they’ll last for years and withstand pressure.
Specialist mattresses for heavier people tend to be a little more expensive, with most sitting in the upper-mid or premium price brackets. The good news, though, is that you shouldn't have to pay full price, because mattress deals happen throughout the year, and we've included buying info with each of our product entries. Read on for our pick of the best mattresses for bigger bodies.
The quick list
Best of the best
Best overall
The WinkBed Plus is a great all-rounder featuring durable latex and an anti-sag Euro-top, and it'll suit most sleep styles as well as lasting a long time.
Highest limit
Best for very heavy people
Designed for even the heaviest sleepers, the Big Fig is comfortable and supportive with a bit of bounce, and it's a big hit with customers.
Premium support
Best luxury option
The Saatva HD is a luxurious alternative to the Saatva Classic for heavier sleepers, with dense foams, supportive coils and outstanding extras.
Affordable pick
Best budget option
If you don't have a lot to spend on your mattress, the Titan Plus from Brooklyn Bedding does a good job at a low price, despite a couple of shortcomings.
Softer feel
Best for side sleepers
The Evolution Comfort+ is an alternative to Nolah's Evolution 15" for heavier sleepers, and its medium feel makes it perfect for side sleeping.
All-rounder
Best for combi sleepers
Another affordable option, the Helix Plus has a medium feel that makes it a good fit for anyone who changes position a lot in the night.
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Big on comfort
Best for average-to-heavy bodies
While the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid isn't made for bigger bodies, it's a popular option with larger people thanks to its sturdy and supportive build.
The best mattress for bigger bodies in 2024 – as chosen by experts
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Best mattress for heavy people
1. The WinkBed Plus Mattress
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The WinkBed Plus is the best mattress for bigger bodies right now. This 13.5-inch tall hybrid is designed to support sleepers that weigh 250lbs or more, and it sits at the top of our list because it's a great all-rounder.
You’ll find this mattress listed with the original WinkBed, where you can choose from Softer, Luxury Firm, Firm or Plus options. However, the Plus version is rather different in design. It's one of three mattresses in our ranking to include a layer of latex foam (the other two are the Saatva #3 and Big Fig #2). Latex has a bouncier, more responsive feel than classic memory foam, and it's known for being one of the most durable mattress materials, which makes it a great choice in a mattress for heavier people.
Instead of a Euro-top, the Plus version has a layer of anti-sag foam. There's also a patented coil design, in which the springs are banded together to make them sturdier and more durable.
In terms of firmness, it's described as an 8 out of 10, but with the caveat that the feel will depend on your body weight. That rating of 8 is for those who weigh 200lbs or less; if you're 300lbs for more, it'll be more like a 6.5. Splitting the difference, expect a roughly medium-firm feel, which will suit most sleep styles. Customers are full of praise, describing it as firm but still cushioned and comfortable. The WinkBed Plus appears in our best firm mattress guide as a recommendation for heavy people.
WinkBeds has tested this model for durability by simulating 20 years of use by a person who weighs 350lbs, and says the bed retained its loft and firmness. That's reassuring, as is the lifetime limited warranty this bed comes with.
Best mattress for very heavy people
2. Big Fig Mattress
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Big Fig is the only brand in our ranking that specializes in mattresses for heavy people – the others are all general sleep brands that have created a 'plus' option. It only makes one mattress, and it comes with the highest weight limit here: 550lbs per sleepers, up to a total of 1,100lbs. (Or at least, it looks like the highest weight limit – some brands are a bit vague on this point, but because Big Fig is a specialist, we're more inclined to trust it.)
Everything about the Big Fig mattress is designed to cater for for bigger bodies. Beneath a ThermoGel treated fabric cover it's topped with a layer of perforated gel-infused latex foam for breathability and comfort, with three layers of high-density polyurethane foam underneath to prevent sagging, and a layer of up to 1,600 individually wrapped 15-gauge coils to give the bed a more responsive feel, held in check by edge panels made of 80 ILD high density foam. The Big Fig is hand-tufted to ensure that every layer stays in place, and the end result is a mattress that delivers comfort and support with a bit of bounce, while staying cool.
In terms of firmness the Big Fig is rated 7-8; what this means is that the heaviest sleepers will find that it cradles them without the feeling that they're resting on the coils, and the less heavy you are, the firmer this bed will feel. It's definitely a hit with customers; it has a score of 4.7 out of 5 on the Big Fig site, based on just under 6,000 reviews, with customers praising its comfort and support as well as the quality of its construction.
Speaking of which, the Big Fig is also designed to last. Like the WinkBed Plus above, it's been tested at a third-party facility to simulate 20 years of use by a heavier sleeper. Following 200,000 cycles with a 350lb roller it lost only 0.158" height and just 4.89% of its firmness, performing significantly better than industry standards; the Big Fig comes with a 20-year warranty including free repair and free replacement.
Best luxury mattress for bigger bodies
3. Saatva HD Mattress
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Saatva Classic is the top choice of our best mattress picks, because it’s such a good all-rounder that provides hotel-style luxury at a not-too-extravagant price. And the Saatva HD is a similar proposition, only this is designed specifically with bigger bodies in mind; it's built to support people weighing up to 500lbs.
The Saatva HD has a 1.5" layer of five-zone natural latex that provides extra support in the lumbar region, coupled with a 5lb memory foam layer that contours to the body to provide pressure relief and prevent aches and pains. Under this you’ll find a 2” comfort foam layer for extra support,12.5-gauge steel coils that are 25% stronger than the industry standard, and reinforced high-density foam rails to improve edge support; Saatva claims that this mattress provides double the edge support of other luxury beds. The coils in the Saatva HD also promote airflow, and its pillow-top cover is made of organic cotton to help keep sleepers cool.
In short, the build is similar to both the WinkBed and Big Fig listed above; the major difference in the Saatva HD is that its sprung layer is made with open coils rather than individually wrapped springs. In fact it uses an offset coil innerspring system that, says Saatva, provides better contouring support than traditional coils, and it's threaded with 17-gauge helical wire to reduce motion transfer.
There's no getting around the fact that this is a luxury mattress at a premium price, especially when you consider that Saatva steers you towards including an HD foundation when you buy; it says that the Saatva HD isn't compatible with regular foundations and box springs.
Considering its premium materials, not to mention the fact that it comes with free concierge delivery and setup as well as free removal of your old mattress, the Saatva HD's high price is definitely worth paying if you have the budget. It's rated 4.9 out of 5 by customers, with many remarking on how it helped with aches and pains, and other's noting how it doesn't dip or sag like other mattresses.
Best affordable mattress for bigger bodies
4. Titan Plus mattress
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Titan Plus is the specialist bigger-bodies mattress from trusted sleep brand Brooklyn Bedding. Sitting in the mid-range price bracket, it's the most affordable model in our lineup, so it's perfect for shoppers on a tighter budget. At 11 inches tall, it's on the thinner side, and while it won't look and feel as luxurious as a chunkier option, it will still support up to 1,000lbs in weight.
As a cheaper model, the build of this hybrid mattress is less sophisticated than you'll find with other options listed here. The Titan Plus as an inch-thick quilted cover with temperature-regulating gel foam; below that is a two-inch layer of contouring comfort foam for pressure point relief. The sprung core is made with up to 900 8" 13.5-gauge steel coils, sitting on top of a quarter-inch layer of base foam. It's not a bad design but the relative lack of cushioning above could mean that the most heavy sleepers might be able to feel the coils; also the lack of edge panels suggest that this one could be lacking in edge support.
Looking through the reviews on the Brooklyn Bedding site, we've found evidence that both these concerns are very real. However on the whole this mattress reviews well, with a 4.7 rating based on over 2,600 reviews. There's plenty of praise for the build quality and overall support. Some customers found that it was too firm for side sleeping, as well as for lightweight people (often those sharing the bed).
The main reason to buy the Titan Plus when you're after the best mattress for heavy people is its low price, and most sleepers should get on well with it if they can put up with not a lot of edge support. However if you can up your budget a bit, it's worth looking at the Titan Plus Luxe, which features an extra inch of transition foam, giving it a medium feel, making it suitable for a wider variety of sleepers and also making it less likely that you'll feel those coils beneath you.
Best mattress for heavy side sleepers
5. Nolah Evolution Comfort+
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Nolah Evolution Comfort+ (or Evo Comfort+) is a 14-inch tall hybrid mattress that will support a total of 1,000lbs. In terms of firmness, Nolah rates this as a 5 or 6 out of 10, which is a medium feel, making this the softest in our roundup of mattresses for bigger bodies. The brand recommends the Evo Comfort+ to side sleepers in particular, which makes sense – side sleepers often want a slightly plusher mattress to help avoid pressure from building up in the shoulder and hip.
The main body of the mattress is made up of layers of different foams and coils. Adjustments have been made to boost the durability and support compared to the rest of Nolah's range. For example, in the upper layers, Nolah's pressure-relieving 'AirFoam' is swapped for denser 'AirFoam HD'. The individually wrapped coils are also lower gauge (i.e. thicker) than you'll find in the rest of the brand's range. Sturdier coils are used in the central third, beneath the lumbar, and around the perimeter.
At the top of the mattress, a 2-inch thick, quilted foam Euro-top helps keep things cushioned and deliver a slightly more luxurious look and feel. There are a few features geared towards temperature regulation. The cover combines naturally breathable organic cotton and 'ArcticTex' fibres, which are designed to dissipate heat and keep the sleeper cool and dry. There's also a gusset around the upper border of the mattress where warm air can escape.
Best mattress for heavy combination sleepers
5. Helix Plus
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Helix Plus is the second-softest mattress on our list, which means that like the Nolah Evo Comfort+ it's a good choice for side sleepers, but its slightly firmer feel means that it's also good for back and (to a lesser extent) stomach sleepers; basically if you're a combination sleeper who changes position a lot in the night, this one's well worth a look.
This mattress is rated a 6-7 out of 10 for firmness, which is medium to medium-firm. That's likely to be too soft for very heavy people (those 300lbs or over should steer clear), but side sleepers around 230-250lbs might find it a good fit. It's also one of the more affordable picks in our list, sitting in the mid / upper-mid bracket.
With high-density, 4lb foams, the Helix Plus is designed to provide support to heavier bodies in all sleeping positions, with an overall medium-firm feel. The mattress can support two 500lb individuals, but it may feel too soft for some – we think heavier stomach sleepers in particular may find it a little soft.
Individually wrapped springs really help to limit motion transfer, so this is a good choice for those sharing their bed with a restless sleeper. And edge support is also great, thanks to the mattress’ reinforced sides. For hot sleepers, we’d recommend investing in the GlacioTex Cooling Cover. This pulls heat away from the body while you’re sleeping and keeps the mattress at a comfortable temperature (although it does have a slippery finish).
Best mattress for average-to-heavy people
6. DreamCloud Premier Hybrid Mattress
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid is one of our recommended best mattresses, but it’s not sturdy enough for bigger bodies. The DreamCloud Premier Hybrid, however, has received lots of praise from bigger sleepers who find it supportive and comfortable. It’s also one of our picks for the best mattresses for back pain.
Although it’s not specifically made for heavy people, it's easy to see why it's a popular pick amongst larger sleepers. Its build is similar to many of the top options listed here; on top of a layer of individually wrapped coils with reinforced edge support, you'll find four layers of CertiPUR-US certified foam. There's a top layer of gel memory foam, a support layer of standard foam, a therapeutic layer of gel memory foam for support, contouring and pressure relief, and a dynamic transition of gel foam to keep your spine aligned and ensure that you won't feel the foam beneath. And while we can't guarantee that the heaviest sleepers won't sink through to the coils, for average-to-heavy bodies these foam layers should provide ample support and comfort.
The cashmere cover provides a soft and breathable surface to the mattress, helping to keep sleepers cool at night. And because DreamCloud's USP has always been luxury mattresses at a less than premium price, the Premier Hybrid should be a strong option for heavier sleepers who want a luxurious feel and great support without having to pay through the nose. DreamCloud rates the Premier Hybrid as a 6.5 on the firmness scale, which means it would be a good fit for heavier side sleepers; we'd suggest it wouldn't be suitable for heavier stomach sleepers, and if you weigh over 300lbs you should really be looking at one of the other options on this list.
What type of mattress is best for heavy people?
Bigger sleepers should look for a hybrid mattress, as they need the support from the combination of coils and foam. Individually wrapped coils provide the firmness and support that heavy sleepers need, along with helping to alleviate back and joint pain. They’ll also help to promote airflow through the mattress to stop heat building up.
Coils without foam would be extremely uncomfortable, and heavy people need foam to provide comfort and contouring to the body. Memory foam is the most common foam as it provides great pressure relief and contouring, but latex is also commonly used as it’s durable and makes it easier to change position during the night.
We wouldn’t recommend a mattress that’s all-foam as it’s unlikely to be supportive enough for bigger bodies. Heavy people also need a hybrid mattress that has plenty of supportive layers above the coils, as they don’t want to sink down onto them.
Do heavy people need a soft or firm mattress?
Heavy people need a firm mattress that will support their weight, whilst providing durability. Sagging needs to be avoided, so bigger bodies should look for mattresses with reinforcement to help prevent this. A firmer mattress also helps to keep the spine aligned and prevent aches and pains.
A firmer mattress is always a good choice for back and stomach sleepers, who need support and structure for optimal alignment. Some side sleepers may benefit from a slightly softer top layer, but in general a heavier body is always going to need the support of a firmer mattress.
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Jo Plumridge is a freelance writer and photographer with over 20 years of experience writing for a variety of magazines, books and websites. She writes, perhaps unsurprisingly, about photography but also extensively on all things sleep and interior design related, alongside home and tech product reviews. She’s lived in the middle of a nature reserve in Botswana and written a guidebook to New Zealand, but now spends a lot of time trying to photograph the cats she and her husband foster for a local charity - without a doubt the most challenging subjects on earth!