# mattresses



## nolafa4u (Sep 7, 2010)

Can anybody recommend a king mattress that doesn't sag too easily, doesn't develop a permanent 'valley' on the side where a large person sleeps?


----------



## MizzSnakeBite (Sep 7, 2010)

I really don't know if there's a foolproof mattress out there. The best bet would be to get a high-quality, firm mattress. It'll need to be rotated more often than usual to help prevent as much sagging as possible. 

I've heard very good things about Tempur-Pedic mattresses being very comfy for SS people; they're expensive though, and I don't know how well they last for really large bodies. You can also get a high-density, 4" foam mattress topper. Those can be purchased at Walmart. If you decide to get the mattress topper, make sure to get the high-density one.


----------



## HappyFA75 (Sep 7, 2010)

Tempur-Pedic would probably be the way to go, however many furniture stores sell a "Memory Foam" mattress under their own name as well. It seemd to hold up better than traditional spring mattresses.

Hope this helps, Tempur is great, if not cost-prohibitive! (Its Real Foam not Memory Foam, but Memory Foam may work better than most/any spring.)


----------



## Dr. Feelgood (Sep 7, 2010)

A mattress is a very individual thing: what works fine for somebody else may be a disaster for you. I'd recommend that you look for a store that specializes in mattresses, first of all: you're more likely to find a knowledgeable person who can advise you than in a regular furniture store where the clerk knows nothing except what his commission will be. If the store is any good, they'll have a number of mattresses on display and will encourage you to try them out. Mattresses are rated on a scale of firmness from one (hardest) to seven (softest), so you may have to try a few of them out to find what works best for you. Be sure to lie on the mattress in the position you sleep in: people who sleep on their sides may need a softer mattress than those who sleep on their backs. Incidentally, I learned all this the hard way last month ... when I bought a new mattress.


----------



## nolafa4u (Sep 7, 2010)

Guys... Thanks for the advice. I'll go shopping tomorrow.


----------



## lypeaches (Sep 8, 2010)

Basicly agree with what others have posted. 

I'll just add, for myself, I prefer NOT to have a pillow top mattress. I have found that it's more cost effective to just buy a plain mattress, as firm as I can get (higher coil count is good too), and then put my own toppers on it. Overstock.com sells a wide variety of toppers at reasonable prices. 

With pillowtops, I find that the pillow top part craps out way too quickly, but because it's integral to the mattress, you're kind of screwed. With a plain mattress, you have options to extend the life of the mattress, hence saving money (flipping around, over, putting boards underneath, different toppers, etc...)


----------



## zsazsa (Sep 8, 2010)

I think the Crown Plaza had great beds. I am a big girl (as you noticed) and that was the most comfortable bed I have slept in at a hotel in a long time. You should have asked Chicklets and I down to test your bed as well.


----------



## bigbri (Sep 8, 2010)

I weigh 400 lbs and like a firm mattress feel. My wife is in the 250 lb range and likes a very soft mattress, in fact she owned a waterbed when we first met. Five plus years ago we invested (truly the only way to describe it) in a king size, dual control, 2 inch pillow top, Select Comfort bed and foundation. I can keep my side firm and my wife can deflate hers to be very soft. The air pump failed just beyond its warranty period. We were able to purchase a rebuilt model which has outlasted the original to this point. The air chambers and pillow top are still in perfect order and we are very pleased overall with the purchase. Good luck!


----------



## Ho Ho Tai (Sep 8, 2010)

nolafa4u said:


> Can anybody recommend a king mattress that doesn't sag too easily, doesn't develop a permanent 'valley' on the side where a large person sleeps?



As you might guess, in this community, 'mattresses' are probably second only to 'sex' as a perpetual topic of interest. Click the 'search' button and search for 'mattress'. However, you will get a whole lot of hits having more to do with using mattresses (for other than sleeping) rather than buying them But here is one useful post to start you out.

"I'm at that age where my back goes out more than I do"

By the way, opinions posted by Risible and/or her husband BiodieselMan are very reliable.


----------



## it's only me (Sep 9, 2010)

one way i chose my matress, was what was in hotels, i guess because i can always get the best sleep on a hotel matress cause their always firm, just think they have to be really good & tough matresses cause soooo many different people of all sizes sleep on them.
the brand i chose was (i hope i'm spelling this right),SEALEY, i hope that's spelled right, but their the best,i'm in between 203-217lbs & my husband is between 198-209lbs but they've held up good so far, just as someone suggested it's also about rotating about twice a month, i think that's what they suggests.


----------



## Russell Williams (Sep 11, 2010)

Louise is about 400 pounds and I'm about 350. We have a queen size mattress but somehow or other it was aggravating the pain in Louise's hip. I got a very large piece of 4 inch thick foam rubber and cut it to the proper shape. I placed it on top of the regular mattress and Louise finds the foam rubber to be very comfortable in the extra 4 inches in height makes it easier for her to get in and out of bed.


----------



## Inhibited (Sep 11, 2010)

I invested in a Natures Rest Latex Mattress about a year ago and have not had any troubles with sagging or body indents so far.. The only problem i have is that i have to turn the mattress every 2 -4 weeks and it weighs heaps i have trouble turning it around...


----------



## Pear320 (Sep 11, 2010)

lypeaches said:


> Basicly agree with what others have posted.
> 
> I'll just add, for myself, I prefer NOT to have a pillow top mattress. I have found that it's more cost effective to just buy a plain mattress, as firm as I can get (higher coil count is good too), and then put my own toppers on it. Overstock.com sells a wide variety of toppers at reasonable prices.
> 
> With pillowtops, I find that the pillow top part craps out way too quickly, but because it's integral to the mattress, you're kind of screwed. With a plain mattress, you have options to extend the life of the mattress, hence saving money (flipping around, over, putting boards underneath, different toppers, etc...)



I totally agree with you. I have a king size bed in each bedroom .. one room has an extra firm plain mattress and the other has a pillow top. I much prefer the plain mattress mostly because I can flip it over and for other reasons you described. Plus I have yet to put a dent or a sag in the extra firm mattress, but the pillow top? Not good for a shortie like me who needs to stand on a phone book to climb in it .. and when I do the pillow top shifts with every turn. My vote is for the firm plain mattress (just my opinion).


----------



## Ho Ho Tai (Sep 11, 2010)

nolafa4u said:


> Can anybody recommend a king mattress that doesn't sag too easily, doesn't develop a permanent 'valley' on the side where a large person sleeps?



"The Heavy Duty Hardware Thread", started by Stan_der_Man, contains helpful hints for all sorts of things of interest to people of avoirdupois, including quite a few relating to mattresses and support. Worth checking out; in fact, I would nominate it for permanent status.


----------



## Dromond (Sep 12, 2010)

My first wife had a mattress custom built to hold up to 1,000 pounds (that's half a ton, folks) in weight. She wanted it to stand up to two hefty people having fun. It was firm as a rock, but a mattress topper cured that problem. It didn't really sag, and never developed a valley. Ever. I don't even want to think about how much it cost, though.


----------



## moore2me (Sep 12, 2010)

More tips in getting a mattress:

1. Here's a new one - In the light of our bed bug plague it would be prudent to avoid buying a used mattress if at all possible. One never knows.

2. I am not be a snob - but I have read in several places that when getting a mattress, buy the most expesive one you can afford. Expect a mattress to live about 10 years and then need to be replaced. Most mattresses need to be turned every month or so.

3. I have a lot of trouble with my full size mattress sliding out from my box springs. I am using one of those rubber carpet mats that keeps rugs from slipping (largest size) between them to prevent slides.

4. Another thing I look for I good, strong edges on a mattress. I have had several surgeries and getting up from the bed if the edges are not firm enough is very difficult. I look for a mattress and spring set with the most supportive edges.


----------



## Dr. Feelgood (Sep 12, 2010)

moore2me said:


> More tips in getting a mattress:
> 
> 1. Here's a new one - In the light of our bed bug plague it would be prudent to avoid buying a used mattress if at all possible. One never knows.



Nor is this all. A mattress is the only article of furniture that weighs more after it has been used than when it is new. The fellows who delivered my mattress assured me that a ten-year-old mattress weighs about twice as much as a new one. This is due to skin. Tiny bits of your skin are flaking off all the time, and when you're in bed they sift through your sheets and the cover on your mattress and end up inside the mattress. Then come the dust mites, which like to eat dead skin: over the years several bajillion of them live and die inside your mattress. And they don't leave in order to use the bathroom.  A lot of folks (including me) are highly allergic to their feces; this is, in fact, what an "allergy to dust" consists of. 

Moral: a hypo-allergenic mattress cover -- which keeps skin and mites OUT of your mattress -- doesn't cost all that much. At least, not in comparison to your good health and peace of mind.


----------



## Dromond (Sep 12, 2010)

Dr. Feelgood said:


> Nor is this all. A mattress is the only article of furniture that weighs more after it has been used than when it is new. The fellows who delivered my mattress assured me that a ten-year-old mattress weighs about twice as much as a new one. This is due to skin. *Tiny bits of your skin are flaking off all the time, and when you're in bed they sift through your sheets and the cover on your mattress and end up inside the mattress. Then come the dust mites, which like to eat dead skin: over the years several bajillion of them live and die inside your mattress. And they don't leave in order to use the bathroom.  A lot of folks (including me) are highly allergic to their feces; this is, in fact, what an "allergy to dust" consists of.*
> 
> Moral: a hypo-allergenic mattress cover -- which keeps skin and mites OUT of your mattress -- doesn't cost all that much. At least, not in comparison to your good health and peace of mind.



Thank you for the nightmare fuel.


----------



## MizzSnakeBite (Sep 12, 2010)

Dromond said:


> Thank you for the nightmare fuel.



I've heard they come and munch on you too....that sometimes, you can find dust mites living on your hair follicles.

Sweet dreams!


----------



## Dromond (Sep 12, 2010)

May your parakeets mistake your ear lobe for a cuttle bone.


----------



## MizzSnakeBite (Sep 12, 2010)

Not a problem; since I don't have keets!


----------



## Dromond (Sep 12, 2010)

MizzSnakeBite said:


> Not a problem; since I don't have keets!



Parakeets, Parrots, Cockateils, whatever. The sentiment is the same.


----------



## MizzSnakeBite (Sep 12, 2010)

Dromond said:


> Parakeets, Parrots, Cockateils, whatever. The sentiment is the same.





They lurve me, so they don't. Sorry!


----------



## Bigtigmom (Sep 17, 2010)

Hey there everyone!! I'm excited to have possibly the answer to this mattress problem. I have been obese since high school and ironically this is when I got my first "Full Sized" bed. My father knew of a mattress factory in a neighboring town and they made mattresses for stores but also on a custom made basis. Th name of the factory is "Magic Sleeper" and they are located in Pottstown, Pa. http://www.magicsleeper.net
I am happy to report that I still have that bed 20 years later and it still doesn't sag!!!!! Now what you want to tell them is you need the extra foam inserts between the coils and extra z bars around the bed, they should know this but in case one of the lower level employees seem clueless when you call. I know shipping might be outrageous but hey we have to get what we need, right?


----------

