6 Best Mattresses for Heavy People [2021 Update]

Generally speaking, different mattress types are designed with different people in mind. For example, a professional bodybuilder will have a very different bed from a cardio-focused athlete, who will have a different bed from your average office worker, who will have a different bed than someone with scoliosis or other back problems. 

In other words, you need to get a mattress that suits your body, not just any old mattress, or you are going to have low-quality sleep, possibly develop back problems, and overall be less comfortable in your bed. As you may have guessed from the article’s title, we will be covering the best mattresses for people with a large frame or a heavyset body, over 200 pounds, specifically. 

People come in all shapes and sizes, and that’s totally okay, but you should keep one particular health risk in mind when buying a mattress while being on the heavier side: obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is a condition where, while sleeping, something obstructs your ability to breathe, leading to you being unable to draw breath. 

According to the American Diabetes Association, this disease is more common in heavier adults. This is bad for a number of reasons, but first off, no, this will not lead to you permanently ceasing breathing. What OSA does is either wake you up or interrupt your sleep cycle, bringing you to a lighter level of sleep, where you once again begin breathing properly. 

Most often, sufferers do not remember this happening, meaning it is an under-diagnosed illness. The real issue, however, is not the interrupted sleep cycles, though the poor sleep quality from that is an unpleasant symptom; the issue is how it is linked to diabetes, heart health problems, or in extreme cases, upper respiratory failure.

Our Best Mattresses For Heavy People 

To start off this article, here are all the mattresses we are going over in this article, the best 6 we could pick. We picked these off of a variety of factors, which we go into in the next part of the article. 

Of note, and as we’ll talk about later, these are all hybrid mattresses due to having the positive effects from both springs and foam.

1) DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress – Best Overall & Value

2) Layla Hybrid Mattress – Best Premium

3) Nolah Evolution 15 Hybrid Mattress – Best Hybrid

4) Idle Hybrid Mattress – Best Trial

5) Bear Hybrid Mattress – Best Cooling Mattress

6) Leesa Hybrid Mattress – Best on Amazon

These are the individual reviews, where we get into the nitty-gritty details for you to review and come to a decision on.  We’ll go into details such as spring size, the layering of the mattress, what’s good about it, what’s bad about it, what people say about it and the company behind it, etc.

The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress is, indeed, as dreamy as its name would suggest. At a lower price point than the Layla, the DreamCloud Luxury Mattress is a great, award-winning option, with many very similar features to the Layla Hybrid mattress. Their California king clocks in at the same price as a Layla Hybrid twin. 

On top of that, the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid has 3 awards to its name from 3 different sources. The first is from Mattress Advisor, who called it the Best Hybrid Mattress of 2020. Next, from Unbiased6  Reviews, Best Mattress of 2020. Finally, from Slumber Search, it also got Best Mattress of 2020. With the hype built up, let’s get into the details of this first place award stealing mattress.

Taking it from the top, we once again look at the foam features. The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid doesn’t go into quite as much detail on the specifics or amount as the Layla Hybrid, but it goes into enough detail to tell you what it does. 

After the soft and cool cashmere/quilted foam cover is the Pressure Relief Comfort Layer, with shape-conforming gel memory foam. Right below that is the Sink In Just Right Layer, designed so you sink into the mattress but don’t drown in it. After that, we have the Targeted Support Coil Layer, with individually wrapped innerspring coils that adhere to your body shape, providing you support where you need it. 

Finally, at the very bottom, we have the Essential Base Layer, which provides an essential base for everything on top of it to work off of. These all work together to make sure you can sleep however you desire and not worry about how you will feel when you wake up tomorrow because you know it will be good. Furthermore, at a 6.5 firmness, there is not anything to worry about, even for heavy sleepers.

After that, we have the customer service, and oh boy, is it great. The trial period is over three times the length of the Layla Hybrid, at 365 days.  You can return it at any time within a year of purchase, with free shipping and returns, no questions asked. 

And, on top of that, the warranty? Extends over your entire life. If this mattress breaks on you, as long as you still draw breath, they will have it picked up and send you a new one for free. Not to mention, the price point is much lower than you’d expect for such an award-winning mattress, such as the DreamCloud. 

Features of the Product

• 3-time award-winning from 3 different sources.
• Relatively low price point but high quality.
• Firm enough for almost all sleepers.
• High-quality, especially designed foam and springs to provide maximal support and comfort for any body type in any position.
• Reinforced edge springs mean less sag when sitting/lying on/near the edge.
• 365-day sleep trial period, and a lifetime warranty, as if they thought that their mattress winning 1st place in comfort was not good enough.
• Naturally, high reviews due to the high quality of the mattress. 

Our Take 

This mattress is excellent, so great we can say it blows the Layla Hybrid right out of the water. It’ as if someone took the Layla Hybrid as a target and said, “Alright, team, the goal is to take that and make something better than it, to the point where it is not even close.” 

From where I am standing, it sure looks like they did it. Equivalent or superior in almost all aspects, the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid has to be the best mattress on this list, in our opinion.

Click here to Get the Latest Deal on the Dreamcloud Mattress from the Official Site.

The Layla Hybrid mattress is a hybrid foam/spring mattress, one with a special, unique feature on top of its exceptional build. This feature is the fact that it is flippable, meaning you can sleep on a softer 4/10 mattress or, as we’d recommend, the 7/10 mattress, depending on which side is up. 

The two sides are constructed slightly differently but share the same basic structure. They have a top side of the foam, with a copper gel-infused layer of memory foam, along with a specially shaped layer of supportive form that helps maintain airflow. 

These two layers combine to produce a comfortable, cool, and breathable surface you can enjoy sleeping on, with the soft side having 4.5 inches of foam depth, while the firm side has 2.5 inches of foam.

After the foam, you have the 6-inch thick spring layer, which is what makes this a hybrid mattress. These springs are pocketed, meaning that they won’t shift around or leave their designated position, and the layer is constructed of both 14- and 16-gauge spring coils. 

The primary coils in the center of the mattress that compose most of where you’ll be are 14 gauge, while the double-coiled perimeter is composed of smaller, 16-gauge coils. 

Now, we get onto some of the more functional analyses of the mattress instead of just production numbers and values. 

First, the cover, which is also cool and breathable, as well as having integrated handles so you can flip the mattress easier, as well as a zipper so you can take it off to wash. Next, the actual performance of the mattress. It is cool, comfortable, and provides support for all positions. 

The edges don’t sag nearly as much as conventional mattresses when you sit on them, and it’s a solid mattress that you could jump on without much shaking or movement. Now, when I say support for all sleeping positions, yes, that includes the typically discouraged stomach sleeping. Some say it’s not firm enough for stomach sleeping. 

Others say it’s just right, but that’s a matter of taste, and that’s where the next feature comes in. The Layla Mattress has a 120 day trial period. 4 whole months, you can decide whether or not you want to keep this mattress; on top of that, it has a 10-year warranty, so if anything goes wrong within 10 years of purchase, it’s replaced for you, assuming you haven’t voided the warranty.

Features of the Product

• Specially designed foam layers that work with the cover to keep you cool and free of sweat while you sleep, with enough airflow to keep anyone well-ventilated.
• Flippable to adjust firmness, though we recommend using the firmer side for heavier framed sleepers.
• Reinforced edge springs mean less sag when sitting/lying on/near the edge.
• Individually pocketed springs and the copper gel-infused memory foam, which has a firming response, meaning that the bed not only provides more support the more compressed it is, but it controls motion incredibly well.
• All sleep positions are supported by the mattress, though certain stomach sleepers say it is not firm enough.
• 120-day sleep trial period, so you don’t have to worry about not liking the mattress and not being able to return it.

Our Take 

This mattress is, indeed, an excellent mattress for almost all sleepers, whether thickset or light as a feather. In fact, it only has one possible flaw: it is an expensive mattress, clocking in a whopping $1,100 for a twin and $1700 for a king or California king-size mattress. 

Of course, it is constructed quite well, and the warranty means you get a bare minimum of 10 years out of it. That’s not to mention that it is, simply, a superb mattress, especially in hotter areas, helping avoid the age-old problem of sticky sheets, too hot even without any blankets, and lying there in a heat daze while trying to fall asleep. 

On top of that, for those who move around a lot when they sleep, the motion-controlling features of this mattress may be an invaluable feature. So, price is not a deal-breaker, and this mattress certainly performs well, but it doesn’t quite measure up to our next mattress, the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid.

Click here to Get the Latest Deal on the Layla Mattress from the Official Site.

3. Nolah Evolution 15: Best Hybrid Mattress For Heavy People

Now, with some stiff competition, we have the Nolah Evolution 15 Hybrid Mattress, a mattress that prides itself on being high-tech and luxurious. Like the rest of the mattresses, the Nolah Evolution 15 is a memory foam/spring combo mattress, but unlike the rest so far, they’ve constructed their mattress with coolness in mind. 

Their foam, the AirFoamICE™, is designed to not only have all the benefits of traditional foam but additionally possesses graphite, helping to wick away heat even faster to keep you cool and comfy. On top of this, the covers are made of their ArticTex™ fibers designed to have a high thermal conductivity. 

It helps draw heat away at the surface. It offers an excellent cooling system when combined with its AirBreath™ Heat Escape Gusset. This gusset acts as a way to vent heat from the mattress quickly and efficiently. It works together with graphite foam. It also comes with a special cover fiber to keep you cool as a polar bear’s stomach. 

On top of that, they have a 2″ quilted euro topper layer, designed to keep close and hug you to sleep. The Nolah Evolution 15 Mattress also has the HDMax™ Tri-Zoned 8 inch Coil System, designed to keep your body in tip-top orthopedic shape. Furthermore, they have a 120-night trial, a lifetime warranty, free shipping/returns, and a reasonable price underneath the Layla by far.

Features of the Product

• Like the rest, incredibly high quality, great orthopedic support, good firmness.
• Especially cool, helping keep you cooler than the rest.
• 120-day trial with a lifetime warranty, with the option to waive the trial period for a reduced price.
• It uses a special foam to support the edges of the mattress.

Our Take 

The DreamCloud Luxury set a high bar to beat. The Nolah Evolution 15, while it may not quite stack up entirely, has 1 specific advantage; it has a more advanced cooling system inside of it, with the mattress being designed specifically to keep you cool while sleeping. 

It means that this one specific factor may personally tip the scales in favor of this mattress, depending on if you’re looking for general quality at a low price or are willing to shell out more for the extra cooling. Of course, like the rest, it is exceptional, and we place it just below the DreamCloud. Now, onto the next mattress!

Click here to Get the Latest Deal on the Nolah Mattress from the Official Site.

At the halfway point of the list, we have the Idle Hybrid Mattress, with yet more variety in store. Like the Layla Hybrid Mattress, it is reversible if you so choose, coming with the options of Medium (6), Luxury Firm (8), or a reversible 6 and 8, depending on the side. 

Digging into it, you have layers of polyfoam, with first a layer of adaptive polyfoam to match your body point for point, with two denser layers of polyfoam for both support and to keep you from sinking too deep. After these polyfoam layers, it has pocketed coils within to keep the bed stable and keep you supported while you sleep. 

Both sides give great support, but the medium firm is apparently better for those who want their mattress to contour more closely in line with their body. In addition, the coil layer helps keep the mattress cool. 

Moreover, the Idle Hybrid Mattress has a whole 18-month sleep trial period and a lifetime warranty. On the downside, it is only a bit less expensive than the Layla, so I would probably suggest the DreamCloud over this one.

Features of the Product

• Reversible mattress with either 2 different settings or 2 of the same setting, so you can make the mattress last twice as long.
• Layers of polyfoam ensure a very comfortable rest with adequate support when combined with the coils.
• A much longer than average 18-month trial period with a lifetime warranty.

Our Take 

It is a great mattress, for sure. Like, do not get me wrong, this mattress is still fantastic to sleep on, like all the other mattresses on the list, and provides excellent orthopedic support, helping you sleep safely and wake up feeling great. 

The only thing is, the DreamCloud is simply too good (note: not a paid promotion, the writers of this article are not at all associated with DreamCloud or any of their related companies, to my understanding), and at such a great price, it seems like it outshines almost all of the competition. Not much else to say on this mattress, so onto the next one!

Click here to Get the Latest Deal on the Idle Mattress from the Official Site.

With the Bear Hybrid mattress, we have another 3-time award-winning mattress, a challenger to the DreamCloud Luxury Mattress’s throne. 

With enhanced cooling even better than the Nolah Evolution 15, judging from the awards, and a price tag still slightly below the Layla Hybrid, this newest entry in the list seems like a strong contender for first place. 

With the Sleep Foundation Best Hybrid Mattress award, the Sleepopolis Best Cooling Hybrid Mattress award, and the Slumber Yard Best Hybrid Mattress award, it comes highly recommended, with advanced cooling gel and a design meant to keep you nice and cool even on the hottest nights. 

The Bear Hybrid Mattress also has fabric designed and “clinically proven to promote a more restful sleep, aid in quicker recovery, and help you wake up with more energy.” 

Features of the Product

• Hypersoft Cooling Gel Foam that keeps the mattress cool as a cucumber when combined with the Responsive Transition Foam that enhances the airflow of the mattress.
• Edge coils are designed to keep the edges straight and well-aligned. 
• 100-day trial with a 20-year warranty, free shipping, free returns, and being made with eco-friendly materials.
• Claims that the quilted cover of the mattress uses Celliants Infrared Yarn technology to “harness your body’s natural energy to promote recovery and overall well-being.”
• 6.1 firmness ensures a good balance between the support you need and the comfort you crave from a mattress.

Our Take 

Quite possibly the best mattress on the list, but it has a more demanding price tag due to its higher quality. If you have the spare cash and want to spend it on the best mattress you can, this may very well be the mattress for you, given all of its features, reading like the best of the DreamCloud and Nolah Evolution mattresses. 

However, if you do not feel like spending as much as this mattress costs, the DreamCloud and Nolah Evolution (note: not sponsored by them either, as far as we know) are more economical options and still excellent in quality.

Click here to Get the Latest Deal on the Bear Mattress from the Official Site.

Now, we have the final product on the list, the Leesa Hybrid Mattress. Boasting the largest price tag on the list, the Leesa includes such features as 14-gauge innerspring coils, with over 1,000 pocket springs designed to provide active support to you even while you shift position, in addition to providing edge support. 

On top of this, we have the memory foam recovery later, providing enhanced contouring to your body shape, relieving pressure on multiple key points of your body, such as your back, hips, and shoulders. On top of this, the comfort layer, designed to keep you cool and to be comfortable to the touch, with all the bounce you would expect from a good mattress. 

The Leesa Hybrid Mattress is about a 7 in firmness, it provides more than adequate support for heavy sleepers, making it, like the rest of these mattresses, a great choice to sleep on. It also comes with a 100 day trial period and a 10-year warranty.

Features of the Product

• 14-gauge innerspring coils, with 1,000 pocket springs to form an active support network for you.
• Premium foam for enhanced cooling and comfort.
• A 100-day trial period and a 10-year warranty to make sure you enjoy the mattress thoroughly and get your money’s worth.
• Free, no contact delivery.
• Certified by B-Corp, “…meeting the highest environmental and social standards and using business as a force for good.”
• It says that it is an award-winning mattress but does not mention the awards it has won.
• Donates 1 bedding set to a child in need for every 10 beds they sell.

Our Take 

Like all the other mattresses we have selected on the list, it is a great mattress, one any would be blessed to sleep on. However, this mattress doesn’t really have any standout features for the user. It doesn’t mention what awards it has, its reviews aren’t outstanding among the members of the list, and it is rather pricey, even among these high-quality mattresses. 

I can’t say I would recommend getting this mattress over the other options on the list, especially given the price point and lack of some key advantage the other mattresses lack.

Click here to Get the Latest Deal on the Leesa Mattress from the Official Site.

How Did We Select These Mattresses For Heavy People?

When we made this list, we had a lot of factors in mind, factors we’ll go over again in the buying guide section with more emphasis on how you can use them to pick out the best mattress for yourself. 

Now, the first step, as with any article, is research. Not researching the mattresses, though; the first step is researching the science behind mattresses, not even for the article, but so you know what you’re looking for. 

Looking for what experts have to say on firmness, on spring versus memory foam versus hybrids, on pillow positioning, on side/stomach/back sleeping, on spine alignment, on all of these different facts that may not even go into the final article, to make sure we are properly informed on what we are speaking about. 

After that, we start digging to find mattresses roughly aligned with the criteria we gleaned from above, looking through webpages and descriptions to see how they line up with what the experts recommend for heavier frames. 

After that, we go through reviews and see what their users have to say and go through the companies’ page to see what they are about and see what people think of the company as a whole. 

Now, we take all the information we have compiled, boil it down, discard the less useful bits, and then write the rest into as accurate of a review as we can so that you can get the best mattress for you and your body.  

Buying Guide for Mattresses for Heavier People

• What Features are Important for the Best Mattress for Heavy Builds?

When buying a mattress, it is important to pick them based on your body type; in this case, for people with heavier frames, you’ll want a firmer mattress with good, targeted support for your body. 

All of the mattresses on this list meet this criteria, in addition to all having above-standard durability and dual-action spring/foam hybrid builds, hence the “hybrid” in the name of each of the mattresses, which are optimal for comfort and good sleep. Digging deeper, what other features are important?

• Best Firmness for Mattress for Heavy Builds

Generally speaking, heavier builds need greater firmness, anywhere from a 5-7. However, you also have to keep in mind that you need thicker mattresses; otherwise, you may sag past the intended point of the mattress. 

This is not a problem; humans are all built differently, like how some of us can play basketball and others can be a great horse jockey. I mention this here because it bears repeating, as anything softer than a 5 simply cannot give you the support you need; it is not strong enough to do so because they’re built for those who want softness without really needing the support. 

• General Mattress Buying Advice

Now, generally, when you buy any product, you need to keep some factors in mind. First, relative qualities. Figure out what each product, in this case, mattress, does. Figure out the categories, pick the best category for you, your budget, and your body’s needs. 

Then, you look among the mattresses in that category and use your own personal needs/wants to figure out what mattresses appeal to you. After you look through all the features and find the mattresses with the features you want, you’ll want to look into the reviews of the mattress and of the company. 

Reviews of the mattress tell you what to expect and what it’s actually like to use, while reviews of the company tell you how good their customer service and general product quality are. Afterward, you bring this all together to figure out what mattress is truly the best fit for you as a person, and then buy that mattress. 

FAQs About Mattresses For Big People

Why Are Mattresses So Expensive?

Well, there are a number of reasons; first, size. A mattress is a fairly large thing and requires a good deal of material in order to create. 

Second, the quality of the materials. A mattress has to take over 100 pounds of force every day, for 8 or so hours a day, and it has to do so while being soft, comfortable, and supportive. This is not easy to do and requires high-quality materials and rigorous design to do properly. 

Third, the lifespan of the mattress. When made well, like the mattresses on the list, these mattresses will serve you well for quite a long time, helping you sleep well for decades. Think of it like a car; you expect it to give you great value over a long period of time, so it is natural to pay a tidy sum on the rare occasion you have to buy one. 

Fourth, the requirements of a heavier build. With a larger build comes additional factors to keep in mind for the mattress makers, such as ensuring comfort over a wider range of weights, sizes, densities, and so on. 

In order to do this, they need to use even better materials and design their mattresses ever more rigorously. Also, think of it like this; with how mattresses are financed, it is like spending, assuming you go through 1 every 10 years, about $10 a month (on average) for improved sleep, and I do not believe that is a bad deal at all, especially when keeping in mind how good it is for your bones, musculature, and general health.

Why Do I Have to Get A Special Mattress Instead of Using Any Old Mattress? 

Well, you don’t have to, of course, but there are a number of benefits. First off, as I mentioned above, the health benefits, most noticeably to your bones and muscles. 

A supportive, comfortable mattress helps keep your joints and spine properly aligned and allow your muscles to relax properly while resting, which grants more benefits to both your joints and muscles. 

On top of that, sleep quality is more important than most people think. Sleep is not just what you do to become less tired; sleep is what keeps your body running. 

While you sleep, your brain consolidates memories, your body heals itself, and your body prepares itself for the next day. When you sleep well, you have improved memories, and your entire body runs at 110% because you gave it the time and quality of sleep it needs to run that well. 

In fact, a good night’s rest can do more for you and your mind than any amount of coffee can because while coffee provides energy, it does not give your brain and body the proper rest they actually needed. Think of a poorly maintained engine; sure, you could use nitrous oxide to push it harder to make up for the power loss, or you could fix it up and let it run like it was always meant to. 

Plus, poor sleep leads to all kinds of health problems; I won’t go into too much detail here, but here’s a research article that goes over how poor sleep negatively affects health if you’re interested in the info based on science. 

Conclusion: Which Mattress Should You Go For?

So, there you have it, the 6 best mattresses for heavy People, and the 3 standouts among them. These 3 are, naturally, the Bear Hybrid for best quality, the Dreamcloud Luxury for the best value, by far, and the second-best quality, with the final winner being the Nolah Evolution 15 for its cooling capabilities and overall high quality. 

Naturally, any option on this list is excellent; these three are just the creme de la creme, the best of the best. With this review concluded, I wish you a good night’s rest on one of these fabulous mattresses!