If you’re heavier than average then you need to take extra things into account when buying a new mattress.
The general rules are that a large person needs a mattress which:
- is deeper than average (25cm or more is a rough guide).
- is medium/firm or firm.
- has a high spring count if you want a pocket spring mattress (around 2000 springs ideally).
We’ve picked six mattresses which tick those boxes. They’ve also won awards, received good reviews or are from the best names in the mattress market.
Prices are for double mattresses and are correct at the time of writing.
1. Nectar Sleep Memory Foam Mattress – £600 – 46 stone/294kg weight limit
Nectar Sleep offers the longest warranty and the longest trial period that I’ve seen in the mattress market, so it’s certainly worth a look. It’s one of those ‘bed in a box’ mattresses which arrives squashed up and then expands in your bedroom.
If you change your mind about it in the first 365 days you can return it, and if it develops a fault they’ll sort it out regardless of how old the mattress is (have a read of the small print as to what the warranty covers).
It’s made from five layers which aim to offer the benefits of consistent memory foam support. Some people find old-style memory foam makes them feel a bit hot, but these modern mattresses add things with fancy names like an ‘adaptive cooling cover’ and ‘smart memory foam’ which aims to get around that.
Reviews are very positive (4.2/5 on TrustPilot) and it’s won awards from Good Housekeeping and other independent expert testers. It is medium firmness (6/10 according to most guides, with 1 being soft and 10 being very firm).
Leading weight limit
It has a 46 stone weight limit ‘with no discernible loss of comfort or support’ according to the official info. It goes on to say ‘The secret is the breathable base layer, which measures a 2.2 ILD rating where other mattresses top out at a 1.5′. In case you’re interested, ILD stands for Impression Load Deflection’ which is a measure of firmness.
Sorry, I’m drifting into jargony waffle, but you get the idea.
Here’s the section from the Nectar website with more details. It’s the US version of the site, so we’ve converted pounds to stone.
See our full guide to the Nectar Sleep mattress.
2. Simba Hybrid Original Mattress – £869 – 36 stone weight limit (18 stone per person)
The Simba Hybrid Original mattress is a good option for a couple who are both larger than average as it can cope with a total of 36 stone according to their website. However, it’s worth realising that the 10 year warranty will only be valid if you both weigh under 18 stone (114kg) (here’s the terms and conditions).
The mattress has medium/firm tension according to the manufacturer. It is a mix of foam and springs (hence the ‘hybrid’ name). There’s a layer of larger springs as well as a layer of small ‘miQro’ springs for a bit of extra comfort. Long time readers of this website (Ed: “hi Mum!”) will probably recall that this mattress once just had mini springs, but the larger springs were added at a later date.
It’s also worth mentioning that this mattress was previously called the Simba Hybrid or sometimes just the Simba Mattress. It was the first mattress made by Simba, but they added the ‘original’ bit later for added clarity as they have since added a whole load of other mattresses. You might like to read our guide to the various mattresses in the Simba range.
The Simba Hybrid Original makes our list because it’s won multiple awards (‘more awards, from more experts ‘than any other mattress brand according to Simba) and it gets good customer reviews. At the time of writing, the Simba brand scores 4.5/5 on TrustPilot. Meanwhile, The Simba Hybrid scores 3.9/5 on Amazon.co.uk or 4.8/5 on Simba’s website.
It comes squashed up into a box and has a very appealing 200 day trial so you can try it out for more than six months before deciding if you want to keep it. The trial period is better than some as it actually offers a refund rather than a swap.
Here’s a screenshot from Simba showing the full details of the weight limit.
See our full guide to the Simba Hybrid Original mattress, which also explains how it compares to Simba’s other mattresses.
3. OTTY Hybrid Mattress – £699 – 22 stone weight limit
Perhaps I need to get out more, but I always keep a close eye on the winners at the National Bed Federation Awards. In 2018, OTTY won Small Online Bed Retailer of the Year and their mattress is good value for the specification.
It’s slightly different from most ‘bed in a box’ mattresses because it’s halfway between being a pocket spring mattress and a foam mattress.
It has 2000 springs which should provide a good level of support for a heavier person. It also comes with a 100 night trial, so you can return it for a refund if it’s not for you.
It’s been given very positive reviews by Good Housekeeping, as well as getting an award from independent experts in 2018. Customers rate it too, with scores of 4/5 on Amazon for the Hybrid model or 4.5/5 on TrustPilot for the OTTY brand overall.
See our full guide to the OTTY mattress.
4. Vispring Imperial Pocket Sprung Mattress – £3615 – 20 stone weight limit
£3615 for a mattress? My car’s worth less than that!
Anyway, Vispring invented the pocket spring mattress, so they know what they’re talking about. And broadly speaking you get what you pay for with a mattress.
We’ve included this mattress because according to various websites, a Vispring ‘firm mattress’ is suitable for people who weigh 16-20 stone. Most manufacturers don’t offer such helpful guidance.
The ‘Imperial’ has got a high pocket spring count (1700+ on the King Size version) whilst cheaper Vispring mattresses have fewer springs. If you’re heavier than average then you’ll get better support from a high spring count – so you might need to dig deep!
5. Tempur Pro Plus Smartcool Mattress (firm version) – £1599 – 46 stone weight limit (23 stone on each side)
You’ll pay a premium for a Tempur mattress, but their mattresses have an unrivalled pedigree and the ‘mattress weight capacity is approximately 150kg per side’ (that’s 23 stone or 320lb).
Tempur is the biggest name in the memory foam mattress market after developing NASA technology. Reviews of the Tempur Sensation mattress are strong, averaging 4.5/5 on Tempur.com, 4.9/5 on JohnLewis.com, 4.8/5 on Dreams. Overall, Tempur scores 3.8/5 on TrustPilot.
The Tempur range initially seems a little confusing. A search on the John Lewis website comes up with almost 100 mattresses. However, there are actually only really two models – and then various customisation options.
Which Tempur should I but if I’m heavier than average?
The main Tempur mattress is called the Tempur Pro Smartcool. Once you’ve decided you want that, you then need to choose which thickness of mattress you want:
- Tempur Pro Smartcool – this is the cheapest version, which is 21cm deep
- Tempur Pro Plus Smartcool – this is the mid priced version, which adds another 4cm of depth to make it 25cm deep
- Tempur Pro Luxe Smartcool – this is the poshest version, which adds another 5cm of depth to make it 30cm deep
Ideally, I would go for for one of the two deeper models if you are heavier than average. You’ll pay a fair bit more, but a 21cm deep mattress is relatively thin.
Next, Tempur offers you the choose of how firm you want the mattress to be. The default position for a heavier than average person is get the firm version. Side sleepers might prefer the medium firm, but generally heavier people need firmer mattresses.
Where should I buy a Tempur mattress from?
It’s also worth saying that John Lewis and Dreams also sell Tempur mattresses – but they use slightly different names. Dreams sell a Tempur Smartcool Air in three different depths (basically the word ‘Air’ replaces the word ‘Pro’ in the mattresses mentioned above, so the Air is the cheapest version with the Air Plus and the Air Luxe as the upgrades).
John Lewis call their Tempur mattresses Tempur Pro CoolQuilt. Again, they add the word Plus to indicate that it is the mid-priced version and Luxe to indicate it is the most expensive (and deepest) version.
We’ve looked at this in some detail in our guide to Tempur. The gist of it is that the Dreams and John Lewis mattresses use slightly different designs, but the changes are small and you are still getting the genuine Tempur quality and design.
The advantage of buying from Dreams or John Lewis is that you can try out a Tempur mattress in store (although they may not stock the firmness level you are wanting). However, you get a more generous trial period if you buy direct from Tempur. All of them offer some kind of returns option, but the Tempur website offers the possibility of a refund if you aren’t happy whereas John Lewis and Dreams offer an exchange.
See our full guide to Tempur mattresses.
6. Ergoflex 5G Memory Foam Mattress – £966 – 18 stone weight limit
The Ergoflex 5G memory foam mattress doesn’t have a massive weight limit, but it’s a highly rated mattress which at least offers guidance.
It’s another ‘bed in a box’, meaning it arrives squashed up into a box. It has a decent claim as being one of the highest rated foam mattresses around and comes with a generous 10 year guarantee. Its current TrustPilot score is 4.8/5, which is about as good as it gets.
You get a 30 day trial period, which is less than some of its rivals but probably enough time for you to figure out if it’s right for you.
It’s medium/firm and has a top layer of memory foam which is 9cm deep. Without wishing to get too technical and boring, it’s worth saying that this is a good sign. Cheap memory foam mattresses only offer 2cm or 3cm of memory foam with other types of foam underneath.
Regarding the weight limit, Ergoflex say that ‘the mattresses are suitable for persons up to 18 stones in weight (approx. 114 kg or 252 lbs) or 30 stones for combined weight (approx. 190 kg or 420 lbs)’. The limit is only described as a ‘precaution…to ensure ongoing maximum performance’ and the website says to call them if you weigh more than that, so they can offer advice.
Here’s a screenshot from the Ergoflex website with more information about the weight limit.
See our full guide to Ergoflex mattresses.
