Latex for Heavy Person - Will there be a dip? Is there enough support?
Apr 20, 2009 7:00 PM
Joined: Apr 20, 2009
Points: 5
I am a light person that needs a lot of cushion.  However, my husband is a big guy (350lbs) so he needs the support.  He doesn't mind a softer mattress so long as he feels supported.  We were thinking of getting a latex mattress.

Questions:

1) how much 'body impression/dip' will there be over time compared to a normal innerspring mattress?

2) will a softer latex mattress support my husband and his weight?

3) is there a brand you recommend that will not dip (I HATE the dip), is soft, but can handle his weight?

Thanks so much!

Re: Latex for Heavy Person - Will there be a dip? Is there enough support?
Reply #11 Apr 29, 2009 5:59 AM
Joined: Sep 7, 2007
Points: 476
porchdog wrote:
Stay away from the layered designs. All latex starts out as a 6" mold. To cut it, degrades it. The top layer is always softer than the bottom layer simply because the heavier particles settle to the bottom during the curing process. If you know how ILD testing works then you know they only test the top 1".  So when you cut a 6" core into two pieces of 3". Both will be marked the same ILD but yet the bottom one will actually be firmer. You are better off getting one that comes in two different 6" cores with different ILD for each core.


That is true of Dunlop which is denser on the bottom than the top, but it's not true of Talalay since the sediment is removed during processing. Talalay is pretty consistent top to bottom. Also, if you're buying Talalay it's really better to build your mattress up from a firm support layer to a soft comfort layer. Most people would sink into a 6" soft core and never feel the support layer beneath. Of course someone who weighs 350 lbs and likes a soft bed might find it comfortable.
This message was modified Apr 29, 2009 by cloud9
Re: Latex for Heavy Person - Will there be a dip? Is there enough support?
Reply #12 Apr 30, 2009 8:49 PM
You get out of life exactly what you put into it.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Joined: Apr 28, 2009
Points: 21
Let's agree to disagree on this matter. I am 175lbs and my wife and both sleep on a #28 ILD core with 2" #22 topper and we are both side sleepers. It conforms perfectly to both our body weights. I grew up with a waterbed and I do not do firm beds at all. I have never come close to bottoming out even when all my weight is sitting on the edge.