Both me and my husband suffer with arthritis and a firm bed makes it much worse for me - to the extent that I avoid going away because mattresses in hotels, etc, cause me so much pain - not entirely sure that my husband needs one as soft as I do (will need to confirm this with him). I have a topper on our bed at the moment, but the bed is on its last legs and we need a new one. We are both around 15 stone and we both sleep on our sides. I am looking at getting a bed one size up from king size, with drawers in the base and a headboard (not got one on this bed and it is annoying).