Advice for heavier sleepers on a slatted wooden base

Hi Dave,

Many thanks for your question about mattresses for larger sleepers. It's a common question we get asked.

Sadly most retailers don't display their maximum weight tolerances for their beds or mattresses. Most retail mattresses are only made for upto 18 stones in bodyweight meaning after that they will start to sag and fail quickly.

At your bodyweight you need a 1.6 firm gauge pocket spring, this does not mean the mattress will feel firm, its an industry name given to the 3 main spring tensions. It often confuses customers as the real feel of the mattress comes from the comfort laters above. Which is why you need to know exactly what fillings are present above any support or mattress spring unit.

You're not going to be able to get a softer upholstery side and a firmer side like some retailers claim. This is because the fibres on top of the spring units need to match so each side has the same height and compression rates. Given your weight, you'll need to look for more supportive fibres meaning a firmer feel in the upholstery layer for both of you.

We have a couple of models that have been made specifically for larger sleepers or those that are best constructed to accommodate anyone over 18 stone.

The first would be our Artisan 1500 mattress. Recommended in a zip and link split tension of firm (1.6 gauge) for you and medium (1.4 gauge) for your wife. This will give a medium-firm feel in the comfort layers.

ARTISAN 1500

1: 500GSM WOOL

2: 600GSM REBOUND POLY COTTON (50/50 BLEND)

3: 700GSM POLYESTER

4: 600GSM REBOUND POLY COTTON (50/50 BLEND)

5: 700GSM POLYESTER

6: 1200GSM CASHMERE HAIR PAD AS INSULATOR

7: 1500 SPUN BOND POCKET SPRINGS (SOFT, MEDIUM OR FIRM)

TOTAL: 4300GSM

CHEMICAL FREE COVER

The second would be our Resilience mattress but I'm doubtful this would be suitable for your wife as its made for sleepers over 16 stone and will provide a very firm sleeping surface for her. It's worthwhile having a look to give a basis for mattress comparison though.

Resilience 2 Bariatric Mattress

1: 7.5CM NATURAL LATEX REMOVABLE TOPPER

2: 5CM V39 MEDIUM SUPPORT FOAM

3: 15CM V38 FIRM SUPPORT FOAM

4: 5CM V39 MEDIUM SUPPORT FOAM

TOTAL DEPTH: 32-35CM

You can also read our in depth guide about what to look for in a new mattress for heavier sleepers here.

Both these mattresses are fine for a solid slatted base providing the gaps are no further than 2inch apart. if so a cheap fix is to board over these slats as detailed in this article here.

We hope that helps and gives you further mattress buying guidance. If you have any more mattress related questions please get back in touch on info@localhost or 0161 437 4419.
Sleep well
John & Ryan