Stomach sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds need a mattress that promotes spinal alignment and offers substantial support. A bed that’s too soft can cause the body and spine to sink excessively, which can lead to aches, pains, and long-term discomfort.
Best Mattress for Heavy Stomach Sleepers
Nolah Evolution Comfort+
The Nolah Evolution Comfort+ has many of the qualities that both stomach sleepers and people over 230 pounds enjoy in a mattress. It’s responsive with plenty of edge support and it stays cool through the night. It also relieves pressure buildup without allowing sleepers to sink too deeply into the bed.
Our team of sleep product experts has tested hundreds of mattresses in our sleep lab. We’ve selected the models that performed best for heavy stomach sleepers and evaluated the benefits of each mattress. Along with our top picks, we’ll offer tips for creating an ideal sleep environment and choosing a mattress that’s both comfortable and supportive.
We’ve also reviewed the best mattress for stomach sleepers with back pain, which includes models that promote lumbar support and spinal alignment. If you weigh more than 230 pounds but don’t sleep on your stomach, you may want to consider our picks for the best mattress for heavy people.
Please note: In this article, we use the word “heavy” to describe people who weigh over 230 pounds. We do not categorize individuals into groups such as “overweight” or “normal” because such classifications are subjective and depend on the individual. Rather, we’ve found that people who weigh over 230 pounds often share common needs when it comes to mattress firmness and performance.
The Best Mattresses for Heavy Stomach Sleepers
Find Your Perfect Mattress
We know mattresses work differently for different types of sleepers. Use the filters below to help narrow down your options for your best bed.
Read on to see why the following five options made our top picks list of 2024’s best mattresses for heavy stomach sleepers.
Sleep Doctor’s Picks
Best Overall Mattress
Nolah Evolution Comfort+
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
Specifically designed for heavy people, the Nolah Evolution Comfort+ is a great choice for stomach sleepers who experience joint pain or tenderness and want a model that supports their weight without feeling too firm.
Buy From Nolah
Firm (7)
Plush, Supportive Surface
Some Airflow
Good Value
Pros
- Isolates motion better than many comparable hybrids
- Zoned support system and foam comfort layers offer mid-range pressure relief
- Reinforced perimeter keeps the mattress supportive around the edges
Cons
- Foam layers emit an off-gassing odor at first
- 14-inch thickness may necessitate deep pocket sheets
Why We Like It
The Nolah Evolution Comfort+ combines robust support with a Euro-top design that boosts comfort for stomach sleepers seeking a touch of cushioning.
This firm (7) hybrid has a support core made of coils that are zoned into three sections with varying levels of pushback. This helps keep your spine aligned while alleviating pressure buildup. The bed offers the edge support and sturdiness needed by stomach sleepers over 230 pounds, along with the moderate contouring that some may want for added comfort.
How Does It Feel?
The Evolution Comfort+ strikes an even balance between responsiveness and contouring. It’s easy to move around on this mattress without sinking too deeply into the foam layers. Some beds sacrifice motion isolation for strong ease of movement, but this model still manages to minimize motion transfer from one side of the bed to the other. The Euro-top and thick foam comfort system cushion the body to relieve pressure buildup.
Most Comfortable Mattress
WinkBed Plus
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
During testing in our sleep lab, the WinkBed Plus scored top marks in some of the tests most important for stomach sleepers over 230 pounds. It has top-notch edge support, an even sleep surface, and enough pushback to prevent sleepers from sinking into its layers. High-density foam and a zoned latex transition layer ensure the surface is firm and comfortable.
Buy From WinkBeds
Firm (8)
Responsive Latex
Great Airflow
Good Value
Pros
- Strong edge support
- Responsive surface with plenty of pushback
- Zoned latex layer relieves some pressure without compressing too deeply
Cons
- Higher price-point than the softer WinkBed models
- Produces some motion transfer
The WinkBed is a versatile mattress that has earned a spot on many of our top pick lists. Available in four firmness levels, the WinkBed comes in a Plus model that’s engineered to support people over 250 pounds. This firm hybrid mattress scored highly on many of our sleep lab tests, including edge support and ease of movement.
Why We Like It
The WinkBed Plus strikes a balance between cushioning and robust support that’s a great fit for stomach sleepers over 230 pounds. Our testers in this category gave the mattress the highest possible marks for support and comfort. The bed is also quite responsive and the latex and pocketed coils prevent heat retention, allowing the surface to stay cool. The WinkBed Plus is made with durable materials and is an excellent choice for heavy stomach sleepers who want a quality mattress that’s designed to support their body type.
How Does It Feel?
As you might expect from a mattress that’s an 8 out of 10 on our firmness scale, the WinkBed Plus feels quite firm. That said, the foam and latex comfort system offers some cushioning and moderate pressure relief. Pocketed coils provide exceptional edge support along with plenty of pushback.
Best Value Mattress
Titan Plus
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
Brooklyn Bedding is well known for its budget-friendly yet high-quality mattresses, and the Titan Plus is no exception. This model has a firm (8) feel and is engineered to accommodate up to 1,000 pounds. It’s exceptionally supportive and earned top marks from the stomach sleepers over 230 pounds on our team.
Buy From Brooklyn Bedding
Firm (8)
Bouncy, Supportive Surface
Good Airflow
Great Value
Pros
- Strong support for stomach sleepers over 230 pounds
- Airflow through the coils and gel infusions in the foam help minimize heat retention
- Reasonable price-point for a hybrid model
Cons
- Cooling panel costs extra
- Foam emits off-gassing odors when the bed is first unwrapped
Why We Like It
Brooklyn Bedding’s Titan Plus Mattress is a hybrid model that carries a reasonable price tag compared to beds with a similar hybrid design. This mattress has a firm feel that is well suited for stomach sleepers over 230 pounds.
The Titan Plus generates strong support at a below-average price for hybrids, and our sleep product experts gave it consistently high marks across the performance categories most important for stomach sleepers, including edge support.
You can opt to add a cooling panel to the mattress, but our testers found that the bed regulates temperature well even without the added cooling technology.
How Does It Feel?
The Titan Plus is a firm hybrid mattress with a pocketed coil support core and foam comfort system. The coils make the surface quite responsive and easy to move around on while providing significant support from edge to edge. The memory foam and polyfoam comfort layers cushion the surface somewhat and offer moderate contouring without deep sinkage.
Best Luxury Mattress
Saatva HD
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
Saatva is known for producing luxury innerspring mattresses made with high-end materials, and the HD Mattress is no exception. Sturdy design elements make it an excellent choice for people who weigh up to 500 pounds.
Buy From Saatva
Firm (7)
Responsive Latex
Great Airflow
Fair Value
Pros
- Reinforced perimeter creates strong edge support
- Zoned latex comfort layer provides extra support in the lumbar area
- Purchases include free White Glove delivery and old mattress removal
Cons
- Latex and pocketed coils allow some motion transfer
- Luxury price-point
Why We Like It
The Saatva HD is a good choice for shoppers willing to spend a bit extra on a mattress made with high-end materials. This firm (7) innerspring mattress features tempered steel coils that are engineered to support people who weigh up to 500 pounds.
The stomach sleepers on our team ranked this mattress highly due to its combination of even support and cushioning that helped keep them situated on top of the mattress rather than sinking in. The Saatva HD also stays exceptionally cool, since latex has natural cooling properties and coils allow air to flow through the bed.
How Does It Feel?
The Saatva HD has the responsive feel of a traditional innerspring mattress and the buoyant properties of latex. It provides strong, even support across the entire surface and feels particularly sturdy along the edges thanks to high-density foam reinforcement around the mattress perimeter. Latex and foam layers offer light contouring and moderate pressure relief, which may be helpful for people with joint pain.
Best Mattress for Pressure Relief
Bear Elite Hybrid – Firm
The Sleep Doctor’s Review
The Bear Elite Hybrid comes in three firmness options, but our testing team zeroed in on the firm model as the best choice for heavy stomach sleepers seeking pressure relief. Though it has a firm (8) feel overall, the inclusion of copper-infused memory foam in the comfort system provides just enough contouring to ease pressure for heavier people.
Buy From Bear
Firm (8)
Plush, Supportive Surface
Great Airflow
Great Value
Pros
- Combination of memory foam and polyfoam relieves pressure without deep sinkage
- Zoned design targets pressure-prone areas
- Phase change material in the cover helps disperse heat
Cons
- May be too firm for lighter co-sleepers
- Coils transfer some motion, which could occasionally disturb sleep partners
Bear got its start as a mattress brand geared toward athletes, so it knows how to make durable beds that hold up over time for heavier people. The Bear Elite Hybrid is a particularly strong addition to the company’s lineup that includes phase change material engineered to cool the mattress down for those who sleep hot.
Why We Like It
Mattresses that are simultaneously firm and pressure-relieving are hard to find, but the Bear Elite Hybrid checks both boxes. Higher-density memory foam contours without caving under pressure, while individually wrapped coils provide the stable support heavy stomach sleepers need.
How Does It Feel?
The firm version of the Bear Elite Hybrid is true to its name, but its use of memory foam adds light contouring to the surface. At the same time, a robust coil system provides extra lumbar support, with a reinforced perimeter for sturdy edge support.
What Kind of Support Do Heavy Stomach Sleepers Need From Their Bed?
All sleepers, including heavy stomach sleepers, need a bed that supports their body from head to toe and doesn’t allow their spine to curve unnaturally. If you sleep on an unsupportive mattress, your body may sink excessively into the support core, leading to unhealthy spinal alignment and aches and pains after waking.
Heavy stomach sleepers need strong support to bolster their midsection and keep their body on an even plane. These sleepers typically require a firm mattress with plenty of sturdiness to prevent their spine from curving too much.
What Is the Best Mattress Type for Heavy Stomach Sleepers?
Heavy individuals need a mattress with ample support, which can be found in various mattress types. Innerspring mattresses dominated the market for decades, but today you can find supportive models made from foam, latex, and other materials.
Hybrid Mattresses
Hybrid mattresses pair a support core made of pocketed coils with a comfort system that most commonly contains layers of foam, latex, wool, or microcoils. These beds are typically responsive, with an even sleep surface and strong edge support — all of which are excellent qualities in a mattress for heavy stomach sleepers.
Latex Mattresses
Some hybrid latex mattresses have pocketed coil support cores and latex comfort systems, while other models are made entirely of latex. Derived from rubber tree sap, natural latex is a buoyant material that gently contours to your body without compressing too deeply. This quality makes latex beneficial for heavier people since it can relieve pressure while maintaining even support.
Innerspring Mattresses
Some companies refer to hybrid mattresses as innersprings, and vice versa. However, traditional innerspring mattresses have a coil core with a small amount of cushioning, whereas modern hybrids have thicker comfort systems and coils that are individually wrapped to reduce motion transfer. Innersprings are usually bouncy, sturdy, and sleep fairly cool. This mattress type is widely available and often inexpensive.
Foam Mattresses
A foam mattress has a comfort system and a support core both made entirely from foam. The support core is generally high-density polyfoam, while the comfort system typically contains memory foam, polyfoam, or both. These models often relieve pressure and isolate motion exceptionally well. Heavy stomach sleepers usually prefer firmer foam mattresses because softer models compress too deeply to support their weight.
Airbeds
Airbeds are excellent for co-sleepers who have different body types and sleep preferences, as well as sleepers who want the ability to adjust the firmness level of their bed. This mattress type has a foam or latex comfort system and a support core containing air chambers typically made of vulcanized rubber. You can change an airbed’s firmness level by inflating or deflating the air chambers using a remote control or smartphone app. While airbeds are extremely versatile, they are typically more expensive than other mattress types and the motors can be noisy.
What Else Should Heavy Stomach Sleepers Consider in a Mattress?
Support and mattress type are two of the most important factors to consider when buying a mattress, but there are other features to be mindful of before purchasing.
Firmness
Stomach sleepers generally need a firm mattress because the added support helps keep their body on an even plane. The same is true for heavy people. If a mattress is too soft, people over 230 pounds may experience excessive sinkage.
We measure firmness on a scale between 1 and 10. The higher the number, the firmer the feel. Stomach sleepers over 230 pounds usually benefit from a firm or extra firm mattress measuring 7, 8, or 9 on our scale.
Height
Mattresses can measure anywhere from 6 inches to more than 20 inches thick, but the majority are between 8 and 15 inches tall. Heavy stomach sleepers may want to consider a mattress that’s on the thicker side to ensure they don’t bottom out or sink too deeply into the mattress layers.
Pressure Relief and Contouring
A pressure-relieving mattress contours closely to the body, adapting to its shape. Materials like foam and latex are excellent pressure relievers because they conform to your body and evenly distribute weight. Foam, in particular, compresses significantly under your weight and can feel like it’s hugging your body.
Compared to back and side sleepers, stomach sleepers typically need the least amount of pressure relief because the bed surface does not exert direct pressure on sensitive joints such as the spine, shoulders, and hips. However, if you’re a heavy stomach sleeper, you may prefer a mattress with moderate contouring to gently cushion your body without allowing too much sinkage.
Durability
All mattresses eventually break down and become less supportive over years of use and compression under body weight. People over 230 pounds may want to opt for a mattress made with more durable materials to ensure a lengthy lifespan. All-latex beds, models made with high-density foam, and latex hybrids tend to outlast memory foam mattresses.
Sleep Trial and Warranty
Most mattresses bought online come with a sleep trial, allowing you to try out the bed before committing to a purchase. Some trials last as long as a year and include free returns. Trials are an excellent way to find out if a mattress is comfortable and supportive enough for your needs.
Some warranties cover a mattress’ entire lifespan, while others have more limited time frames. We advise carefully reading the terms of a warranty to determine if it covers sagging or deterioration of materials.
Tips for Keeping Your Spine Aligned as a Heavy Stomach Sleeper
Proper spinal alignment is a key factor for healthy sleep posture and a restful night’s sleep. As a heavy stomach sleeper, you can take a few extra steps to help keep your back comfortable.
Use a Pillow With Lower Loft or Density
If you sleep on your stomach and use a pillow that’s too thick, the pillow may tilt your neck too high and cause pain or discomfort. The best pillow for stomach sleepers is typically a low-loft or low-density model that keeps your neck in line with the rest of your spine.
Consider Sleeping Without a Pillow
Sleeping without a pillow is a worthwhile option for stomach sleepers, especially if you haven’t found one that’s thin enough to keep your neck comfortably aligned with your spine. If you choose to sleep without a pillow, make sure that your mattress offers enough support to maintain good sleep posture.
Boost the Support Under Your Hips
Many people carry much of their weight in the midsection, which can cause their mattress to compress under that area. Using a thin pillow or folded blanket under the hips and midsection may help prevent lower back pain if you sleep on your stomach.
Invest in a Mattress Topper or Pad
Mattress pads and toppers are an easy way to change the feel and support of your mattress. Pads are thin and usually measure 1 to 2 inches thick, while many of the best mattress toppers have profiles ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches. Latex or firm foam toppers can provide extra cushioning for heavy stomach sleepers without compressing too much.
Discover More Mattress Solutions
If you’d like to broaden your mattress search to include a wider range of models, check out our expansive list of the best mattresses of 2024. We’ve also put together a series of guides catered to specific sleeper types.
Best Mattresses for Specific Types of Sleepers
How We Test
The Sleep Doctor testing team includes people with different body types and sleeping positions. For this review, we focused on mattresses that earned the highest marks from team members over 230 pounds who prefer sleeping on their stomach.
Using our comprehensive product testing methodology, we’ve tested hundreds of mattresses in our Seattle-based test lab, assessing the support, comfort, and performance of each model. Heavy stomach sleepers generally need a mattress with robust edge support and an even, responsive sleep surface — qualities that are reflected in our top picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best mattress type for heavy stomach sleepers is typically one that’s firm to extra firm with plenty of edge support and pushback. High-density foam, latex, and hybrid beds may fit the bill as long as they’re supportive and thick enough to keep sleepers from sinking excessively.
If you’re a heavy stomach sleeper, you can avoid upper and lower back pain by choosing a mattress that has enough support to keep your spine properly aligned. If your midsection isn’t sufficiently supported, your spine can bend and put stress on your lower back. Placing a thin pillow or folded blanket beneath your hips can prop up your torso and better support your back.
We’ve found that the best firmness level for heavy stomach sleepers is typically firm to extra firm, which rank as 7, 8, and 9 on our 10-point firmness scale. Mattresses softer than that may lack the support to prevent back pain.
Experts tend to agree that sleeping on your stomach isn’t ideal, and that back and side sleeping are generally better for your spine. However, you may receive adequate spinal support when sleeping on your stomach if you choose a firm or extra firm mattress that has an even sleep surface. This helps ensure that your body receives enough support to prevent your spine from arching. Using a thin pillow may also help maintain spinal alignment.
Mattresses have a weight limit, which is typically stated by the manufacturer. Many are rated to support up to two 250-pound individuals, but there are also a number of models designed with heavy people in mind. Models that cater to sleepers with larger bodies are often engineered to support 1,000 pounds or more of total weight.
About The Author
Staff Writer, Product Testing Team
Garen is a health and lifestyle content creator. She realized the importance of sleep when her children made getting a good night’s rest more challenging. Garen is always learning something new about the wide world of sleep and sleep products. Married with two girls, ages 7 and 11, she is a book nerd and a lover of pop music, travel, and the Pacific Northwest.
- POSITION: Side Sleeper
- TEMPERATURE: Neutral Sleeper
- CHRONOTYPE: Wolf
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