Decent edge support: A dedicated border of firmer foam and/or springs (in the case of hybrids) can help create a more sturdy edge, making it easier to do things like sitting and tying your shoes.

Besides asking mattress brands for specs, we also assessed owner reviews to determine whether sagging and general quality deterioration were an issue. Less-dense foams can compact more easily, causing an indent or a slope in the bed over time. Those who weigh more than 200 pounds may find better long-term satisfaction from higher-quality memory foam with densities of 4 to 5 pounds per cubic foot, and polyfoam that is denser than 1.8 pounds per cubic foot (at least in the layers closest to the top surface). According to mattress experts we interviewed, people who weigh less than 200 pounds should stick with a minimum memory-foam density of 3 pounds per cubic foot and a minimum non-memory-foam polyfoam density of 1.8 pounds per cubic foot.

Durability: Of course it’s hard to predict the future, but by looking at a mattress’s specs, you can make a good guess.

For our final picks, we dug deeper into online customer reviews and anonymously exchanged emails and live-chatted with customer service to see how the representatives responded.

Good customer service: For our initial research, we looked at Better Business Bureau ratings.

At least a 10-year warranty: That’s the standard.

That’s why we also strongly suggest trying them in a store first, whenever that option is available.)

(Unfortunately, however, we do realize that returned mattresses often end up in landfills, since it’s difficult to donate or recycle them. A generous free-trial period: We looked for mattresses that offer at least a month to try them out and a refund if you don’t like it.

In 2020, we had four testers who weighed over 200 pounds of those, two preferred the Leesa Sapira Hybrid, one liked the bouncy BedInABox Dual Hybrid, and the fourth one chose the Helix Plus, a bed designed for “big & tall” folks. But it was interesting to note that all but one of the testers who weighed more than 200 pounds chose the Leesa Sapira Hybrid as their top pick or runner-up in the hybrid category it got more overall votes than the Casper Hybrid, Casper Wave Hybrid, or Tempur-Adapt. Only seven participants (about a fifth of the group) in our 2019 panel test were in that weight category, so even from a comfort standpoint, we can’t draw any definitive conclusions from such a small sample. The Hybrid’s higher foam density leads us to believe it would hold up well for people who are over 200 pounds. One staffer who has owned the Leesa Sapira Hybrid for just under 10 months said he found it to be comfortable and hadn’t noticed any sagging. Two Leesa Original owners who tried the Hybrid said it felt more solid than the Original.

Country Heat Deluxe hybrid calendar