The decision to buy the best mattresses depends on a lot of factors, but the weight of the sleeper is probably one of the most important, yet underrated consideration. It might not seem important, but this factor matters and should weigh in heavily when picking a mattress. The support provided by a mattress, its sinkage, plushness, cooling mechanism and overall feel can be majorly influenced by the body type as well as the body weight.

Medium feel for people weighing 150 pounds or less
People who weigh less than 150 pounds do not tend to sink too deep into their mattresses, which means that the top layers of the mattress that are too dense may not feel too comfortable with them. Choosing a mattress a few points lower than the recommended point is essential because most mattresses are designed for average sleepers.

Medium feel for people weighing between 150 – 200 pounds
People weighing between 150-200 pounds are considered to be average sleepers, the sweet spot for the marketers since most mattresses are designed around this weight range. The universal comfort range of mattresses falls on 5-7 on a scale of ten, and these are characterized as a medium, medium firm and luxury firm.

Medium feel for people weighing between 200 pounds and more
People who weigh 200 pounds or more are classified under the heavy sleepers range, and a mattress needs to account for the extra weight and pressure that is received through these sleepers. A comfort layer of at least 4 inches is required, and it provides consistent comfort and support for heavy sleepers. Some people who have extra cooling needs or require a mattress that provides extra edge support often opt for coil on coil mattresses or luxury innerspring options. A mattress that focuses on the foam side rather than edger support offers more body shaping and contouring options.

Soft feel for light sleepers
Since light sleepers do not sink into a mattress that has a foam base, certain mattresses work very well for them. Foam mattresses offer the plush, cloud-like sensation without bending down under the weight to cause support and heat retention issues. A range of 3-4 in terms of the firmness scale out of 10 are for this class of sleepers.

Soft feel for average sleepers
Average sleepers who need a soft feel are akin to the light sleepers of the same category. Anybody near the 150-pound weight mark can proceed to follow the same instructions as those for light sleepers, while those nearing the 200-pound weight mark would need to consider the sinkage aspect of the mattress. While side sleepers prefer an increased level of sinkage, most back and almost all stomach sleepers do not like it and prefer a firmer support.

Soft feel for heavy sleepers
Heavy sleepers who weigh over 200 pounds and more and need a soft feel often find it difficult to find a mattress that works well for them in terms of both comfort and support. A mattress that offers deep compression support is the need for these cases.

Different body types require different mattress types and best mattresses to buy depend on these factors.