Extra Long Full sized Mattress, Help!

October 15, 2008 1:38 PM

I'm too tall to comfortably sleep on a Full size mattress, so I'm in the market for an Extra Long Full (Full XL), but my search hasn't gone so well.

After sleeping on Full size beds for years which were too short, I long for the comfort of the XL twin I had in my college dorm room. I've considered getting a queen, but I've heard horror stories about getting Queen box springs up stairs on move-in day. (I live in NYC). I'm looking for something on the firmer side as I'm a big guy and my back seems to feel best with lots of support and sleep almost exclusively on my side. I don't want a Memory Foam/Temperpedic mattress, I've slept in them and would prefer a thermarest + sleeping bag on the floor. I'm not totally against pillowtops, but would prefer to add toppers seperately and be able to flip my mattress. I don't have a strong preference between a platform bed vs. a box spring.

Basically I'm considering upgrading my mattress from a Full (54in x 75in) to a Full XL (54x80) and want a mattress that'll keep for the next 3-5 years. The problem I'm having is an inability to actually lie down on any of my potential beds before purchase. Mattress manufacturers intentionally produce an obscene number of different "models" so that you can't actually comparison shop to see whether extra money is worth it, but how am I to know if I'd be happier spending more? Also, are 'hotel grade' mattresses actually any different?

Has anyone actually owned a Full XL bed? Do you wish you'd just sprung for a Queen? Here's what I'm considering, but I hate to buy blindly.

• Serta Hotel Royal Suite Firm (Sam's Club $572)
• Sealy Posture Premier Giovanni Firm ($480 Mattress.com)
• Sealy Posturepedic Preferred Park Meadows Firm ($800 Mattress.com)
• King Koil Perfect Contour Oakwood Firm ($800 Mattress.com)

posted by notpeter to Home & Garden (12 answers total)

I think you should get the queen just so you have better options (and more options) for sheets.
posted by rmless at 1:57 PM on October 15, 2008

Not answering your question on the Full XL, but if you want a Queen, you can get a split box spring (really two twin box springs, which go next to each other in the bed frame to make the queen). That's what I did, and it was real easy to move out of my NYC apt and into my new place - I moved the box spring by myself, which I couldn't do for the mattress. Some places charge extra for this (I think I paid $30 more) but it was worth it to me, as I didn't know where I would be moving next.
posted by Caz721 at 2:00 PM on October 15, 2008

Best answer: I think you really want a California King. It is plenty wide enough to accomodate guests and is 84 inches long. If you have the real estate for it that is a great size mattress for tall people.

Any mattress, if firm enough, will be fine for a couple of years. More expensive mattresses will last much longer and are actually worth the money because of that (and the extra comfort). Often, furniture stores can offer you a better deal than a mattress outlet. It is at least worth a look.
posted by caddis at 2:01 PM on October 15, 2008

One thing about odd sized mattresses, it can be difficult to find sheets. The California King is only slightly out of the ordinary, but I think the Full XL is pretty rare. I would do some sheet shopping prior to purchasing the mattress.
posted by caddis at 2:03 PM on October 15, 2008

Response by poster: Caddis: You're not wrong, a California King is what I really want, but I do live in NYC and so square footage is at a premium. At 72×84 (28sq ft) it's 1.5 times bigger than a full size 54 x 75 (42sq ft). I'd love it, but I like having a floor too. Now if they made a California Full, I'd be there in a heartbeat.
posted by notpeter at 2:07 PM on October 15, 2008

I second the recommendation of a Queen with a split box spring. As long as your bedroom can accommodate the extra width, the box springs should be very convenient for moving in and out of a small space. Then you have far more flexibility in finding sheets, mattress pads, etc.
posted by annaramma at 2:24 PM on October 15, 2008

My gf and I were recently shopping for a mattress for her place - we were constantly advised to get a queen, but after trying a Full XL we found it has plenty of room. Now, we are both on the slim side, but there really is a lot of room in there. The difference between Queen and Full XL is only 6 inches across.

My own mattress is also a Full XL in an old waterbed frame. For sheets, we use queen sets and just tuck the extra material in. No problems, and easier to move around.
posted by Fin Azvandi at 3:23 PM on October 15, 2008

Is something like a good-quality queen size futon (e.g. nine-inch thick with two cores) out of the question? They bend around corners when moving.
posted by winston at 4:23 PM on October 15, 2008

I have a Full XL - also in an NYC apartment, actually - and it's great alone + giant cat or with a friend but all three gets a little crowded. Finding fitted sheets for it is a pain, I end up like Fin with a queen tucked way under. Mine is a King Koil and it's held up pretty well for, jeez, ten years at least.
posted by nicwolff at 5:40 PM on October 15, 2008

Response by poster: winston: Futon mattresses are out. Since this will be my primary bed, I'm not going couch-ify it very often and so it's not worth the loss in comfort, it's gotta be a real mattress.
posted by notpeter at 9:46 PM on October 15, 2008

Actually, I find the type of futon mattress I described to be much more comfortable than a spring mattress. I've been using them for sleeping (without couchifying) for fifteen years now.
posted by winston at 11:16 AM on October 16, 2008

definitely queen with a split box spring. mine has made it up many many a rickety windy staircase.
posted by Soulbee at 6:10 AM on October 17, 2008