What is the firmest mattress you have ever owned?
March 8, 2024 11:17 AM Subscribe
Just looking for the most firm mattress that is available. Would love to basically sleep on a marble slab with a thin, firm cushion over it, but a mattress is going to have to do. Bonus if it doesn't cost an arm, leg, or both.
Like many people in the world, I've slept on mattresses my entire life. Still, I consider myself a bit of a mattress n00b. So if there's relevant contextual information about coils and latexes and foams that I should think about in my quest, that's great too.
Lotta mattress questions on AMF but didn't see plain ol' "give me the firmest bed in the world" previously asked.
Like many people in the world, I've slept on mattresses my entire life. Still, I consider myself a bit of a mattress n00b. So if there's relevant contextual information about coils and latexes and foams that I should think about in my quest, that's great too.
Lotta mattress questions on AMF but didn't see plain ol' "give me the firmest bed in the world" previously asked.
We have an organic wool and latex mattress from The Futon Shop. Despite being listed as medium firm it is basically like sleeping on the floor, or a marble slab with a thin firm cushion over top . I love it. It is the firmest bed I have ever slept on and we have tried a lot. Their customer service is great and really helpful at identifying what would meet your needs, and you can narrow their mattresses by firmness on the website.
One word of caution: despite the firmness of our mattress I find latex bad for isolating movement. If you are a light sleeper and have a mobile sleep partner try to steer away from latex. I wish we had.
posted by stellaluna at 11:27 AM on March 8
One word of caution: despite the firmness of our mattress I find latex bad for isolating movement. If you are a light sleeper and have a mobile sleep partner try to steer away from latex. I wish we had.
posted by stellaluna at 11:27 AM on March 8
Have you tried a futon? A real futon used the way it is meant to, on tatami mats, is the firmest bed I know. In a Western style home, you can build a ventilated platform covered with tatami, and lay the bed with futons at night.
I had one for years, then with older, stiffer limbs, I went back to Western mattresses.
posted by mumimor at 11:32 AM on March 8 [5 favorites]
I had one for years, then with older, stiffer limbs, I went back to Western mattresses.
posted by mumimor at 11:32 AM on March 8 [5 favorites]
Would love to basically sleep on a marble slab with a thin, firm cushion over it
Just a note that is this is truly what you want, then (if you want to be higher up than the floor) on the higher end there is actually such a thing as stone beds (with built-in heating!), and on the lower end you can install a plywood (or nicer wood) board on top of a bed frame. In either case you can then add your desired level of cushioning.
posted by trig at 11:32 AM on March 8 [2 favorites]
Just a note that is this is truly what you want, then (if you want to be higher up than the floor) on the higher end there is actually such a thing as stone beds (with built-in heating!), and on the lower end you can install a plywood (or nicer wood) board on top of a bed frame. In either case you can then add your desired level of cushioning.
posted by trig at 11:32 AM on March 8 [2 favorites]
I used to sell Sealy and Stearns & Foster mattresses; feel free to pick my brain for details. Generally, if you want something rock hard, gravitate toward the cheaper/cheapest entries in a brand's lineup. Probably a standard Bonnell coil (the older style where the coil springs are interlocked, not isolated or individually pocketed), and most brands will have an "Extra Firm" in that range. Be aware that in this category, most people can feel the coil springs while laying on the bed. Even in a firm/extra-firm, this type of coil arrangement often feels "bouncier" than individual pocket coils. When you toss and turn or roll over, it have that springy trampoline feel, if that's an issue.
An anecdote, but we had a very hard-to-please customer who wanted the Firmest Mattress Ever, and we wound up selling him a box spring (not a mattress, just a box spring foundation) and he was thrilled. I think we sold him a not-too-thick memory foam mattress cover to go with it, but I can't be sure.
posted by xedrik at 11:33 AM on March 8 [6 favorites]
An anecdote, but we had a very hard-to-please customer who wanted the Firmest Mattress Ever, and we wound up selling him a box spring (not a mattress, just a box spring foundation) and he was thrilled. I think we sold him a not-too-thick memory foam mattress cover to go with it, but I can't be sure.
posted by xedrik at 11:33 AM on March 8 [6 favorites]
I have seen ads for the Plank brand foam mattress and their pitch is "the firmest, flattest, and most supportive" mattress made. It has both a firm side and an extra firm side. They have a 120 night trial.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:43 AM on March 8 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:43 AM on March 8 [1 favorite]
My kids' beds have Serta Sleep ToGo 10in gel memory foam mattresses - they are firm without being able to feel coils.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:03 PM on March 8
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:03 PM on March 8
I am in the same category. FIRMx10. I don't have a specific recommendation for what to get, but I can tell you what NOT to get. My gf convinced me to buy a new mattress as the old mattress which I loved, was, well, old, and it was my marital bed which she did not want to sleep on. I agreed if she paid for the new mattress. She "researched" and we got a high end foam mattress that was supposed to be extra firm. Not. Do not get a foam mattress thinking it can be hard. I often sleep in the one single bed I keep in the other room for when I have my kids over. That is a 6 inch (at most) coil mattress on a plywood base.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:52 PM on March 8 [1 favorite]
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:52 PM on March 8 [1 favorite]
I love a firm mattress, and I prefer 2-sided inner spring mattresses. My old mattress was one of the cheapest options, and was wonderfully firm. Due to a move and necessity, I had to order a new mattress over the phone without trying it out. I ended up with the Original Mattress Company's 2nd firmest option, this one. It's firm, but quite comfortable, just what I wanted. I haven't even needed to put a mattress pad on top.
I like that they make their own mattresses, and no middle man markups.
posted by hydra77 at 12:53 PM on March 8 [2 favorites]
I like that they make their own mattresses, and no middle man markups.
posted by hydra77 at 12:53 PM on March 8 [2 favorites]
When I threw my back out in my 30s and needed to upgrade from a cheap second hand futon, I was living near a place that sold plain slabs of high density foam rubber that could be used as mattresses. I went to give them a try, and they suggested I try out either the firm or the extra-firm - and even encouraged me to lie down on each one to try it out. The second I tried the extra-firm, every muscle in my lower back relaxed and said "oh thank God".
I got that, and that has been my mattress for the past twenty years. I added a zip-on cover about 10 years ago, and recently put a mattress topper on it (my shoulder needed a bit more squish).
Not only is it long-lasting and was it affordable, every other person who's also slept on that mattress alongside me has said it's one of the most comfortable beds they've ever been in too.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:38 PM on March 8 [6 favorites]
I got that, and that has been my mattress for the past twenty years. I added a zip-on cover about 10 years ago, and recently put a mattress topper on it (my shoulder needed a bit more squish).
Not only is it long-lasting and was it affordable, every other person who's also slept on that mattress alongside me has said it's one of the most comfortable beds they've ever been in too.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:38 PM on March 8 [6 favorites]
for me it's the bedroom floor, with a rug, then a memory foam topper to dissipate the pressure points of my hips and shoulders. i'm a side sleeper.
posted by glonous keming at 2:23 PM on March 8 [3 favorites]
posted by glonous keming at 2:23 PM on March 8 [3 favorites]
We bought the second cheapest memory foam mattress in a box from Sleep Country Canada’s house brand (Bloom) for the spare bed. Altho i swear I tested it in store that thing is one of the firmest mattresses ive ever slept on. I like a firm mattresses and dislike squishy ones which is probably why i thought it was ok during my in-store flop, but dang that thing is, well, very not soft.
posted by cgg at 3:42 PM on March 8
posted by cgg at 3:42 PM on March 8
Sterns and Foster, very firm and very heavy. However, not cheap, sorry.
posted by mdrosen at 4:35 PM on March 8
posted by mdrosen at 4:35 PM on March 8
Old school futon on a slat base. Very firm, closest to a blanket on the floor I have ever experienced.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 7:06 PM on March 8 [1 favorite]
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 7:06 PM on March 8 [1 favorite]
We have the Plank and love it. It’s just soft enough to not create pressure points like you get sleeping on the floor but otherwise the firmest mattress I’ve tried. It does sleep a little warmer than my previous innerspring mattress, but we adjusted the blankets and now sleep perfectly.
posted by the_shrike at 6:04 AM on March 9
posted by the_shrike at 6:04 AM on March 9
I had the same experience as EmpressCallipygos
years ago we got some firm high density foam about 4 inches thick. Not memory foam. From some industrial type place.
Been using it for years as an extra bed and people always remarked on how surprisingly comfortable it was.
You could go to an IKEA , if there is one around, and look at their firm foam matresses.
posted by yyz at 6:57 AM on March 9 [1 favorite]
years ago we got some firm high density foam about 4 inches thick. Not memory foam. From some industrial type place.
Been using it for years as an extra bed and people always remarked on how surprisingly comfortable it was.
You could go to an IKEA , if there is one around, and look at their firm foam matresses.
posted by yyz at 6:57 AM on March 9 [1 favorite]
For the absolute economy version, I've had good success sleeping on the floor on a pile of blankets/comforters, but you MUST move and air your bedding every morning. It's shocking how much moisture a body makes over the course of the night. I wouldn't sleep directly on a wood floor, as the moisture might mess it up.
But I'm a Real Adult™ now and have upgraded to tatami (proper tatami made out of grass, not the rubber gym mats), which is excellent. My set-up is tatami in a frame to elevate it for ventilation with the thinnest IKEA foam mattress topper (about 2"?) for the futon. I'll replace the mattress topper with a traditional futon when it expires, but it's what I have for now. The tatami+foam has plenty of give for side sleeping and my back is happy.
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 7:09 AM on March 9 [1 favorite]
But I'm a Real Adult™ now and have upgraded to tatami (proper tatami made out of grass, not the rubber gym mats), which is excellent. My set-up is tatami in a frame to elevate it for ventilation with the thinnest IKEA foam mattress topper (about 2"?) for the futon. I'll replace the mattress topper with a traditional futon when it expires, but it's what I have for now. The tatami+foam has plenty of give for side sleeping and my back is happy.
posted by Mournful Bagel Song at 7:09 AM on March 9 [1 favorite]
We are currently renovating the bedrooms so it's the sofa or the floor for the foreseeable future. Not a fun experience, but it works.
The floor definitely qualifies as rock hard, even with a carpet and carpet pad.
Consider whether getting up and down from the floor is acceptable, compared to sitting on a bed.
Consider that the floor is colder than higher elevations.
Consider the condition of the floor - dust, dirt (particularly when someone walks past), insects, floor cleaners.
The components are stored when not in use, primarily because they are in the traffic paths. I can see how a removable sleeping area would leave more usable space during the rest of the day.
I want my bed back!
Sweet Baboo - yoga mat, two-inch waffle foam pad, self-inflatable pad (the cheap car camping kind).
The shorter spouse - yoga mat, Thermarest Z-rest camp pad, Thermarest short self-inflatable pad.
Old-fashioned rectangle sleeping bags are thick and add some cushioning.
My wedge pillow helps, but it needs to be braced against something or it slithers away.
Ditto the pillows.
posted by TrishaU at 9:06 AM on March 9
The floor definitely qualifies as rock hard, even with a carpet and carpet pad.
Consider whether getting up and down from the floor is acceptable, compared to sitting on a bed.
Consider that the floor is colder than higher elevations.
Consider the condition of the floor - dust, dirt (particularly when someone walks past), insects, floor cleaners.
The components are stored when not in use, primarily because they are in the traffic paths. I can see how a removable sleeping area would leave more usable space during the rest of the day.
I want my bed back!
Sweet Baboo - yoga mat, two-inch waffle foam pad, self-inflatable pad (the cheap car camping kind).
The shorter spouse - yoga mat, Thermarest Z-rest camp pad, Thermarest short self-inflatable pad.
Old-fashioned rectangle sleeping bags are thick and add some cushioning.
My wedge pillow helps, but it needs to be braced against something or it slithers away.
Ditto the pillows.
posted by TrishaU at 9:06 AM on March 9
Several years ago we bought a foam mattress for our guest room at Ikea and went with the Morgedal. We didn't really know what to expect and just went with something convenient.
I have never slept on a firmer matress. Over the years, guests would regularly try to come up with nice ways to say the bed was way too firm.
We ended up getting a foam topper to add a little bit of give to it, for our guests. But this is where both my husband and I sleep whenever our back isn't feeling great. Its a soft slab.
posted by JennyJupiter at 3:25 PM on March 9
I have never slept on a firmer matress. Over the years, guests would regularly try to come up with nice ways to say the bed was way too firm.
We ended up getting a foam topper to add a little bit of give to it, for our guests. But this is where both my husband and I sleep whenever our back isn't feeling great. Its a soft slab.
posted by JennyJupiter at 3:25 PM on March 9
The firmest one I have ever owned and slept on for several years was a horsehair mattress.
posted by wavelette at 11:16 AM on March 10
posted by wavelette at 11:16 AM on March 10
Sealy Beech Street mattress
I have it on top of a box spring and it's basically like sleeping on a board. I bought it about 5 years ago from Sears and it's held up pretty well.
posted by healthytext at 9:38 AM on April 5
I have it on top of a box spring and it's basically like sleeping on a board. I bought it about 5 years ago from Sears and it's held up pretty well.
posted by healthytext at 9:38 AM on April 5
« Older Creating an embedded gif video for email signature | Is there any way to sit ergonomically with my... Newer »
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by saeculorum at 11:26 AM on March 8 [9 favorites]