What is the Best Mattress for a Heavy Person?

What is the Best Mattress for a Heavy Person?

With increased weight, comes increased pressure on prominent areas of the body while laying down. This can raise the potential to develop pressure ulcers (sometimes referred to as bed sores) in extremely obese people.

Pressure ulcers are not only unsightly and painful, but they also pose serious threats to an individual’s health. As such, the best mattress for a heavy person would be one that actively works to relieve pressure.

What Are Pressure Ulcers?

Pressure ulcers (or pressure sores) occur through prolonged pressure on the body, which causes injury to the skin and underlying tissue. Anybody can develop pressure ulcers however, they are more common in those who sit or lay in bed for long periods of time. A person in a wheelchair for, example, may develop pressure ulcers on prominent bodily areas without the correct support. The same can apply to a person confined to bed for medical reasons.

Who is at the Greatest Risk of Developing Pressure Ulcers?

It’s not just severely heavy people (classified as extremely obese) who are at an increased risk of developing pressure ulcers. In fact, those with a very low BMI (classified as underweight) are also at an increased risk of developing pressure ulcers. This is likely due to increased prominence in certain areas of the body.

A study titled Body Mass Index and Pressure Ulcers: Improved Predictability of Pressure Ulcers in Intensive Care Patients “Patients in the underweight and extremely obese groups had higher rates of pressure ulcers than did patients in the normal weight or obese groups”. The study goes on to state that those with a BMI greater than 25 but less than 40, appeared to have increased protection from pressure ulcer development.

The Best Mattress for a Heavy Person

Considering the results in the aforementioned study, the best mattress for a heavy person is generally dependant on their Body Mass Index. If an individual has a BMI score greater than 40 they would be classified as extremely obese. This would lead to an increased risk of pressure ulcer development and as such a pressure-relieving mattress would be beneficial. The same applies to an individual who is classified as underweight and has a BMI of less than 18.5.

The Best Mattress for a Heavy Person - Pressure Relief Mattresses

GB Foam Healthcare has developed a varied range of pressure relief mattresses for healthcare purposes. All of our medical mattresses are made using high-quality foam grades and are converted using advanced foam cutting machinery. All of our pressure relief mattresses have a weight support rating of up to 40 stone (254kg) and come fitted with an easily removable ultrasonic cover to prevent fluid ingress.

The best mattress for a heavy person (who is classified as obese according to their BMI) would be a memory foam mattress. People of above average weight tend to prefer mattresses which offer increased support around weight concentrated areas such as the hips and abdomen. Memory foam has the inherent ability to mould to any unique shape where pressure is applied. It actively works to cradle your body as you sleep, thus offering increased levels of support and comfort. GB Foam Healthcare has a range of premium memory foam mattresses, all fitted with Coolmax temperature reactive covers.

If you would like to know more about the best mattresses for heavy people, please contact a member of our team. We will be happy to discuss and offer expert advice regarding any of our medical mattresses.


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