Everybody deserves a good night's sleep, regardless of their weight. As a plus-size person, I've become fascinated by mattresses specifically designed for plus-size people, which use durable materials and unique designs to provide adequate support to heavier bodies.
Among the best mattresses, WinkBeds is known for its high-quality, bed-in-a-box style mattresses, so I was intrigued when I saw they sold a mattress marketed for heavy people, the WinkBed Plus. With five layers of foam and coils, it supports people over 250 pounds. It's the firmest bed WinkBed offers, but that left me wondering if the firmness of a bed equated to providing the adequate support I required while providing the comfort I sought. While it had excellent edge support, it wasn't the most comfortable or cooling mattress I've tested, with a feel that was firmer than I expected. I'll share more details into my experience, and who will love this mattress, more below.
The WinkBed Plus is an extra-firm mattress designed for sleepers weighing over 250 pounds.
- Provides support for plus-size sleepers
- Great edge support
- Lifetime warranty
- Sleeps hot
- Subpar pressure point relief
- Could be too firm for some
Design
The WinkBed Plus is designed specifically for people who weigh 250 pounds or more. It uses a combination of durable materials like high-density foam and individually wrapped coils for extra support and durability. The Plus version represents WinkBeds' firmest offering, coming in at 8.5 on the firmness scale. The brand caveats that individuals over 300 pounds will experience this mattress as a 6.5/10 while individuals 200 pounds and under will experience this mattress as an 8/10, 10 being the firmest.
It has some noticeable design differences from the other WinkBeds, which are offered in softer, luxury firm, and firmer options. Most notably, the Plus has the addition of a layer of latex for extra lumbar support, and five zones in contrast to the standard three of the other mattresses, with firmer support around the hips and lumbar and softer near the shoulders and legs.
As a hybrid, it has five layers of foam and individually wrapped coils. From top to bottom, the layers are a TENCEL cover to wick away moisture, a pillow top for pressure relief, two inches of supportive high-density foam, 2.5 inches of latex for lumbar support, and over 1,000 individually wrapped coils for airflow and support with reinforced coils around the perimeter for enhanced edge support. Each layer is designed to provide adequate support for heavy people without the worry of durability issues like sagging foam.
WinkBeds uses CertiPUR-US certified foams, which are made without harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and have low emissions. The TENCEL material in the cover is also Forest Stewardship Council certified.
Our review of the WinkBed Plus Mattress
Delivery and setup
The WinkBed Plus is a bed-in-a-box, so it arrived tightly coiled in a cardboard box on my doorstep. A common problem I have with beds-in-a-box is low-quality cardboard that doesn't support the weight of the mattress, leading to the box tearing during the delivery process. The WinkBed Plus had this issue, with a corner of the cardboard completely torn, making moving it a bit of a challenge.
At 145 pounds for a king-size mattress, this is a hefty mattress in a bulky box. The box was awkward to maneuver, so I needed help from my partner to move it from the doorstep to our bedroom. Once in the bedroom, I removed the mattress, wrapped tightly in layers of plastic wrap, and placed it on our bed frame. It came with a handy plastic tool for removing the plastic wrap, so you won't have to worry about accidentally cutting the mattress with scissors or painstakingly tearing layers of plastic wrap off with your hands.
Once released from the plastic wrap, the mattress quickly sprang into place. The WinkBed Plus doesn't require an off-gassing period, so it's ready to use right after unboxing. I noticed no new mattress scent. The entire process took less than five minutes.
If you don't feel like setting up the bed yourself, WinkBeds offers mattress set-up and removal starting at $150 via a third-party logistics company.
Comfort
My partner and I are both heavier people, so we're the target audience for this mattress. I'm a stomach-side combination sleeper, while he's a back-side combination sleeper, so we got a good feel for the bed in every sleeping position.
Despite the addition of a pillowtop, we found that the bed was too firm, regardless of which way we slept at night. We both usually prefer a firmer mattress that supports pressure points like the waist, hips, and back. Sadly, this bed didn't provide the support we needed. I frequently woke up sore, especially the morning after my day at the gym. Even though it has zoned support, meaning it provides more support for specific pressure points in the body, I didn't feel like the bed contoured to my hips or back.
Unlike other beds, which are firm but adjust to my body for support, this bed is solidly firm with little adjustment.
If you prefer an ultra-firm feel or sleep on your stomach or back, you might love this bed. Although I'm within the weight range for this bed, it could be properly supportive for people who are heavier than I am. But if you're looking for a medium-firm mattress that molds to your body, I would look elsewhere.
Heat dissipation
I'm a hot sleeper, so I'm also particularly interested in heat dissipation tests. I record the temperature of the mattress before going to bed, immediately after waking up, and two minutes after waking up. Not only does this help to see how hot the mattress gets at night, but it also gauges how efficiently the mattress moves heat away from your body.
The WinkBed Plus performed average in our heat dissipation tests. On average, the bed was at 71 degrees before I got in. In the morning, the temperature was almost 81 degrees. After two minutes, the temperature was reduced to 75 degrees.
The heat dissipation itself isn't bad, and WinkBeds has incorporated cooling materials into many layers of its mattress, but I still woke up feeling very warm during the testing period. If you aren't sensitive to overheating like I am, you might not notice the warmth, but it was noticeably hot for me and my partner, since we're both hot sleepers.
We both reported waking up in the middle of the night, sweating. One morning, we woke up much earlier than we needed to be awake, both blaming it on our toasty mattress.
If you sleep cold, you might appreciate the extra warmth. But, if you're like me, you might not like waking up feeling like a baked potato wrapped in tin foil.
Edge support
For those of us who sprawl across the entire bed, encroaching on the edge, edge support keeps us comfortable and supported. To test edge support, I sit on the edge of each mattress and record how low it sinks. I also slowly roll off the bed, noting the angle before I fall. This shows how supportive the edge of the mattress is, which can also be helpful when sitting on the edge of the bed to get dressed in the morning. Solid edge support is great for couples since they're more likely to use the entire bed.
The WinkBed Plus excelled at edge support. When sitting on the edge of the bed, I only sank 1.5 inches, much better than the 3-inch average for most mattresses. I also lay almost parallel to the floor before eventually rolling off.
Subjectively, I was also impressed by the edge support. I never felt precarious when nearing the edge of my bed, and it was easy to sit on the edge to put on my shoes and socks in the morning.
Motion isolation
If you've ever been awoken by a restless partner or a pet who can't quite find the right sleeping position, you've probably craved better motion isolation. I tested motion isolation by dropping a 20-pound weight a foot away from a soda can, marking when it fell over. I also placed a vibrometer a foot away from the soda can to register any movements.
The soda can tipped over in half of our tests, so the WinkBed Plus had average performance. That said, the vibrometer readings were low, and I never had an issue waking up to my partner shifting in his sleep. I am a deep sleeper, so a light sleeper might have noticed more disturbances.
Trial period and warranty
WinkBeds offers a generous trial period and warranty policy. Each mattress has a 120-night trial, but you must sleep on the mattress for at least 30 nights before returning it for a full refund. If you choose to exchange your mattress, you'll pay $49 for new delivery and removal of your old mattress, and get another 60-day trial to confirm this new firmness works for you. So, it's technically a better deal to fully return your mattress instead of exchanging. Even after your trial ends, regardless of whether it's years down the road, you can choose to trade in your old mattress for a new mattress at 50% off, on account for being a loyal customer.
WinkBeds are also covered by a limited lifetime warranty. For the entire time you own your mattress, you're covered from manufacturing defects after normal use on a supportive bed frame. If it has a genuine defect, WinkBeds will pay for the transportation costs. When you make a warranty claim, you'll receive a new WinkBed mattress at no cost.
Cons to consider
This is a very firm mattress, so it's not the best choice if you're looking for a plush or medium-firm mattress with pressure relief. If you love an extra-firm mattress, though, this could be the one for you. Couples of different body sizes may also struggle with finding comfort based on the bed's elevated firmness rating.
It also performed poorly in our heat dissipation tests and had average motion isolation. Keep this in mind if you sleep hot or share the bed with a restless sleeping partner.
What are your alternatives?
The current pick for heavy people in our best mattress guide is the Big Fig Classic Mattress. It performed very well in all of our tests, excelling in heat dissipation and edge support. It's also slightly more affordable than the WinkBed Plus. Read our Big Fig Classic review.
I've also tried the Saatva HD and absolutely loved it. I think it's the best mattress for plus-size sleepers. It's ridiculously comfortable and offers unmatched pressure-point relief, but it's pricey compared to the WinkBed. Read our full Saatva HD review.
For a plus-size mattress with a softer feel, I recommend the Titan Plus Luxe. It's specifically designed to meet the sleep needs of heavy people without being too firm. Since it's soft, it's great for side sleepers, too. Read our Titan Plus Luxe review.
For more mattress recommendations, check out our best mattress guide. It includes mattress recommendations for specialized needs, like the best cooling mattresses for hot sleepers and the best mattresses for back pain.
The bottom line
If you're a plus-size person who sleeps cold and loves a firm mattress, the WinkBed Plus could be the mattress for you. It offers exceptional reinforced edge support but falls short in terms of breathability and motion isolation. However, it does have an excellent 120-night trial and lifetime warranty, so you can figure out if this is the bed for you.
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