I researched this term trying to find the answer and all I can say is WOW. Every single website is full of crap! Every single one of them lists the same bed frames as all the other sites with affiliate links.
So I guess every bed frame in the world with an affiliate program is the best for fat people. Just WOW.
A friend of mine was almost 600 lbs and confined to a bed during his last few years in this world and I can tell you that there are few bed frames that are “best” for all people.
The best bed frame for a fat person is a DIY project designed for exact needs, weight, width, and height. A contractor can build a simple bed in a day if you are not capable, or lack the tools or space to build. An option is a pallet bed frame which can be free and installed with a hammer and nails.
I found a top-seller on sale 48% on Amazon here.
US Box Spring/Foundation
It took me almost a year to find this 1,500-capacity model because it is made by a small family-owned company and they only build one box spring. You can simply set it on the floor and then add the mattress to it. Or if you wish it to be higher you can add 6 of these 5″ legs to it or 6 – 8 of these adjustable 7.25″ – 14″ legs to the box spring.
I researching one from Amazon with a capacity of 900 lbs and it is highly rated and is looking very good (and ONE-THIRD the cost of the 1,500 lb capacity Thuma).
Scott Boyd
The Thuma (my Thuma Review here) is a great option and heavy-duty with a 1,500 lb capacity, but it is EXPENSIVE. $900 for a queen is expensive. There are other options for a LOT less money.
Hiring a Contractor to Build Heavy Duty Bed Frame
Unless you live in a remote area of Alaska, mountains in the west, or in the great plains you should be able to find a local contractor or handyman.
You should think about the design requirements that you would like included in the final product.
Once you have this you can contact the contractor or handyman to discuss the project and determine if a turnkey price or buying the hour-plus materials is the best option for both of you.
If the center of your bed is sagging you can improve capacity and strength with an easy and cheap solution like this center support add-on.
Scott Boyd
Advantages & Disadvantages of Turn-Key Bed Frame Construction
Advantages
- Set the price so you know that you can stay on budget.
- It gives the contractor the incentive to get the job done and move to the next project asap.
- The contractor has to spend his/her time shopping and purchasing the materials. This can easily take two hours so you may save $100 in labor.
- If the project takes longer than the contractor expected it won’t cost you more, assuming that you are not the reason for requiring extra time. For example:
- The contractor shows up on schedule to build or install the bed and you are not home so you waste his day.
- You are a giant pain in the ass and interrupt the carpenter every five minutes to tell him how to do his job (don’t laugh, this happens WAY more than it should… arhhh, know-it-alls!).
- You change the design 50 times during the day. You both agreed to the design, if you change it you will receive a change order for more money.
You will have to sign it before work continues (well, this is how it should work). - If there is no electricity due to another construction project or other reason.
If the contractor was not informed that there would not be electricity, Bam, change-order. Likely he will have to go back to the shop to grab a generator.
- The contractor shows up on schedule to build or install the bed and you are not home so you waste his day.
Disadvantages
- If you don’t know approximately how much the project should cost there is a chance that you are paying too much for the work.
If there are three contractors in your area you can get a quote from each and compare prices.
TIP: Make sure that the three companies are not actually owned by the same person or company who is just operating under different company names to create his own competition.
This is very common in my former world. - Disagreements over the quantity and quality of the materials can become an issue if the decision in the agreement was not detailed enough.
Make sure the contractor accurately and completely describes the job. This is no fun when building a house for a client!
Days of work and 20+ pages to describe the project. I don’t miss those days :). - It was listed as an advantage, but it can also be a disadvantage as the contractor may cut corners on materials or workmanship quality.
Cheaper or fewer materials may render the bed frame too weak to last for a fat person and may fail shortly after construction.
Same with a carpenter in a mad rush to collect payment and zip off to the next job.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Paying Hourly For Bed Frame Construction
Advantages
- You know that you are getting a fair price for the work.
- You will likely get a fair price. For some incredibly bizarre reason, carpenters’ hourly rate is much lower than other trades like plumbers and electricians.
Like half! Plumbers somehow get $90-$100 in my area. Electricians $65 – $75. Carpenters $35 – $45.
Carpenters need about $50,000 worth of tools, a large box truck, a trailer, or a van to haul all this gear around.
Plumbers and electricians can show up to the job site on a bicycle. I joke… a little.
I have great friends with electrical and plumbing companies so I know (Don’t be too pissed Greg, Dave, Andy, and Jeff).
Disadvantages
- The carpenter you hired may work as slow as molasses. Especially if it looks like he may finish the project early in the afternoon.
It is too late to go to another job site and be productive, so stretching the day until 4 pm to get the full-day pay is going to happen 80% of the time. - You are paying the carpenter to drive around and shop at the local lumber yard.
This can be a good deal for you as you don’t usually have to pay for the use of his/her truck.
But if there is leftover lumber he/she will likely be taking it home.
DIY Heavy-Duty Bed Frame
If you are in a position to build your own heavy-duty bed frame then I recommend reading an article I wrote a couple of weeks ago.
The three options all cost less than $100 and you can read it here.
Near the end of the article, it describes how to convert an old-school style bed frame into a platform foundation using lumber and plywood.
A few extra wood joists with 3/4″ on top and you have a cheap super heavy-duty bed frame.
TIP: Add subfloor adhesive to the top of the wood joists to glue the joist and the plywood together to prevent squeaks.
DIY Heavy Duty Pallet Bed Frame
A super simple solution is a DIY pallet bed frame that is incredibly strong and its capacity is about 4,600 lbs.
It is super cheap too as many lumber yards or other local businesses will give them to you for free.
All you need are fastener plates to connect them safely together and 2″ screws to hold it all together.
Different heights are easily attained by stacking more pallets on top of each other for height options of 6.5, 13, and 19.5 inches.
Most mattresses can be added to the top of the pallets directly as the gaps are only about 0.5 – 0.75 inches.
There is at least one exception, Tempurpedic mattresses. Their FAQ states that their mattresses must be on a completely solid foundation with no gaps.
You can check it out yourself on their website here.
TIP: Add 0.25 0.5 inch plywood or several layers of cardboard to the top of the pallets and you should be good to go!
The cost for this project is only $78.34 and is the strongest option that I have seen. If you are interested in building this you can read my article that I wrote about how to do this over here.
Best Bed Frame for Fat Person
If you are not in a position to hire a contractor because there aren’t any in your area, or your finances don’t allow it, then a few in-stores that I can recommend based on my research.
Yes, I am bored out of my mind while stuck in Thailand during the pandemic. It is too hot to do anything physical and I watched about every movie and show I could find!
They only care about lining their pockets with money, not offering sound advice.
They claim a 2,400 lb capacity, but it is only 250 lbs for Twin, Narrow Twin, and Twin XL and 500 lbs for Queen, King, and California King.
Wow, I got a little off track there. Ok, a few decent ones lists below that may meet your needs.
Recommended Heavy Duty Box Spring Frame
Recommended Platform Foundation
The Olee Sleep 14 Inch Heavy Duty Steel Slat platform foundation has a 1,200 lb rating and after reading many of the 5,000+ reviews and almost 1,000 questions and answers I am sick of this product haha.
But it seems as though this is one of the best bed frames for a fat person and you can check out the reviews for yourself to confirm my recommendation on Amazon here.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to read feedback from the owners. I have never owned this one, but it seems solid based on my research.
