Big Fig vs Saatva Mattress

Why Get The Big Fig Mattress — Ordinarily, when we mention Big Fig, the story is simple: buy it if you’re over 300 lbs. But, in a comparison with the Saatva mattress, the answer isn’t as simple since both of them are designed for larger folks. Instead, the main reasons to get Big Fig in this scenario are: price, feel, and firmness. We will cover each of those points below.

If you didn’t already know, the name “Big Fig” is short for “bigger figure” because this is a bed made entirely for larger individuals. It was the original bed online for individuals weighing over 250 lbs.

Big Fig Costs Less Than Saatva HD

Perhaps the biggest reason to buy Big Fig first is that it will cost you less. Big Fig is about $1,000 less and comes with free returns, as compared to Saatva HD. That said, if you’re interested in Saatva Classic, that particular bed will be ~$300 less than Big Fig.

Last we checked, the MSRP for Saatva HD was just over $2,600 for the queen, making it one of the most expensive beds online. Saatva Classic is about $1,500 for the queen, just as an FYI.

Big Fig has an MSRP for the queen of ~$1,700 before any promotions. As you can see, no matter how you slice it, you will save money with Big Fig versus Saatva HD, but Saatva Classic is the most affordable of them all. We will discuss the differences between Saatva Classic and HD in the sections below.

It is important to note that Saatva very rarely offers discounts, but occasionally you will see a sale on their core models. We can’t promise anything, however. You can check Saatva.com for current deals if they are running any at the moment.

Big Fig is no stranger to promotions. In fact, almost every holiday and weekend they run a special on their mattress. You can visit Big Fig’s website for their promotions today, which will likely be in the $100-200 off range.

Mattress Foundation Included

It’s not just that Big Fig is more affordable than Saatva HD. The bed also comes with, by default, a specialized mattress foundation. That means consumers don’t need to shop around to find a foundation that’s compatible with the Big Fig mattress since it’s sort of bundled in already. That said, you can “opt out” of getting the foundation, and that will save you around $100.

Big Fig strongly recommends that you keep the foundation because you need something extra supportive if you are over the 250 lb threshold, especially if there are two individuals on the mattress. They note that you need either a platform bed, bed frame with at least 12 wood slats, or a sturdy foundation—or the floor is always a sturdy option too. The story is similar for Saatva HD, but they do not bundle in the foundation, you’ll be paying more for it.

Firm/Dense Foam Feel

Regardless of your weight, you’ll notice that Big Fig has a fairly generic, firm foam feel. That is not meant to put down this bed. We think there are plenty of upsides to having a classic foam feel, namely, it’s really accommodating. We just point this out because it slightly differentiates Big Fig from Saatva.

When you lay on Big Fig, the only thing that will come to mind is support. There’s definitely some cushioning with the mattress, but more than anything you just feel as though you’re laying on one of the most supportive/durable beds out there.

Let’s go over the design of Big Fig because that will help to explain what it feels like. The bed starts with dense foam, but the primary support layer is a set of pocketed coils. These are 15-gauge coils designed to handle a lot of weight.

On top of the coils are three layer of poly foam and a layer of gel-infused latex foam, which is breathable, durable, and responsive. You’ll notice that we never said memory foam, and that’s true. The Big Fig mattress does not contain any memory foam whatsoever.

The cover of the mattress is also quite interesting. Sure, it’s soft and comfy, but that’s not the main selling point. The cover is actually treated with a ThermoGel technology, which helps to regulate your sleeping temperature.

Overall Firmness Level For Big Fig

Another difference for Big Fig and Saatva HD is that Big Fig is a little firmer. According to our editors and testers, Big Fig is a firm mattress, which translates into about a medium-firm for heavyweight sleepers.

This brings up an important point: softness/firmness is relatively subjective. For a 150 lb sleeper, Big Fig is basically as firm as it gets, but if you weigh north of 250 lbs, it’s going to be closer to a medium-firm.

Put simply, Big Fig is firmer than Saatva HD, so if you’re a strict stomach or back sleeper and you weigh over 300 lbs, you will likely prefer Big Fig.

Why You Should Buy Saatva HD — Saatva is by no means new to selling mattresses, but they’ve only recently begun marketing the Saatva HD mattress. You can think of Saatva HD as a beefed up (or “heavy duty”) version of Saatva Classic, although they have a lot in common. The main reasons to buy Saatva HD are similar to the reasons you might get Big Fig; chiefly, that you weigh over 250 lbs, and want an extra supportive bed. Unique to Saatva HD, though, are the following advantages: it has a luxury pillow top design and comes with free white glove delivery.

As you can see, Saatva HD is clearly designed to be both a luxury mattress and a highly supportive one. In other words, Saatva is expecting certain customers to pay more for luxury even if the concept of the mattress is the same.

Saatva Is A Pillow Top Mattress

While Big Fig is an innerspring mattress with foam comfort layers, Saatva HD is an innerspring bed with a pillow top. Practically speaking, this isn’t necessarily an advantage or disadvantage, but it will change the “feel” of the mattress.

When you lay on Saatva HD, you get a responsive, resilient feel with a little “fluff” mixed in, thanks to the pillow top. It’s a firmer pillow top than on something like Brentwood Oceano, but it still has a really nice, fluffy feel. Based purely on comfort when you lay down, we’d say Saatva HD is the more comfortable mattress between the two.

So far, however, we’ve only discussed the fact that Saatva HD has a pillow top feel, but what about the rest of the mattress? Well, the bed starts with a super dense foam layer on the bottom and then thick-gauge coils that are encased in foam so that you get extra edge support.

On top of the coils, are a few foam layers, including talalay latex foam, which is breathable, responsive, and durable. This layer is one difference between Saatva HD and Saatva Classic. On the Classic mattress, you have memory foam comfort foams, not latex.

Firmness Ratings

If you’re looking at Saatva Classic, there are three firmness levels from which to choose: Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm. With Saatva HD, there is just one firmness level, medium-firm. Put differently, we consider Saatva Classic to be a little softer than Big Fig from the get go. The medium-firm rating means this particular bed is suitable for all sleeping styles.

Between Big Fig and Saatva HD, we are of the mindset that Saatva HD is slightly more ideal for side sleepers. We think both will be ok, but you get a little more pressure relief with Saatva HD, and we could see side sleepers appreciating the extra cushioning.

Final Comments – Who Wins?

In many ways, this is a difficult mattress comparison to go over because of the similarities between Big Fig and Saatva HD. All we can say is that there is a major difference in price and some more subtle differences in terms of feel and firmness.

We give these beds a tie in certain ares, including support, brand reputation, and customer service. As such, here’s a quick overview of the case for each of these beds:

• Big Fig — It’s slightly firmer, it’s a good deal more affordable, and it comes with a mattress foundation.
• Saatva HD — It’s the more luxurious option with a fluffy pillow top, and it’s slightly softer overall.

Hopefully you found this guide helpful. If you need more information on these beds or others, make sure to visit our mattress reviews page. Thanks for visiting the one and only Slumber Yard!