Anybody have experience - good or bad - with memory foam mattress toppers?

[FakeNoose]

Last edited Wed May 26, 2021, 02:45 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm seriously considering buying a memory foam mattress topper, it's something that goes on top of your regular firm (or extra firm) mattress that gives a soft comfort layer.

The foam topper that I have now is NOT memory foam, and it was kind of cheap when I bought it 10 years ago. But it's time to replace it now, and I'd like to get something a little better.

The one I'm looking at - but I have no way to try it out - is the new "cooling" gel one that claims to have solved the problem of the foam toppers trapping body heat. These new ones are supposed to keep you cool in the warm summer months. (Not usually an issue for me, but ...)

I have questions:
1) Is it comfortable and sturdy enough to justify the $100+ price tag?
2) Is there any substantial difference between the 2", 3", or 4" thick memory foam?
3) Any sore-back or sore-neck issues from sleeping on one of these?

Thanks for helping me decide!

[Ocelot II]

1. I have one, I think it's 3."

It softens up a tired old mattress, but I find myself flopping about like a gaffed carp when I try to turn over because it sort of absorbs me. Still, it improves my sagging mattress by a lot.

[FakeNoose]

11. Good to know

Thank you

[pandr32]

2. We have them on our beds

You need to go for firmer because they soften over time and also get extra deep pocket fitted sheets or the sheet will keep popping off. To keep the topper from sliding around (if there are no corner straps) use a carpet gripper mesh for bare floors.
You will love the topper. We find 3 inches to be best.

[FakeNoose]

9. Thanks this is helpful

I'm probably going to get the 2" or 3" memory foam. I do have the deep pocket sheets that I've been buying for a while. Thanks for suggesting the straps too.

[pandr32]

22. You are welcome

[Kali]

3. just get a 8 or 10 inch foam mattress and be done with it

[FakeNoose]

7. Well I don't need that

I have an extra firm mattress that's still in good shape. I don't want to replace it, just have a "thin" foam layer on top of it.

[Effete Snob]

4. Mine is now being treated for traumatic memories

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

37. Don't get the ones that talk. They'll blab your memories to anyone who asks. nt

[nocoincidences]

5. Both of my housemates have memory foam.

I hate it because it sucks you in, there is no resistance, and flopping around is a very accurate way to describe any attempt to move around, or turn over. If you want to fight with your bed, memory foam will do it!

YMMV, of course.

Surfaces that offer no resistance creep me out.

[FakeNoose]

14. When the topper is laying over an extra firm mattress

... then it doesn't do that. It's just when you have the foam with no mattress underneath it, there's too much give, and I don't find that comfortable at all.

These thin layers of foam aren't too "spongey" and it's the firm mattress that really supports your weight and movement.

[sheshe2]

6. My niece bought...

Amazon basics cooling gel infused memory foam topper 2 inch. It’s made in the US with US certified foam. It was $79.

She loves it.

Be careful buying one that’s too thick and your bottom sheet won’t fit.

[FakeNoose]

8. That's the one I'm looking at too

... but I don't know which thickness to get. I know what you mean about the sheets, I've been buying the "deep pocket" sheets for a while now, so I think I'm OK.

Thanks!

[sheshe2]

13. A deep pocket sheets runs about 17 inches.

You should be OK.

I was going to buy one but at this point my mattress is about 20 years old. I just need to toss it and get a whole new mattress and box spring.

Good luck 👍

[SWBTATTReg]

24. I can suggest something if you're concerned w/ what thickness you should get, if

possible, get a plywood board or something similar, roughly proportional to your body size (or sleep on the floor) and see how you feel...if very uncomfortable, then place a blanket or a sheet of space age insulation on (body sized) the floor and then lay on. Repeat the process (add another blanket/etc.) until you find a combination that suits you and your back, that you have no discomfort, etc.

When my back went out the first time many years ago, I initially was paralyzed / couldn't move, and then movement slowly crept back in. I slept for quite a while on a wood board, it was the only way I could get comfortable. Then I started sleeping on a very firm couch, and continued exploring which choice worked best for my back.

I then started working my way to the right thickness/materials/etc. to use in my bedding. Experiment. Something will work right for you. Now I sleep on a topper that I mentioned earlier, and rotate religiously. Sometimes I do have to sleep on the floor but thank goodness, not very often. As you probably already know, your back and neck will tell you what works.

I also use a heating pad religiously too, for my back. Usually a low setting, it seems to loosen the back muscles, relax them. The point being that (1) you're not doping yourself up or using massive pain pills (2) this keeps your back and/or neck muscles from cramping, which if cramping occurs, then you do need to perhaps take something if you can, or get up and move around, stop the cramping, otherwise it'll cause other muscle groups to cramp too, in short, making things worse.

Again, good luck!

[FakeNoose]

28. Great suggestions, thanks

I have an extra firm mattress that is really too hard. That's why I'm hoping to find a cushion of some kind to lay over it. The memory foam may be the right thing, but it's hard to know when I can't go to a store and take it for a test ride.

I hope your back problems have subsided, and it sounds like you've been dealing with this for a long time. I guess I've been lucky, other than a sore knee that flares up occasionally, I've been injury-free for a lot of years.

[SWBTATTReg]

30. Well, they say that if you have a back injury, you'll always suffer from it, not as bad as the

initial time the back goes out, but sometimes this isn't true either. Sometimes it can go really out of whack. But you get used to it (me, since mid-1980s).

My SO has cortisone shots too for their back, but these shots are temporary too, the body absorbs it and thus, the injection will work only for a limited period of time. I didn't want to have surgery, and I had all kinds of different surgeries recommended (you would be amazing at how many different ones there are)...I ran away from these, didn't want (ruptured disc).

Go w/ the flow, and deal with it a day at a time. You may go for weeks, months, etc. Mine seems to act up towards the tail end of winters. I don't why, perhaps the cold damp weather finally sinks in.

The walking seems to really help me a lot when I was able to. The big thing is to stop the cramping as soon as it starts (if you have). Don't let the cramping get out of control, and if you got to take some ibupropen/advil/etc., do so if you can, but keep very minimal. You don't want to become dependent on this, just to get up out of bed, etc. (I was popping six of them at a time just to get up out of bed, never again!).

And thank you for wishing me the best. I do appreciate it, and I hope that this little bit of advice will help you some. Take care of yourself!

[July]

38. Featherbed?

We have them in two bedrooms, and they do make a difference. Just remember to get one that’s baffled or you’ll be floundering in a puffy sea of down or synthetic fill.

[FakeNoose]

46. Yes my down featherbed is an old standby

For 10 months of the year I sleep under it - using it as a warm comforter. It's like sleeping inside a cloud.

For the hot months of July and August I sleep on top of it. It's soft and comfortable and far cooler during summer. However I may do something different this year if I decide on the memory foam topper. I'll probably just store my featherbed in a closet for the summer and let it rest.

[moonscape]

41. Pay attention to the density of the foam as that's

what will make the most difference. A 3” one is the sweet spot for me, and on the denser side.

[SheltieLover]

10. I love mine!

Use the 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

I 1st got it when hip bursitis reared its ugly head.

Invaluable for this condition!

[FakeNoose]

12. Good suggestion for BBAB

I know they have something that can be ordered off their website. But maybe they have it on display at the store? I should look into it.

Thanks friend!

[SheltieLover]

15. They have them in stores

I would personally go with 3" but everyone is different.

[FakeNoose]

17. Their price is higher

... but the 20% discount coupon would make a big difference.

I get their postcards a few times a year, so I should look for one of those.

[SheltieLover]

25. I've got about 10 of them.

Dunno how to post here but if you will use coupon I'll do my best to get it done. 👍

[SheltieLover]

26. There are different grades / densities of mem foam

As with most things, it's not all created equal.

[FakeNoose]

27. Yes I'm seeing that on several websites

Not hawk any particular retailer, but in the past few hours I've looked at Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, Target, and a few others.

There are a lot of different brands, features, thicknesses, materials, it's a lot of information. Impossible to do a price-comparison, and I guess that's the whole point.

[SheltieLover]

29. I think it might have been developed for NASA?

Learn the grading / certification system to know what you are buying.

It was 2007 when i bought mine.

[SheltieLover]

16. I also purchased 1 for my 80 y/o mom

3". She loved it.

[SWBTATTReg]

18. Well, if you get, make sure that you rotate the foam on a regular basis...my back is bad too, and

I've noticed that my topper does get mashed down after several months in one position, so now I rotate on a regular basis, flip over, etc. and it doesn't get mashed in just one place by your body (after a while, your body seems to leave a permanent mashed in spot). This has really helped me. Of course all toppers do have a limited life.

Best wishes. Oh, by the way, if it's too thin, it's not going to really work very well. It needs to be thick enough to provide the support you want/need. I'm not really sure how you would go about 'testing' different thicknesses unless the place you're buying the toppers from have a trial period, trial it out, immediately take it back if it doesn't work, etc. And a good topper (with pillow(s) is worth the money).

No neck issues, but make sure you got the equivalent pillows too, to support your head/neck adequately too, otherwise, you are kind of doing it to yourself the distorting of your body with the different sizing of the topper/and pillow(s). This is where I have had neck issues (the 'crooked neck' issue when you wake up), because my body is out of whack w/ the pillow(s) and the topper.

Again, good luck.

[FakeNoose]

20. Great suggestions

Thanks friend!

[mitch96]

19. For me, in a word... HOT. comfort was ok but the heat just turned me off. YMMV, nt

[FakeNoose]

21. That's what I understand, but there's a new version

... of "cooling" gel that claims to have solved the problem. That's the one I'm looking at buying from a major online retailer that gets mentioned a lot on DU.

I appreciate your response. Thanks!

[Phoenix61]

23. I loved mine. I got it at Kohl's when it was 50% off and had a 30% off coupon.

Eventually gave to a friend when I got a new mattress with a topper.

[beaglelover]

31. We bought one about 6 months ago for our CA King bed.

It's also one of the 'cool' ones. I think we paid about $400 for it. We both like it and do seem to sleep more soundly.

We got it from plushbeds.com.

[Donkees]

32. Highly recommend the natural latex mattress toppers (GOLS Certified Organic)

They have a more supportive 'bounce' than the 'sinking' quality of foam.

[FakeNoose]

33. Cool! I'll definitely look for these

Thanks for the tip.

[lindysalsagal]

34. Get the 3 inch. Heaven in earth.

[RobinA]

35. My Sister

and her husband had one and they hated it for the reason mentioned above. They felt like they couldn't move and had to climb out of it. I don't know anything else about it. I suspect it's one of those YMMV situations.

[FakeNoose]

36. Thanks, I need to hear from people who've had bad experiences too

I still haven't decided so I appreciate your post.

I have a fluffy down featherbed that I've been using as a comforter for a long time. I can actually put that under me as a mattress topper, if I no longer want to use it as a comforter.

Of course if I do that I won't need the memory foam topper, and it will save me $100+, but I'll need to buy a new comforter-type bedspread. Decisions, decisions.

[ProfessorGAC]

39. We Have One

It's integral to the mattress.
It's a typical pocketed coil mattress with a memory foam pillow top on the queen size bed in the biggest of our 3 BRs.
I'm ok with it (I could sleep flat on my back on a slab of marble), but my wife absolutely loves it.
The pillow top on our mattress is 2.5".
I have a mem foam pillow, for 20+ years now. (Same one, no replacement)
I dig it a lot.

[No Vested Interest]

40. I haVe a Temporpedic mattress topper over my 17+yr-old Temporpedic mattress

I have loved the mattress and would have replaced it with another, but saw the topper advertised on QVC and purchased it online from them. I think it's 4", but not sure. The price was on special on QVC.
I'm quite happy with it, considering it's over an older mattress.
The sum of these two may be softer than many would like, but it works for me.

I do love Temporpedic and would only consider that if I were to get a new mattress.
I don't move a lot at night, sleep on my back
I use 2 slightly slanted Temporpedic pillows as old as the original mattress.
Also have sleep apnea and use CPAP.

Hope you find what suits you best.

[FakeNoose]

44. I too have an older mattress and it's still a good one

Extra firm, and they aren't kidding. Too firm to sleep on comfortably, that's why I'm thinking of the memory foam topper.

So I'm replacing a foam thing that's worn out and I'm considering upgrading to the memory foam. I've gotten a lot of good responses here on DU.

Thanks friend!

[No Vested Interest]

47. The time comes when the extra firm is just too much.

Don't know your age - likely middle-aged at least.
I'm what they call "elderly"; Can't sleep on side anymore as shoulders/bones can't take the weight pressure on side for extended periods.

Yes, you'll find good advice among DUers.

[canetoad]

42. Luv my mf overlay

About those gel coolers - bought a good one for the pup; she wouldn't have a bar of it. Tried it under my head on a hot night - yeah, sorta works. No better or worse than a cold towel. IMO, another op to retail dodgy chemicals.

[FakeNoose]

45. In warmer climates I can see how it's a problem

Personally I don't worry so much about staying cool - for most of the year. Other than a few hot nights in July I don't even run my air conditioner.

For most of the year my concern is staying warm. So I have an electric heating mattress pad and a down featherbed to keep warm. If the memory foam traps a little heat, all the better.

[Generic Brad]

43. I've used them to get a few more years out of an old mattress

It did the job. I did not experiment with thickness. I had no aches or soreness as a result of using it.

But it seemed to raise my sleeping temperature a few degrees. It holds the heat. That was OK in winter, but it was uncomfortable when the weather was warm.