Mattress Toppers

Mattress Toppers – Good or Bad?

Can’t I Just Get A Mattress Topper? – Lots of people think that if they just put a topper on their bad mattress it will magically improve their sleep. The reality is that it all depends on what the problem is with your current mattress. For mattresses that are sagging or have significant body impressions, toppers will merely take on the shape of the defective mattress, offering little relief for a support issue.

If you have a super hard mattress or you are experiencing pressure points, a topper may provide relief. I would always encourage you to do your best to purchase the correct mattress and not try and “retrofit” a bad one. But if money is tight, a topper may be a temporary solution.

Types of Toppers – Toppers come in a variety of materials with latex and memory foam being the most requested. Both are excellent at relieving pressure points, with latex being the better if you want it to feel softer.

Memory foam toppers are best if they are a high enough density to give you good support, conformance and fast recovery time. If you compress the foam and after three hours it is still recovering, that is probably not the type of foam you want on your mattress.

Memory foam is also known as viscoelastic foam. It is temperature sensitive, meaning as it warms, it conforms to the shape of the person using the product. A good quality memory foam is very durable. As I like to say, it remembers its shape, not yours.

Latex toppers are best if you like a softer feel. Latex is very resilient and generally cooler than memory foam. It is a natural product made from the sap of rubber trees, although there are synthetic latex products available as well.

There are two latex processes, Talalay and Dunlop. Talalay usually feels much softer, while Dunlop gives you a firmer feel.

Mattress Topper Prices – Like everything else, you get what you pay for when it comes to toppers. The prices run the gamut from under $100 to several hundred for a high quality topper. Here is my advice. Before spending hundreds on a topper, seriously consider purchasing a new mattress. And don’t buy a topper if you are having support or spinal alignment problems with your current mattress. A topper will do little to correct that problem and you will have wasted your money.

I Have A Topper, So Can’t I Just Buy A Cheap Mattress? – I would strongly encourage you to always purchase a mattress that supports you and conforms to your body. I have had people who seriously considered buying a very cheap mattress because they had spent “so much” on their topper. This is backwards. Make sure you always purchase a mattress that will at least support your properly. Toppers are optional.

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