Mattresses, especially from reliable brands like Sleepwell, are considered as long-term investments in health for good reasons. Keep in mind that the quality of your mattress will affect the quality of your sleep – the more comfortable and supportive your mattress is, the more restful your sleep can be. But the substantial investment can prevent many people from buying a new mattress.
Fortunately, there are mattress toppers to the rescue! These are thinner materials in comparison with regular mattresses that, when placed over the latter, increases the beds’ level of comfort and support. These are more affordable than standard mattress-and-bed sets so these are cost-efficient solutions.
Wide Range of Choice Similar to Mattresses
Just as with regular mattresses, mattress toppers also come in several varieties. The main difference between the two lies in their thickness but the properties of each type of material are similar in both types of sleeping surface.
A few things to remember about these materials:
- Fiber-filled toppers are the best choice for people with spine-related issues, such as a herniated disc. These provide sufficient cushion for the desired comfort and support while also promoting air circulation and reducing heat buildup.
- Memory foam toppers are expensive. Let’s be honest, you’re not buying a Ferrari here. Interested individuals should carefully consider whether they are willing to spend money on them instead of buying a brand-new, non-memory foam standard mattress. These are arguably the most comfortable type because memory foam responds to body heat and contours to the body’s pressure points.
- This results in more comfort and support than natural latex toppers can provide with the assumption of similar thickness and density. But memory foam can be uncomfortable for some people, too, because of its close-fitting feel when it contours to the body’s shape. For the best sleeping experience, you may want to buy a memory foam topper with density of 4-5 pounds per cubic foot.
- Natural latex foam has a suppler and softer feel, as well as being more breathable than memory foam. People who have low back pain may find it more suitable for their particular needs for cushioned comfort and support.
When choosing the material for a mattress topper, your first consideration should be your own personal needs and wants in it. You have to consider whether you want a softer or firmer material depending on your underlying medical condition, if any.
If you have a herniated disc, for example, your mattress topper should be of medium-firm quality to get the right balance between support for your spine and comfort for your body. While extra-firm toppers can aid in stabilizing your spine, these can also compromise on comfort. But extra-soft toppers aren’t recommended either because the spine will sink, so to speak, into the mattress resulting in an unnatural curvature.
Wise Choice in Mattress Toppers
The following tips apply regardless of your choice in material for your mattress topper. You have to remember, too, that you should avoid compromising your eight hours of sleep for your budget. You can find a mattress topper that can meet your needs in comfort and support on one hand as well as budget on the other hand.
First, choose a topper at least three inches thick. While thinner toppers are available, you’re less likely to enjoy the comfort and support you expected from them, especially for the natural latex types. You may even be able to use a thick mattress topper on top of a futon and transform it into a more comfortable bed.
Second, consider the firmness or softness of your current mattress. You have to balance them out – a soft mattress will benefit from a firmer topper while a firm mattress will be more comfortable from a softer topper. You may have to experiment with the combinations at the store but your effort should be worth the better sleeping experience.
Often, the best way to determine the firmness level of several mattress toppers is to look at their respective density. The general rules in this case are:
- For toppers with density of 2 pounds/cubic foot, the material feels plusher and softer so there’s a more comfortable experience. But the back support will be reduced.
- For toppers with density between 3 and 5 pounds/cubic foot, the material has a medium-firm feel. These are the best choice for people who have a back pain since the topper promotes better spine alignment yet provide soft comfort for the body.
Third, consider your bodyweight since it will affect the topper’s quality. We suggest a 4-inch mattress topper, at least, with a density of 5 pounds/cubic foot, if you’re relatively large and heavy. You may choose a thinner topper if you’re on the slimmer side.
And don’t forget to measure the mattress topper so that it actually covers your current mattress on all sides. You don’t want it too large so that you misjudge your bed’s size and fall off it. You also don’t want it too small that you can use the entire bed since one side isn’t covered by the topper.