FOAM MATTRESS TOPPER - Selecting the right mattress topper for you

Since most people who buy a mattress topper do so in order to supplement some property or sleeping characteristic of an existing mattress, it is important to decide what your topper is required for.

In most instances this can be done by asking yourself a few questions and using the answers to determine exactly what kind of topper will best suit your needs.

The answers to the questions below should help you in deciding what type and price range of topper you require.

Does your mattress feel too hard, too soft or just right?

If your mattress feels too hard, then having a deep (thick) topper made of any compressible material will introduce some extra softness and bounce. The thicker the better, but make sure that you do not opt for a very high density memory foam which will not change things.

If your mattress is too soft, then you can firm it up a little by adding a high density foam, but remember that your base (i.e. the mattress) will still be soft and flexible.

If the softness of your mattress feels OK, then you are not looking for a topper that will change the springiness of your bed. The chances are you are wanting to supplement your bed with some other feature.

Do you feel too warm or too cold in bed?

The vast majority of people will have a preference for feeling slightly cold or slightly warm rather than the other way around. When this is the case you can actually use a mattress topper to reverse that characteristic.

If you tend to feel slightly too cool in bed, then a memory foam mattress (which tends to hold and use body heat) will address this feel.

If you are one of those people who would rather feel cool rather than warm (i.e. you tend to feel slightly too warm), then a Latex foam based topper is know for having a cool feel.

Most other foams are neutral, organic wool tends to sleep warm, but some memory foams (where the material is in a shredded form) can also sleep cool.

Do you want a flat feeling bed, or do you want the bed to mould itself around you?

If you want a mattress that feels as if it shapes and moulds itself to the contours of your body then adding a memory foam or Latex foam topper of at least 2 inches in thickness can help. The thicker the better and the higher the quality of the foam the better.

If you want to rely on the existing feel of the mattress then use standard foam, organic wool or another material.

Do you want a therapy?

If you want to benefit from a therapy, e.g. magnetic, ceramic etc, you will need a topper that contains, e.g. magnets, and that also has sufficient thickness and cushioning so that the therapy devices cannot be felt.

Do you want the topper to be a protector?

If you want your topper to double as a mattress protector you must make sure that it has a waterproof membrane built into its construction. This will not be the case with the majority of mattress toppers.

Do you want the topper to restore a failing mattress?

A topper can effectively change the feel and sleeping properties of a number of different mattress types, however it cannot make a failing mattress feel OK, or disguise lumps, bumps, broken springs or deflections. When this is the case you need to buy a new mattress.