Mattress toppers are designed for the purpose of being placed over your existing mattress to improve its overall support by either increasing firmness or increasing softness. If you feel that your existing mattress is too firm, for example, you can purchase a memory foam mattress topper and have it placed on top of your mattress to add an extra layer that will increase softness and comfort while maintaining support. Mattress toppers are sold in many different sizes and are available in a broad range of materials. If you would like to buy a mattress topper for your bed, mattress-toppers.org will provide buying guides and reviews of some of the best mattress toppers on the market to help you.
What kind of mattress toppers are out there and which one should I buy?
Naturally, this is the most common question floating around inside the head of the first-time buyer. Finding the topper that is most appropriate for your current mattress can take a reasonable amount of time. One way to figure out the type that would suit you best is to know the different materials that mattress toppers are made from. Once you know what feels the most comfortable and what provides you with the best mattress support, finding a good mattress topper will be much easier. Below is an overview of the different materials mattress pads and toppers are made from.
- Latex mattress toppers - Latex is an elastic, rubbery material that can be either 100% natural organic latex or synthetic latex. The feel of this material is both soft and bouncy, so if you are looking for a mattress pad that offers a little bit of spring, latex is right for you. Latex mattress toppers can be sold with varying degrees of thickness, but the average thickness for a typical latex topper will range between 1 inch and 4 inches.
- Memory foam mattress toppers - Memory foam is the current rage within the modern mattress market, and this extensive popularity is not without a good reason behind it. Memory foam is a special type of foam that contours according to the weight of your body; hence the term "memory foam" This means that the more a specific body part weighs, the more it will "sink" into the foam. In general, memory foam will absorb weight primarily from pressure points or heavier body areas. One of the only problems with memory foam is that if the density is too low then it will sink in a little too much, and this can contribute to an achy back after a night of sleep. To solve this problem, stick to medium or high density memory foam and a thicker mattress topper if you intend to place it over a soft mattress. If your mattress is already quite firm and you feel like you could use a little extra softness, then a lower density memory foam mattress topper should work effectively. If you are looking for a good memory foam topper, you will find that the major memory foam mattress manufacturers like Tempurpedic, Bodipedic, and Night Therapy also design a range of mattress toppers along with their main mattress lines.
- Air-filled mattress toppers - These mattress toppers have air chambers that can have air pumped into them manually via an external pump. The benefits of this sort of topper are in its adjustable nature. By removing air you can increase softness and by adding air you can increase firmness.
- Regular foam mattress toppers - These toppers are among the cheapest that can be found on the market. The yellow foam material on the inside of the topper is extremely soft, making this type of topper a good choice for very firm innerspring mattresses. Choose one of these if you are on a limited budget and would prefer to spend the bare minimum on a topper.
Finding a good deal
You should consider higher range toppers if you are looking for better quality. If you are interested in the cheapest options available, you should go for air-filled mattress toppers or yellow foam mattress toppers. Or, you could alternatively purchase a cheaper memory foam topper; although you should recognize that cheaper memory foam is typically only available in very low densities.
Other uses for mattress toppers
Aside from improving the support or comfort of your mattress, mattress toppers can serve other handy purposes. For example, a thin memory foam mattress topper with a low density can be easily rolled up and stored in a space-efficient fashion, making it great for outdoor use while traveling or camping. Also, purchasing a topper is a great way to sample a new material like latex or memory foam if you are unfamiliar with them. Spending a few nights on a topper designed with an unfamiliar material can give you a clear idea of whether or not you should consider exchanging your current mattress for a new one, and it is much cheaper to buy a topper than to purchase a brand-new mattress.