Mattress Toppers: Breathing New Life into Old Beds
Sleep is a necessity and good sleep a luxury. Unfortunately, few of us spend the money needed to get a truly comfortable mattress that gives us that great sleep night after night. Instead, many new mattresses offer mere temporary comfort before succumbing to ruts and indentations– which make our sleeping experience far from luxurious.
Today’s economy makes purchasing a new mattress every few years an unlikely option, so most of us suffer through sleepless nights. Fortunately, our old mattresses can be made to feel new again through the addition of a mattress topper. Mattress toppers come in as many varieties as mattresses allowing anyone to customize their mattress with the feel of a variety of foams, feathers, wool, or synthetic blends.
Why Use a Mattress Topper?
Mattress toppers allow for perfect customization of any bed, and they can breathe life into an old, worn mattress. Toppers offer a quick fix when a mattress feels too hard or too soft. Simply find a topper that offers the preferred feel, and your mattress will seem brand new.
As our mattress ages, the comfort layer becomes packed down and crushed, which causes indentations, ruts, and lumps to form. When a worn comfort layer makes an otherwise usable mattress feel uncomfortable, then a new mattress topper is the most cost effective solution.
For those who require an exceptional mattress– perhaps because of arthritis or other health issues– traveling can seem difficult. But with a quality mattress topper, it is possible to transform any hotel mattress into your ideal mattress, which allows you to get restful sleep even when away from home.
Different Types of Mattress Toppers
Mattress toppers come in a variety of materials, and each material has its own benefits and drawbacks. Foam mattress toppers are the most popular, however many people enjoy the luxurious feel of down and feather filled toppers. Following, you’ll find a quick overview of the mattress toppers available, and the benefits of each particular design.
Foam Mattress Toppers
The least expensive mattress topper is the basic polyurethane foam topper. The cheapest are low density, but these only offer short-term comfort before becoming crushed. Polyurethane foam of higher densities will ultimately form ruts and depressions too, but it will provide comfort for a greater period of time.
A better choice for mattress toppers is visco-elastic polyurethane foam. This is commonly known as memory foam, and it was first developed by NASA for shuttle seating. Memory foam is temperature sensitive, and it molds perfectly to a person’s body after several minutes. It sees use in hospital beds, because its unique properties eliminate pressure points and prevent bed sores.
Tempur-pedic is the first and most famous producer of visco-elastic foam. Since Tempur foam has been around the longest, is it often touted as the highest quality memory foam. For this reason, Tempur-pedic mattress toppers are slightly more expensive than other memory foams. However, their quality standards are very high, so this is a great choice for those who want the highest quality memory foam mattress topper.
Polyurethane foams have a slight chemical odor that bothers some people, and they must also be treated with flame retardants. Fortunately, natural latex rubber foam has many of the same properties as memory foam. This foam is made from the sap of the rubber tree and is a “green” material. It molds to the body, is hypo-allergenic, and is naturally flame resistant, which means it isn’t treated with unhealthy flame retardants. It is among the more expensive of mattress toppers.
Filled Mattress Toppers
Feather and down filled mattress toppers offer a luxurious sleep. These mattress toppers require slightly more maintenance than foam toppers. Body indentations will form in the mattress pad, however a little shaking and fluffing will redistribute the filling. Down-filled toppers feel warm in the winter, and they wick away moisture in warmer weather.
Synthetic blends are a great choice for those who are allergic to down. These share many of the same properties as down-filled toppers, and provide warmth and moisture wicking. Occasional fluffing might be required.
Mattress pads made from high quality cotton or wool provide a soft and warm feel. Although wool is warm, it wicks away moisture in warmer weather. Pre-compressed wool or cotton toppers will last many years before forming ruts or depressions, but non-compressed toppers won’t last as long. Most of these mattress toppers have a firmer feel than the feather filled toppers.
Choosing the right mattress topper is a matter of personal preference and budget. But finding the right mattress topper is an ideal way to transform any worn or inexpensive mattress into a luxurious mattress, which will provide a comfortable sleep for years to come.