I guess what I’m really asking is if the use of a 2-inch thick memory foam mattress topper effectively extends the life of a mattress. 
The (spring) mattress itself doesn’t appear to be in bad shape.
Hi Curious1,
Yes it will … but how much it will extend it depends on the type and firmness of the topper and on the quality and durability of the materials in your mattress.
Your mattress is quite old so it wouldn’t surprise me if it had also softened under the heavier parts of your body or developed impressions even with a topper but if your mattress doesn’t have any soft spots or visible impressions across the sleeping surface and is still in good condition and the only issue is that it’s too firm by itself then it would generally be fine to just replace the topper.
If you do decide to just replace the topper … some of the better online sources for toppers I’m aware of listed in the component post here.
Phoenix
[quote=“Curious1” post=45533]I guess what I’m really asking is if the use of a 2-inch thick memory foam mattress topper effectively extends the life of a mattress.
The (spring) mattress itself doesn’t appear to be in bad shape.[/quote]
When you take the topper off, does the spring mattress itself have any depressions? I would even try lying on the spring mattress itself, just to see if it sinks in at all. If all seems well, then try a topper of similar density as your old one.
I have the same thing going on with a poorly designed latex mattress. The bottom 6" support core is fine, but the latex topper, which is 3" of latex, with 1" or 2" of Dacron on top of that, all in a sealed cover, has broken down. I purchased this mattress 11 years ago, before I was as educated about latex as I am now. I did try a soft (ILD19) latex topper, on top of the 6" core, but I sank down too far, hitting the firmer support core. I purchased the topper on Amazon, knowing they had a good return policy, but it was still a pain shipping it back.
Now I’m trying to decide if I want to try a medium latex topper, or just bag it, and buy a new mattress.
Thanks to the recommended dealers on this great site, I contacted Sleep EZ, and they offered me what seems to be the perfect solution. I can purchase one of their Medium ILD latex toppers to try on my existing mattress, and if it doesn’t work out, and can keep that layer, and then order the Organic Latex Mattress 13000, minus the cost of the layer I just purchased.
Hi gme109,
I would also make sure that it’s the same type of material and a similar thickness and firmness as well. With polyfoam and memory foam, density isn’t directly related to firmness and any density of polyfoam and memory foam can be made in a wide range of firmness levels. With latex, density is more directly related to firmness as long as you are comparing the same type and blend of latex.
Phoenix
Thanks, everyone. This forum is just amazing. I can’t get over how informed everyone is here. It’s almost intimidating, lol.
Phoenix, thanks so much for all of that. I’m actually based in Canada (Montreal, to be specific), so I can’t really buy from the outlets you recommended, unfortunately. Are there any Montreal-based outlets you particularly like?
As for the state of my current mattress, I’ve inspected it closely and, to my amazement, there’s no sign of indentation of wear outside of superficial discolouration from the topper. It appears that the topper really did protect it from wear over all these years!
Of course, the moment I’m looking at spending $350+ on a quality queen-sized topper, it’s hard not to go down the rabbit hole of simply getting a new mattress altogether (my old one is a pillowtop Posturepedic, nothing special, but paired with the memory foam topper, it’s been very comfortable). I’d love to get a full memory foam mattress, but the widely reported issues of heat worry me, as even with just the topper, I do find I can sometimes sleep a little hot. A fully memory foam mattress would likely be unpleasant, even if it had a gel component, from what I understand.
Hi Curious1,
That’s good news
The better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Montreal area are listed in post #276 here. You are fortunate to have a large number of factory direct manufacturers in the area which are usually among the best sources of good quality and value mattresses and toppers.
The tutorial post also includes this link to a list of some of the better online sources I’m aware of that ship mattresses and/or toppers across Canada.
Phoenix