Adjustable Bed and Memory Foam Topper

[phoenix]

Hi Huckleberry,

I’m sorry to hear that your mattress isn’t working out for you.

I don’t know all the reasons that you did a layer exchange or the “symptoms” you were experiencing and I also only have limited information about your body type or sleeping style (other than what is in your previous topic here) and I also don’t have any specific reference points for mattresses that you have done well with in the past or whether you believe your current mattress is too soft or too firm so I really can’t make any meaningful comments but if the only reason for the exchange was the “springiness” of the latex then based on your lighter body type and your side sleeping your exchange may have been a little premature because based on “averages” you seem to have made an exchange that put you in a firmness range that would be outside the range of most people that are similar to you and would have higher odds of being too firm for you. I also don’t know if a memory foam topper would be the best choice because it would be significantly less “springy” than even soft latex. There is more about the general differences between memory foam and latex in post #6 here.

There is also more information in post #2 here about the more common symptoms that people may experience on a mattress and some of the more likely reasons for them that may be helpful in deciding on the type of changes that would work best for you.

With a component latex mattress you would also have the option of either adding a topper or exchanging your medium comfort layer with a softer layer (using the type of material that you prefer) because again … based on “averages” … it’s likely that you would do better with softer comfort layers. I know that SleepEZ also has a 3" layer of 5.5 lb memory foam that may be worth talking with them about as well.

In addition to that, I was wondering if a memory foam topper will even work with an adjustable bed given the different bending zones. I know it will be flexible, but since it is separate from the rest of the mattress, will it bend in conjunction with the mattress well enough?

It would be fine in terms of contouring to the base and the mattress yes.

Also, I am looking to purchase one of Costco’s adjustable beds. They have the Sleep Science and the S-Cape, the latter being $200 more. I’m seeing a weight rating of 450 lbs on the S-Cape, but can’t find one on the Sleep Science. Assuming the sleep science is the same since 450 lbs seems to be the lower limit on most of these adjustable beds, is there anything gained by the S-Cape or which of the two would you recommend?

I don’t know any specifics about the Sleep Science adjustable base other than what they have on their website so you may need to call them and find out any additional information you need. There is more about choosing an adjustable bed in post #3 here and the adjustable bed thread that it links to but I would choose an adjustable bed based on “features vs price” comparisons. The Sleep Science appears to be good value but I would also check to see if it as a wall hugger feature and if it doesn’t then it would be closer to the price range of other adjustables that don’t have this feature.

And finally, what would you look for when purchasing a memory foam topper in terms of specifications?

Post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to have some suggestions that can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point to choose a topper that has the best chance of success and also includes a link to some of the better sources I’m aware of as well but there will always be some uncertainty and possibly trial and error involved in choosing a topper that is the best match for you in combination with a specific mattress. This can be particularly true in the case of memory foam because the only two reliable specifications (thickness and density) may not tell you much about the properties of a particular memory foam because any density of memory foam can be firmer or softer and have a wide range of different properties (see post #9 here and post #8 here) although in very general terms lower density memory foams (with some exceptions) will tend to be softer than higher density memory foams. Some toppers will also list the ILD but this is not a reliable measure of softness because memory foam can also change it’s firmness level in response to changing humidity, temperature, and the length of time it is continuously compressed and its temperature sensitivity and response time can also affect how firm it feels.

When you are choosing a topper that you can’t test in person on the specific mattress you will be using it on then a more detailed conversation with the supplier that sells it along with their return or exchange policies may be more important considerations than the specifications of the topper itself (outside of density and thickness) and can lower the risk of making a topper choice that doesn’t work out as well as you hoped for.

Phoenix