Hi, The traditional (has springs) mattress I just bought was the perfect softness in the store and when I lay on it (at home) after delivery. I put on the mattress pad and the mattress didn’t feel as soft. Is it my imagination, or can a mattress pad cause a soft mattress to feel more firm? Thank you- Gina
The same thing happens with my tempur pedic. Mattress cover may be designed for that softness. If your pad is well-padded though you can feel a different kind of softness. However, it is probably your perception of softness/firmness and it is not adding real firmness.
Hi Happycat8,
Thanks for replying.
I’m curious if the pad is pulled so tautly over the mattress that it creates a hairbreadth layer of suspension between my body and the soft mattress.
I’ll sleep with it for a bit, then remove the pad to feel if it makes a difference.
I agree it may be my perception but I’m hoping it’s a Princess and the Pea situation… after all, it’s easier removing a pea than it is changing one’s perception! - Have a good day, Gina
Gina - A mattress pad can affect the feel in a couple of ways… one is it can add either some firmness or softness to the perceived surface feel depending on the pad’s relative firmness. Secondly if the pad fits tightly around the mattress it can cause some degree of compression to the comfort materials of the mattress making it have a firmer feel. This may be what you’re feeling. Hope this helps! - Bill
Hi Bill- Thank you for reading/replying to my question.
Yes, helpful in that you mention the tight fit of the pad can compress the comfort materials, thus affecting the feel.
After some time, I’ll try the mattress sans pad and feel if/for a difference.
Thanks again, Bill. Have a good day, Gina
Hi Gina, by pad I assume you mean a mattress cover and not a mattress topper, right? If it is just a pad/cover, you can try to put it loosely on the mattress and lie on it. If you still feel firm then it’s a perception. But I should clarify that perception can be quite real: for example your face can feel sore laying directly on the pad without a pillow (so perception and Princess and Pea are not disjoint concepts). One way to preserve the softness is to try to find specialty mattress cover (e.g. for memory foam type mattresses) that are stretchy and soft too. By the way, if the top layer of your mattress is memory foam then many toppers will make it feel harder because they prevent your body temperature to soften the foam (or it takes quite a bit longer).
@happycat8 - That’s a great point that I hadn’t thought of… that a cover could provide insulation from your body heat transfer which would normally soften a memory foam layer making it feel firmer. Thanks for sharing it!