Good day,
I am in search for an extra firm mattress topper. It is for my mom who has bad chronicle lower back pain (lumbar sciatica). She needs lie on real hard mattress/bed that feel stiff…
I noticed there is extra firm foam topper is the market (such as better sleeper 5" extra firm foam mattress topper) but not sure if the product is firm enough to suit her needs…
Do you have any viable suggestions?
Thank you,
Suli
Hi sw_504main,
It’s very difficult to “firm up” a mattress that is too soft without removing and replacing the layers in the mattress that are too soft and I would keep in mind that if you add a firm topper to a softer mattress or to a mattress that has developed soft spots or visible or virtual impressions that it may not solve your mom’s back issues or any relief may be temporary or partial since the firm topper could still “bend” into or “follow” any softer layers or soft spots and impressions in the mattress underneath it which can still lead to alignment issues although you may have more success with a thicker 5" topper than if your topper was thinner.
There are also some suggestions in post #4 here about mattresses that are too soft or have visible or virtual soft spots or impressions that may be helpful as well.
There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel” that can also provide some useful insights into the reasons for pain and/or discomfort on a mattress.
If you decide to try a topper anyway then some of the better sources for toppers I’m aware of are listed in the topper and component post here.
I’m not personally familiar with the topper you mentioned (which I’m assuming is this one) but the only way to know for certain whether it will be a suitable choice for your mom and whether it will help her in combination with the mattress she is using it on will be based on her actual sleeping experience.
I would also keep in mind that the foam in the topper you are looking at is only 1.44 lb density which isn’t a particularly durable material so even if it works for your mom initially a lower quality/density foam will soften and break down more rapidly than higher quality/density polyfoam toppers that are in the same firmness range. I would use a minimum of 1.8 polyfoam and if your mom is in a heavier than average weight range then a higher density topper yet in the 2 lb range would probably be a good idea as well.
Phoenix
Thank you for your detailed and quick reply. I will try out a few options you mentioned in the article and see if I am successful! Again really appreciate the thorough feedback!
Cheers!
Suli