Gel Memory Foam Toppers

What advice would you give me. I purchased a good quality gel foam topper, 3" thick and 4 lb. density. I weigh 300 lbs. Topper was very comfortable at first but after sleeping on one side of the bed for about 10 days it seemed to flatten out and loose all softness. I moved around the bed and the same thing kept happening in each location. I then purchased another 2" gel foam topper, 4 lb. density to try to make it softer. That worked for a while, then the same result. I have a message in to the company and am waiting to talk to them. They are a company you recommend and the toppers do seem like very good quality. It would seem to me that 5" of gel memory foam should be able to provide some consistent softness and I just do not understand. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for me? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi smmimp13,

With your higher weight I think that you would be much more likely to “go through” most softer 4 lb memory foam toppers and I would focus on higher density memory foam and possibly firmer memory foam as well if you are committed to using a memory foam topper (even though that may seem counter intuitive to you). 5" of memory foam on top of a mattress (with both of your toppers together) along with any softer layers in the mattress underneath it could also be very risky in terms of alignment and this may be part of the reason for what you are experiencing.

It may also be connected to the mattress you are using under the toppers because if there are any soft spots or impressions in the mattress underneath your topper then a topper will just “follow” any impressions or soft spots underneath it.

I would also check your foundation to make sure that it also isn’t sagging under your mattress topper combination (you can test this by putting your mattress/topper combination on the floor to see if it makes a difference).

Knowing the specifics of the mattress you are using under the topper would also be helpful as well.

If I had to guess based on the very limited information you’ve provided I would guess that your current issues may be more connected to too much softness/thickness in the upper layers of your “sleeping system” than too much firmness.

Post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help you use your actual sleeping experience on your mattress as a reference point and guideline for choosing the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the best chance of success but again if I had to guess I would guess that your comfort layers/toppers are probably too thick/soft for your body type.

Phoenix

The foundation is about 1 year old, is a Simmons Beautyrest Titanium, all I see is metal but believe the foundation to be in like new condition. The mattress was made by a local mattress manufacturer but has a base coli system of some sort and then another layer of individual wrapped small coils, 10000 of them I believe, then has 1" of gel memory foam inside the mattress and the mattress cover is 3/4 padding. The mattress also is about one year old. There are no worn impressions on the mattress. Then I have a 3" topper and a 2" topper, both 4 lb. density gel which I was informed is the same firmness of their regular 5 lb. density memory foam. If I do indeed need a more dense or firm topper can you recommend a good place to purchase one? Tonight I have put a folded up quilt under the sheets and on top of the toppers to see if that will ad softness. I am not looking for a huge amount of softness, just do not want to feel as if I am sleeping on a hard, flat surface. Thanks Again.

Hi smmimp14,

I’m guessing that you may have a Triton foundation (Simmons doesn’t make a “titanium” foundation).

The only way to know what effect your foundation may be having is to use your mattress on the floor to eliminate the possibility that some of what you are experiencing is coming from the foundation.

Even if your mattress doesn’t have any visible impressions it may be too soft for you (or it could have “virtual” impressions which are soft spots in the mattress that aren’t visible) but based on the limited information you provided about your mattress I would still guess that your toppers in combination with the softer layers and components in your mattress (the gel memory foam, the quilting layers, and the microcoils and possibly the base coils as well) are probably too soft for you because it would be very unlikely that 5" of memory foam toppers in combination with the softer layers in your mattress would be too firm for almost anyone. If this is the case then some of the suggestions in post #4 here may be helpful.

The first step though would be to describe the specific symptoms that you are experiencing when you sleep on your mattress by itself (without a topper). There is also more about the more common symptoms that people may experience on a mattress and some of the most likely reasons for them in post #2 here which may also be helpful with the detective work and/or trial and error that may be involved in trying to identify the type of changes that may help with the specific symptoms you are experiencing.

Phoenix

Yes, it is a Triton foundation. When I sleep on the mattress itself it is too firm. I either will force myself to stay on it and if I just can’t fall asleep I will move to my couch to sleep, which hasn’t been good for my couch. If I do fall asleep on the mattress alone then I will wake in the morning with a sore back and it does seem likely that the pain I am feeling in my back is the cause of my waking after 5-6 hours, which is not enough sleep for me. I purchased the toppers to make the bed softer. Now they just feel like a flat hard surface. That is all I can tell you. My question would be where would be a good place to purchase a more dense topper?

Hi smmimp14,

The most likely cause (although not the only cause) cause of a sore lower back in the morning is a mattress that is too soft (in spite of how it may “feel”) and isn’t providing good spinal alignment over the course of the night and if this is the case then adding additional toppers can make things even worse. Good alignment is the most important priority in a mattress.

I would probably test some other possibilities before buying another topper which also may not work for you even if it’s a denser memory foam (which could be softer or firmer than the toppers you already have because memory foam density isn’t a reliable indication of how soft it would be).

It would also be helpful to know how your symptoms change and “how much” they get better or worse with each change you make so that you can use the changes in your experience as a reference point and “pointer” to any additional changes that may be worth trying.

I would also keep in mind that there may be no “good solution” if your mattress isn’t a suitable base layer for the toppers you are trying.

One of the suggestions in the previous post I linked was to try turning your mattress upside down and then trying one or both of your toppers on top of this to see how your symptoms “change” as well and this may also be worth trying to see how it affects your sleeping experience.

Phoenix

Yes, I sent another response last night but have not heard from you. The mattress by itself is too firm, I actually wake up from pain after a few hours and would then transfer to the couch. I am still waiting to hear from manufacturer but wanted to know if you could please refer me to a well made more firm memory foam topper. Were you able to see my last post. Thank You.

It is not just my lower back that is sore, it is my entire back. And I can tell when I am trying to go to sleep that it feels too firm. When I get out of bed my back is sore but after I move around and do stretching exercises it feels better but I still have not slept well.

Hi smmimp14,

If you mean post #5 in the topic then yes I saw it and replied to it (also last night).

A link to the better online sources for toppers I’m aware of were included in two of my previous replies but to save you looking back they are in post #4 here. Each of them will be your best source of guidance about the properties and firmness of the specific toppers they sell.

If your pain or stiffness goes away after stretching then it’s normally an indication of an alignment issue.

Phoenix