help! memory foam mattress is too soft

Hey guys,
our memory foam bed is too soft! :frowning:

it is high quality mattress, but way too soft for my taste, and we are sinking into grooves.
it is a nice platform bed so i dont think plywood will help.

i’ve been researching latex toppers, and am confused about their numbering system, and how thick we should try, or of there is anything else we can do.

anyone have experience with the firmatop device?

is no one responding bc this is my first post?

Hi bedtoosoft,

Unfortunately there isn’t a completely effective way to “fix” or “firm up” a mattress where the comfort layers are too thick or soft without removing and replacing the materials inside the mattress because a topper will still follow and sink into the softer layers or any soft spots underneath them. Toppers can be an effective way to soften up a mattress that is too firm but are not nearly as effective a way to make a mattress that is too soft any firmer. There are a few suggestions in post #4 here that may be helpful but unfortunately in most cases a firmer topper will only provide a partial or temporary benefit and may introduce other issues as well (such as a sleeping surface that is too firm or that doesn’t contour as well to your body profile).

I don’t have any personal experience with it and there is very little feedback about it other than on the manufacturer’s site but some of the other members here that may have used it will hopefully see your post and share their comments. It would be similar to a mattress protector or sheets that are very tight (often too tight and the source of complaints) which creates a “drum effect” on your sleeping surface which can firm up the sleeping surface but it may also introduce other issues because it may also interfere with pressure relief, contouring, or affect alignment. Their site does indicate that it has a 30 day money back guarantee so if there are no restrictions to the return policy and it is based only on whether you are happy with the effectiveness of the product then there would be little risk in trying it.

Phoenix

so adding a medium firm latex topper wouldn’t add some more support and it would feel just as mushy?

Hi bedtoosoft,

The deeper layers of a mattress are the layers that provide “primary” support (which is what most people mean when they talk about the “support” of a mattress) and the upper layers are the layers that provide pressure relief and “secondary” support and much of the “feel” of a mattress. There is more about the differences between primary support, secondary support, and pressure relief and “feel” in post #4 here and the posts it links to.

In most cases the reason for lower back pain (which is the most common symptom of a mattress that is too soft) is because the comfort layers are already too thick and/or soft and this can “allow” the pelvis to sink down too far before it is “stopped” by the firmer support layers in the mattress and this puts the spine out of alignment. If you add additional thickness on top of the mattress then even if it’s firmer than the layers below it it still wouldn’t correct the fundamental issue of the comfort layers being too thick because you would be adding even more thickness and you would be even farther away from the firmer support layers of the mattress. Adding a topper to “fix” the support of a mattress is always risky because you will end up with the softer layers that were on top of your mattress being even deeper inside the sleeping system and you could make the problem worse.

In some cases though it can be worthwhile trying a latex topper (or other materials as well) on a memory foam mattress that is too soft because a topper can reduce the amount of heat that reaches the memory foam which can reduce the amount it will soften or the time it will take to soften with body heat and this may be “just enough” to make a difference with the support but again these types of changes are always risky and what can work for some people may make things worse for others depending on the specifics of the materials and the design of your mattress.

A latex topper would change the “feel” and the “mushy feeling” of memory foam layers that are too thick and soft and will give you a more “lively” sleeping surface but it may not have “enough” effect on the support of the mattress because the softer layers underneath it will still be compressing to some degree and the latex will still bend into the softer layers underneath them.

The only way to know for certain whether it would make “enough” difference for you would be based on your own sleeping experience and in cases like this where the results are very uncertain then the return policy of any topper you purchase would probably become a more important part of the “value” of your purchase just in case your “real life” results aren’t what you hoped for.

Phoenix

Hi bedtoosoft,

I have to agree with Phoenix here, there is not much to do with a memory foam that is too soft. One client told us that he used a mattress protector (made with a non stretch material) and laced it under the mattress to make it really tight. This created a trampoline like effect over the memory foam, and made him sink less into the mattress…

If this does not work you may need to replace your mattress, I always suggest using a differential construction when choosing a new mattress because it is the easiest way to get the mattress that is just right for you !

good luck :wink: