I purchased the pacbed original gel memory foam mattress from bedinabox.com about 5 months ago. It was a bit of an impulse buy as I was having major neck issues and thought my bed (8 yr pillow top) was the cause of it. I totally fell for all of the rave reviews and the results on sleeplikethedead.com. Initially it seemed alrightā¦ much firmer than what I was used to and the minor aches I had I chucked it up to my body becoming āalignedā. After 5 months and still waking up with back pain and major stiffness, I decided to scour the Internet. Man, I wish I found your site earlier and even more so wished I realized just a month ago I was still within my return warranty, (ugh!). Putting my idiocy aside, I was wondering what you thought my best options were. Iām just under 5ā2" and 113 lbs - back sleeper, although with this bed Iām forced to go on my side in the middle of the night to alleviate the stiffness. Iām assuming itās still in great condition, (despite my feeling like Iām sinking in a bit), so would a mattress topper help in this situation? I was thinking a latex might work but I tried one in a store today and it did not feel any better, despite me trying a full latex mattress and loving it. I guess I thought if a latex mattress felt that awesome, a latex topper on my memory foam mattress would do the trick. I did try a 3" memory foam topper that felt great - much softer, which I think is what I need but I know you mentioned that 3" is the max as it could affect support. Seeing as Iām pretty petite, would a 3" be too much? Iām also concerned about having that sinking, āI canāt moveā feeling memory foams seem to give. Not to mention that topper costs $400 (almost the cost of the mattress!) and I know latex can run even higher. Knowing how crappy this mattress is, should I even attempt to fix it with a topper? or should I call it a lost and start over?
Although your mattress will already be past itās break in period ā¦ if your mattress is too firm there there are some suggestions in post #2 here that may be helpful.
If your mattress is still in good condition and there are no soft spots or impressions on the sleeping surface (which I would assume there arenāt because your mattress is still fairly new) then a topper can be a good way to add some additional softness and pressure relief to your mattress.
Post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point to choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the best chance of success.
I would also keep in mind that the mattress under a topper will also have an effect on how the topper feels so a topper that works well on one mattress when you test it in the store may not work as well on a different mattress that is either softer or firmer or uses different materials.
I would also make sure you are comfortable with the return or exchange options you have (many toppers donāt allow returns or exchanges at all) because only your own sleeping experience will be able to confirm whether a mattress/topper combination is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).
Thank you so much for the info. I read a bunch of the other threads as well and am completely overwhelmed. What would probably be the best is for me to go to a brick and mortar to check out various toppers. Do you have any suggestions for places in Los Angeles? Iām specifically in Studio City but can travel throughout the LA area.
I also saw this link: Amazon.com
for a pretty affordable latex topper. What are your thoughts?
The better options or possibilities Iām aware of in the Los Angeles region are listed in post #2 here but Iām not sure which of them carry toppers so I would check their websites and/or call first to make sure that they carry the type of toppers that you are interested in testing before you go there.
I would also keep in mind that the mattress under a topper will also make a difference in how the combination feels for you so while local testing can help you decide on the types of materials you tend to prefer and can give you some sense of different firmness levels ā¦ when you canāt test the specific combination in person then the return or exchange policies would likely become a more important factor in your purchase so if you purchase a topper that doesnāt work out as well as you hoped for that you still have additioinal options remaining.
The listing says that the topper is 100% natural Dunlop latex which is a high quality and durable material. If it really is 4.75 lbs density then it would almost certainly be firmer than the 16 - 18 ILD they have listed which would generally be considered to be soft (it would more likely be in the mid/high 20ās). You can see some examples of approximate firmness levels and ILDās for different densities of 100% natural Dunlop latex in post #2 here.
The 2" thickness seems reasonable but this may be firmer than you expect (if the density is correct) particularly with your lower body weight.
If you did decide to try this I would make sure that you are clear about their return policy and any costs involved so that you are comfortable with the risk in making any topper purchase where you canāt test the combination in person before you buy it.
There is also more about how Dunlop latex feels compared to Talalay latex in post #7 here.
Knowing how the pacbed isā¦ What are your thoughts on using fabric type pads? Could this be a better solution than mf or latex? Here is another one: Amazon.com
You can read a little more about fiberbeds or down alternative mattress pads (both of which use polyester fibers) in post #2 here and post #10 here.
They are more of a āfeelā item than foam toppers and provide pressure relief that is more āpoint specificā and are also less resilient and supportive than foam.
They are also more breathable than foam although they donāt regulate temperature as well as natural fibers such as wool.
Ok I should probably have mentioned that for the past several nights Iāve added my own makeshift topper to my pacbed mattress. I folded 2 comforters (seperately) lengthwise and layered them on my side of the bed, effectively giving me 4 layers of softness. It has actually helped a lot and I donāt wake up with pain anymore. Stiffness has also been greatly reduced which is awesome. Thatās why I thought maybe I should look into those types of pads. I know youāve mentioned pacbedās low quality/durability foam so Iāve already got the idea that this thing probably wonāt last very long but what are the effects on the body? Am I wrong to think that its low quality only has something to do with how long it lasts? Or is it also a matter of it not supporting me correctly as far as alignment? If thatās the case, I would think a foam or latex topper would be the choice to make so I know Iām getting the proper support in addition to comfort. If the pacbed sucks just because it wonāt last long, but still gives me the support I need, then I would think one of the fiber pads would be best. Sorry if Iām not seeing the obvious here
Your comforters would be different from the mattress pads that you linked which would have a denser polyester fill than the comforters and would also have a tighter quilting pattern and would be more resilient than the comforters but your experience certainly increases the likelihood that either one of them would make a good choice (although I would still make sure that there is a good return option just in case itās not).
You canāt āfeelā the quality of the materials in a mattress because lower quality/density and less durable memory foam can feel the same or very similar to higher quality and more durable memory foam depending on itās formulation ā¦ it just doesnāt last as long before the foam softens or breaks down and loses the comfort and/or support which was the reason you purchased it in the first place. Lower quality materials can be just as firm or soft or just as supportive and comfortable as higher quality materials ā¦ they just wonāt maintain their comfort and/or support for as long. There is more about the different properties that can be chemically formulated into the many different types of memory foam (regardless of density) in post #9 here and there is also more about the many variables that can affect the durability and useful life of a mattress relative to each person in post #4 here.
I just wanted to give an update for anyone who is in my predicamentā¦ I ended up getting a fantastic mattress cover. You can find it here:
It made a HUGE difference in comfort and itās basically all I needed. Iāve been using it for a couple of months now and itās still great. I also spoiled myself with some bamboo sheets and itās like the icing on the cake!
