Improve Comfort Layer of Beautyrest Black Ansleigh Plush for Side Sleeper - Mattress Specs Inside

Hi Phoenix,

My wife and I bought the Beautyrest Black Ansleigh Plush last Summer. We liked it a lot in the store and got a great deal on it from a local retailer (they sold us the almost-new floor model for a steal, but this also meant we could’t exchange it if we didn’t like it - big mistake).

Anyway, I have extremely bony hips and I’m a side sleeper. 5’11", 155 lbs. After a few weeks I realized that this mattress just wasn’t quite soft enough and I was getting hip pain/numbness and turning from side to side a lot throughout the night as a result.

When we bought the mattress, it was not available for sale on us-mattress.com. I only bring them up because I like that they list the full specs of the mattress and the approximate comfort scale score. While they didn’t carry it at the time of purchases, us-mattress now carries the Ansleigh Plush and it turns out they only gave it a 5.5 on a 1-10 comfort scale. I’m guessing I need something more along the lines of a 7-8 as a slide sleeper who is prone to hip pain/numbness. My wife is a combo side & back sleeper.

In an attempt to soften things up, this past Fall, we purchased a Tempurpedic brand 3" topper at Bed Bath & Beyond. It has always seemed a bit TOO FIRM to me (the topper is EXTREMELY heavy and I believe it uses the 5.3lb foam and feels much firmer than other brands of toppers in the store). I still find myself flipping over from side to side a lot throughout the night to try to ward off pain in my sides. In addition to that, I’ve been having a different sort of pain below my hip for the past few days - kind of at the bony spot where your butt meets your leg about 6-8" below the top of your hip bone/joint. I’m actually now wondering if this might be being caused by misalignment from the 3" thick topper.

The full specs of the Ansleigh Plush are below. I’m thinking that I might need both a softer and less thick topper as my next experiment. Based on the specs of the Ansleigh, what do you think my next course of action should be? I’m not opposed to cutting the mattress open to replace foam if I can’t find a decent solution with a topper! Of course, I’d like this to be my last course of action if need be.

Ansleigh Plush (5.5 on the comfort scale)

Quilt - Top of Mattress
1" Gel Touch
1" Plush Comfort Foam

Comfort - Padding Layers
1/2" AirCool Memory Foam
2" Plush Comfort Foam

Correct Back Support System
Coil System: Veriform Advanced Pocketed Coil
1/2" Energy Foam
Coil Gauge: 14.75
Ventilated AirCool Foam Encasement

I also want to point out that the ONLY difference between the Ansleigh Plush (a 5.5 on the comfort scale) and the Brooklyn Plush Pillowtop (which gets an 8 on the comfort scale) is that the Brooklyn has the following in the comfort layer:

Brooklyn Plush Pillowtop (8 on the comfort scale)

1" AirCool Memory Foam With Gel Touch
1" Plush Comfort Foam
2" Plush Comfort Foam

So a total of 4" in the comfort layer of the Brooklyn Plush Pillowtop vs. 2.5" in the Ansleigh Plush. No other differences between these 2 models according to the specs listed on us-mattress. Can I achieve virtually the same feel of the Brooklyn with a softer 1.5-2" memory foam topper (something thinner and softer than the Tempurpedic topper we’re using now)? Or will I have trouble achieving the same feel without cutting the top of the mattress off and putting more foam inside, below the quilting layer?

With the specs of the Ansleigh Plush, what would you try next in order to get the mattress more towards a 7-8 on the comfort scale? I was actually thinking of trying the cheap/soft 1.5" convoluted memory foam topper that they sell at Kohls (open to other suggestions as well). I don’t care about longevity as much. If I have to replace a cheap $50-150 topper once a year, that’s well worth it for a good night’s sleep as far as I’m concerned (I’m fine with a more expensive, longer term solution as well).

Thanks so much!

Hi jkozlow3,

Unfortunately … the softness/firmness of a mattress is very subjective and relative to each person’s body type, sleeping style, and perceptions and the specs you listed for the Beautyrest Black Ansleigh Plush don’t provide any “comfort” specs (or quality specs either for that matter) and even if they did it wouldn’t be possible to guess how it may feel for any specific person. Regardless of this though … the extra 1 1/2" of soft foam in the Brooklyn Plush Pillowtop (assuming that it’s the only difference which isn’t clear because they don’t provide any specifics about the density or ILD of the foams) would certainly account for the extra softness.

Even with this … you won’t be able to add the same extra foam in between the quilt and the comfort layers and if they are added on top of the mattress as a topper it would feel different from using the same materials inside the mattress in the same layering order.

Because of all the complexities and unknowns involved … the best way to choose a topper is based on your own experience on a mattress along with the topper guidelines in post #2 here and in post #8 here.

I’m not quite clear on what you mean here because 6" - 8" below the hip bone would be in the middle of your thigh where there is no joint. Perhaps you mean the distance between the iliac crest which is on top of the pelvis and the actual hip joint which is where your butt meets your leg (see the diagram here). In any case … if the upper layers of your sleeping system are too thick/soft (including your topper) then the hips can certainly be flexing out of their neutral position which can lead to discomfort and pain.

The 5.3 lb memory foam you are using is firmer than some people prefer (especially if they are in a lighter weight range) and would also be firmer than many 4 lb memory foams. It can also vary with temperature, humidity, and the length of time you sleep in one position.

Based on your feedback … it would probably be worth testing a 2" layer of 4 lb memory foam and even though it may not be a duplicate of the Brooklyn Plush … it would probably have reasonable odds of working well for you if your experience indicates that “a little to a fair bit” of extra softness would work well for you.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix.

Please see the image I posted. I drew a small white circle around the area that has been hurting. It’s 6-8" below the main hip bone at it’s widest point (where the waist of my jeans sit). I’m sitting on the couch at the moment and when I push on this tender spot 6-8" below my hip it feels bony. Anyway, this is the area that has been hurting when laying in bed lately and which I suspect is an alignment problem vs. a pressure issue. When my mattress was too firm (before the Tempurpedic topper), I felt pain/numbness directly on my hip where my waistband sits. This new pain is several inches lower however.

Hi jkozlow3,

The place where you drew the circle is right in the area of your hip joint (where your legs are “attached” to your pelvis).

Where the waist of your jeans would be sitting is at the top of your pelvis just above or below the iliac crest (which is the bony part just below the waist). Both the ileac crest and the hips can be pressure points but the hip is an actual joint and can also be out of alignment as well which can stretch ligaments, tendons, or muscles and can also be the source of pain.

Phoenix

Thanks Phoenix.

If I were to attempt mattress surgery to add another 2" of foam to the comfort layer to soften things up a couple of points on the 10-point scale (i.e. from a 5.5 to a 7.5), what do you think would be my best bet?

Some thoughts:

  • 2" of latex in a 19 ILD
  • 2" of latex in a 24 ILD
  • 2" of a cheaper polyfoam (what density and IFD should I be looking at? Perhaps a 2.5-3.0lb HR foam with an IFD around 20?)

Hi jkozlow3,

You wouldn’t need to do mattress surgery to add a couple more inches of foam to a mattress and a topper would probably be a better option for this. Mattress surgery is most useful if you want to remove some of the layers in your mattress because they have softened or broken down and need to be replaced and when there are no other suitable options available to you (see post #4 here). Based on your posts it seems that all you are looking to do is add some additional softness to your mattress which is what a topper is designed to do.

“Softness scales” are too subjective and there are too many variables involved for them to really have any useful meaning unless you have specific reference points of mattresses you (or the person who has put the scale together) have tested. Each manufacturer or person may have a very different idea of the rankings on a scale or where a mattress ranks on any arbitrary scale so I would use the topper guidelines as the basis for your choice.

At your weight and because you are looking for more softness I would probably lean towards the 19 ILD latex (because latex is my personal preference but I would keep in mind it may not be yours).

If cost is a more important issue because of the cost of latex toppers then a good quality polyfoam (probably 1.8 lbs or higher) in a similar ILD or slightly softer (polyfoam tends to be rated a little firmer than latex) would probably make a good choice as well and would be a lower cost way to experiment.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,

I just wanted to provide an update. I picked up a cheap 2" Dream Essentials gel memory foam topper from Walmart a couple of weeks ago. It was an improvement over the Tempurpedic topper but I knew it wasn’t a perfect solution (low 2.5 or 3 lb. density and wasn’t quite as comfortable as I’d like). I mostly picked it up as a stop-gap measure while I researched other options knowing that I could easily return it to Walmart if I didn’t like it. I still felt some of the firmness of the mattress underneath, but it was better than the significantly firmer Tempurpedic topper and better than sleeping on the mattress with no topper at all. Still, I knew I could do better.

I recently ordered a 3" Aerus topper (4lb density) on the Walmart site and have been sleeping on it for a few nights. It’s probably too soon to say this, but I think I found exactly what I was looking for! The 3" 4lb Aerus topper is NOTHING like the 3" Tempurpedic topper. Seriously, they are VERY different products! The Aerus is much more like a traditional PU foam with a little bit of memory. It’s very fast responding. Even after several hours of laying on it, the depression bounces back within a few seconds! With the Tempurpedic topper and the cheap 2" Dream Essentials topper, the depression would take a LONG time to recover. In the case of the Tempurpedic, rolling over was a chore and it was like sleeping in a crater. The Tempurpedic was also extremely heat sensitive and over time I’d sink further and further into it (the foam “creep” I’ve seen you talk about). As a result, I felt like the Tempurpedic was messing up my alignment as my hips would sink in pretty far over time but my shoulders would not.

Interestingly, the Aerus topper has none of these characteristics! It’s very fast responding and does not seem very temperature sensitive at all. Almost no creep and very easy to roll over! Most importantly, it seems to be about the perfect softness for me. It provides better pressure relief than the denser Tempurpedic topper, is not overly soft, and still provides adequate support (I know you’ve said memory foam doesn’t really provide support, but I still feel supported and I don’t sink in too deeply). My mattress feels more like a traditional plush pillow top mattress now - probably because the Aerus foam seems to have a lot more characteristics of traditional PU foam vs. slower response and highly temperature sensitive memory foams like the Tempurpedic. It feels like I’m sleeping “on” my mattress more than it feels like I’m sleeping “in” it with the Aerus foam, which was a welcome surprise.

I should also mention that the Aerus topper I ordered from Walmart came with a cover and that I’m using it, so my comments are for the topper + cover combination. The website said it was a zippered sateen cover (which is incorrect), but what they are including now is basically a traditional quilted poly-fill mattress pad (cotton top) with a skirt. The tag says the pad is made by Foamex/FXI just like the Aerus foam. The cover is actually QUITE nice and is on par with mattress pads that cost well over $50 at retail stores. It has a minimal amount of poly-fill (not overstuffed like many mattress pads) so that you can easily feel the memory foam underneath. I’m sure that the pad helps ensure that the topper sleeps a little cooler as well by helping wick moisture via the polyfill and also by creating a barrier between the foam and your sheets. All in all, the combo seems perfect!

Anyway, I’m hoping that I’m still enjoying the Aerus topper after a few more weeks, but as of right now, I think I’m going to be very happy! I have no idea how long the topper will last before it starts to break down, but I’d have no problem replacing the topper every year or two if need be to maintain this level of comfort - especially at the price Walmart charges!

The only drawback to the Aerus foam I received was that it had a VERY strong odor. Much worse than the Tempurpedic or Dream Essentials toppers! Seriously, the odor was so strong/offensive that my wife and I could both TASTE it in our mouths. I was thinking it (but didn’t say anything for fear of influencing her) and then she said “I can taste it in my mouth”, which I agreed with. This was the first night (I only aired it out for a couple of hours as I wanted to sleep on it right away). For the past 2 days, I’ve been taking the sheets and mattress pad/cover off of the bed in the morning and airing the topper out with fans blowing and the window cracked in the bedroom. The smell is improving (I think the “taste” is gone), but is still pretty potent. Hopefully it’ll continue to get better.

All in all, I like the 3" Aerus topper far more than the 3" Tempurpedic topper and the 3" Rejuvenite latex topper (plush 19 ILD) we tried before that this past Fall. I don’t know what was up with the Rejuvenite topper, but it was terribly uncomfortable - we both slept terribly the first night and my wife refused to try it for a second night. It was worse than sleeping without a topper at all and it went back to the retailer (SLAB) immediately.

It’s still early in the game, but so far, 2 thumbs up for the Aerus!

Hi jkozlow3,

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback and update.

It sounds like you made a very good choice and it’s great to see that outside of the smell (which will diminish over time) that it’s working out so well for you :slight_smile:

Phoenix

I really appreciate the review of the Aerus foam, this sounds like exactly the feel I am looking for. I wish I could find a 1.5" thickness but it seems like no quality memory foam comes in less than a 2" thickness currently.

I wanted to mention, the painful area near the hip that you circled in your image above can sometimes be caused by trigger points in the lower back referring pain to the hip area. This can be caused by a too soft mattress/topper causing a hammock affect that is straining the lower back. There is a good diagram on this page triggerpoints.net