Hello- We have a king mattress on a platform that we have had for about one and a half years (Northwest Bedding/Ultimate Life, I think)- unfortunately, the mattress is just too firm. Aches, pains, and creating pressure points. We hate the thought of starting over and thinking of our budget, would love to salvage our mattress if we can with a topper.
Would love any suggestions re: type or brands of toppers to try other than memory foam and poly foam (have tried both). Memory foam always feels great and we falls asleep initially; but, I wake up with pain consistently in the middle of the night. Poly foam has helped somewhat.; but, not enough relief and have slept a bit hot on it.
Any suggestions of toppers for a budget ($300 or under) if possible) for a king topper that I will then research, etc., will be appreciated.
Otherwise, we are saving up to start fresh with a new mattress—but, due to our location, would be looking to purchase via an online retailer like Brooklyn Bedding, etc.
(As much as we like the initial feel of memory foam…we have tried more than one such mattress in the past and have not had success; so, even when looking at online retailers, will be staying away from full memory foam this time around.)
If you have a strong opinion about not using a topper to try to correct an otherwise healthy/in good condition too firm mattress- would love to hear your opinions and thoughts as well. (Our budget for a a new mattress for a king would be under 1 grand; box spring not needed since we have a platform.)
Other notes-
One person is a side sleeper/proportional weight
The other back, side, and stomach sleeper. and a bit overweight (but, still under the 220 mark).
Do not like sleeping hot.
Looking for help with trigger points/pressure points.
It’s possible that a different firmness or thickness of polyfoam could work for you but if you are looking for a foam topper then outside of polyfoam or memory foam the only other option would be latex.
Unfortunately it’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations with any certainly because you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress or a mattress/topper combination and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion about which topper would be the best “match” for both you in combination with the mattress you are using it on in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own personal testing or sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
If the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
There is more information about choosing a topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. A good exchange/return policy can also reduce the risk of an online topper purchase so I would make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
If a mattress/topper combination turns out to be a good “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP then having a separate topper also has the advantage of being able to replace just the topper without replacing the entire mattress if it softens or breaks down before the upper foam layers in the mattress (which is very likely because the upper layers of a sleeping system tend to soften or break down before the deeper layers) or if your needs or preferences change over time and a topper can also help extend the useful life of the mattress underneath it as well.