Memory Foam Mattress vs. Innerspring + Memory Foam Topper?

[phoenix]

Hi MattressNewb,

1. I’m also reading that memory foam mattresses tend to conform to your body the longer you’re in it creating indentations (someone described it like laying in a big tub of butter). These indentations concern me. If I’m in one spot and create an indentation and I roll over, will it take a few minutes for the indentation to “bounce back”? (With my current memory foam topper there is no indentation at all, it’s more of a pretty instant bounce back).

There are dozens of different types of memory foams that can have a wide range of properties (such as temperature sensitivity, response time, and firmness/softness) so this would really depend on the specific type of memory foam in a mattress, the thickness of the memory foam layer or layers, and the overall design of the mattress. There is more about the many different properties of different types of memory foam in post #9 here and in post #8 here.

Because every layer and component in a mattress can affect the feel and performance of every other layer and the mattress “as a whole” … the most reliable way to know whether any mattress is a good match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) will be based on your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) or your actual sleeping experience.

There is more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP in post #2 here that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for once you actually sleep on your mattress but when you can’t test a mattress in person then the most reliable source of guidance is always a more detailed phone conversation with a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer that has your best interests at heart who can help “talk you through” the specifics of their mattresses and the options they have available that may be the best “match” for you based on the information you provide them, any local testing you have done or mattresses you have slept on and liked that they are familiar with, any special considerations you may have, and the “averages” of other customers that are similar to you. They will know more about “matching” their specific mattress designs or firmness options to different body types, sleeping positions, and preferences or even to other mattresses that they are familiar with than anyone else.

There is also more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists (based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you).

2. With a memory foam mattress (or even a regular foam mattress) can you sit on the edge of the bed like you can an innerspring mattress. I’m a fan of turning my mattress into an impromptu seat.

For the most part … foam mattresses don’t have or need edge support if the support core in the mattress is a suitable firmness for the person sleeping on it (see post #2 here) although there may be a smaller minority of people that sleep with more of their weight concentrated on the very outside few inches of a mattress or who sit on the very edge of the mattress (instead of sitting more towards the middle of the mattress) where they will sink in more deeply and it may be a more important preference. Your testing and personal experience will tell you more about this relative to any specific mattress along with all the other preferences that you can “feel”. If you often sit on the very outside edge of your mattress then it may just be a matter of getting used to sitting a little more towards the middle of the mattress so your body weight is spread out over a larger surface area and you don’t sink in quite as deeply.

Phoenix