My first memory foam mattress was a King tempurpedic which I love, I’m a male with large shoulders and a side sleeper primarily. It did a great job of being soft enough to relieve pressure while keeping my spine aligned. I am definitely a believer in the technology and feel that the bed adapts to my body putting close to equal PSI on my shoulder and side even though my shoulder presses deep into the mattress Unfortunately this bed does not have the model on the tag and when I moved to NYC I needed a smaller mattress. I did what I thought was extensive research and spoke with a tempurpedic sales rep who informed me that the contour select was the modern equivalent. The mattress felt firm but I was told this is because it’s new and this made sense when comparing my previous bed that was probably around 10 years old at the time. Fast forward 3 years and this bed is still far too firm. I feel like my shoulder does not sink in enough, I toss and turn all night and wake up with numb arms. I was able to convince Tempurpedic to warrenty the mattress but I’m still finding the new models to be inadequate.
I was offered the Cloud Prima, Contour supreme and flex prima at no additional cost. No one local seems to carry the Flex prima and I don’t like the hybrid idea so I crossed it off my list. The cloud prima feels as if it’s plenty soft enough but the mattress does not feel thick enough which gives me the sensation of bottoming out. I looked at upgrading to the cloud supreme which is perhaps even too soft but it left me with the sensation that it wasn’t equalizing pressure and adapting to my body. Even though my shoulder sunk in quite far I still felt a lot of pressure. I believe this is what tempurpedic attempts to quantify with their “tempur adapt level” which makes sense as the cloud beds are rated low and feel like they are made of low density foam. This brings me to the Contour line, I tried the contour supreme and considered upgrading to the elite but both left me feeling like they use the type of higher density foam that would work for me but not enough of it. It felt like they were adapting to my body but that my shoulder could not sink in far enough. I’m not interested in spending more than the upgrade cost to the contour elite so I’m frustrated with my options.
At this point I’m thinking my best course of action is to go with the free replacement of the contour select then look at adding a high density memory foam topper. I think another layer of high density memory foam would replicate the feel of what I’m looking for without spending thousands of dollars to upgrade to something like the tempurpedic Grandbed which brings me to this forum as I’ve seen some incredibly insightful insight and great advice. Ideally I would like to find a topper that replicates around 3-4 inches of Tempurpedic HD material and I’m open to other brands as it seems the Tempurpedic brand doesn’t have the quality or value that it once had. Thanks for the advice!
Also, I think that I would like to use a very high density foam for my topper. Are there any reputable high quality sources for a topper around 7lbs? I went through some trusted sources on this site and they seem to top out at around 5.3lbs.
Unfortunately without knowing the specific model that you owned there really isn’t any way to know which of their current models would be the closest approximation to your old mattress but if you measure the thickness then you would probably be able to identify which of their previous models you owned which would be helpful.
Some of the information in post #2 here may be helpful as well.
It’s possible that the reason your current mattress feels firmer is that your original mattress had softened considerably over the course of 10 years. It’s also possible that your current mattress isn’t a “close enough” equivalent" to your previous mattress and is actually firmer than the mattress you originally owned as well.
I would also keep in mind that different people can also have very different perceptions of firmness and softness compared to others as well and a mattress that feels firm for one person can feel like “medium” for someone else or even “soft” for someone else (or vice versa) depending on their body type, sleeping style, physiology, their frame of reference based on what they are used to, and their individual sensitivity and perceptions. There are also different types of firmness and softness that different people may be sensitive to that can affect how they “rate” a mattress as well (see post #15 here) so different people can also have very different opinions on how two mattresses compare in terms of firmness and some people may rate one mattress as being firmer than another and someone else may rate them the other way around. This is all relative and very subjective and is as much an art as a science.
Having said that … based on your comments and feedback (and regardless of whether it would have been the closest approximation to your old mattress if you were making side by side comparisons when both of them were new) it certainly seems that the Contour Select is too firm for you.
You can see my comments about choosing a firmer mattress first with the intention of adding a softer topper later in post #2 here.
In most cases I would avoid this approach because of the uncertainty involved with making two purchase choices instead of only one and choosing a topper that would be suitable in terms of thickness, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) for a specific person on a specific mattress can sometimes be almost as difficult as choosing a mattress that doesn’t need a topper in the first place. I would generally focus on choosing a mattress that is likely to be a suitable match without a topper (unless you can test the combination in person or you are purchasing both online as a “set” that is designed to work together and they both have a good return/exchange policy) and then use the option to add a topper as a “backup” strategy in case your initial choice is too firm and doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for rather than a “primary” strategy.
If you do decide to try the mattress/topper strategy then 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 for certain whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for both of you in terms of comfort, firmness, and 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 and a link to the better online sources I’m aware of 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 does have 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. A suitable topper can also help extend the useful life of the mattress underneath it because it will absorb some of the compression forces that can soften or break down the top layers of the mattress underneath it over time.
If I was in your shoes I would probably choose a mattress that is the closest possible “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (based on careful testing) out of the options that are available to you and if necessary I would err on the side of choosing slightly too firm rather than too soft because a mattress that is too soft is much more difficult to “fix” than a mattress that is too firm. That way you can sleep on the mattress for a few weeks and use your actual sleeping experience as a guideline and reference point to help you decide whether you need a topper and if you do on the thickness/firmness of the topper that would have the best chance of success.
While they used to be available as individual layers or toppers several years ago … unfortunately I don’t know of any current sources for 7 lb or higher memory foam any longer.
I would also keep in mind that once you are at about 6 lb density or so with memory foam that any additional durability benefits for higher density memory foam would be minimal.
I don’t keep a record of the specs or density of individual toppers that are offered by the many online suppliers I’m aware of based on density (it would be more than any single person could keep up with in a constantly changing market) so you would need to check the websites or call the suppliers on the list (or do some google searching) to find out which suppliers carry memory foam toppers that are 6 lb density or higher. I know off the top of my head that Christeli used to carry 6 lb toppers but I don’t see them listed on their site any longer.
I would also be cautious about assuming that higher density would be a more suitable choice for you and as long as the topper density meets the minimum density guidelines I would suggest for your weight range I would focus more on the properties of the memory foam and on how well they meet your own specific needs and preferences than on the density of the memory foam.