Years of back and hip pain briefly went away when I added a Sleep on Latex 2 inch topper to my overly firm Sealy Spring Mattress (via Costco). However, a little over a year later, everything feels too firm again.
I’m a broad shouldered 6 foot, 185 lbs guy who has a slight curve in my lower back that makes proper support difficult. Combo sleeper that is trying to train myself to sleep on my back but usually wind up on my side mid-sleep.
I’ve cycled through countless mattresses over the past 10 years (I’m 38). I’ve tried latex in all it’s forms based off the input here and feel like it often creates sore spots. My parents have 10 year old spring mattresses pillow tops, medium firm that I sleep well on, but finding the same quality in the pillow top portion has proven difficult with modern manufacturing. The mattresses feel great for a couple of months and then the padding goes out.
I’ve also slept exceptionally well on OG Tempurpedics (but hear they have gone down hill and their lack of trial period scares me off) and typically sleep well on hotel medium firm with that tiny bit of plush.
I’m thinking of trying Brooklyn Bedding’s 4 LBS memory foam topper via Matress Topper but the TitanFlex 3’ also caught my eye. That one allows you to pick a firmness. Does anyone here have input on the later?
@downisthenewup87 Taking note of your sleep position, weight, height, and the various mattresses you’ve tried, we’d recommend going with the 4-lb memory foam topper. Our 3-inch TitanFlex topper is extremely responsive and feels very similar to latex, which could lead to sore spot feelings you mentioned experiencing. The 4-lb memory foam topper will contour to your body and provide pressure relief for those moments you end up on your side while sleeping, but won’t sacrifice the support you need when on your back. You can also choose between 2 and 3 inch heights with our 4-lb memory foam topper, with the 2 inch being slightly firmer than the 3 inch topper.
If you give either one a try, we have a 30-day return policy that begins on the day of delivery for a full refund. Keep us updated on which topper you choose and let us know if you have any additional questions!
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@BrooklynBedding I wish I had seen this earlier. After calling your team, I went with the Titan Flex. They pushed me towards that since I’m a combo sleeper… and sure enough, it’s resulting in the sore spots. Namely around my hips and lower back.
@EngineeredSleep I would be curious for input on if and which bed you think might be a good fit for me. I’m returning the TitanFlex topper and swapping it for their 4 lbs memory foam (2 inch).
However, I still think I need to replace the Costco Seally bed either way. I mention a lot of specifics up above but the bottom line is that luxury firm style hotel beds and old school medium-firm pillow tops with no sinkage (back before foam layer went out within a couple of years) are what have historically worked best for me.
I am learning to sleep on my back after years as a side sleeper but basically- I have a natural curve in my lower back that makes support on that end tough and then have extremely broad shoulders that have been through multiple injuries. Any mattress where my hips / butt sink too much causes lower back and hip tighness that quickly escalates.
Hi @downisthenewup87 - I’d be happy to give my thoughts! If you wanted an option to pair with your topper - the Classic Hybrid 12" Cushion-Firm would be a good option. It has a very “hotel” feel to it and based on the info you gave I think it would be a good fit. You can use the topper to control the comfort/pressure relief you need.
The Today Mattress would be my second option for similar reasons. The pocketed coil in the Today Mattress has a little more “give” to it and it also uses 1" of Memory Foam. It would give a little bit better pressure relief on its on (without a topper).
If you wanted to look at options without using one of your toppers we could dive into our Duo Mattresses.
If I were to go the Duo route, which options do you think would work best? I’m guessing the pillow top or the duo lift? I’m about to return the Titan but have yet to make a move on getting the 4 lbs memory foam from them.
Also, I saw my doctor today and confirmed I have a rotator cuff injury. His guess is that sleeping on my side over the years likely played a role. It reaffirms that i need to continue trying to move to sleeping on my back but also need some give for my shoulders in case I wind up rolling over.
Based on what you described, it sounds like you do well with a firm support core and just a bit of plush on top. Since you’ve slept well on older Tempurpedics and hotel medium-firms, I’d lean toward the 4 lb memory foam topper over TitanFlex. Memory foam should give you better pressure relief for shoulders and hips, especially since you end up on your side. TitanFlex will feel more responsive, but probably not as contouring.
Based on your history, it sounds like you do better with a firm support core and just enough plush on top for pressure relief. Since latex tends to give you sore spots, the 4 lb memory foam topper might be the better move — it should contour more for your shoulders and hips when you end up on your side. TitanFlex will feel more responsive, but probably won’t relieve pressure the same way. Given that you liked older Tempurpedic and hotel beds, memory foam seems closer to what’s worked for you.
So, I went with the Engineered Sleep Cushion Firm and got incredible side sleep for about 3 months. However, sleeping on my back consistently resulted in lower back pain and after that 3 month window, hip pain popped up. ES has been incredible from a customer support standpoint and cut me a deal on a new base for my bed to ensure that wasn’t the problem. However, the back and hip pain persists.
I just spent 2 weeks camping in the desert and, again, found that my Exped provides incredible sleep. I was dreaming again and vividly with the hip and back pain slowly going away. It provides the perfect amount of support to my lower back and I even slept well on it in instances where I rolled over to my side. And then upon returning home, the hip and back pain immediately came back and I’m waking up groggy.
I really don’t know what to do at this point. I have a cat and Exped’s probably aren’t built for longevity so buying a queen size one for home is a no go/ I have about 2 weeks left to return the Engineered Sleep Mattress and plan to do so. But I have no idea what to replace it with.
Of note, I continue to sleep well at most hotels that have very firm support combined with pillow tops that provide some cushion but allow my body to sink right down to the base evenly. But I also know a pillow tops are notorious for wearing down quickly.
It’s a top notch camping mattress. Air mattress but with memory foam. Last year I was walking through a Reno hotel with one and a guy in his 60’s stopped me and said “that thing is more comfortable than my home mattress”. He was not wrong.
It’s funny how things work, it’s always about the physics of the bed more than anything. People have spent tens of thousands on a bed for it to not be comfortable for them. Yet something under 500 can be more comfortable if it actually ticks the necessary boxes for comfort. The engineered sleep bed might be more comfortable for someone else, everyone’s got their favorite kind of feel.
I slept on a toddler play pad, directly on the ground, while visiting my cousin in NY in June. I also slept like a baby on that thing. At this point, I’m considering trying a Japanese futon. Problem is that there wouldn’t be a trial for it.
Side note, I don’t love Google AI- but this is what it says the Exped is using-- The toddler pad is probably made of something similar. I’ve reached out to my cousin to see if she can link me to the product.
“Unlike standard air mattresses that rely entirely on air pressure, Exped’s mats combine air with a thick core of open-cell polyurethane foam… 16 kg/m³ open-cell PU foam. The foam behaves like memory foam, contouring around pressure points like hips and shoulders. At the same time, the air pressure provides deep support, preventing you from ever “bottoming out” against the hard ground”
Of note, I also sleep great on the OG Temperpedic’s that were super firm. Friend has one from the late 90’s in his guest room and I’ve used it several times over the years. But the newer beds are obviously very different and there is no trial on them.
Sounds like you’ve been through a lot of trial and error already.
On the TitanFlex 3" — the adjustable firmness is appealing on paper, but with your combo sleeping and that lower back curve, I’d be cautious about anything that lets you dial firmness without also accounting for how it responds under your hips vs shoulders specifically. Might be worth asking Brooklyn Bedding directly whether the firmness adjustment is uniform across the whole topper or if it’s more of an overall feel change.
Also worth asking: do you know if Brooklyn Bedding has a return/exchange window on toppers? Given how much trial and error you’ve already done, that safety net might matter as much as the material itself.
