If you are looking for memory foam or latex that can be returned without risk then WalMart, Costco, and Sams Club are among the best choices.
The Classic Brands is a firm dunlop latex topper so you want to try something firm, this would be a good option to try. A firmer topper won’t generally work well though if it is on top of a mattress that is too soft (I’m not sure what mattress you currently have) because the topper will generally just “bend” into the contours of the softer foam below it which may still cause alignment issues.
Bed Bath and Beyond has the risk of paying for the shipping if you order online (which is fairly nominal for a topper) but I believe they give a full refund at their stores.
The Duralife contains Omalon along with a fairly thick layer of some polyester fiber. They don’t say the firmness level however it is likely quite soft and also thick. The fiber will tend to compress over time but the Omalon is a high quality polyfoam. How suitable this would be depends on the mattress it is going on but if you already have a few inches of soft foam on top of your mattresss then this would be fairly thick and may carry the risk of letting your heavier parts sink in too deeply (which isn’t great for a bulging disc). This would be more of a “fast response” than memory foam and softer than the latex.
The Therapedic topper doesn’t say the type or density of the memory foam they use but it is also fairly thick (3") and so may have a similar risk depending on the mattress that it is being used on. It would be a slow recovery memory foam feel instead of the faster response of the other two choices.
In general a topper works best if it is “just enough” for your needs in combination with the comfort and quilting layers that are in your mattress. Toppers that are too thick and soft can carry the risk of alignment problems.
The Aerus 5 lb 2.5 inch topper at Sams Club can make a good memory foam choice (Aerus is very breathable) with a low risk if you are looking for memory foam. They also carry an Aerus 4 lb topper with the same thickness which would be a bit softer feeling.
Another good option that was discovered by Coventry who is one of our members, may be the Seven Comforts topper sold on Amazon here. It has great value and you can read her review in this thread.
Edit: see post #52 here first if you are considering ordering this topper.
The mattress I have now is just a standard Sealy posterpedic I think, and I guess it’s too firm which is why I got a topper a long time ago. Either that or I just need a new bed and the topper masked it for the time being. Anyway, I didn’t realize the walmart topper was dunlop. I’d like to try a latex topper, but if that’s the only one out there (?) then yeah that would probably be too firm for me. So that leaves the memory foam options. Do you think the Sam’s club one is better quality than the therapedic one? I’ll try whichever one, but the only thing is I don’t have a Sam’s club card. I guess I sign up for a trial one, but do you know if you even need a card to buy something online? Thanks.
There are some other choices for latex toppers in both Talalay and Dunlop in the full range of firmness levels but of course with an online purchase from the “usual” sources they are usually not returnable.
Some of the manufacturers near you would probably also sell them if you want to test them first but you would need to check on their return policies as well because toppers are usually not returnable.
I also added a link in my last post to the Seven Comforts topper on Amazon that Coventry found and to her review and this may be a good option as well even though it’s an online purchase. At least they have a return policy and it sounds like a very good product and is a great value.
I don’t know the quality of the Therapedic topper because they don’t list the density of the memory foam. It would be a bit like comparing apples to oranges though because they are completely different materials as well although latex would generally be a higher quality/durability material than memory foam. If I was in your shoes and probably only going to use the topper for a limited period of time, then the suitability of the topper would probably be more important to me than the durability/quality anyway. A high quality product that may cause you pain or discomfort or not be what you are looking for wouldn’t be worth it regardless of the quality or value.
You can buy online from Sam’s Club without being a member but you will be charged an extra 10% on the item you are buying.
Ok, thanks. I just bought the therapedic one for today since it’s the only one I could buy in store right now. Although now I have to wait for it to expand lol.
The amazon link in your post is bringing up mattress pads and pillows, is the mattress pad the same thing as the topper? Also, the second link isn’t the review, it’s coming up as the same amazon link.
I think people sometimes use the words ‘mattress topper’ and ‘mattress pad’ interchangeably but I don’t know if there’s an official correct definition for either. Phoenix would know more than I on this.
I’ve had my Seven Comforts topper or pad for a little over a week now and my husband and I LOVE it. It fluffed up to over 2 inches thick, there are no empty spots since it’s nicely baffled, and it’s a screaming deal at the Amazon price.
It’s a very soft topper similar to my old feather/down topper but it bounces back to it’s original shape much better after a few nights laying on it. I’ve had it for a week and it fluffs back with just a little shake and I turned it around on my mattress so it would wear evenly.
One reason I purchased it was for more protection for our mattress and for a soft comfort layer for my husband (he’s got like gorilla shoulders) who sleeps on his side often. We both love the feel and the supportive softness it provides. This topper isn’t a support layer but it’s a nice hugging feeling on your sides and legs (laying on your side) without the ‘quicksand’ feel of memory foam.
I can’t comment on their return policy because I’m most likely going to purchase another or 3 for gifts. One thing that should be noted is that it has a strong latex smell. This smell did not bother me or my husband, I found it rather nice actually, but it might bother those with sensitivities to smells.
Edit: see post #52 here first if you are considering ordering this topper.
Thanks for the responses guys! Unfortuantely, that doesn’t come in a full Now I really don’t know what to do because I bought the therapedic one and I left it on my bed to expand. When I went back up later, it still didn’t expand much and I noticed there was a bug on it! It looked like a spider, but I’m not sure. I immediately took it off and put it back in the box because I’m returning it. Then, I went to put my old topper on, and saw a tiny crawling bug on that one too! I’m not sure if it was a bed bug or not, but I threw it out in my garage garbage anyway. So now I’m sleeping in my downstairs office because 1) I’m scared that I have bed bugs and 2) I have no topper to put on my bed and my back is going to be in even more pain if I sleep on my bed without a topper.
So, assuming that I don’t have bed bugs I have no idea what to do next. Now I’m scared to buy another memory foam topper from a store because I am worried about bugs. I see that sleepez has a latex topper, and it doesn’t say that it can’t be returned, only pillows and pads, unless it’s considered a pad? Are there any manufacturers on your list that sell toppers that are returnable? If not, do you have any other suggestions? Thanks!
Hopefully you don’t have bedbugs but the odds are pretty good that what you saw was something else. Bedbugs are mostly nocturnal and don’t tend to appear in the open (they hide in crevices, seams, and other hiding places). They also look more like a beetle than a spider.
I also wouldn’t worry about buying a new topper having bedbugs (or any bugs for that matter). That would be very unusual unless it was bought from a dealer that was re-covering old materials and I doubt that any of the places you are looking at would be doing that.
Mattress toppers are considered to be personal items and are usually non refundable and to my knowledge the manufacturers on the list are like this as well (although I haven’t checked each one for the return policy on toppers). The big box stores though generally allow for returns without charge and Amazon also allows for returns for products that are either sold by them or fulfilled by them although there is a return shipping charge. For the Amazon products sold directly by the merchant … the return policy varies with the seller. Some other online or local outlets (such as Bed Bath and Beyond) may also allow for returns but each one has their own individual return policy which they usually list on the site.
You put my mind at ease about the bed bugs! While looking at the toppers on amazon, I saw this sponsored link and wanted to know if you ever heard of this store?
How are you? So, I am finally ready to purchase a new mattress! I just got a new job and I said the first thing that I am going to do is buy a bed lol. I even put the order in with sleepez, but then when he told me the total I must have gotten my figures wrong because that wasn’t the price that I was expecting. I would’ve bought it but I couldnt justify paying that much for something that I have to put together myself and possibly pay even more to do layer exchanges, etc.
Anyway, I talked to the first manufacturer that I went to, comfort custom, and I asked him if they got in any softer ILD’s than the last time that I was there and he said they now have 22 and 24! So I am going to go in there next week. I went back through this thread to jog my memory of what I’ve tried and what I liked, but I wanted to see if you could help me with what I should try when I’m there. I know that I was ready to buy the Nature’s rest if there was a return policy, and that was the 1"19, 2"24, and 7" of 36, so should I just try 3"24 and 6"36? I also can’t remember if it was actually 7" of 36 or if it was an inch of polyfoam on the bottom. If there was, do I say I want that on the bottom or just say 6" of 36? I was also thinking since he doesnt have 19 if I should ask for 1" of 22 on top of 2" of 24 or not even bother since you said that the 1" of anything is insignificant. Then I was thinking maybe I should try 3" of 22 instead of 24 in the comfort layer, but I’m not sure if that’s going to be too soft? I’m just trying to brainstorm which combinations I want to try before I go in there since the last time I did this it was SO confusing and I just want to get something already lol! So, if you could offer any suggestions on what I should do that would be great. I know that only I can feel what I like, but it’s almost like I need a refresher before I go do this again lol.
If you are testing mattresses in person … I wouldn’t pay too much attention to ILD numbers … at least till after you had tested them. I would use what your body tells you as the guide. There is no “wrong or right” ILD for anyone … only a mattress that provides you with PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences). If you lay on a mattress that is too firm or too soft in either the comfort or support layers the person who is helping you will usually know what to do in terms of making it softer or firmer. While the ILD’s can be helpful as a reference (such as using what you are testing as a guideline for testing or a purchase elsewhere) or as an approximate starting point … they are not that important for a local purchase except perhaps to “rule out” some outlets who you know don’t have latex in the range you want (for example if your testing tells you that you like 24 ILD latex in the comfort layers you probably wouldn’t want to take the time to text a mattress that used 6" of 36 ILD). So start your testing with something that is “in the range” of what you may like without paying too much attention to the ILD … then if you need to … find out the ILD that “works” for you or seems to be “close” to use as a very general reference point for testing elsewhere if you need it (taking into account that trying to “build” a mattress by specs instead of your testing experience doesn’t take into account the many smaller differences that can have a big effect on how a mattress feels and performs for you).
If the SleepEz (or other similar online manufacturers) prices for an all latex mattress are out of your budget range … then it’s quite likely that a local purchase for a similar mattress will be as well. In this case … if you are looking for the “feel” of latex in the comfort layers but “all latex” is out of your price range … it may be a good idea to include latex hybrids (latex over an innerspring or latex over polyfoam) in your search as they will be a lower cost option.
Thanks Phoenix, I went back to him but I just couldnt find anything I liked, he didn’t have 3"of 24 so he had me try 4" of 24 and 2" of 24 but I didn’t like either. I don’t know what to do at this point. I actually have a dumb question lol: I wanted to try the pure latex bliss again and I called a couple of mattress xpress that carries them, and they are being accquired by mattress firm so everything is a must go thing. They have the romance and one store said they’d sell it to me for $1300, another store said $2000 but once I told him what the other store said he said he’ll match it, but they don’t compete with each other so I should buy it from them because it’s a great deal and pretty much at cost. The only problem is all the stores only have floor samples left. Is it disgusting to buy a floor sample? My initial thought is yes and while that is an unheard of price, I don’t know that I could buy a floor sample. But I thought I’d ask the expert anyway lol.
The Romance is the equivalent of the PLB Nature and at $1300 would certainly be very good value for a 10" all Talalay latex mattress although of course being a floor model it should be lower than a new mattress (just like a “demonstrator” for a car or any other slightly “used” or “demonstrator” product). I don’t know what size you are looking at or whether it is a mattress only or a set so the “value” of this would depend on size and what came with it but if I remember right you were looking at a queen in which case this still wouldn’t be at cost (even for the set) although their profit would be much less than normal or course.
This would depend on each person and some would be fine with it and would happily “trade off” the much lower price for a floor model while others would be much more hesitant or even not consider it at all. This would be entirely up to each individual person and how they felt. The good news of course is that a floor model hasn’t been slept on overnight or used in more “personal” circumstances but of course some people just aren’t comfortable with knowing that their mattress has been used at all by “unknown” people even in a showroom testing environment.
Lol, thanks. I just can’t bring myself to by a floor model. I called a few other mattress xpress to see if any had a new one, and one location can get me a new one (queen) for $1800 with the set and delivery. Another location said 3000. I have a feeling I can talk him down especially if I say the other store was at $1300, so I can go in person and see.
My final option was a local manufacturer I forgot was on the list, de mattress, and I spoke to her by phone about what I like. When I said 19 ILD she said they only use that for pillows?? Then she said they can do 24 and 36, but she recommends only 2" of 24 because 3" is going to be too soft, and then told me this story about a customer who has fibromyalga and insisted on 3" of 24 and then it was too soft and she told her that they would take a layer out but the woman didn’t want to because she already paid for the extra layer and was going to just deal with it. So the woman told me to start at 2" and then they can always add another layer for an additional $100, but that it’s going to be more expensive if I start with 3" and want to take a layer out after. I don’t like these certain manufacturers that don’t listen to me and what I’ve already tested a bunch of times and insist that they know better than how it “feels” to me just because they make/sell mattress. I mean I thought that was what major manufacturers do, not local. It just makes me not want to buy a bed from someone like that, especially since all the local ones only have 24 ILD. Is that true that 19 ILD is only used in pillows??
That’s a good price for a new Nature queen set delivered and if the floor model doesn’t work for you it would be well worth considering IMO. There are probably quite a few outlets that are looking to turn over the older versions so that they can stock the new ones. You can see the price here for a queen mattress only is much more and there are other outlets which list them for more yet.
There is “some” truth to what she is saying but there is also some rather 'strange" information included in her comments as well. Many of the PLB mattresses use 19 ILD latex in the comfort layers and they certainly aren’t pillows :). Many other manufacturers also use it in their comfort layers (Jamison is another one for example).
While there are many manufacturers who hesitate to use 19 ILD latex because it is quite soft … especially in thicker layers … and 24 ILD is generally considered “soft” … it’s also true that each person’s needs and preferences can be very different and each person has their own sense of what is soft or firm. How soft a mattress feels will also depend on the softness firmness of the layers under the comfort layers.
So it may be worth testing what they have because when I talked with them they seemed to have fairly good value but I would also make sure that you listen to your body and not just their “theory” which may not fit your circumstances or needs.
There are many manufacturers who will give advice that they genuinely believe is good and for many or even most it may be (too firm is always safer than too soft for example) but there are also others that fall outside of “averages”, have lower body weights, or like yourself just want something softer than the norm for other reasons and I agree with you that a “theory” shouldn’t take precedence over what a person has come to know works best for them. And just to confirm again … 19 ILD is used in the comfort layers of many mattresses and would be considered “plush” while 24 ILD is normally considered “soft” (you can see the Latex International rating scale here). There are even some mattresses that use 14 ILD “ultra plush” although this is very soft but the PLB 2" and 3"toppers are in this range and many people add them to their mattress and a mattress topper isn’t a pillow either.
Haha yeah she sounded weird especially when the first comment out of her mouth was, 19 ILD is only used for pillows!
Anyway, I called the other company that carries PLB down here which is Z mattress, and the location by my house said he can beat mattress xpress price, before I even told him what the price was. He asked if it was less than $2000 and I said yes, and told him $1800 and he said he can do $1700 and if I come in and test it and like it, he’ll call his boss and can do it for $1600. That is a crazy price right?? I will go buy it tomorrow, but it just sounds too good to be true so of course I’m automatically thinking what is wrong with them/are they a shady company or something lol. I can’t even find a website for them, but I have been in a few stores of their’s in south florida. He even said he’d let me go past the 90 day trial if I wasn’t happy, etc. I guess I’m just hesistant after being on this site for so long not to trust the major manufacturers lol. What do you think? And unlike mattress xpress, they aren’t being taken over by another company (mattress firm) or anything, so I think I’d rather buy from them for that reason too.
While I couldn’t find a website for Z mattress either, they are listed in vaarious places in a google search and they are listed on the PLB site as well so at least they are an official PLB dealer. I also talked with them briefly and they (the salesperson I talked with who seened to know a fair bit about the industry) told me that their website was “zmattress.com” but that went to a retailer in California so I guess they don’t have a site after all.
They do seem to be very aggressive with their pricing and they did confirm that they carry the PLB along with a couple of other “better value” brands (Corsicana and Nature’s Sleep) besides the major brands they carry (which I would ignore) so it appears that if you made a purchase there you would at least be buying the PLB from an official dealer.
They also told me that they are a private company that was started by a 30 something year old entrepreneur about 5 years ago in Hialeah and they now have multiple locations around South Florida so they have done fairly well for themselves.
I also think that $1600 for the Nature queen set is a very good price yes although it’s not “at cost” so there is still a smaller profit in it for them (which of course there should be).
Wow, thanks for calling them! Do you know what location that was? I’m going to go to the hollywood one, since it’s closer. Do you think they are being aggressive with their prices because of the new models coming out? Is there even a difference? Or is just that they are trying to sell the old ones to make room for the new? Either way, that’s the one I liked anyway so it doesn’t matter to me if there’s a newer model. I mean it’s high quality latex, how different can it be right? Thanks again, can’t wait to get it!
I just picked one of the locations from google to phone … I think it was the South Miami location though.
I think that aggressive pricing is part of their business model. He told me that the PLB’s they had on the floor were the new ones and that they’ve been carrying them for about a month but I don’t know if that’s the case with all the outlets or if the price you were quoted was for any old versions they may have left.
Part of it too may be the Mattress Firm buyout of Mattress Xpress so they are clearing out some models that they won’t be carrying as Mattress Firm so the Zmattress price may just be for competitive reasons during the transition as well.
Now I really don’t know what to do because I bought the therapedic one and I left it on my bed to expand. When I went back up later, it still didn’t expand much and I noticed there was a bug on it! It looked like a spider, but I’m not sure. I immediately took it off and put it back in the box because I’m returning it. Then, I went to put my old topper on, and saw a tiny crawling bug on that one too! I’m not sure if it was a bed bug or not, but I threw it out in my garage garbage anyway. So now I’m sleeping in my downstairs office because 1) I’m scared that I have bed bugs and 2) I have no topper to put on my bed and my back is going to be in even more pain if I sleep on my bed without a topper.