Our mattresses are too firm and we knew this when we bought it. But now we’re looking to soften it up a bit. I was looking to buy a 2 inch memory foam mattress topper to soften it up. Will I sink into my mattress if I do this? Which foam topper will be good to achieve what I’m looking for?
There are three layers of mattress all wrapped together to make the mattress. The top blue layer is very soft. I’m afraid of buying a mattress topper and lose the benefits of the cool blue foam layer. Should I buy a topper and install it under the blue foam?
Buying a whole new mattress at this point wouldn’t be something we’re into atm. My wife and I own the adjustable base cal-king split with two twin Serta genius mattresses. We bought the whole thing used (3 months used) for $700. We do have the receipt. Can Serta help with an exchange? I’m guessing not but any help would be much appreciated by you. Thank you kindly.
If you buy a soft memory foam topper then it will soften up the mattress and you will sink into the mattress a little deeper than you are now yes.
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 (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there is 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. It also includes a link to a list of some of the better online sources for toppers I’m aware of and a link to the online suppliers that have good exchange/return policies as well.
a 2" topper would certainly be a fairly “average” choice that will generally provide a “little to a fair bit” of additional softness and pressure relief to your sleeping system.
If a mattress/topper combination turns out to be a good “match” for you in terms of "comfort and PPP then it 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 which in the case of your Serta may also be helpful because it uses some relatively low quality/density materials that can soften or break down more quickly than the higher quality/density materials that I would normally suggest.
No … I would suggest using a topper on top of your mattress and not taking your mattress apart. The “cool blue” memory foam in your Genius only has limited benefits in terms of temperature regulation anyway and there are many other gel memory foam toppers (or even some non gel memory foam toppers) that would be similar to the memory foam in your mattress in terms of sleeping temperature. Having said that … memory foam or gel memory foam will tend to sleep warmer than other more breathable types of foam materials and softer comfort layers that allow you to sink into the mattress more deeply can also be more insulating and sleep warmer than firmer comfort layers as well. There is more information about gel memory foam and other types of gel materials in post #2 here.
It’s not possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials but there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a neutral and more comfortable temperature range.
Any comfort exchange would be provided by a retailer that sells a mattress not by the manufacturer of the mattress. They are generally for a relatively short period of time that is only long enough to decide whether your mattress is a suitable choice in terms of firmness and PPP. The manufacturer is the one that provides the warranty coverage that would apply to your mattress but warranties only cover manufacturing defectsand don’t cover any “comfort” issues. A good retailer that you purchase from will generally work with you to expedite any warranty claim.
Having said that … when you purchase a used mattress then there would be no comfort exchange and there also wouldn’t be any warranty coverage on your mattress so buying a used mattress is very much “buyer beware” (see post #2 here).
Thank you Phoenix. Once again, priceless information. After doing extensive looking online and identifying potential mattress toppers, we just ended up picking up the Novaform ComfortLuxe® Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper from Costco. 2x twins for our Split Cal-King.
We’ll be testing this out over the next week or so. Are there any cautions to worry about in this topper? We do not mind returning something that will not last. There are mixed reviews online about this topper. Mostly good but some saying too hot and permenant dipping (does not expand in areas). I’m wondering if some of the bad ones are just bad lemons? A bad batch of material?
We’ just opened it to have it expand for a few hours before testing it. Any thoughts of the quality, the good and bad of this topper would be great! Thank you.
[quote]We’ll be testing this out over the next week or so. Are there any cautions to worry about in this topper? We do not mind returning something that will not last. There are mixed reviews online about this topper. Mostly good but some saying too hot and permenant dipping (does not expand in areas). I’m wondering if some of the bad ones are just bad lemons? A bad batch of material?
We’ just opened it to have it expand for a few hours before testing it. Any thoughts of the quality, the good and bad of this topper would be great! Thank you. [/quote]
I can’t speak to how any mattress/topper will “feel” for someone else because this is too subjective and relative to different body types, sleeping positions, and individual preferences, sensitivities, and circumstances so the only way to know whether your topper will be a good match for you in combination with your mattress in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP will be based on your own personal experience.
The ones that don’t fully expand may be because they have been compressed too long in a warehouse before shipping but if this happens to your topper then you can just return it.
As I mentioned in my last reply … memory foam in general (including gel memory foam) will tend to sleep warmer for some people than other types of foam materials but the gel can have some benefits in terms of surface temperature and cooling when you first go to sleep at night although the benefits tend to be temporary and don’t generally last over the course of the night.
The Costco description doesn’t mention the density of the topper so I can’t make any comments about it’s quality or durability because the density of a memory foam topper is the single most important factor in the durability of memory foam and how long it will maintain its comfort and support relative to other types and densities of materials. Having said that … if the mattress/topper combination is a good match for you in terms of PPP then when it softens or breaks down and you are no longer sleeping well on the combination you can always replace just the topper without replacing the mattress so the durability of a memory foam topper may not be as important as it would be if the same material was part of the mattress itself and was inside the mattress cover.