Topper or box spring for firm mattress?

New member here, I’m very pleased to have found this forum, it’s all very eye opening.

Last year I purchased a Simmons Beautyrest 800 Luxury Firm from one of the chain mattress stores. I actually found the salesman in the store pretty helpful in selecting a mattress to suit my sleeping style and it did greatly help with shoulder pain.
I’ve got it set up on a platform bed with solid top, not slats and it’s just a little too firm. I’ve considered adding box springs (king size) but I’m not convinced the current “foundation” type box springs will really do anything. Unless I can find a proper coil box spring and not just a foundation I think a good wool topper (hate memory foam) may be better at taking the edge off the firmness.
Does anyone have any suggestions on which option would be better?

You are correct that the type of foundation offered for your mattress (metal min-flex unit) won’t provide any additional comfort, but your current mattress is not designed to be used with a bottom piece that has give to it, like a torsion modular system or a true coil box spring system. While this certainly would make your mattress feel a bit softer, it will shorten the life of the product you’re using and it will also void your warranty.

You’re best off adding a topper to your product. Wool or latex toppers certainly can provide extra amounts of surface comfort and assist in the distribution of pressure over a bit of a wider area, but which type of topper would be up to your own personal preference.

Hi robokey,

I’ll also add a “ditto” to Jeff’s reply and I certainly wouldn’t use a box spring (that flexes) under your mattress for the reasons he mentioned.

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 you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own 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 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 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.

There is more information about wool toppers and how they compare to various foam toppers (at least in very general terms) in post #8 here and in posts #3 and #6 here and there are some additional comments about wool toppers and a list of some of the better sources I’m aware of in post #3 here.

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 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.

Phoenix