Toppers

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
1

Hi Phoenix,

I figured I’d start a new subject title since we’re now far away from the Sealy Introspection discussion :slight_smile:

Below was your response re: 1" memory foam toppers. I wondered if you have any experience with or knowldedge of these ventilated toppers? It’s 4lb and looked kind of interesting for the price.
http://www.cymax.com/Comfort-Magic-Ventilated-1-inch-Memory-Foam-Mattress-Topper-O-1R4X1-08.htm

Hoping to find one that really doesnt change the feel or support of the mattress underneath, but something that’s just pretty soft and provides just a bit of pressure relief over the mattress.

Is 8lb a lot softer? I’m not sure I need this topper to be “supportive” since it’s just 1" over a firm and supportive mattress, so just something to add a little pressure relief so not a lot of money would be excellent! I ask about the 8lb b/c the price does jump up quite a bit.

For what it’s worth, I dont mind replacing a topper from time to time.

Re: Sealy Embody Introspection #58 18 Feb 2012 18:50
Hi SleeplessinDallas,

Well … I think the best I’ve seen so far both in terms of the variety of choices and pricing is …

http://www.cymax.com/Mattress-Toppers--C0.htm . They have Mem-cool (which I think is Aerus), Sensus, and a whole bunch more and best of all … there are lots of 1" choices and they also sell covers if you need them. (search for mattress topper on the site if the link doesn’t work).

http://search1.unbeatablesale.com/?Ne=1000011&N=1000048+4294966947+4294963999&Ntt=topper Also sell Aerus in 1" and lots more.

The other strange thing is that Cymax also seems to sell Venus 8 lb memory foam (which hasn’t been available in a topper for several years) but you have to go to the Sears website to find that out. Go figure.

http://www.sears.com/search=topper (if this has timed out then you may need to do a new search on the site)

There’s about as many good quality/low cost memory foam options here as I think anyone could handle

Phoenix

2

To clarify-- what I mean by not trying to change the “feel” of the mattress is to say that I am not trying to create the feel of a memory foam or tempurpedic mattress. I like the feel of this mattress with the coils and the latex on top-- just need a bit more pressure relief :slight_smile:

3

Hi SleeplessinDallas,

Thanks for starting a new “topper” thread. I think it will be really helpful rather than burying this inside a old thread.

I don’t know the manufacturer of the memory foam they use but there is an interesting document here which outlines the effect of hole punching on the breathability of different types of foam. While I’m not sure how much this reflects real life (where there is a body on the mattress which covers the holes and there may be different foams underneath), I think that it shows that hole punching clearly has an effect and that this same effect would be evident in other types of memory foam made by other manufacturers as well.

Carpenter uses chemical means to open up their foam cells which is less effective than VPF foaming IMO (you can see on the chart that their Aveena is less breathable than the polyfoams without hole punching while the Aerus would be much closer to the polyfoams or even better according to some information I’ve seen). The hole punched memory foam though may be more breathable “in theory” than the non punched Aerus but I don’t know how much this takes real conditions into account (or course if Aerus was hole punched then it would also become more breathable yet).

With an inch of memory foam … it will do more to slightly modify the feeling of the latex rather than become “memory foam like”. Because you would go through the memory foam and the majority of what you felt would still be the latex (similar to your current topper), you would notice a difference but it wouldn’t be “closer to memory foam” which would be the case with a thicker memory foam layer such as 2". I personally like combinations of latex and memory foam although different arrangements are different from each other (my favorite of the combinations I’ve tested is a thin layer of latex over a fairly thin layer of memory foam over latex).

I probably wouldn’t use 8 lb memory foam because I doubt the benefits for what you are looking for would justify the price and it would affect the latex more. It’s more useful as a layer in a multilayered memory foam comfort layer (like the Tempurpedics and others) but I think it would be too dense and “slowly responsive” to use in your application. I would probably use 4 lb faster reacting and more breathable memory foam as a very top layer and if I could find it … 5 lb faster reacting memory foam in a layer that was under something else. I would definitely choose memory foam that was breathable so that as much as possible it didn’t interfere with the breathability of the latex or any wool etc underneath it.

I think that an inch of breathable memory foam (of some type) that is also one of the newer generation 4 lb versions that are faster reacting would be close to “just right” based on your comments and feedback.

Phoenix

4

I’m considering adding a 1" memory foam topper to my latex bed and I’ve found an interesting one here- Amazon.com
Is this possibly Aerus foam? I can’t find any reviews of 8lb memory foam and was wondering what it feels like and if it’s worth the price. I’ve also found many different Sensus foam toppers. Some of them say they are 5lb and some say 5.3lb. Do you think they are actually different densities of Sensus or just a description error by one of them?

5

Hi cpgj,

I added your post to the pre-existing thread about toppers because your link leads to the same topper as I mentioned earlier in this thread.

This is actually Venus foam which is made by the same company (Foamex/FXI) which makes Sensus and Aerus and also uses the VPF process. It a very high density and quality memory foam (similar but a little higher density than the HD Tempurpedic memory foam) which is most often used in thinner layers to “modify” the feel of other memory foams in a mattress. It is a more breathable and open celled than other high density memory foams. It will be both “firmer” and more conforming (softer over time) than other memory foams. I would be a little careful using it with the use you’re likely looking for (some extra top softness?) and I would tend towards more “regular” 4 or 5 lb memory foams which will feel softer and more “pliable” overall than an ultra dense memory foam. These are quite rare to see as a topper.

The Tempurpedic HD collection uses 7 lb memory foam in various thicknesses (the specs are on their site) on top of their mattresses which may give you a bit of a sense of what HD memory foams feel like but this may also be a little misleading because it is over other layers of memory foam in their mattresses rather than over more resilient and firmer latex. In the Cloud Luxe it’s used under 2.75" of their 4 lb softer memory foam so you wouldn’t feel it directly as a top surface but it would change the feel of using soft memory foam alone. The HD models should give you a rough idea though of the “feel” of a higher density memory foam compared to a similar lower density (4 or 5.3 lb) memory foam.

Sensus comes in several densities like most types or “brands” of memory foam. Typically it’s in the 5.0 to 5.5 lb range though. Aerus usually ranges from 3 - 5 lbs (the most common being 4 lb).

Phoenix

6

Hi Phoenix.

Yes, I’m looking to soften up the top of my mattress before I encase it all. I gather that Aerus sleeps cooler than Sensus Would that matter as much if it was used as the top layer in an encased mattress vs. as a standalone topper? I was thinking of a cover with 100% cotton quilted to wool (or is it wool quilted to cotton?).

7

Hi cpgj,

All memory foam reacts to temperature to different degrees and within different temperature ranges and this is part of why it reacts the way it does (with a memory). If you add a layer above the memory foam (such as wool quilted to a cotton fabric) … it will be more isolated from the temperature of your body which can affect and slow down how the memory foam responds and softens. Depending on what is above it … the heat may still reach it but it will take longer and feel firmer in the process. This can be a “positive” or a “negative” depending on the feel someone is aiming for. For example one of my favorite types of layering is a thin layer of latex over a fairly thin layer of more responsive memory foam over latex. The feeling of slowly sinking into the top layer but still having the latex on top and underneath for ease of movement, more liveliness, and breathability for me feels very good while others may not like it at all.

Most manufacturers who make memory foam mattresses would view wool quilting as a negative (lessens the benefits of memory foam) but there are certainly cases where it can be beneficial and some manufacturers (although a minority) feel strongly that a quilted layer above the memory foam is a very desirable feature of their mattress. I would personally tend to add these “optional” layers as a mattress pad or protector (or at least as part of a replaceable cover) rather than being part of the mattress itself.

Aerus is more breathable than Sensus and does sleep cooler if it’s on the surface of a mattress. If a memory foam layer fits into your zip cover (without compressing the foam too much which would change the feel of the mattress) and is replaceable … then it would have similar benefits to using it as a topper except it would have the insulating wool layer between you and the memory foam which would reduce or slow down it’s softening and response.

Phoenix