Which (soft yet responsive) topper material for a lightweight side sleeper?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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Hi!

I’m having trouble deciding which material to get for a mattress topper. I’m a 108-110lb side sleeper on a thinner foam mattress, and I prefer a soft yet responsive feel. I’ve been told I might be too light for latex, and then told by someone else that latex was a good middle between soft and supportive. So not sure on latex, unless it’s soft latex maybe? I was interested in the Beloit topper that’s half wool and half gel foam (and also within my smaller budget), but they don’t ship to California.

Does anyone have more insight on what topper material would be good for my needs? Something that allows pressure points to sink a little more but has more bounce than memory foam.

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Hey SD007,

Welcome to TMU.

The short answer is that latex comes in different feels. Latex in general offers a bouncy, floating, and soft feel, that offers a bit of “push back.” Memory foam, on the other hand, offers nice pressure relief (maybe a bit more than latex), but you tend to sink into memory foam. It is more of the sleeping in the foam rather than on top of it. Traditional memory foam is heat responsive, so if you leave your house at 62degrees, the topper will feel firm when you get in, but as your body heats up, and the topper starts to swallow you a bit like slow quick sand, you become surrounded by the topper a bit, and it can get warm to sleep on.

All foams will retain some heat, but latex, particularly talalay processed latex, is more “airy” and is much less heat retentive. Natural fibers such as wool or cotton, down or feathers, make nice toppers, but are not bouncy or floaty, they are soft and cushy, but do compress when you sleep on them and can become firm but soft at the same time. There are a few toppers out there that are made with wool and microcoils and microcoils and other combinations.

This is a good cross section of some options and what they look like.
Various topper styles

Most of our Trusted Members offer natural latex toppers. There are a couple that offer wool toppers and cotton toppers. The fact that you are a lighter BMI, and want a softer more responsive feel, just means you may need a topper with a lower ILD, perhaps 10-16 range or so. If you like bouncy, memory foam is not the way to go. Latex, latex alternatives, will give you the softness and bounce you are looking for. Materials such as the titanflex come in several firmness levels from soft to firm and has a bit of bounce and are more economical as they are synthetic. Natural latex, particularly Talalay processed will be a bit higher in cost, but will last quite a long time.

Horsehair is another option, but it gets very pricey and is not as readily available as all the other options. Only a few folks have them in the USA. I love horsehair as a fill, and have horsehair pillows and they are wonderful to sleep on.

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Oh cool, thanks! Yeah I’m not a huge fan of memory foam, I like to be able to turn from one side to the other easily. I haven’t thought about microcoils, and I’ll look into more soft latex also!

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Hi there! Welcome to the Mattress Underground.

I agree with everything that @Maverick has said. We here are fans of latex for its durability and responsiveness, and as Norm said, you can get it in different densities.

I would add: Pay attention to the material covering the topper if you want it to have some ‘give’ to it. A tightly woven cotton will limit the responsiveness. The same is true with whatever type of mattress protector you use on top of the topper - going with a cotton knit, for instance, will allow you to feel the latex more.
Best of luck!

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This is why TMU is such a valuable tool for those researching, learning and purchasing a mattress system, components and accessories! There is always more than one set of eyes looking out to solve sleepers’ issues.

Thanks to Brian at TCB for pointing out what this Mod forgot to point out. Materials, their elasticity and weave do play an important role when covering your topper and your mattress.

Trusted Members here at TMU, live, breathe and sleep their profession and it is their attention to detail, even when it is not obvious to the lay person, to make every sleeper’s night the most comfortable and restful night’s sleep it can be.

That is why choosing a Trusted Member is different than choosing some random place to make your mattress and mattress component purchase. They often will see things that others miss. Every one of the Trusted Members here are scrutinized for their quality, standards, and transparency. This is a value that cannot be overstated and overlooked.

There is a saying that is as true today as it will be tomorrow.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten”

When you think about it, poor quality does not only refer to the product, it also makes a statement about the folks you buy from.

Thanks Brian @TheCleanBedroom for highlighting that additional point concerning the different fabric covers. As it will surely bring additional value and less “bitterness” to all sleepers future purchases.

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Hello and Welcome. My husband is also thin and light and also a side sleeper. He likes the medium talalay mattress with a 2" soft talalay topper. If you want to feel the responsiveness without a lot of fluff, try the Sleep on Latex’ topper cover. They are amazing. They do not sell Talalay so you’d have to get the topper from one vendor and the cover from SOL. Just my 2 cents.
Hester

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Thank you all for your input! I decided to go with the Titanflex topper (I didn’t wanna miss the sale even though they extended it haha). It seemed like a nice medium between latex and a softer foam. I also got an Elm & Elm side sleeper pillow, so I’ll see how these do!

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The titanflex is a nice topper, although it is synthetic. So you may not get the years and durability out of it that you would a Latex. I know you know that having read through our tutorials. It will have a bit bounce like latex as it is a latex alternative, so you will not get that slow swallowing quicksand memory foam feel. Keep us posted on how you like it!

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I’ve slept on my topper a few nights now! It’s so soft and squishy and super comfortable at first, but it may be too soft. I feel like my hips sink a little lower than the rest of my spine, but it’s hard to tell. I get neck and shoulder pain --I think because of the extra sinkage making my pillow too lofty maybe, but I can reduce the pillow loft.

A 2" topper might have been better but they only had 3", and I got the soft one. Wondering if I should return it for a medium, get a different topper, or try to firm it up. I’ve tried tightening the sheets over it, but maybe I could put a thin pillow or foam under the topper.
I’ll try lowering the loft of my pillow tonight and see if that helps, since my neck and shoulders are the main problem right now. I do think a big part of it is also sleeping posture. I try to be mindful and not fall into a fetal position (my small dog makes it a bit difficult since he likes taking up the middle of the bed).

For reference, the current bed setup is:
• 4-4.5" denser foam on a springy sheet (don’t know what to call it, sorry)
• 3" titanflex soft topper
• .5-1" mattress pad (I’m assuming cotton or poly)
• Elm&Elm side sleeper pillow (poly & shredded latex)

I like the low profile of my bed and wouldn’t want it any taller than it is now, but I do think I’m in a Goldilocks situation :joy:

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Hey MUGster SD007,
I think your instincts are correct with the medium vs the soft. That extra inch on a topper from 2 to 3 will certainly change the feel to the plushier side. It will do this even on a Dunlop latex, although with dunlop, you may like it better as when you sink, it will feel a bit more supportive. Since titanflex is a latex alternative style product and synthetic, the density is more uniform throughout, where dunlop is denser as you sink into it. If you are able to order the 3" medium, and return the softer one after, that would be ideal, so you can try the difference. Yes, you may have a pillow issue, as you may sink more on the topper than you do on the mattress. That may be just several days of adjustment or as you observed a lower loft pillow.

I suggest you change one thing at a time. Even if you struggle for a day, two or three. Too many times (like the 10 minute showroom assessment) folks will make a judgement after only several days. It simply may take a bit longer. I would consult via chat with BB and let them know what is going on, and perhaps you would like to try the medium, before returning the soft. You just want to be assured they will offer you a full refund on whichever you ultimately decide on.
Good luck and continue to trial as it may take a bit more time to feel it right.

Norm

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Thank you! I took some filling out of my pillow and it was a lot better. I’ll give it some more time before I contact BB :+1:

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Nice job, that is the way you narrow it down and figure out exactly what will work best for you.
Amazing that what an adjustment in pillow loft can do. I am usually a nut case fiddling with filling and loft, always looking to improve what I thought was perfect.

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