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Mattress Topper Advantages and Disadvantages -- Based On Data From Over 1,500 Actual Owners
Below are the pros and cons of mattress toppers in general, whether they be memory foam, latex, featherbed or fiberbed.
Advantages
Revitalize aging mattress
A topper can often bring improved comfort and support to an aging
mattress. If
you are on a budget, a mattress topper can be a smart investment since
it can provide many of the advantages of a new mattress for a fraction
of the cost.
Better
sleep and less pain
About 11% of owners said that their pad has provided them with better
sleep. About 7% report experiencing less pain, especially back pain.
Provide different firmness and "feel" to existing mattress
If you have a newer mattress that does not meet your personal preference
for comfort and support, a mattress topper can alter the feel of the
bed to better suit you. For example, you can buy a topper that will
make the mattress less firm.
Differing firmness for same mattress
If two people sleep on the same bed and have different firmness preferences,
a topper can be added to one side of the bed to, in effect, provide
different firmness levels for each side. This avoids having two people
sleep in separate beds or having to buy a bed with adjustable firmness
for each side.
Try before you buy
A topper allows you to try out bedding material, such as memory foam,
to see if you may like an entire bed made from the topper material.
Also, because of the low cost of many toppers, there's less risk and
hassle if you don't like a topper than if you don't like a new mattress.
In addition, sleeping on a topper made of material you might buy in
a mattress in the future let's you ease the transition from your current
bed to the new one.
Disadvantages
Limited
effectiveness
While a topper can improve many aging mattresses, it is not a miracle
worker. If your mattress is in really bad shape with sink holes, dramatic
sagging and popping springs, the topper will be of only limited help.
Improper fit
A significant number of owners (about 4%) in our research found it
difficult to fit the topper properly to their mattress. For example,
buying a
queen size topper did not necessarily ensure that it would properly
fit the dimensions of their queen size bed. This improper fit may
make sleeping near the edges of the mattress uncomfortable as well
as give an awkward appearance to the bed.
Sliding around
Since the topper is not an integrated part of the mattress, it can
move around independently of the bed at least somewhat, even if well
secured. About 4% of owners complained about this issue.