Mattress Topper Reviews > Memory Foam Mattress Topper Reviews
Memory Foam Toppers → Review, Ratings & Complaints Based On 8,000+ Actual Owner Experiences
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last updated January 24, 2012
What You Need To Know
Owner Satisfaction: Memory foam toppers overall have 88% owner satisfaction.
Pros: Tend to provide superior pain relief compared to other types; reasonably priced; tend to improve motion isolation; many brands / options to choose from.
Cons: May give off initial odor and act as a heat trap; some varieties may be somewhat difficult to move on.
Competition: See how memory foam mattress toppers compare to other types in the mattress topper comparison.
What Are They?: Memory foam toppers are currently the most popular mattress topper type. Memory foam is made of millions of spherical shaped, open cells that are temperature and weight sensitive. (Learn more: what is memory foam?)
Memory Foam Topper-Pad Ratings: As a Group
The ratings below show how memory foam topper-pads overall are evaluated by owners. For ratings on specific brands, see the section following this one.
| Owner satisfaction | good | 88% of memory foam mattress topper owners are satisfied with the product. Owner data suggests that brand / manufacturer is more of a factor in satisfaction than thickness or density. |
| Durability / longevity | fair | Durability / longevity is similar to other types of mattress toppers. Loss of firmness / support and body impression development are the main durability complaints. |
| Price | fair | The price range is $35-$270. On average, owners paid around $100. Memory foam toppers under $50 tend to have somewhat lower satisfaction than those above $50. |
| Less pain | good | Overall, comfort and pain relief are strong benefits of memory foam. At least 15% of owners report pain relief, including back pain relief. (See mattresses and pain relief for further analysis.) |
| Motion isolation | fair | The thicker and more dense the foam is the more it will absorb your movements from reaching your partner. |
| Easy to move on | fair | Thicker, higher density toppers are usually more difficult to move on. |
| No initial odor / off gassing | poor | Memory foam has more complaints on this issue than other toppers. More info here. |
| No sleeping hot | fair | Memory foam may act as a heat trap. More info here. |
| Good for sex | good | The toppers do not have a significant number of complaints on this issue. However, thicker and higher density toppers increase likelihood of complaints. |
| Dust mite resistant | fair | Reduced allergies are occasionally reported. See memory foam and dust mites. |
| Proper fit / secure | fair | Like all mattress toppers, memory foam toppers may not fit properly to the dimensions of the mattress because they may be smaller than advertised. |
| Appearance | good | When bed is made, the product usually provides a clean, even appearance. |
| Ease of cleaning / maintenance | good | When needed -- requires spot cleaning by hand or steam cleaning. The toppers do not need to be shaken / fluffed but can benefit from occasional turning / flipping. |
| Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings | good | Most memory foam topper brands / manufacturers have an "A" or "B" rating. |
Memory Foam Topper-Pad Ratings: By Top Rated Brands
The following chart lists memory foam toppers that rate highest in owner satisfaction based on significant and credible owner experience data; it is not a complete list of products / brands available on the market. The chart compares the toppers on factors that can vary from brand to brand.
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| Owner Satis- faction | Sample Size | Price (queen) | Thick-nesses Available | Density (lbs-ft) | Firm- ness | Initial Odor | No Sleeping Hot | BBB Rating | Warranty | Return Policy | Retailer(s) | |
| Aerus | 92% | 124 | $55-$180 | 1.5", 2", 2.5", 3" | 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 | medium- soft | medium | Good-Fair | A (Foamex) | 5 years | 90 days or more | Samsclub.com / walmart.com |
| Bodipedic | 92% | 987 | $110-$145 | 2", 3", 4" | 3.0 | medium | medium- high |
Fair | A+ (Sleep Innovations) | 3 years | 30 days | Overstock.com |
| Comfort Cell | 93% | 84 | $120 | 2" | 2.5 | medium | low- Medium |
Good-Fair | NA | 5 years | 90 days | Jcpenney.com |
| Isotonic | 91% | 70 | $220 | 3" | 2.5 | medium- soft | medium | Fair | NR | 15 years | 90 days | JCPenney, Jcpenney.com |
| Serta | 90% | 3,865 | $90-$160 | 2", 3", 4" | 4.0 | Medium | Medium | Fair | B- | 3 years | 30 days | Overstock.com |
Sleep Studio
(Amazon) |
92% | 765 | $70-$170 | 2", 3", 4" | 2.5, 3.0 | medium- soft | low | Fair | NR | 3 years | 30 days | Amazon |
| Slumber Solutions | 90% | 1,345 | $50-$140 | 2", 3", 4" | 3.0 | medium | medium | Fair-Good | NR | 3 years | 30 days | Overstock.com |
| Spa Sensations / Theratouch | 86% | 1,470 | $40-$110 | .5", 1.5", 4" | 3.5, 4.0 | firm- medium | low | Fair-Good | F (Zinus) | 5 years | 90 days | Walmart.com |
| Tempur-pedic | 93% | 59 | $500 | 1" | 5.3 | medium | low | Good | A+ | 5 years | 30-day refund, 60-day credit | Brookstone.com |
Memory Foam Topper Thickness
Two-inch memory foam toppers lead significantly in sales compared to other thicknesses, according to our data. They also lead in owner satisfaction, albeit slightly.
Owners who weigh more than average or who sleep on their side usually buy or are most satisfied with 3-inch or 4-inch toppers. Owners of average weight or who sleep on their backs or stomachs often are most satisfied with the less-than-2-inch or 2-inch toppers.
Number of Owners by Thickness
The graph below shows that two-inch memory foam toppers are clearly the most popular in terms of sales.
| Number of Owners / Percent of Owners |
| Less than 2 inches | 5460 / 20% |
| 2 inches | 11950 / 44% |
| 3 inches | 5100 / 19% |
| 4 inches | 4350 / 16% |
Owner Satisfaction by Thickness
The graph below shows that owner satisfaction among the different topper thicknesses is virtually the same.
| Percent Satisfied / Sample Size |
| Less than 2 inches | 86% / 5640 |
| 2 inches | 89% / 11950 |
| 3 inches | 88% / 5100 |
| 4 inches | 86% / 4350 |
Memory Foam Mattress Topper Density
A variety of densities are available in memory foam toppers.
Density indicates how much the foam weighs. For example, 3 lbs./ft density foam means that a cubic foot of this foam would weigh three pounds.
Density can determine many topper characteristics. Learn more based on owner data: memory foam density: higher vs lower.
Number of Owners by Density
The graph below shows that 2.5-3.0 lbs/ft density memory foam toppers are most popular in terms of sales, closely followed by 4.0 lbs/ft density toppers.
| Number of Owners / Percent of Owners |
| 2.0 lbs/ft | 1020 / 4% |
| 2.5-3.0 lbs/ft | 14072 / 54% |
| 4.0 lbs/ft | 10688 / 41% |
| 5.0 lbs/ft | 170 / 1% |
Owner Satisfaction by Density
The graph below shows that owner satisfaction among the different topper densities is virtually the same.
| Percent Satisfied / Sample Size |
| 2.0 lbs/ft | 89% / 1020 |
| 2.5-3.0 lbs/ft | 86% / 14072 |
| 4.0 lbs/ft | 88% / 10688 |
| 5.0 lbs/ft | 87% / 170 |
Off Gassing / Initial Odor of Memory Foam Mattress Toppers
Due to the manufacturing and / or packaging process, memory foam can give off an initial gas or odor.
It can last from a few hours to weeks. Off gassing is the main complaint by owners regarding their topper. Overall, about 15% of owners report the problem. Off gassing can be a small annoyance to some people and unbearable to others.
There appears to be considerable randomness as to whether and how much a memory foam mattress topper will off gas. However, our data suggests that off gassing tends to be mainly influenced by the thickness of the topper.
Off Gassing by Thickness
The graph below shows that the thicker a memory foam topper is, the more likely it is to give off an initial gas / odor and the more likely that gas / odor will be easily noticed.
| Off Gassing Likelihood & Severity |
| Less than 2 inches | Low |
| 2 inches | Low-Moderate |
| 3 inches | Moderate |
| 4 inches | Moderate-High |
Sleeping Hot
About 6% of owners report that their memory foam topper acts as a heat trap. In other words, it absorbs and fails to release a person's body heat resulting in an unnaturally warm sleep surface.
Our collected owner data suggests that higher density foam and thicker toppers may be somewhat more likely to sleep hot than lower density foam and thinner toppers. However, the difference is barely significant. Instead the data shows that brand and / or manufacturer tend to be the main factors in determining whether or not a topper will sleep hot. See the brand comparison above for details.
In addition, the data suggests that toppers that tout themselves as being cooler tend to not provide much if any actual benefit in reducing owner heat problems.
Amount of Memory Foam in Topper / Pad
Some toppers on the market call themselves "memory foam," yet they are made mostly of regular foam. For example, they may have one inch of true memory foam but then several inches of regular foam. These types tend to be inexpensive. While customer satisfaction for these types is good, the toppers that are all memory foam tend to have somewhat better comfort satisfaction and longevity. To determine the actual contents of the topper you are considering, read the fine print.