Do you wake up every morning with back pain? If you can’t afford to purchase a new mattress, investing in a high quality mattress topper can help alleviate the pain while adding more comfort and support to your bed. With so many mattress toppers on the market today, it’s not always easy to find the right model for your needs and budget. What is a good mattress topper? What factors should you consider? You know what to look for when comparing mattress toppers, but which models are the best? Not all mattress toppers are created equal. These five models are durable, affordable and built with the highest quality materials. Linenspa 2” Ventilated Memory Foam Topper by Lucid – The Linenspa from Lucid is our top pick because it offers ventilation, a 2” density, multiple sizes and superior pressure relief to eliminate back pain. LUCID’s memory foam formula offers luxurious comfort and uses open cell technology that allows the topper to maintain its shape for longer.
Unlike other toppers, you won’t get lasting body impressions with this model. And because it’s 1” shorter on all sides, this topper can easily fit under your existing sheets. What we really love about this model is that it offers so many different sizes, including hard-to-find ones, like RV/Short Queen and Olympic Queen. California King, Twin XL and Full XL are also available in addition to the traditional mattress sizes. LUCID offers something for every bed size. The ventilation keeps you cool at night, while the 2” thickness provides you with pressure point relief that minimizes or eliminates back pain altogether. A firm mattress with a memory foam topper like this will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning. Snuggle-Pedic Double Layer Mattress Topper – Snuggle-Pedic – the name says it all. This double layer mattress topper is 2” thick, but creates the feeling of a 3” topper. The conforming memory foam offers superior support for the spine, which is great news for back pain sufferers.
It also keeps the shoulder and neck properly aligned to further eliminate pressure points and pain. The first 4lb layer provides additional cushioning for the hips and shoulders, while the 5 pound density layer offers extra support for the spine. Built with low VLC, this mattress topper won’t hinder indoor air quality or emit any unpleasant odors. Snuggle-Pedic’s foam is made in the USA, and offers excellent temperature regulation to keep you cool all night long. Cool IQ 2.5” Memory Foam Topper by Nature’s Sleep – Cool IQ is a high density, 3.5 pound mattress topper that’s 2” thick and comes with a convenient microfiber cover. With added support, this topper eases pain in the back, hips and shoulders. It’s naturally antibacterial, antimicrobial and hypoallergenic, too. Available in six sizes, including Twin XL and California King, Nature’s Sleep accommodates all customers. The microfiber cover is a nice addition as it keeps the topper in place, and the foam used to create this product is CertiPUR-US approved.
With a 2.5” thickness, you’ll enjoy more support and comfort. This particular model is especially effective for side sleepers, but back and stomach sleepers have also found relief with the Cool IQ. Sleep Better 2” Mattress Topper – Built with 100% foam, Sleep Better’s 2” extra firm mattress topper is both comfortable and extremely affordable. Because it’s extra-firm, this model offers the added support that you need to alleviate back pain. If you’re back pain is caused by a mattress that’s too soft, this topper can help fix the problem without forcing you to buy a brand new mattress. That extra added support can alleviate pressure points while supporting your spine and shoulders. The Sleep Better model is simple – it doesn’t come with a cover or fancy design. But it gets the job done, and it does it well. Milliard 2” Gel Memory Foam Topper with Bamboo Cover – Looking for a mattress topper that not only provides you with support, but also keeps you cooler at night?
The Milliard 2” gel memory foam topper may be the right choice for you. With a 2” density, this topper still provides optimal support while keeping you cool. It also works to reduce pressure points to alleviate pain in the back, neck and shoulders. Arthritic patients are particularly pleased with this topper as it provides them with phenomenal relief. Milliard’s toppers are built with open cell technology, which means that the foam is built with porous cells that trap air inside. When compressed, the cells distribute the air among nearby cells, which allows for improved airflow. Simply put, you stay cooler at night. Affordably priced, this topper also comes with a bamboo cover for added protection and comfort. How do we decide which models make it onto our list? There are several things that we take into consideration (and you should, too) when looking through mattress toppers. When buying a mattress topper, especially for back pain, you need to keep these key factors in mind.
Density is one of the most important things because a thicker topper will offer more support and pain relief. Don’t forget about airflow, too, as this may mean the difference between a comfortable sleep and waking up drenched in sweat. For many people, sleeping on their stomach is considered the best sleeping position, despite the fact that it can also be the most harmful. For this guide we’re not going to debate the pros and cons of stomach sleeping (we’ll save that for another time), but instead we’ll focus on helping to ensure you get the very best sleep possible on your stomach. So without any further adieu let’s dive into the best mattresses for stomach sleepers! Want to see the full list of recommendations for stomach sleepers? Click here to jump down to the summary. Stomach sleepers go to bed night after night in one of the worst sleeping positions for your body. That being said, the proper mattress and pillow can help to overcome the negative effects of stomach sleeping.
Proper support for your back, a medium to slight firmer feel, and choosing the right pillow are essential to getting a good night’s rest on your belly. A mattress with these traits will provide your body with the support it needs to sleep through the night and wake feeling refreshed and pain free. When sleeping on your stomach, getting the proper support helps to promote a restful night’s sleep and is critical due to the amount of pressure that is localized at your body’s midsection. Be sure to consider the following key characteristics when shopping for your new mattress. For stomach sleepers, support may be the number one concern. Whether you realize it or not, your mid-section carries an intense amount of pressure and weight throughout the day. When you sleep on your stomach, that pressure continues to build up in your torso and that pressure can not only lead to a restless night’s sleep, but also prolonged back pain. In order to prevent that discomfort, look for a mattress that has great support.
Foam mattresses are well known for their consistent support through layers of responsive and pressure relieving foam that conform to the natural curves of your body. Spring or hybrid mattresses can also a good fit provided they have adequate support, contouring hug, and an appropriate level of firmness (see below). Stomach sleepers keep a very flat profile which results in fewer gaps between your body and the mattress. The best mattress for stomach sleepers should be on the medium to slightly firmer side, around a 4-7 on the firmness scale (where 10 is the most firm). A medium to slightly firm mattress keeps your back from arching and causing stiffness. By comparison, a mattress that is too soft will cause your pelvis to sink down, resulting in the misalignment of your spine. This may cause you to wake with lower back pain or pain elsewhere. This pain can be nagging and reoccurring if you don’t have an appropriate firmness level to help keep your body in alignment. In the population of stomach sleepers, there are many that prefer soft mattresses.
If you find yourself in this category, look for a mattress that has either 1) highly advanced foam or other materials that provide both softness and support (some advanced foams do this) or 2) a mattress that has a thin, but soft foam or pillow-top type layer (mattresses with traditional padded covers can provide this, while still offering the support needed). The right level of firmness is perhaps the most critical factor for stomach sleepers. With the right firmness level you’ll eliminate and prevent many back issues. However, even a firmness level that is just slightly wrong can cause significant pains. I’m a stomach sleeper and my body tends to prefer a firmness of 4-6 out of 10. I’ve tested numerous mattresses that are slightly softer (3-3.5 out of 10) and slightly firmer (7 out of 10). In both of these scenarios I awake with back pain. It’s common for shoppers to put a lot of effort into selecting the right mattress, so why not put the same about of attention into choosing the right pillow?
While there are many different styles and densities of pillows, stomach sleepers do best with flatter pillows. Unlike back and side sleepers, which need more and a different type of support, stomach sleepers require pillows that help keep the body as flat as possible. Because your body lays so flat against the mattress, it’s important to use a pillow that continues that position from your head to your feet. An overstuffed pillow can elevate the head too much and cause pressure points or spinal misalignment in your neck. As a stomach sleeper myself I know the importance of a proper pillow. Pillows for me tend to be very good or very bad (not much middle ground). The vast majority of the time the attribute that makes them a bad pillow for a stomach sleeper is simply the height. Other important pillow factors for stomach sleepers include: moldability, huggability, and cooling. If you’re on the hunt for a new pillow I would highly recommend the Nest Easy Breather pillow. It is leaps and bounds better than any other pillow I have tested to date in terms of meeting the needs of stomach sleepers.