Enjoy a Night in the CloudsI have never been an adherent to the school of the firm mattress. A bed should be about comfort; it should be a refuge from the harshness of the world, and a place to relish sweet dreams. There are many things you can do to make a firm mattress softer, let's start with the cheapest and work our way up. Also, if you are looking to go green in the bedroom pop by my hub on Natural Mattress Toppers. Egg CratesThis is what my mother always called those foam pads that you can put on your mattress. In college my roommate had never seen one of these, until I threw one on her spartan bed to cushion her bony body. They are the cheapest way of softening up a bed' I recently bought one for aroung $20 at Wal-mart. Of course, they vary in thickness, so the more you pay, the thicker of a foam pad you'll get. Throw it down on the bed, top with sheets, and you're done! Feather BedsThe classic choice, a featherbed is made up of bird down mixed with larger feathers to make a fluffy, soft nest for your bed.
There is a very wide price range when it comes to featherbeds. You can go down to your local Bed Bath and Beyond and pick one up for $70, or you can go to Macy's and buy a $400 Charter Club featherbed. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when shopping for a featherbed however. The first is the percentage of down the featherbed has. You want a high percentage of down in a featherbed because more down means less larger feathers. These larger feathers can prove crunchy, and will poke out of the fabric, pricking you when you are just dozing off. Another thing to consider is the thickness, or fluffiness of a featherbed. Your weight will compact the bed a bit, though it can be fluffed back up. A cheaper bed will not wear well over time and will be flat as a pancake in a few months. A good featherbed will resume its shape after a good fluffing however, and will last many years. Memory FoamThe new kid on the block, memory foam is what the astronauts sit on during takeoff. Memory foam is made of polyurethane that's chemically altered to be very dense.
It's also responsive to heat, making softer in warm spots, and harder in cool areas. Because memory foam is so dense it can be very heavy, but it is also very supportive. Memory foam, unlike feather beds, does not have as large a range of quality. Yes, some memory foams may be softer than others (marginally), but there aren't factors like down percentage to encounter. The key quality to consider while searching for a memory foam topper is thickness. The thicker the memory foam the more support, and the further you are away from your hard mattress. Memory foam runs from about $110 for a 1/2" topper to $800 for a full on mattress. Many in between sizes exist, usually made in half-inch increments. Memory foam can also be considered a good investment because it retains its shape and lasts a very long time. (I'm talking about it may come with you to your next mattress long time). HybridsI personally enjoy the best of both worlds. On my bed I have a hybrid feather and memory foam topper.
The memory foam provides a half inch base while feathers are on top. The feathers provide a pillow like feeling, while the memory foam provides curve hugging support. I bought this about a year ago, and the topper is still going strong. For about $110 I consider it a very smart investment in a good night's sleep. Keep your eye out on ebay and places like Overstock.Image: Yes, we'd all love to purchase a new mattress to float away on at the drop of a hat, but they're so dang expensive it's not always possible. The good news is, if you have a semi-decent mattress and box spring, you can make some small investments and tweaks to boost your bed's level of fluffy comfort. A photo posted by Fruition Skin Therapy (@fruitionskintherapy) on Jan 7, 2017 at 8:48pm PST Even if you have a pillow-top, don't just throw a single foam pad on over the mattress and expect your bed to dish up the best sleeping experience ever. For a luxurious and super-comfortable bed, you need to layer on the extras and add a few other goodies to create the perfect combination for you.
More: Things to consider when buying a new bed Check out a memory foam mattress pad, for instance. They come in various sizes, but we suggest going for one that's 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick. You get the benefit of amazing cushioning, but the pad isn't so big that you don't have room for other types of padding. A photo posted by Beta Cat (@betabetacat) on Dec 31, 2016 at 8:01am PST Memory foam is a great start, but next you need to double down with an eggcrate mattress pad. Yeah, they look a little crazy, but they're also amazingly comfortable. Get one big enough to cover the entire top surface of your bed and position it near the top layers of extras (on top of your memory foam, for instance), just beneath a thinner topper that's directly under your fitted sheet. If you aren't allergic to feather products, down bedding can be a gorgeously fluffy addition to your bed. Look for down pillows, mattress toppers and comforters. But quality matters here, folks — if you buy a cheap down comforter or pillow, you're going to be constantly needled to death with the prickly ends of the feathers poking through the cloth barrier.
A photo posted by Cristina Dumitrache (@qrstin) on Jan 8, 2017 at 3:28am PST Whether you are allergic, don't like to buy animal products or just don't feel like dishing out the dough for down, there are synthetic substitutes/down alternatives for feather bedding. More: DIY wooden headboard makes your bedroom instantly farmer-chic If you're looking for a good bang for your buck, the Chezmoi Collection goose down alternative comforter is a steal at $55 at Sears, and you can't beat the Natural Comfort super-warm and cozy down alternative comforter at $42 on Amazon. A photo posted by @sleep.whale.pillows on Jan 8, 2017 at 7:58am PST Speaking of comforters, it's important to pay attention to seasons and the climate you live in while shopping for one. The Natural Comfort down alternative mentioned above is great for winter, but for summer you'll want to seek out something a little lighter. There's also a whole category of all-season comforters to keep on hand to get your body temperature just right.