Best memory foam mattress topper Memory foam mattress toppers are the most popular choice among users, and we found more reviews for them than for any other type of topper. A number of memory foam mattress toppers get very high ratings at different review sites across the Internet, but none fares better than the Serta Ultimate 4-inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper (Est. $200 and up). Owners say the Serta Ultimate Foam mattress topper is very comfortable and supportive, and many report that it provides relief from pain and stiffness. This Serta is reported to be on the soft side, so it gets better ratings from back sleepers than from side sleepers. That's not unusual for softer mattresses and mattress pads as side sleepers tend to sink deeper into those. However, for those who love a soft bed, the Serta Ultimate is the "ultimate" in comfort, users say, with many likening it to sleeping on a cloud. For some, though, that cloud feels more like a giant sponge, and some say that this memory foam topper traps heat too much and also makes it difficult to move around.
This Serta memory foam mattress topper comes in a wide range of sizes, twin, full, queen, king and California King. The four inch thickness is a great choice if you're a heavier individual, or if your mattress is significantly hard or sagging. The 2-inch thick Serta only comes in three sizes, queen, king and California king. The Serta Ultimate mattress topper is a good choice for allergy sufferers as it's is hypoallergenic and antibacterial. Long-term reviews indicate that this mattress topper is quite durable, although some experts say that you can only expect a memory foam mattress topper to last about three to five years. Since the Serta comes with a long, three-year warranty, it seems that this one may be at the longer range of that scale. The Red Nomad 2-inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper (Est. $70 and up) is another great choice that gets raves from experts and owners. It also comes in a wider range of sizes, twin, twin XL, full, queen and California king. The Red Nomad also comes in a 3-inch thick size.
, where it earns an overall owner satisfaction sample of 94 percent. However, that is based upon far, far fewer owner surveys (for example, 788 surveys for Red Nomad, 25,542 for Serta; Serta earns a rating of 89 percent). That's significant because in our research on both mattress toppers and mattresses, which we cover in a separate report, the more input a manufacturer has, the lower their ratings tend to be. Still, owners at retail review sites love the Red Nomad mattress topper. They say it adds a lot of comfort to a too-hard bed and that it fits extremely true to size. Most say they noticed absolutely no odor upon unpacking the mattress topper; others say it had a slight odor, but that it aired out very nicely. , is another popular memory foam mattress topper. Owners give it high praise for comfort and pain relief. Many say that after trying this on their own bed, they have purchased additional mattress pads for other beds in the home. This mattress topper also comes in a full range of sizes, twin, twin XL, full, queen, king and California king.
The Memory Foam Solutions pad gets more durability complaints than the Serta or the Red Nomad, with some saying the foam disintegrates within a few months. gets good reviews for dealing with complaints. If you tend to get hot when you sleep, you might prefer the Lucid Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper (Est. $85 and up). This memory foam mattress pad is infused with a gel designed to disperse heat and improve airflow. Owners generally agree that the Lucid mattress pad doesn't make them too warm, and most say it's very comfortable, although, as with all memory foam mattresses, there are those who say it's just too soft. It gets raves from back pain sufferers who say that the supportive softness eliminated their morning pain and stiffness. The bamboo fabric cover on the Lucid Gel mattress topper gets good reviews for its softness and for protecting the mattress topper, but some say it makes the pad too slippery and that it slides around on the bed. We also read a notable number of complaints about the odor when this mattress pad is first unpacked.
All memory foam mattress toppers get those kind of complaints, but this one seems to garner more complaints than others for that particular issue. Many say they had to unroll theirs and air it out for several days before they could use it -- so you may want to factor that into your purchase decision if you need it for a specific time frame.Polyurethane foam, memory foam and latex foam are the three most common types of foam used in mattresses. While latex foam has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years, most mattresses only contain memory foam and polyurethane foam. Interestingly, latex foam was very commonly used in mattresses prior to the introduction of polyurethane foam in the 1950’s. We get a lot of questions about why we offer latex foam products but not offer polyurethane foam or memory foam products. We only sell latex foam products because we have a strong belief that latex foam is the best type of foam to use in mattresses and mattress toppers. Latex foam offers several significant advantages over memory foam and polyurethane foam.
Latex foam is a foam produced by vulcanizing liquid latex into a solid foam. The vulcanization process cross links latex particles with sulfur through the application of heat and accelerators such as zinc oxide. Latex foam can be produced with natural latex, which is harvested from rubber trees or synthetic latex, which is produced from petrochemicals. All of the latex foam we sell contains only natural latex and never contains any synthetic latex. Latex foam provides exact pinpointed support and reacts instantly to your every move. Latex foam does not “sink in” and “bottom out” as the night goes by. It maintains constant support and does not get softer when warmer. This makes it extremely easy to move throughout the night without any sleep interruption. The pinpointed, contoured support allows certain areas of the body to sink further into the mattress while others are supported. This is especially helpful to side sleepers, as they require more give in their shoulder and hip but more support in their midsection.
Latex foam is one of the most durable types of foam available. Latex mattresses and mattress toppers long outlast those made with memory foam and polyurethane foam. We often hear stories from customers that have had latex mattresses last over 20 years. Latex foam scores highly on all foam durability tests which simulate long periods of use. It is very common for natural latex foam to have emissions certifications. All of the foam used in our Pure Green and is ecoInstitut and Oeko-tex class 1 (their most stringent class) certified. While synthetic latex foam can sometimes have certifications, it is not as common. Polyurethane Foam (also known as poly-foam) is the least expensive and lowest quality foam used in mattresses and mattress toppers. People are often familiar with polyurethane foam as the type of foam used in sofa cushions or cheap “egg crate” mattress toppers. Polyurethane foam is made up primarily of compounds derived from petrochemicals. Many mattress manufacturers use polyurethane foam as the top layer of spring mattresses.
This is done primarily because polyurethane is very inexpensive, not because it is high quality. More recently, many online mattress retailers have begun using polyurethane foam as a base layer in their mattresses instead of using spring coils. Polyurethane foam can be compressed very easily due to it’s low density. This allows many online mattress retailers to save on shipping cost but also causes many of these mattresses to have short lifespans. There are several different varieties and densities of polyurethane foam. Generally, higher density polyurethane foam is a bit more durable while low-density polyurethane foam can degrade very quickly (sometimes within a year). Even high density polyurethane foam is less dense than latex foam or memory foam. All polyurethane foam, no matter what density, will degrade faster than any latex foam of decent quality. Polyurethane foam can add some softness and support, but it will not provide the same pinpointed support associated with memory foam or latex foam.
Polyurethane foam tends to collapse much quicker when pressure is applied. Because of this, it does not provide the same pinpointed, contoured support that latex foam is known for. Polyurethane foam rarely carries any emission certifications other than the certipur-US certification. This certification is often touted by mattress manufacturers. While the certipur-US certification is certainly a step in the right direction for the polyurethane foam industry, it lacks the credibility of the third party certifications such as ecoInsitut or Oeko-tex. It is a standard that was designed and is administered by the polyurethane industry itself. While the certipur-US certification does ban the use of certain types of fire retardant chemicals, it is very common for polyurethane foam to contain fire retardant additives. Memory foam (also known as viscoelastic polyurethane foam or tempurpedic foam) is a type of polyurethane foam that contains added compounds which change the way it feels.
This gives it the "slow moving" properties that memory foam is known for. For example, it will hold your handprint for a few seconds when pressed. As with polyurethane foam, memory foam is made up primarily of compounds derived from petrochemicals. Memory foam is usually denser and more expensive than regular polyurethane foam. Memory foam does provide much a more pinpointed feel than polyurethane foam. While it provides a pinpointed feel, it is not as supportive as latex foam. We commonly talk to people who have a memory foam mattress or topper but cannot stand the unsupportive, sinking feeling they experience on it. Covering memory foam is actually one of the top reasons that people buy our mattress toppers. Unlike latex foam, which responds instantly and provides constant support, memory foam responds slowly and sinks further the longer that pressure is applied to it. The sinking of memory foam makes moving during sleep more necessary, but the slow response of the foam makes it very difficult to move without sleep being disturbed.
Memory foam is also heat reactive, which means it absorbs heat and softens as it gets warmer. This adds to the “sinking” issues mentioned above. As the memory foam heats up from your body, it gets softer and sinks more. As your body sinks further into the foam, you get hotter. This continues until many wake up to find themselves hot and stuck in one spot of their mattress. Newer versions of memory foam exist, which are designed to reduce heat (often called “gel foam”). While these foams contain chemicals which make the surface of the foam feel cooler, many experience the same heat issues with gel foam. Densities of memory foam can vary greatly. In general, higher density memory foam is more durable and of better quality. There are a lot of very inexpensive, low density memory foam toppers which are sold online. Many mattresses also contain this low density, inexpensive memory foam. Low density memory foam may work well for a few months after purchase, but it will degrade very quickly.