The level of comfort and support provided by your mattress can have a profound impact on your sleep. And a mattress topper is an effective way to improve your current set up. Whether you need to revitalize an ageing mattress, change the softness or firmness, or give yourself an extra layer of luxury to sleep on, there’s a topper that will give you what you need. In this review I’ll be looking at the best mattress toppers made from a range of materials: memory foam, latex, wool, down and cotton. Whether you’re looking for comfort, support, pain-relief or temperature regulation, hopefully you’ll find one which gives you a great night’s rest. Memory foam mattress topper that avoids heat retention The Isolus ventilated mattress topper is a luxuriously supportive and comfortable memory foam topper, made by the well-respected bedding company Malouf. This is a topper which you can sink into, feel cushioned and drift off to sleep safe in the knowledge that you won’t be bothered by pressure points.
Impressively for a memory foam topper, you’ll find it has minimal heat retention due to the ventilation tubes running throughout it. Here are the key points to consider: There isn’t much to complain about with this mattress topper. It would be nice if it came with a cover, but it’s the main body which is most important. And despite being superior to most other memory foam toppers in terms of heat and initial smell, you may find that there’s still a little of both. Overall, this is an excellent addition to any bedroom, whether you’re new to memory foam or are looking for a good quality mattress topper. Once you’ve slept on it it’s unlikely you’ll ever want to go back to a normal mattress. This natural bamboo topper by Exceptional Sheets is technically advertised as a pad rather than a topper. However, the terms pad and topper are often interchangeable, with the end result being what really matters. And the thickness and quality of this pad definitely merit a place among the more heavyweight mattress toppers.
The pad is particularly soft and comfortable, feeling like goose down and very popular due to this. It won’t mold to and support your body like a memory foam topper, but it will get you some way towards that fabled ‘sleeping on a cloud’ feeling. Here are the key features: The main downside is that if you’re trying to hide very large lumps or dips in your current mattress, it might not be up to the job. But if your main goal is to provide an extra layer of softness and comfort, this is a very effective choice. It will definitely spruce up your mattress and have you feeling soft and cozy again. Made in the United Stated by the Dreamfoam bedding company, the Ultimate Dream mattress topper ticks the boxes for comfort, support and durability. It’s 3 inches thick, which will help hide any lumps or dips in your current mattress, and you have three choices of firmness to choose from. The soft version is at the lower end of the scale for firmness, so you’ll sink into it but still receive support for your back.
The medium is actually probably in the medium-firm category, so you’ll get plenty of support for your body. And the firm really is quite solid – great if you enjoy a harder sleeping surface, but otherwise perhaps a bit too much. Overall, it’s an impressive mattress topper, solidly constructed and with enough choice to get the exact level of support you need. If you’re looking for a serious mattress upgrade which you’ll sleep comfortably on, the Utimate Dreams latex topper won’t disappoint. The Biosleep Concept is an excellent wool mattress topper, with a lovely balance of luxurious feel, body support and temperature regulation at night. If you’re not keen on the more synthetic materials such as memory foam or polyester, wool should be high up on your shortlist. If you tend to overheat at night or have allergies, and want a comfortable yet firm, supportive, chemical-free mattress topper it’s a great option. Here are the key points to note: One drawback to wool is that it does tend to compress over time, so if you’re looking for a soft, fluffy, sinking into the bed feeling for years to come, it might not be right for you.
You’ll also find you do need to occasionally fluff it or take it outside for a few minutes to breathe. So if you have problems lifting, that could be an issue. Wool toppers are probably the best choice if you need a combination of support for aching muscles or stiff joints and temperature regulation. And this is a carefully made topper with high quality natural materials which does those jobs extremely well. High quality feather mattress topper Having covered mattress toppers which provide firmness and support, it’s now time to focus on softness. And for that there’s nothing quite like lying on a bed of down feathers. And of the many feather toppers available, my recommended choice is this one from Pacific Coast. It’s a well-designed model which should give you the perfect soft surface to sleep on. The main downside is the same as with all feather and down mattress toppers – you’ll have to fluff it on a regular basis. The instructions tell you to do it daily to maintain the best shape and softness.
Overall, this is a well-designed and beautifully soft feather mattress topper. It’s a great option if softness is your number one criteria and you enjoy that uniquely special cosy feeling that down brings.What makes a Kingsdown® Mattress Extraordinary?Kingsdown mattresses are exquisitely handcrafted and scientifically designed to deliver a personalized sleep experience for healthy, life-changing sleep.Discover your Kingsdown MattressDiscover your Kingsdown MattressABrowse mattresses by type:HybridInnerspringIntelligentLatex FoamMemory FoamBOr browse mattresses by feature:Airflow TechnologyGelHigh Coil CountIdeal TemperatureNatural MaterialsPersonalized SupportSmart TechnologyCOr browse mattresses by collection:BodyPerfectCrown ImperialDiamond RoyaleDownton Abbey®PassionsSleep HavenSleep SmartSleep to LiveVintageMy SideA few years ago we saw the introduction of the gel memory foam mattress into the bedding industry. Some thought these new incarnations of the old would be the future of the industry.
Though these mattresses do sometimes fair better than their gel-less counterparts in some areas, they share several faults.If you think developments in mattress technology are keeping pace with computers, mobile communication devices and other rapidly changing industries, you are absolutely right. While it is an exciting time to buy a new mattress, the vast amount of choices available can make it an overwhelming endeavor without the proper knowledge base to make good decisions.What are the advantages of a gel memory foam mattress? How is memory foam better than a spring mattress? These are the important questions that need to be asked when considering the best path to a good night’s sleep. There are many options available on the market. With the advent of latex foam, plant-based memory foam, and now the memory foam gel mattress, consumers can experience analysis paralysis.Often when faced with staggering amounts of information, people stop processing it. That can lead to a poor decision and less satisfaction.
To help you with your decision and decrease the likelihood of regretful purchase, we have done some analysis for you.It can be tempting to buy the newest version of a product on the market. People often equate newness with value, but newer technologies often have bugs to work out. Mattresses do not escape this reality. Products that have been on the market for awhile are more likely to have been tested by a large number of people and, hopefully, improved. Newer products do not have this advantage.Memory foam gel mattresses hit the market in 2011 and have quickly become a favorite among many consumers because they embody some of the best aspects of memory foam, including the highest level of comfort available. The gel-infused nature of these mattresses goes a step further by adding extra support while attempting to address one of the biggest drawbacks to standard memory foam – heat retention.Because memory foam contours to the sleeper’s body and disperses weight across the face of the mattress a highly desirable floating-like effect is created that provides total support and comfort.
But it also tends to trap heat in ways that traditional mattresses do not, and that has been a problem for some users.There are basically two types of gel memory foam mattresses. The first has gel infused throughout the top layer of foam and the second has a layer of gel near the surface. Both of these types do seem to alleviate the heat problem slightly better than traditional foam mattresses, but there are still complaints from overheated customers.While gel mattresses may feel cool when you first touch them or lay on them, many consumers find after being in contact with the material for a few moments the hot feeling returns. That is because the gel manufacturers use is conductive. It takes on the temperature of the surrounding environment. Once warm, they feel warm.Buyers should know, while gel infusion may have improved the sleep quality of standard polyurethane-based memory foam mattresses slightly, it is not necessarily the best method available for addressing body heat retention.
Without the aid of gel, other manufacturers have found ways to keep the heat off sleepers.Innovative brands like Amerisleep have been broadening the appeal of memory foam with plant-based products. In addition to being healthier and more environmentally-responsible, plant-based memory foam mattresses have been found to sleep considerably cooler than gel-infused products manufactured by leading brands.And that’s not just Amerisleep making baseless claims to drive sales. The cooler-sleeping qualities of plant-based memory foam were revealed in a two-year study conducted by Cargill – a nearly 150-year-old producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products. Cargill’s research found plant-based memory foam dissipates heat at a rate that is 25 percent faster than gel-infused products.Generally, traditional memory foam mattresses have a closed-cell structure, which means they have millions of tiny pockets of air trapped throughout the material. These pockets act as insulation, just as it does in foam coffee cups and the in the walls of some buildings.
It is a perfect material for trapping heat, but very poor at releasing it.Amerisleep’s innovative foam has a much more open structure. This allows far more airflow. As air passes through the mattress, it carries heat with it. This is how these plant-based memory foam mattresses stay so cool, without the use of gels, which are often composed of unnatural chemicals.Plant-based memory foams typically produce far fewer Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and don’t off-gas as much as most traditional and gel memory foam mattresses. This off-gassing can be more than just an offense to the olfactories, it can cause adverse health effects. Many gel and traditional memory foam mattresses need to be aired out in a well-ventilated space away from living areas prior to use.It makes sense that a material made from more natural products would contain less hazardous materials. Consumers looking to purchase from more environmentally responsible companies can receive the added benefit of a virtually smell-free, low-VOC sleep system.