The ProblemIn recent months I’ve suffered from pain in my right hip and mid to lower back. I attribute this to age, having a sedentary job (writing), having put on some pounds and lack of exercise to lubricate my joints. I sit on a high density cell foam donut as I write this. The donut relieves pressure from the coccyx, something I learned when I was pregnant many moons ago. I’ve learned to contort my body to the left when I rise from a sitting position in order for the pain in my hip to not bring me to my knees. Having this condition checked out by a doctor is out of the question. When I retired from the corporate world I also relinquished my rights to company paid health insurance. So I make do. However, sitting is not my only uncomfortable position. Although I bought a new mattress recently, I awaken with a sore back and my right hip screams with every movement. Do I need to tell you I’ve not been sleeping well? Oh, I guess I just did. The fact is I sleep in 3-hour shifts because my body wakes me up.
Oh, what I would give for just one night of uninterrupted sleep! Something had to be done. I can’t afford medical diagnosis or treatment. Going through Advil like candy is not good for my innards and doesn’t fix the problem anyway. Buying one of those high end mattresses that “have your number” is also out of the question. So, what does a not-so-young-but-not-so-old struggling writer do to alleviate the pain? Ingenuity is the answer, my friends; that and watching the paper for sales on mattress toppers. The SolutionSometimes commercialism comes in handy. It seems everything under the sun goes on sale just before holidays. Memorial day is one of those holidays. My local Big Lots had a flyer in Sunday’s paper. They advertised a ‘famous maker’ 3” gel memory foam mattress topper for queen beds at a doable $99.99. The next day I went to Big Lots in hopes I wasn’t too late. Sure enough, they had plenty in stock and the ‘famous maker’ turned out to be Serta. Well, shoot, if the sheep on TV fear Serta because the public no longer has need to count them (the sheep) in order to go to sleep, that’s enough reason for this little girl to give the brand a shot.
Not only did I make the purchase, but I treated myself to a new set of sheets (in my favorite color, although it doesn’t match my bedding!). I came home excited that, perhaps, I can now get a good night’s sleep. I rolled out the Serta Rest 3” gel memory foam topper and encapsulated it in the accompanying fitted cover (thank you Serta!). I spent the rest of the day washing bedding, including my comforter. I was really looking forward to bedtime! Although, by the looks of my freshly-made bed, I’d need a step stool to get my 5’2” body up on the bed and under the covers! FeaturesUpon reading the instructions (yes, I read the instructions. My name is Shauna, not Shaun!) I was a little disconcerted to discover it may take up to 72 hours for the mattress topper to conform to my bed. I was absolutely delighted when it rolled out flat and fit my bed perfectly! The comfort gods were definitely on my side. In addition to that, I was elated when I read that the gel in the foam is formulated to be cool and regulates itself to your body temperature.
As a post-menopausal woman, I still suffer from night sweats. Well, not really night sweats so much anymore as night heat. That’s another reason I don’t sleep comfortably. I need to have my bedding cold in order to sleep well. It’s a good damn thing I sleep alone; my queen size bed allows me to switch sides when I become too hot – which is another reason I don’t sleep well. By the way, when does that shit end?? Oh, I almost forgot to mention that this product is made in the USA. Way to go, Serta! My rating of this product Do you suffer from back pain? What do you do to alleviate back pain? I take drugs, man! I suffer with it. I exercise and never sit for too long. Nothing yet, but I'm going to try a gel memory foam mattress topper. I prefer to bitch about it. The ResultI’ve only spent two nights on my new set up, but I am tickled to death with the results. I have awakened just once each night - which is a blessing - and I’ve been able to go right back to sleep.
Unfortunately, my body puts out some heat when I’m trying to sleep. Nevertheless, the gel memory foam topper is living up to its promise. The verbiage on the box reads “adds support and comfort – eliminates pressure points”. I can attest to that. In a mere two nights, my pain is at a much lower level. I no longer have to contort my body when I get up from the couch in order to avoid pain in my right hip. Now, if the night heat I still experience would just go bother someone else, I’d be a completely satisfied customer. But that’s not Serta’s problem, is it? If any of you reading this experience discomfort while you sleep for any of the reasons I have mentioned, I highly recommend Serta Rest 3” Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper. It’s an inexpensive solution to what could turn into an expensive and debilitating problem. Try it and rest easy. I did and I now rest when I sleep. DisclaimerI am neither an employee of, nor have I been compensated by Serta to post this review.
See our for our list of comped products and affiliate programs. I have slept on and reviewed over 20 memory foam mattresses at this point, from the top Tempur-pedic brands to the no-name bed-in-a-box startup. Certain brands and models offer different benefits for people with certain preferences, but I’ve learned that some mattresses are just poorly made. I don’t think there is necessarily one “best” memory foam mattress, but there are certainly a lot of BAD memory foam mattresses on the market that . I suggest you use my experience as a starting point to decide which memory foam mattress is best for you. I’ve reviewed a number of memory foam mattresses, with the four below ranking at the top for value, luxury, budget, and comfort. These mattresses rank amongst my top mattress reviews in general, as well as in specific categories like best mattress for side sleepers. Certainly these aren’t the only four quality memory foam mattresses on the market, these are just a few of my favorite across a few categories.
If you’re looking at any memory foam option, you should look for a mattress that: Amerisleep is one of the oldest online-only memory foam mattress brands, and the experience shows. Quite simply they make a mattress that I find to be the most comfortable, with a full line to accommodate sleepers with different preferences. Amerisleep is my top pick because they don’t cut any corners – I believe they deliver one of the best mattresses available. They’re not the cheapest on the market, but they do offer great value (click here for $50 off any Amerisleep). Amerisleep also offers models with cool features like foams that are better for cooling and mattresses with celliant for athletes. Learn more in my full Amerisleep review. The Loom and Leaf is the most popular and best rated memory foam mattress because it has the specs of a high-end Tempur-pedic, but at a fraction of the price. You pay for the mattress quality, not the brand name. See why it is such a good value HERE.
The mattress has great specs, making it very comfortable and durable as well. It comes in three settings (soft, medium, and firm), though it runs slightly firmer than average in general at each firmness level. The mattress is made by Saatva, which is one of the first companies to start selling (quality) mattresses online. Learn more in my Loom & Leaf review. Layla is a memory foam mattress, but has a few unique twists to make it stand out in the very crowded bed-in-a-box market. It is flippable, offering two firmness options – though I found both to be quite soft (relatively). This makes the mattress very comfortable for side sleepers, and a great option for people that prefer a more lush/soft mattress (see how Layla compares HERE). Layla also has infused copper, which helped the mattress sleep cool (infused copper is used in other types of products, but very few mattresses to date). Learn more in my full Layla mattress review. Tempurpedic is the most known brand in the memory foam market, and is certainly the longest standing memory foam manufacturer in the US.
Tempur-pedic has built a strong brand name by making very high quality mattresses. They use quality materials and are leaders in memory foam mattress design. The Tempur-pedic Countour Rhapsody Luxe is one of my personal favorite models, but many of the Tempur-pedic models will represent the Tempur-pedic brand well. Learn more in my Tempurpedic mattress reviews, and also see my article on the best Tempurpedic mattress. The previous three mattresses are some of the best memory foam mattresses that can be made – but that’s not necessarily what everyone wants. Zinus provides a good memory foam option that is comfortable, offers good support, and is relatively durable, for a very reasonable price (<$300 for a Queen). This mattress is popular and sold through many online outlets like Amazon, but I’d check out their line on their site for the best deals. Learn more about their mattress in my Zinus mattress review. When reading memory foam mattress reviews, you’ll come across density level a lot.
While it can be a bit confusing, I’ll try to keep things as simple as possible, outlining general trends, but know exceptions will exist within certain brands and models. Typically, I have found (and studies show) that the , the following is : Memory Foam and Sleeping Hot One of the most common complaintsI hear about memory foam mattresses (a complaint that I share personally as well) is that this type of mattress often sleeps hot. This means that the mattress absorbs and retains heat, making the sleeping surface hot, especially later on in the night after you’ve been sleeping for several hours. What are the ways companies try to keep memory foam sleeping cool? Using plant-based foam has been shown to be very effective, and so has laminating a layer of gel onto the foam. Some companies use “gel-infused” memory foam, but in most cases that is more marketing rather than based in reality. When it comes to gel, mattress companies really turn on the marketing.
They will charge you thousands of dollars more for certain types of gels that aren’t actually more effective (though they do sound amazing). This is one of my primary complaints with Tempur-pedic and similar traditional brands, and why I recommend the Tempur-pedic Contour Rhapsody Luxe rather than one of their even more expensive models Memory foam is made from petrochemicals. No mattress the brand, know that your memory foam mattress will possess chemicals (no matter how eco-friendly they claim to be). New memory foam mattresses typically give off a chemical smell when they are unboxed. This is called “off-gassing.” It’s not a concern for the long-term, but the smell can potentially last as long as a week, depending on the mattress brand. With some mattresses, the smell is very faint and completely goes away within 24 hours. Higher quality memory foam mattresses have a more resilient feel to them. Lots of people complain that they feel that they “get stuck” in memory foam and have a hard time moving around or getting out of bed.
Memory foam typically takes a while to react to movement. This isn’t optimal for some people’s preferences, and if this is is a big concern for you, I would consider a latex mattress as an alternative. Latex has many similar properties to memory foam, but has more “spring” to it. A new popular construction is latex over memory foam, with a lot of the new startups (like Casper or Ghost Bed) trying to get the benefits of both materials in one mattress. The best way to get a deal on a memory foam mattress is to order online. Since the mattress is all foam, it can be compressed and shipped from a factory to your door, cutting out the middle men and providing savings for the consumer. There a lot of online-only brands (like Loom & Leaf), as well as mattresses sold through large online e-commerce sites like Amazon and Walmart (like Signature Sleep Memoir 12″). If you are buying through a retail store, I suggest waiting for a sale. Labor Day and President’s Day are big days for mattress sales, where you will see up to 70% off some of the big name brands.