Make your bed every morning and smooth the topper with your hands for a flat, even surface come nightfall. A memory foam mattress topper adds a plush layer to your bed that conforms around your body to create a cocoon-like effect. But cold weather makes it difficult for the foam to release the indentation left by your sleeping form, and if you place the topper over a lumpy or sagging mattress, it imitates the shape of the mattress just as easily as it does your body, resulting in a lumpy, uncomfortable surface. For the best results, address the problem from two angles. Give the memory foam the space it needs to regain its shape and treat the underlying issue causing the uneven surface. Remove the memory foam topper from your bed. Take this opportunity to vacuum your mattress with an upholstery brush attachment, removing dirt and dust mites. Relocate the mattress topper to a warm room and lay it flat on the floor. If you see any noticeable lumps or indentations, massage the area with your hands to warm up the material, smoothing it out.
The material is flammable, so do not use an iron, hair dryer or other appliance to heat the foam. Memory foam responds well to the heat of your hands. Let the topper sit for 24 to 72 hours: The more distorted the surface, the longer it needs to release the lumps and indentations. Memory foam naturally reshapes itself when left alone on a flat surface. The warmer the room is, the faster the process will go. Rotate a single-sided mattress 180 degrees, moving the current head area to the foot board. This prevents uneven wearing in the mattress, and any indentations causing lumpiness will work themselves out over time, provided the mattress itself isn’t damaged. Repeat this process every 4 to 6 months. Flip a double-sided mattress over and rotate it 180 degrees. This moves the flat, smooth surface previously sitting on the box spring or platform to the top and the lumpy side of the mattress to the bottom, while relocating the head of the mattress to the foot. The weight of your body and the flat surface of the box spring or platform will smooth out lumps on the previously slept-on side over time.
Rotate the mattress again in 4 to 6 months, and flip it over every 8 to 12 months. Cut a piece of plywood to the size of your mattress and place this in between the box spring and the mattress. A worn box spring causes sagging and promotes the creation of lumps in the mattress; the plywood acts as a solid, firm barrier, increasing support. Remove the pillow-top portion of the mattress, if possible, and machine-wash it according to the care directions on the tag. Dry the pillow-top on low with two to three tennis balls to flatten out any lumps. Reinstall it on the bed. Adjust the temperature in your bedroom if possible, at least during waking hours. An excessively cold space causes the memory foam to seize, making it difficult for it to return to its normal, flat form during the day. During the day, open curtains, allowing sunlight to naturally warm the space. Temperature preferences are personal, so use your best judgment. If your mattress is in good condition, yet the memory foam still shows your body shape after sitting all day, adjust the temperature by 2 to 4 degrees and gauge the topper's response.
Things You Will Need Vacuum with upholstery attachment Measuring tape 1/2-inch plywood Table saw Laundry detergent Clean tennis balls References Sleep Innovations: Frequently Asked QuestionsSTL Beds: Top Ten Problems With Memory Foam Photo Credits Andrew Olney/Photodisc/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionTop positive reviewSee all 3,152 positive reviewsThis will be a multi-entry review. This is the first (which will cover delivery, installation, and first impressions).Initial Review (05/25/16): Well, we are not off to a good start with this mattress. The shipping carrier delivered this and manhandled the box to the door. The box says it's a two-person operation, but the driver was by himself so he did the best he could. Not only did he do fairly well, but the mattress was protected with a box liner within the outer box. The liner saved the mattress as the shipping box took quite a beating in transit.Following instructions, we (my wife and I) man-handled the mattress to the bedroom and carefully removed the plastic (tarp-like) restraining band, as well as the plastic bag the mattress is vacuum-packed in.
Unlike other foam mattresses we have owned (such as the DreamFoam Mattress Ultimate Dreams 13-Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Queen) this mattress did not come rolled; instead, it came folded (like an accordion).A plus was that - contrary to our experience with previous foam mattresses where the smell went form noticeable to overwhelming - neither my wife nor I detected any smell at all (the instructions stated we might, so we were pleased to find none). But at this point, that's about all we can say on the plus side. As the mattress expanded on the frame we found ourselves really disappointed: the stitching all over the top of the mattress is unraveling (see photo of one spot). So our first impression is that there is perhaps a workmanship/inspection problem and/or this is actually a cheap, low-budget mattress. Anyway, we're letting it air out and inflate, then it will be time to sleep and see whether it delivers as a mattress.Normally I would wait and write a review after we had a chance to try it out for a couple of weeks.
But given this initial impression - that this mattress immediately had issues - I felt it would be better to write an initial review now and update it as we go along. So I'm going to start with a "push" (3 stars) and will update from there. Anyway, in addition to sleeping on the mattress, I plan on contacting Sleep Innovations Customer Service to discuss this less-than-positive first impression. UPDATE 1 (05/30/16): I can say that our first 5 or so nights on the mattress have been great. It didn't take as much time to get used as we thought it would; by the second night we were settled in. For me, this has meant a bit more comfort as the foam (while staying firm) is conforming nicely to my "curves" and providing some nice relief to several, still-painful surgical & injury sites. My wife and I are also pleased with the lack of heat retention (something that has been a problem in the first few foam mattresses we have tried). So while our initial impressions were poor (due to the stitching issue) our subsequent ones have been far more positive.
Sticking to 3 stars while we work out the customer service angle (will work this once we get through this long holiday weekend) and see how the mattress holds up as we use it more and head into the Summer heat. Once again, stay tuned.UPDATE 2 (06/04/16): Both my wife and I are finding the mattress exceptionally comfortable. I'm finding it is really helping my back injuries (neck & lumbar) and associated issues. Unraveling stitching was a bummer, but probably more cosmetic than anything (and in any event it is mitigated by the mattress "bag" we're using. The folding approach to shipping also seemed to pose no issue; the mattress "inflated" perfectly and shows no sign of creasing. As a result of our positive sleeping experiences I'm bumping the review up from 3 stars to 4. I still plan on speaking with Customer Service, if only to inform them of the manufacturing (?) defect. Top critical reviewSee all 579 critical reviews TopMost recentSee all 3,731 reviewsNever Will I Go Back to SpringsSize: King|