Best option to soften a hard bed?

October 10, 2010 7:15 PM

Best option to soften a hard bed? Memory foam? Feather top? Giant marshmallows?

I purchased a Westin Heavenly Bed after trying it in a hotel and a department store, and upon receiving it discovered that it is harder then we thought... and not returnable. I am waking up with sore hips and a sore back.

I'm currently trying out a 2" memory foam topper (2.5 pound density) and it helps a little, but not 100%. I'm still tossing and turning during the night and waking up uncomfortable, although my hips don't hurt. I also think it made me warm while sleeping (only tried 2 nights so far).

Any suggestions on other options? Is there such a thing as a foam topper that is not memory foam?

Bed Bath and Beyond (where I bought this topper) has thicker foam, but they're pricey... this one was $200, 3" is $300 and 5" is $500.

Any suggestions? I should mention that I am overweight, so that certainly contributes to the problem, but in some hotel beds, I sleep like a rock.

posted by kdern to home & garden (13 answers total)

I'm personally not a big fan of foam, I find it hot and stuffy (and sometimes smelly). If you're not allergic, you could try a nice, lush featherbed--that's what worked for my bed. Even if you ARE allergic, like me, you can buy a high-quality down featherbed (one that is "hypoallergenic") and couple it with a nice allergen-containing case.
posted by 1000monkeys at 7:35 PM on October 10, 2010

Featherbeds are nice because they can give you a really soft, fluffy mattress--until all the feathers have been smooshed to either side of where you lay. When I had a featherbed I constantly had to shake it out to redistribute the fluff. Right now I have a memory foam mattress topper that works pretty well, but getting overheated isn't ever an issue for me.
posted by gumtree at 7:40 PM on October 10, 2010

I found memory foam too warm but had great success with regular foam egg crate toppers.
posted by advicepig at 7:43 PM on October 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

I am crazy about my memory foam topper which I bought on overstock.com (it was around $120 for a king size). It is "open cell" foam which means it should be cooler than some foams - at least that's what the stuff I read online said. I also read that if your memory foam is too warm, you can put a wool blanket between you and the foam to stay cooler. A little googling on the topic brings me back to AskMe.
posted by beandip at 7:51 PM on October 10, 2010

I love my featherbed (although I do have to shake it out at least once a week) but I don't know if it's going to be what you're looking for. The feathers compress a lot. It gives you a nice feeling of luxurious softness but I wouldn't think it would take care of pressure points or anything. And it makes the bed much warmer (I don't use mine in the summer). You might want to check out egg crate toppers as advicepig recommends - they're relatively inexpensive and lots of hospitals use them to prevent pressure sores, so I assume they must be good for reducing pressure.
posted by mskyle at 7:52 PM on October 10, 2010

I had an egg crate topper on my dorm bed, and it was amazing how much of a difference it made. Also cheap.
posted by that girl at 8:16 PM on October 10, 2010

I'm in the featherbed camp. Absolutely love it. The first slipcover we bought for it caused me to overheat; the second one hasn't caused any problems (sorry, can't remember where either were bought). It does need frequent fluffing, like others have pointed out. I try to make it a point to wash our sheets every 7-10 days, which is an ideal time to take a moment to fluff.
posted by puritycontrol at 8:23 PM on October 10, 2010

I have a 3" memory foam topper that is supposed to be cooler than other memory foam. Probably because it's egg crate? Who knows. I've never had a memory foam topper before this one, so I couldn't tell you one way or the other if it's true. But it does make my bed into a fluffy cloud.

Also how long have you had your new bed? I've noticed that any time I sleep on a new bed, even if it's soft as kittens, I wake up sore until I get used to it. Takes a few weeks.
posted by elsietheeel at 8:56 PM on October 10, 2010

You can get "egg crate" foam mattress toppers. They don't provide much padding, but on top of the memory foam it might add just enough. I haven't found them to be warm, actually a little cooler in the summer. It's been a while since I had one, but I think it was about $25-$40 for a size full.
posted by yohko at 8:56 PM on October 10, 2010

We got tired of our memory foam topper after a year. Make sure you're not allergic to feathers before investing in a feather topper.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:27 PM on October 10, 2010

Latex is breathable, natural, and has an appealing springiness.
posted by ennui.bz at 5:39 AM on October 11, 2010

I got an Ultimate Cuddle Bed topper for a too-hard twin bed in my mom's house, and it's lovely. Closest thing to giant marshmallows. I wound up getting one for my bigger bed at home, I loved it so much. Washable, no funny smell like with foam. Doesn't make you warmer. Found mine on sale at a Belk department store in the bedding department. Good luck!
posted by sister nunchaku of love and mercy at 9:36 AM on October 11, 2010

Featherbeds come in synthetic fill as well as various feather/down mixes. Shaking it out or turning/flipping it whenever you're washing your bedding helps keep the feathers (or whatever you choose to have in yours) well distributed. No problem with overheating in the warm part of the year and it makes the bed kind of cuddly.
posted by thatdawnperson at 12:03 PM on October 11, 2010