Is there a stand-alone mattress pad/topper that is like the one on a pillowtop bed?

May 16, 2007 12:58 PM

GoodNightSleepFilter: Is it possible to find an individual mattress pad/topper that replicates the actual pillow-top that comes attached to pillow-top mattresses?

I have a firm Sealy pillowtop mattress that I adore and have consistently slept well on for several years. Unfortunately, I only sleep on it 3 or 4 nights a week; the other 3 or 4 nights are spent on my boyfriend's entirely too firm, decidedly-non-pillowtop mattress.

We have tried many things to make it more comfortable, but nothing quite works: either we lose support (which spells very sore back), or don't gain enough cushion (which spells very sore joints). Either way, I've lost more sleep than I can even estimate.

We have tried the following, both alone and in various combinations:
- memory foam toppers (two different pads, of different densities)
- latex foam toppers (two of them together or separately, each 1-inch thick)
- featherbed topper
- thick, puffy mattress pad/cover

We have also slept on a memory foam mattress (I can't recall which brand it was, but it was awful), as well as memory foam toppers on top of a lumpy futon (also not good).

So is there any stand-alone mattress pad/toppers out there that replicates the cushiony goodness (without compromising support) of the magic pillowtop that came with my bed?

Please note the following caveats before you answer the question:
- We cannot spend every night at my place on my bed because he has to be home in order to walk his dog at night and first thing in the morning.
- We cannot bring the dog to my place (easily upset cat + even more easily upset landlord = NO DOG)
- Buying a new pillowtop mattress right now is not a budgetary possibility, but it may be towards the end of the year.

Thanks!

posted by scody to Shopping (5 answers total)

You absolutely can! My parents bought a pillowtop cover for their guest room bed because they were too cheap to buy an entirely new mattress for their guest room (not that I blame them). It's pretty comfy if I do say so myself.

I don't know what brand they got, but just doing a Google search for "Pillow Top Mattress Cover" turned up a bunch of results, like this one which seems to have some good options.

You might want to check out mattress stores in person so you can feel them yourself before purchasing. I am pretty sure my parents bought theirs at a mattress store.
posted by tastybrains at 1:36 PM on May 16, 2007

You can get bed-sized egg crates at foam stores. I went through 2 of them in ~6 years. Very comfortable.
posted by Four Flavors at 2:01 PM on May 16, 2007

Response by poster: (Sorry, should have mentioned we've tried egg crate foam too. Not enough support or cushion.)
posted by scody at 2:33 PM on May 16, 2007

Maybe TWO down mattress pads--possibly sandwiching a comforter between them?
posted by brujita at 10:44 PM on May 16, 2007

I had a shearling mattress topper once. I doubt it was real shearling but it had a very thick layer of sort of furriness (ok i know that sounds weird). In any case, it actually provided the best night of sleep I ever got. I miss that thing. I tried googling for it, and can't find you any links except to some "testosterone zone" website (not kidding) where body building guy 1 recommended it to body building guy 2.
posted by Soulbee at 6:23 AM on May 17, 2007