Get a mattress topper or buy a new bed?
October 3, 2015 7:57 PM Subscribe
I have a queen latex mattress from Ikea that's about five years old, though it's only been in active use for about four years. It's really, really, really firm, and I am thinking it might be making my sleep suboptimal. Is it time to replace it or just get a topper for it and wait another year or two?
And which topper should I get? I've been looking at reviews on the Sleep Like the Dead website, but I am finding it a bit overwhelming; I prefer websites like The Sweethome, which show just a few highly-ranked options, but they don't seem to cover mattresses or toppers.
A few additional snowflakes:
-I'm in the SF Bay Area, which gets chilly but not freezing cold
-I'm on a budget
-I tend toward insomnia and restless sleep
-I've never encountered a bed that "sleeps hot," which seems to be a common complaint, so that probably won't be an issue
And which topper should I get? I've been looking at reviews on the Sleep Like the Dead website, but I am finding it a bit overwhelming; I prefer websites like The Sweethome, which show just a few highly-ranked options, but they don't seem to cover mattresses or toppers.
A few additional snowflakes:
-I'm in the SF Bay Area, which gets chilly but not freezing cold
-I'm on a budget
-I tend toward insomnia and restless sleep
-I've never encountered a bed that "sleeps hot," which seems to be a common complaint, so that probably won't be an issue
My husband had a very firm bed and we decided to tide ourselves over for a while with a topper. Though the topper helped, we still felt the very firm bed underneath. When we finally replaced the mattress it was like day and night. A lot more comfortable.
I don't live in SF or even in the USA, but I've always had good luck finding inexpensively-priced mattresses. Mismatch sales in particular and floor models are cheap.
posted by lizbunny at 8:30 PM on October 3, 2015
I don't live in SF or even in the USA, but I've always had good luck finding inexpensively-priced mattresses. Mismatch sales in particular and floor models are cheap.
posted by lizbunny at 8:30 PM on October 3, 2015
I had a great mattress that by its tenth year was no longer primo. Got a mattress topper from Costco and it's great again.
posted by zippy at 9:26 PM on October 3, 2015
posted by zippy at 9:26 PM on October 3, 2015
I also got a Costco (memory foam) topper and have gotten several more years out of an uncomfortably firm mattress. Enough time that I'm ready to buy a well-chosen mattress as soon as this one isn't comfy anymore.
posted by quince at 9:47 PM on October 3, 2015
posted by quince at 9:47 PM on October 3, 2015
Get to ikea and test toppers, their thing is to use toppers to create your perfect bed. And they normally do have them all out to test in the show room.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:55 AM on October 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:55 AM on October 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
We have a really hard IKEA spring mattress, which would be impossible to sleep on alone. But with the Costco 3" topper (I think it's some sort of cooling gel memory foam) it's fantastic. I run cold, and I don't find the cooling effect to be much of an issue. My husband runs hot, and is hugely helped by the cooling effect.
My only issue with the topper from Costco was the cover. We washed it, and it shrunk a good 2 inches on each side, so it wouldn't fit on the topper anymore. Oh well -- now we just have the topper directly on the mattress and just covered with the fitted sheet. Still feels perfectly fine.
posted by themissy at 8:07 AM on October 4, 2015
My only issue with the topper from Costco was the cover. We washed it, and it shrunk a good 2 inches on each side, so it wouldn't fit on the topper anymore. Oh well -- now we just have the topper directly on the mattress and just covered with the fitted sheet. Still feels perfectly fine.
posted by themissy at 8:07 AM on October 4, 2015
When I was pregnant, our bed became a torture device for my hips. We got a good quality 3" memory foam topper, and it became a completely different bed. Our current bed is made of a simple firm poly foam base with a 3", 4 lb. topper, and it's wonderful.
The above link is to a topper sold via Amazon, but we've also had good luck with Foam Factory. A 3 lb. density topper would probably not be too much a drop in quality, and would be a bit cheaper.
We tried a much thinner, cheaper (less dense) topper on another firm piece of furniture, and it wasn't nearly as effective.
posted by moira at 10:32 AM on October 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
The above link is to a topper sold via Amazon, but we've also had good luck with Foam Factory. A 3 lb. density topper would probably not be too much a drop in quality, and would be a bit cheaper.
We tried a much thinner, cheaper (less dense) topper on another firm piece of furniture, and it wasn't nearly as effective.
posted by moira at 10:32 AM on October 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
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You need info that to comparison shop wisely, as the manufacturers make the same item with different names / cover colors, for different retail outlets. You can shop a fancier place first and find out the details of the make.
As far as budget goes, Sleepy's has much more on deep discount available on the net than they have in their store. You need to shop around first, then check clearance on the web. The mattress I love wasn't even in any of their showrooms any more, but I knew I loved the feel from trying other stores.
They basically keep reducing prices of mattresses and toppers depending on how long they have been in stock- so if you look online, they'll have the same item listed at a variety of prices from 35-80% off retail. Strange but true. If you research what you like, you can probably find a comparable model very deeply discounted there.
posted by TenaciousB at 8:29 PM on October 3, 2015