Visco Elastic Foam Mattress Topper

After having a pillow top mattress for years, I was getting frustrated with how it slowly lost its firmness.  I decided it was about time to get mattress.  Whenever I am planning on making an expensive long-term purchase I tend to do a lot of research and reading.  Mattress technology has changed a lot since I made my last mattress purchase so I had a lot of catching up to do.  I quickly read a lot about how a visco elastic foam mattress topper could be purchased and just placed on top of my old bed to make it better than when it was new.  I read they could help with back pain which has been and off and on problem throughout my life in my lower back.  I did read that it is still important to purchase a new mattress even if you plan on getting a visco elastic foam mattress topper if your old mattress has deep sags and or dips where you sleep.  This did not affect me as I rotate my mattress and it was wearing fairly evenly

When selecting your memory foam mattress topper it is important to choose a name brand.  I have read about many stories of off-brand mattress toppers not living up to their claims.  You will also want to go to a store that allows you to test them out.  The toppers will have different “foam density” which is measured in pounds per cubic foot, the higher the density the better for your back generally.  I have also read that higher density pads last a couple years longer which is an added bonus.  You will also want to figure out your preferred thickness, I have seen them come as thin as 1 inch, and as thick as 6 inches.  The 3 inch visco mattress topper is about the sweet spot, and will most likely be the topper you see most frequently so it’s a good one to compare foam density’s with.  When I began my mission of finding my new bed, I planned on going all out, I figured since I spend 1/3rd of my life sleeping, I should not go cheap on this investment.  In the end I was able to spend only a couple hundred dollars and get a bed I enjoy much more than buying a new $1,000 mattress.

Here is a quick pros and cons list I made up when I was making my decision.

Visco Elastic Foam Mattress Topper:

Some of the benefits were the cheap cost compared to a full mattress, or a full memory foam mattress.  They toppers also give me the ability to be mobile, whenever I stay at a friend or relative’s house, I can fit my topper in my car and make a nice bed anywhere.  I also liked the fact that these toppers are hypo allergenic and provide good ventilation.

Some of the negatives I found were that I would still have to have my old mattress as my base; this did not effect me since my mattress wore evenly and did not have any big ruts in it.  I also did not like the smell of the visco elastic mattress topper when it was new.  The smell did however go away within a couple of days.

Overall I am so glad I made the decision to get a visco elastic foam mattress topper instead of a new mattress, my back feels better than ever and I saved a lot of money at the same time, who would have thought that was possible?  Definitely not this guy!