Memory foam mattress or foam mattress topper?
Deciding on whether to invest in a new mattress or mattress topper can be answered by asking what your current bed has to offer. If your present bed is not so old and hasn’t lost its integrity or solidity, then a mattress topper may be just the savings you are looking for.
An old spring mattress can become lumpy or bumpy after many years, thereby making any mattress topper you place over it also lumpy and bumpy. You also have to worry about the possibility of sagging, which can cause a dip in the middle of the mattress resulting in a trampoline effect. This trampoline effect takes away from the overall support of your spine and can lead to back, neck and other types of painful disorders.
If you determine that a mattress topper is suitable for your situation, the next thing you have to do is decide on the same principles that apply to buying a memory foam mattress; softness, density and thickness.
Depending on your existing mattress, you may want anywhere from a one inch to a four inch topper, but remember, most standard bed sheets will not fit over a greater thickness than a ten inch mattress. A two inch topper should suffice providing its ILD rating is high enough and providing it can offer that extra measure of body contouring you are looking for. It is a complicated scenario to find the best mattress topper to suit your individual needs.
How do Spring mattresses differ from Foam mattresses?
While a spring mattress was the standard for many decades, foam mattresses are becoming more and more popular due to their unsurpassed comfort and ability to support the body. While spring mattresses can feel nice to sit or lay on, they will not offer anywhere close to the body contouring and vital spinal support offered by memory foam or latex foam mattresses. It will actually cause a trampoline effect and bend inwards when pressure is applied without conforming to the specific bumps and curves of the body. While foam can shrink over time, springs can bend and lose their shape over time. Therefore, an old foam mattress will likely feel better and offer better support than its spring counterpart.
What is the difference between Memory Foam and Latex Foam?
Latex foam has a higher elasticity or resiliency than memory foam. The result is that Latex will feel springier and memory foam will feel more solid. Memory foam will not push back up against your body upon pressure being applied to it. Many mattress companies are using both these two materials to blend the perfect mattress combination. Rare allergies to latex can be triggered, but usually, this is upon contact with the skin, but won’t be triggered when natural and synthetic latex mixes, like talay, are used. Talay latex is a more supple version of latex. It is more expensive and is composed of synthetic and natural latex. Because there are no chemicals used in the latex composition, it is the ILD only that determines the feel of the product.
