My mattress is hard as a concrete slab. I bought it 2years ago because it was supposed to be good for my back, but alas, it is not so, and it’s not in the budget to get another one.
I am debating between getting a feather bed and getting one of those memory foam pads to put on top of the mattress. Which is more comfortable? Better for the back? Do the memory foam pads get flattened out over time like the feather beds do?
Any opinions and personal experience welcomed.
My personal experience is that I’m allergic to feathers, so obviously I’d go with the memory foam. Make sure you and anyone else likely to sleep in that bed aren’t allergic to feathers.
I know nothing of feather beds, but I do have a memory foam mattress pad and I love it! The memory foam will not go flat over time - at least ours hasn’t been altered in three years. I would heartily recommend memory foam. We bought ours at Sam’s Club for ~$125 (queen-sized), and I think the prices are better now. Also, you can get them much thicker that what we have. IIRC, we saw some that were a full three inches thick on our last trip.
I have a feather bed, which we use in the winter. I do love it, but I think I’d probably like the memory foam better.
The problem with the feather bed is that all the feathers eventually migrate to the places where you don’t put your weight. So in a bed with two people, you wind up with a mound of compacted feathers between the two of you, as well as a bunch at the foot and some at the sides. Redistributing the feathers is a pain the ass, takes forever, and doesn’t last very long.
I have a Tempurpedic mattress with a feather bed on top. It’s utterly heavenly to sleep on. Just make sure you get a good cover for the featherbed - sometimes the feathers poke through (a high-quality featherbed probably doesn’t have this problem, mine’s kindof cheap).
There is a problem with “migration” of the featherbed, though (well, it IS goose down, what do you expect??). Seriously, it has more to do with my husband’s sleeping habits, for some reason eventually ALL the bedclothes - sheets, featherbed, and all - end up hanging off my side of the bed.
However, if you’re dealing with a normal mattress that’s too hard and trying to make it softer, you might have better luck with the memory foam. With a featherbed, you’d absolutely have to flip & rotate it on a weekly basis, which is a pain in the butt.
Memory foam made me feel trapped. I had it in a hotel executive suite and asked for a different room the next night.
What has worked is not the memory foam but the regular foam with lots of bumps.
It looks like it would be a bed of nails, but it’s quite good. They use it for bedridden patients to prevent bed sores. Every tiny shift of your body releases the pressure and moves it to another spot.
I know at least 4 people, including myself, who have and can’t live without memory foam. It’s almost like a drug. The first night I got it I wondered how I ever fell asleep without it!
We coughed up the dough for memory foam on our last bed purchase, and we are unsure if we will ever be able to sleep anywhere but home again.
Seriously, it’s great stuff. Plus, no allergy issues like the feathers.
The problem I’ve had with feather bed toppers is that the feathers start to poke through and poke ME! Ouch! They also stick in the mattress pad and the mattress and the comforter. I threw out the topper almost 2 years ago and still pick feathers out of the mattress occasionally. Currently I have a sleep number bed and love it to death. I’ve also slept on the Temperpedic mattress and those are great too. If you just need a topper to make your current mattress a little more comfortable, go with the foam, but get the best quality and thickness you can afford. I was disappointed a few years ago with the 2 inch egg crate kind.
I bought a 3" memory foam mattress pad on eBay for about 140.00, including shipping. The seller answered the questions I had and it was delivered speedily.
My old mattress, besides being hard, was getting lumpy. The memory foam is really good for me and I sleep much better now.
The only problem I have is that the foam is smooth on the top and bottom and slides around on the slick mattress so that you often have to strip the bed completely and reposition everything. I think the addition of a inexpensive, 1/2 or 1" standard foam pad would cure that, but I haven’t tried yet.
Incidentally, the information on the eBay ad for the pad stated that if you are a stomach sleeper (I am) you shouldn’t get a pad of more than 2" (3 and 4 inch pads are available). I asked the seller and she stated that she uses the 3" and so that’s what I got too.
They are a bit expensive so I hope when you get it that you find it worthwhile. I hate throwing away money too.
Bob
BTW, I occasionally see a newspaper ad for an 8" memory foam mattress for under 400.00. You might consider that too. It wouldn’t be much more.
I’ve got a memory foam topper and it’s great. I like a firm bed but my mattress was so firm my hips would actually get sore. THe foam is much more cushioning although I do find it a little hot sometimes (I rarely use air conditoning). I got mine off of Overstock.com, a 2" one for $80 plus free shipping.
I have a wool underquilt on top of my matress and I love it. Very comfortable, I really miss it when I sleep elsewhere. It packs down a bit, but not as bad as a featherbed. I shake it out and fluff it up once a week when I change the sheets.
Another vote for the memory foam. Until I got it I would nearly always wake up with a sore back. I tried a feather mattress topper but got fed up with being poked by the pointy ends.
One problem that was expressed to me with the mattresses that are nothing but memory foam is that you sink into them. As the foam heats up, it becomes softer, and there is more sinking. I was told when I recently purchased my new bed that I could expect to sink up to six inches.
I was also told that it holds heat more than a regular mattress, so the if you’re someone like me who turns into a space-heater while sleeping, you might want to consider that issue.
This is the very reason my Wife and I are not going that route. We like the windows open, even when it’s cold out.
My shoulders get all schunched up on a harder mattress. Hips can hurt too. I’m a guy. 6’3" and 210 pounds. I like to sleep on my side so this is kindof a problem.
Any one have experience with the ‘Sleep Number’ beds? They are basically air mattresses. We have an air bed for guests and traveling, and I love the thing.
Really? Our salesman told us the problem he has is that it’s colder than a regular mattress, and one couple actually brought it back because they simply could not get warm, ever.
We have noticed no difference whatsoever in the hot/cold factor, for what it’s worth. We’re both hot people. (That’s as in temperature, not as in hawt.)
I had to throw out my feather bed recently because it had flattened out so badly. It’s very comfortable for a little while, but the lack of support kind of hurt my back over time. I’d vote for memory foam if I had the money to.
-foxy
We’ve been looking around at memory foam mattresses. About half convinced it would help our aching backs. The best prices I’ve seen - by far - are on overstock.com
Has anyone here purchased their foam mattress there? Were you satisfied with quality? Was it the same quality as you might have seen in your local stores?
Thanks! And good sleeping to you all. 
I did. The quality seems good and the price can’t be beat but I didn’t do a whole lot of comparison shopping; it was kinda an impulse buy. It’s made a big difference; I like a firm bed but my mattress was so firm my hips were getting sore. I’ve had mine for a year or so and it seems to be holding up fine but I should note I’m a single, relatively petite person so I put less wear on it than some. I got the Serta 2" version and I sometimes think I should’ve sprung for the 3" one.