# Anyone used a memory foam mattress topper? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182 "2008-01-19T20:03:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/1 "2008-01-19T20:03:23Z")
Seems like it might be comfy, without committing to a full-fledged memory foam mattress. I was looking at [this one,](http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=10042022&hierPath=62415*28683*492*&whse=BC&topnav=&Browse=&lang=en-US) (because Costco has a coupon for it). $100 isn’t a huge gamble, but I still don’t want to throw money away if it’s worthless. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/2 "2008-01-19T20:15:02Z")
Many of us used them on dorm beds and even apartments in college. They are pretty nice and make a sub-standard mattress more bearable. Ours were more primitive than the ones you gave a link to but they cost less too. I would give a nod to the side of probably “worth it”. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/3 "2008-01-19T20:33:07Z")
I have 3" toppers purchased from here on three beds in my house: > **[Best Memory Foam Toppers -- A Guide](http://www.healthyfoundations.com/toppers.html)** > > What's the best memory foam mattress topper? A guide with our insider's tips for finding the best memory foam > mattress topper for you. For me, they are absolutely worth the cost. It’s like sleeping on a cloud. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/4 "2008-01-19T20:38:02Z")
We have one that we used on our boat - 2" thick - and I liked it a lot. I want to get a 3" one for our bed at home, but it’s not too high on our list of priorities just yet. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/5 "2008-01-19T20:53:20Z")
I had a Costco one and liked it, but it does retain a LOT of heat, which isn’t bad in the winter, but is annoying in the summer. I recently bought a tempurpedic mattress and it seems to retain a lot less heat than the knock-off topper. I’ve only had it a couple of months though, so not sure how it will fare in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rascal_s_Mom)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/6 "2008-01-19T21:04:41Z")
I have a 2" thick on that I got on [Overstock.com](http://Overstock.com). I absolutely love it and will never do without again. Incidentally, I have never noticed heat retention in the summer, so I think that might vary by the individual and their own body dynamics. I would say it’s definitely worth a try for the money. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/7 "2008-01-19T21:51:09Z")
I love mine. It’s a 2" thick one, not the bigger ones Costco is selling mine. But still. Love. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/8 "2008-01-19T23:50:55Z")
My daughter and I just put one on her bed yesterday, and she slept well during the night. She did say that it retains heat quite well. So, I won’t be getting one for my bed, since she told me that. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/9 "2008-01-20T00:35:18Z")
I bought a 4 inch topper off of Overstock a few months back. I absolutely love it. I sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed, no back ache, etc. Definitely worth the cost. ---
**Author:** ![hopesperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@hopesperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hopesperson)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/10 "2008-01-20T00:41:07Z")
I was thinking of getting one of these for the futon that we use when guests visit. Would it be possible to roll it up for storage? ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/11 "2008-01-20T02:18:43Z")
I got a twin one for $50 and I really like it. I’ve never had a problem with heat retention. I wonder if putting a mattress protector (one of those thin things that are like quilt batting) would minimize heat transfter and provide a little circulation. ---
**Author:** ![Ro\_Carter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@Ro\_Carter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ro_Carter)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/12 "2008-01-20T03:26:02Z")
I’ve got one on my mattress at school. I’ve found it to be very comfortable, but, like others have said, the thing retains heat like crazy. This can get aggravating in the warmer months. I’ve got a mattress protector over it, I don’t know if that contributes to the issue. To summarize: comfy, but can act like a heat sponge. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/13 "2008-01-20T14:41:00Z")
We’ve had ours for four years now, and we absolutely love it. Our queen sized 2" topper was about $125 when we bought it. It was a great investment. ---
**Author:** ![Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rascal_s_Mom)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/14 "2008-01-20T18:05:17Z")
**hopesperson** , I doubt you would have much luck rolling it. The things are amazingly small and dense when you get them. You have to give them a day or so to expand to their actual size. If you could roll them, they would probably still take up a lot of space. I could be wrong here. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/15 "2008-01-20T18:38:34Z")
[QUOTE=hopesperson] I was thinking of getting one of these for the futon that we use when guests visit. Would it be possible to roll it up for storage? [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Rascal’s Mom] hopesperson, I doubt you would have much luck rolling it. The things are amazingly small and dense when you get them. You have to give them a day or so to expand to their actual size. If you could roll them, they would probably still take up a lot of space. I could be wrong here. [/QUOTE] I would hate to roll any of my 3" toppers as the foam is quite dense, heavy and hard to handle, and to **Rascal’s Mom** ’s point, I don’t think you would have much success compressing them as they are when you purchase them - especially the thicker toppers. ---
**Author:** ![Cowgirl\_Jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@Cowgirl\_Jules](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowgirl_Jules)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/16 "2008-01-20T19:10:47Z")
I love mine. It’s about two inches thick, bought a couple of years ago. Up until then, I would sometimes wake up with an arm asleep, even with a comfortable pillow-top matress. Since then, not once. I don’t find heat retention a problem, even in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/17 "2008-01-20T19:23:37Z")
I agree, these memory-foam toppers are great and am glad we bought one. I don’t think it retains heat uncomfortably in the summer, and I am a warm sleeper, never needing much in the way of blankets. My aching bones and hip joints don’t bother me half as much since we bought the foam. If the thing was to get soiled or messed up in some way, it’s a lot cheaper to chuck the foam topper than it would be to buy a new tempera-style mattress, after all. ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/18 "2008-01-21T10:33:03Z")
My husband has sleep apnoea that even a CPAP and surgery couldn’t cure. Basically, he’s deformed. 3" memory foam topper cured it. ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/19 "2008-01-21T11:40:01Z")
Love mine and it’s only 1.5 inches. A 100% cotton (fabric and batting) mattress cover helps the too hot problem a little. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-used-a-memory-foam-mattress-topper/434182/20 "2008-01-21T14:15:44Z")
We had toppers of various thicknesses for a couple of years. Hated them. They didn’t help worth a darn and keep sliding around making the bed lumpy in spots. We replaced the mattress and topper with the foam mattress alone and it’s wonderful. Sleeping better now than I have in 20 years.