# Mattress pad recommendations? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524 "2008-11-19T20:43:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/1 "2008-11-19T20:43:19Z")
My husband has a really hard mattress. I am finding that, after a few months, my hips are killing me. I tried a mattress topper on my side of the bed, but after a month of it, I am still in pain. The topper is comfortable but it is 3-inch memory foam and I think the problem is that it compresses too much. [Here is is.](http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=112579) So I checked Consumer Reports and there are a couple of reviews, but basically nobody could agree on what they liked. I Googled around and found all sorts of claims for everything, some of it extremely expensive. So rather than totally give up, I though I’d ask you all if you’ve had the same problem and been able to solve it with a mattress topper, and if so, what kind? If we get a softer mattress, then he will be the one in pain. So we need a solution that will fit us both on the same bed. By the way, I’m afraid that wool might make me sneeze, if that’s what you used. ---
**Author:** ![nick5446](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@nick5446](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nick5446)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/2 "2008-11-19T21:26:12Z")
i have a down-stuffed featherbed…it’s unbelievable. i just shake it up every week or two when it gets too compressed i think it was like $50 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/3 "2008-11-19T21:27:10Z")
How will you arrange to have the topper on just your side of the mattress and still … um … “see eye to eye” as it were? Or is he okay with a topper but not a softer mattress? It might be time for one of those Select Comfort Sleep Number dealies. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/4 "2008-11-19T21:35:31Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > How will you arrange to have the topper on just your side of the mattress and still … um … “see eye to eye” as it were? Well I’m assuming that whatever we get will not be more than a couple of inches deep. The current topper has not been a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/5 "2008-11-19T21:35:38Z")
I have three of [these](http://www.healthyfoundations.com/toppers.html) - the three inch version. Luxury! ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/6 "2008-11-19T21:48:21Z")
> [@Fritz](#): > > I have three of [these](http://www.healthyfoundations.com/toppers.html) - the three inch version. Luxury! Did you get this to solve a problem with a too-hard mattress? ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/7 "2008-11-19T22:00:25Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > Did you get this to solve a problem with a too-hard mattress? The first one that I tried was to help with a mattress that was too old and way to cheap, not necessarily too hard. It worked so well that I bought others later, including one for our new King in the master bedroom - even though the new bed is (now) quite a good one. I’ve had numerous guests stay, and they always comment on how comfy the beds are. YMMV of course. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/8 "2008-11-19T23:53:07Z")
My fiance and I are working through this same issue now–we’re getting a king-size bedframe and putting two twin-XL mattresses in it so that he can have the hard, unadorned mattress that makes his back feel good and I can have a squishy pillowtop. Although, as we start to look at things more, I’m thinking I might prefer a regular mattress with one of [these](http://www.cuddleewe.com/) on top. Or a featherbed. Or maybe switch things seasonally. I dunno. One thing we agree on is that we despise memory foam. Neither of us can sleep on it. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/9 "2008-11-20T00:38:39Z")
Well, I love the 3-inch memory foam, so YMMV. But I also use a body pillow to take pressure off my hips, keeping it either between or under my knees. That seems to be more of a factor for me than the hardness of the mattress. ---
**Author:** ![Obsidian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/10 "2008-11-20T00:49:16Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > My fiance and I are working through this same issue now–we’re getting a king-size bedframe and putting two twin-XL mattresses in it so that he can have the hard, unadorned mattress that makes his back feel good and I can have a squishy pillowtop. Although, as we start to look at things more, I’m thinking I might prefer a regular mattress with one of [these](http://www.cuddleewe.com/) on top. Or a featherbed. Or maybe switch things seasonally. I dunno. > > One thing we agree on is that we despise memory foam. Neither of us can sleep on it. My parents have been doing this for 30 years now. The only funny thing is how much higher my mother’s mattress is than my fathers. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/11 "2008-11-20T02:01:18Z")
Look at all these [different kinds of foam.](http://www.foamorder.com/mattress_pads.html) Memory foam, latex foam, different densities, etc. How to decide? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mattress-pad-recommendations/473524/12 "2008-11-20T03:07:42Z")
Since this is seeking recommendations, it’s better suited for IMHO than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator