I was thinking of buying a memory foam matress topper. I was looking at a 4 inch one I think the density was like a 5.5.
Is that good? What should I look for on one of these toppers anyway???
If the 5.5 means 5.5 pound, then yes, it should be a good quality foam. The density is a weight-per-volume measurement, so a 5 pound foam has more material than a 4 pound one. Less foam means more air in the final product, and I don’t think you’re wanting to buy just air! I wouldn’t recommend less than 4# foam, but your 5.5# sounds good. See if the sales person will let you try one in the store, or at least show you a sample you can press your hand into. If gentle pressure allows your hand to gently sink in, then leave a slowly recovering impression of your hand, it’s probably OK. Shop around and try different samples to see the difference.
4" memory foam is more than I usually sell for a topper – typically most of my customers are perfectly happy with 2". You only want enough to gently cradle your body, without sinking into it so much that your body sags and you then don’t have proper support.
Keep in mind that memory foam uses your body heat and pressure to mold itself to your shape. It also retains more of that heat, since you are touching (or nearly so) more of it with more of your body. So it keeps you warmer! If you’re a ‘hot’ sleeper (kicks the covers off, or needs a fan), you might rethink this option, since you may feel like you’re roasting with it. If you like to be cozy warm when you sleep, go for it! Personally, I sleep very well on 2" of 5# memory foam.
If the 5.5 means 5.5 pound, then yes, it should be a good quality foam. The density is a weight-per-volume measurement, so a 5 pound foam has more material than a 4 pound one. Less foam means more air in the final product, and I don’t think you’re wanting to buy just air! I wouldn’t recommend less than 4# foam, but your 5.5# sounds good. See if the sales person will let you try one in the store, or at least show you a sample you can press your hand into. If gentle pressure allows your hand to gently sink in, then leave a slowly recovering impression of your hand, it’s probably OK. Shop around and try different samples to see the difference.
4" memory foam is more than I usually sell for a topper – typically most of my customers are perfectly happy with 2". You only want enough to gently cradle your body, without sinking into it so much that your body sags and you then don’t have proper support.
Keep in mind that memory foam uses your body heat and pressure to mold itself to your shape. It also retains more of that heat, since you are touching (or nearly so) more of it with more of your body. So it keeps you warmer! If you’re a ‘hot’ sleeper (kicks the covers off, or needs a fan), you might rethink this option, since you may feel like you’re roasting with it. If you like to be cozy warm when you sleep, go for it! Personally, I sleep very well on 2" of 5# memory foam.
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I recommend and sell different types of foam for a living.