Question: What’s The Best Thickness For A Topper?
Short
Answer: Depends on the Density.
Toppers come in a
few thicknesses, ranging from one
inch up to five, or even more. In my opinion, the reader should not
consider a topper that is less than two inches thick. In my research, I
didn’t run across any one inch toppers that really did what they were
supposed to do. Such a thin foam layer compresses too easily, and the
result is that you simply “bottom out.”
The one exception occurs with very high density
foams, maybe six lbs. or higher. A foam with this density will provide
reasonable support, but it’s very expensive. You pay a premium for the
density, so I think it makes more sense to go with a thicker layer (2-3”
minimum) of lower-density foam; somewhere between 3 and 5.5 lbs.
If your existing mattress already has a pillow top
built into it, even a two inch topper might be good choice for you. The
added cushioning of the pillow top will make the foam work better, so a
relatively thin layer can do a lot for you.
Question:
How Important Is
Density?
Answer: Very
Important.
I’ve already made reference to the different
densities that are available in memory foam. Density is one of the more
important things to consider when shopping for your topper. You will
notice as you do your research that there are several different
densities of memory foam, and they all come with a different price tag.
These densities are expressed in pounds per cubic foot, and they range
from two, all the way up to 5.5 lbs. and beyond.
I’ve
found that the higher density foams, the ones above six lbs per cubic
foot, are not only more pricey, but ironically, they’re usually less
comfortable. Because they “give” less, they aren’t quite as effective at
distributing pressure and they’re also pretty slow to rebound. The lower
densities have the opposite problem, they’re a bit too soft, and don’t
have much of a “memory.” I’ve found that the most comfortable foam has a
density that’s somewhere in the middle, from 3 to 5.5 lbs. per cubic
foot.
