Many people make the decision to buy a mattress topper when their current mattress is not comfortable enough to offer a great night’s sleep. Whether it is the result of age-related sagging, or that your current mattress is a little too firm for your sleep preferences, buying a mattress topper can extend the life of your mattress for a fraction of the cost of buying a new mattress.
According to Sleepline, the right mattress topper can be the perfect solution for pressure point relief — and back pain relief, too. So, what is the best mattress topper for superb pressure point relief? The answer isn’t quite so simple.
What is a Mattress Topper?
As the name implies, a mattress topper goes on top of your mattress. While many people confuse them with mattress pads, they are not the same. Mattress toppers are thicker, and have different purposes for different people. They come in a variety of thicknesses, and people often prefer different thicknesses in their mattress toppers, according to their reasons for purchasing one.
What Do Mattress Toppers Do?
Mattress toppers can do many different things for individual people.
Breathability
For instance, some people prefer mattress toppers to provide additional breathability between themselves and their mattresses.
Cushioning for Pressure Points
Others prefer cushioning for their pressure points. This is especially important if your mattress is too firm.
Correcting a Sagging or Too Soft Mattress
While others still appreciate mattress toppers for the additional support they can offer sagging mattresses, or mattresses that are not quite firm enough to meet their sleep needs.
Adding Height
For some people, it’s a simple matter of adding additional height to the bed. Since mattress toppers are typically available in one or more of the following options: 1, 2, 3, or 4 inches thick, it can add quite a bit of height to a mattress.
Mattress Toppers Benefits
There are many benefits for buying a mattress topper for your bed. Depending on the type of mattress topper you buy, you may experience quite a few benefits. Or, there may be a single benefit you’re looking for in your mattress topper.
Common mattress topper benefits include the following:
- Cost-effective tool to extend the life of your existing mattress.
- Cheaper than buying a new mattress for pressure relieving points, or to promote proper spinal alignment.
- Helps with motion isolation, so you’re not disturbed by partner movements.
- Diminishes heat retention. If you sleep hot, this is a huge benefit.
- Relieves back pain, and pain in shoulders and hips.
- Relieve back pain, by providing proper spinal alignment and support.
As you can see, there are quite a few benefits of mattress toppers to keep in mind. Whether you’re looking for added comfort and support, to relieve pressure points, improved motion isolation, or something else entirely, a mattress topper can help you get a better night’s sleep.
Types of Mattress Toppers
There are quite a few different types of mattress toppers on the market today. Each mattress topper offers something unique and different from the others. The better you understand the options available, the wiser choices you can make when buying the best mattress topper for your bed. These are some of the more common types of mattress toppers on the market today.
Memory Foam Mattress Topper
A memory foam mattress topper is made of super plush memory foam. It offers outstanding cradling for shoulders and hips, and incredible motion isolation for your partner. However, it is not the best option for those who need additional support for better spinal alignment. Plus, memory foam tends to cause people to sleep hot by trapping heat close to the body.
Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper
While still made of memory foam, a gel memory foam topper offers the same plush comfort you expect from memory foam while the gel used offers some help with temperature regulation.
Egg Crate Foam
One of the most affordable options, egg crate foam mattress toppers often provide very little in the way of support. However, they can provide enough loft and breathability to help with some degree of temperature regulation and cushioning for hips, shoulders, and other pressure points.
Latex Mattress Topper
Natural latex mattress toppers, like the Latex For Less latex mattress topper, are good for the planet, offer outstanding temperature regulation, and unsurpassed support. While made of ultra-plush Talalay latex, you will enjoy the best pressure relief properties to address your pain, and help you get a better night’s sleep. Natural latex is more expensive than other options, but you can buy with confidence that you’re getting a quality latex mattress topper.
Bamboo Mattress Topper
Bamboo mattress toppers are also options to consider if you’re looking for something that doesn’t have the same heat retention problems of memory foam. These tend to be a good choice for people who sleep hot, and can offer outstanding pressure point relief as well.
Wool Mattress Topper
The wool mattress topper offers cool comfort and outstanding temperature regulation properties. Like natural latex, wool is one of the pricier options available, but it offers incredible luxury and pressure point relief.
Down Alternative Mattress Topper
For people who are allergic to down, down alternatives can offer a comfortable sleep experience similar to that of down. Some people actually prefer this type of mattress topper to down because it doesn’t have the tendency to lump and bunch quite as much.
Down Mattress Topper
If you’re looking for luxurious comfort to cradle your pressure points, then down is a great way to go, provided you’re not allergic. However, it has a tendency to bunch and clump together, which can be uncomfortable at times.
What are Pressure Points?
Pressure points vary from one person to the next, and have a lot to do with the sleeping position in which you sleep. For instance, side sleepers have different pressure points than back sleepers or stomach sleepers. People who toss and turn throughout the night may have pressure points for all three versions. These are some of the common pressure points related to sleeping positions.
Hips
Side sleepers especially struggle with hip pain, and often seek pressure point relief, especially in the region of the hips. If you carry more body weight in your hips than average, you may experience greater hip pain than those who do not.
Heels
More common among back sleepers, heel pain can sometimes indicate deeper problems with your feet, but can also be an indicator that you need more cushioning and plushness in your mattress.
Shoulders
Another culprit for side sleepers is shoulder pain. Pain in shoulders and hips is quite common among side sleepers, and shoulder pain is more common among men, who generally have wider shoulders than women.
Knees
This is a common pressure problem experienced by stomach sleepers, who often sleep with one leg crossed over another, as well as for side sleepers who sleep with their knees one on top of the other.
Ribs
Most common among stomach sleepers. Aching ribs can be a sign that you need a little extra comfort and protection for your ribs while you sleep. If you’re waking with aching ribs, a mattress topper may provide the firm support you need for your spine, along with the cushioning comfort your ribs require as well.
Tailbone
Back sleepers who wake with aching tailbones can blame this on pressure point pain as well. Back sleepers often prefer a firm mattress to support sufficient spinal alignment – especially those with excess body weight. However, you still need some cushioning comfort for your pressure points, too. That is where a mattress topper can be an excellent solution.
How Can a Mattress Topper Relieve Pressure Points?
Mattress toppers can help you find pressure point relief in a few ways.
First, they help to evenly distribute your body weight, so that all your weight isn’t hitting on your pressure points (hips, shoulders, knees, tailbone, etc.).
Second, a mattress topper provides a comfort layer between you and your mattress, offering additional comfort for your pressure points.
Finally, they can help make your mattress offer better support to relieve back pain you may experience upon waking. For all these reasons and so many more, a mattress topper can be a solid investment in the quality and comfort of your sleep.
What are the Differences Between a Mattress Pad and a Mattress Topper?
Unlike mattress toppers, which are several inches thick, and made with materials that offer cushioning comfort, a mattress pad is very thin, and often made of cotton, wool, or synthetic fibers that are then covered with quilted fabric.
The purpose of a mattress pad is to protect your bed. Some offer waterproofing while others do not. Most of them serve as a washable cover you can remove, wash, and return to your bed for added protection. While your mattress topper may have a washable cover, its purpose is about providing additional comfort for you throughout the night.
How to Properly Use a Mattress Topper
There are three primary ways people use mattress toppers:
1. To alter the feel of a mattress. They can sometimes make an old worn-out mattress feel like a new mattress.
2. Make their mattresses more durable. This can extend the life of your mattress, so you can save for a new mattress.
3. To relieve back pain, pressure point pain, and other body aches you experience while you sleep.
To use the mattress topper, you simply place it on top of your existing mattress, then top it with a mattress pad (if desired) and sheets to transform your sleep experience.
Considerations When Purchasing a Mattress Topper
There are several considerations to take into account when purchasing a mattress topper, including the below.
Materials
There are many things you want to consider when buying a mattress topper. Chief among them are the materials the topper is made of. It’s important to focus on high-quality materials, in order to get a quality topper that will help you accomplish all the desired attributes your topper can deliver. In addition to knowing what the mattress topper is made of, you’ll also want to know where the topper is made, how the topper is delivered, what kind of warranty the topper offers, and how many inches thick the topper happens to be.
Heat Retention
You may also have concerns about the heat retention of your mattress topper, and whether it allows air to flow through, or traps it around your body.
Firmness
What kind of firmness level your topper offers is another factor to consider when purchasing a mattress topper. Back sleepers and stomach sleepers, for instance, might prefer a medium-firm mattress topper, while side sleepers may prefer something softer that adds comfort and support.
Cost
Another thing to consider while asking questions about mattress toppers is the cost of the mattress topper, compared to the expected usefulness of your mattress topper. It’s all about value, but make sure you compare toppers made with similar quality materials as well.
Best Mattress Topper for Back Sleepers
Because back sleepers need more support, the best mattress toppers for you are those that offer medium or medium-firm support. These mattress toppers can help you experience less back pain while still meeting your needs for cushioning in vulnerable pressure point areas like your tailbone and heels. Natural Talalay latex mattress toppers offer the best of both worlds, with varying levels of firmness and support, so you can sleep comfortably throughout the night.
Best Mattress Topper for Side Sleepers
Side sleepers often prefer thicker, plusher mattress toppers for their sleep needs. Because you have more pressure points than stomach or back sleepers, you want a softer level of firmness in your mattress topper. You may also prefer a thicker mattress topper, such as one that is three inches thick, rather than two. While some people assume memory foam is the right choice, the problem is that it doesn’t support spinal alignment as well as natural latex.
Best Mattress Topper for Stomach Sleepers
Like back sleepers, stomach sleepers need more support in their mattress toppers. This means that medium or medium-firm is often the best choice. You don’t want memory foam or any other topper that you may “sink” into, as this can make breathing and moving in bed more challenging. Latex offers the firm support you need while also delivering plenty of comfort for your aching knees and ribs.
Best Mattress Topper to Relieve Pressure Points
It would be nice if all mattress toppers were created equal. Sadly, that isn’t the case in most situations. You’ll likely find that you need a mattress topper that can address your need for spinal support as well as pressure point relief, in order to get the comfortable, restful sleep you deserve. That is why we believe that the Latex For Less Topper is your best choice for pressure point relief, the best price, outstanding value for your investment, and more.
There’s a lot to love about the Latex For Less Topper when it comes to pressure point relief. It is made of 100 percent natural Talalay latex, which is widely known for luxurious, plush comfort without sacrificing support.
This mattress topper is available in your choice of two or three inches of thickness, and in three comfort levels:
1. Soft
2. Medium
3. Medium-Firm
You can purchase the topper with or without a cotton cover, and buy with confidence that the latex is single-origin latex that contains no fillers, synthetics, or chemicals. More importantly, the quality latex used in your natural latex mattress topper from Latex For Less is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified, and Eco-Institut Certified, so you can buy with confidence that you’re getting quality latex in your mattress.
Other things to love about the Latex For Less Topper is that it is made in the USA, ships free, and comes with a five-year warranty. Buy your Latex For Less latex mattress topper today, and see how quickly it relieves your pressure points, and transforms your sleep.
