I recently bought a dual layer mattress topper with a goose feather and down filling. I highly recommend these toppers as they are just so soft and comfortable. I’d heard that the memory foam has a much firmer feel and was also worried that sleeping on a layer of man-made foam would just make me hot and sweaty in bed.
Just to add...not all memory foam mattresses or pillows are the same. In fact they vary a LOT.
A cheaper memory foam mattress may make you too hot during the night as it doesn't allow the body to breath. The more you sink into it, the hotter you become. Some combat this with channeled foam, to allow air circulation. And some combat it with a more clever fabric on the outside of the mattress, such as one of these clever "cool" fabrics. And there are a whole host of other differences such as using micro-fibre layers in addition to the foam and other tricks.
You can also get different firmness levels of memory foam. This is not just about comfort but also choosing the right one for your body weight.
As for the pillows. I bought a cheap one once for a tenner at an ideal home show. It wasn't the same size as a normal pillow so didn't fit a pillow cover well and it was way too hard. It gave me a headache!
Then I bought a "real" one....cost more like 60 quid. But this one is much softer. It still took me 2-3 nights to get used to it, but after this, my sleeping improved a lot.
I often used to suffer from tension headaches which I would wake up with. After getting a memory foam mattress and pillow, I haven't had one of these headaches at all.
I still find the memory foam mattress is hotter, and I wish I could be a bit cooler still....but I countered this to some extent by using a thinner quilt/duvet.
Use home shows (like Ideal Home Show) to try some of the most advanced beds, such as adjustable and memory foam. Adjustable beds are not just for the elderly or disabled. Most companies will allow you to try a bed in your own home for up to a month (space allowing of course). Certainly you can try a mattress at home more easily.
Typical adjustable beds, with memory foam mattresses range from about 2500-5000 at a show. The more expensive ones tend to have more elaborate bed frames (such as solid wood) or storage facilities etc.
I got a cheap memory foam pillow from instores £15, great buy, I have had it for months and it is still in shape, must better than my dear marks and sparks delux pillow for £20.
I put my normal pillow inbetween my legs now to get comfy. We need a new mattress I will probably get a mattress topper too, cant afford a proper memory mattress.
I have a sprung mattress with a few inches of memory foam on the top. It's very comfortable and I wouldn't be without it. I find the memory foam gets quite warm. I've used a 4.5 tog duvet all winter and have been nice and snug. Now the warmer nights are coming, I'll probably end up sleeping without a duvet! The mattress is made by The Shire Bed Company. I'm using it with a pine bedstead, not a divan base.
JonStatt is absolutely right that there are 'breathable' memory foam mattresses and toppers available, but they do tend to be a bit more expensive due to all the added features such as the better quality cover, the holes to allow circulation etc. Eg see: breathable memory foam mattress topper.
The thing is, however, because of the nature of their filling I'd have thought they are always going to make you feel that much warmer in bed than if you were to sleep on a mattress or topper filled with natural fibres. Plus there's the fact that they envelop your body shape so precisely so there's less air around you to keep you cool.
I saw a memory foam pillow on special offer in the local Tesco store for £12.99 so bought one on impulse.
I love it. It's the first pillow I've had that keeps its original shape and resilience, and I put one of my old 'flat as a pancake' pillows on top of it for a bit of extra protection--and it's just the job. I've had it about 9 months now, and it just occurred to me, when a friend mentioned having a cricked shoulder, that I haven't had any stiff necks etc since I've used the memory foam pillow.
Comments
A cheaper memory foam mattress may make you too hot during the night as it doesn't allow the body to breath. The more you sink into it, the hotter you become. Some combat this with channeled foam, to allow air circulation. And some combat it with a more clever fabric on the outside of the mattress, such as one of these clever "cool" fabrics. And there are a whole host of other differences such as using micro-fibre layers in addition to the foam and other tricks.
You can also get different firmness levels of memory foam. This is not just about comfort but also choosing the right one for your body weight.
As for the pillows. I bought a cheap one once for a tenner at an ideal home show. It wasn't the same size as a normal pillow so didn't fit a pillow cover well and it was way too hard. It gave me a headache!
Then I bought a "real" one....cost more like 60 quid. But this one is much softer. It still took me 2-3 nights to get used to it, but after this, my sleeping improved a lot.
I often used to suffer from tension headaches which I would wake up with. After getting a memory foam mattress and pillow, I haven't had one of these headaches at all.
I still find the memory foam mattress is hotter, and I wish I could be a bit cooler still....but I countered this to some extent by using a thinner quilt/duvet.
Use home shows (like Ideal Home Show) to try some of the most advanced beds, such as adjustable and memory foam. Adjustable beds are not just for the elderly or disabled. Most companies will allow you to try a bed in your own home for up to a month (space allowing of course). Certainly you can try a mattress at home more easily.
Typical adjustable beds, with memory foam mattresses range from about 2500-5000 at a show. The more expensive ones tend to have more elaborate bed frames (such as solid wood) or storage facilities etc.
I put my normal pillow inbetween my legs now to get comfy. We need a new mattress I will probably get a mattress topper too, cant afford a proper memory mattress.
The thing is, however, because of the nature of their filling I'd have thought they are always going to make you feel that much warmer in bed than if you were to sleep on a mattress or topper filled with natural fibres. Plus there's the fact that they envelop your body shape so precisely so there's less air around you to keep you cool.
I love it. It's the first pillow I've had that keeps its original shape and resilience, and I put one of my old 'flat as a pancake' pillows on top of it for a bit of extra protection--and it's just the job. I've had it about 9 months now, and it just occurred to me, when a friend mentioned having a cricked shoulder, that I haven't had any stiff necks etc since I've used the memory foam pillow.