This Topper Turned My So-So Mattress Into a Side Sleeper’s Paradise
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Welcome to Sleep Better Week on the Strategist, where we’re helping you find everything you need to get your best rest — from testing the most comfortable mattresses to asking nosy questions about other people’s sleep routines. For more, head to ourSleep Better Week hub.
If you’re not thrilled with how your mattress feels, but you’re not ready to replace it, amattress toppercan help. My favorite one comes from Tempur-Pedic, the master of all thingsmemory foam. Made from three inches of Tempur-Pedic’s proprietary foam (which the brand calls Tempur-Material), the topper will add noticeable plushness to any mattress. Though it’s not the cheapest topper on the market — a queen size starts at $349 — I think its quality and comfort justify the price.
I first tried the Tempur-Adapt topper years ago, but because it is ourtop-pick mattress topper, I recently retested it to confirm that it still deserves the honor. Tempur-Pedic sells both a standard version and a cooling version of the topper, the latter of which costs $80 extra and comes with a cool-to-the-touch cover. (Internally, they’re the same.)
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The foam is supportive and so, so comfortable — especially for side sleepers
When my Tempur-Adapt topper arrived, I was excited to try it on the too-firm-for-my-taste mattress I was sleeping on at the time. The topper ships vacuum sealed and rolled up — just like a bed-in-a-box mattress, only smaller. After unboxing the topper and letting it expand, I laid down and instantly felt more comfortable on my bed than I had in months.
Back when I first tested the Tempur-Adapt, it initially felt firm, and then I slowly sank in (the same experience I had when testing aTempur-Pedic mattress). This time, the foam felt softer at first, but I could still feel myself settle as it contoured around me. It was a pleasant sensation: I felt supported in some places, like my lower back, while pointier parts of my body, like my shoulders, felt cushioned — particularly while lying on my side.
My shoulders were especially relieved by this topper. I am a back-and-side-combination sleeper, and the firm mattress I’d been sleeping on was causing me shoulder pain whenever I slept on my side. After adding the Tempur-Adapt, the soreness started to subside and I was much more comfortable. While I’ve since switched to a different mattress, the experience confirmed that the Tempur-Adapt can make an uncomfortable mattress workable (so long as the issue you’re dealing with is a mattress that’s toofirm). It is all-around supportive and comfortable for a variety of sleeping positions — I also felt nicely “suspended” when lying on my back — but it is boon for side sleepers who sometimes need a little extra help to keep their spine in alignment without their shoulders or hips getting out of whack.
Tempur-Pedic is pretty secretive about its foam formulations, but the Tempur-Adapt topper can weigh up to 30 pounds, which suggests a higher density foam. High-density foam has more material packed into each inch, which makes it more durable in the long run and is part of what I think gives Tempur-Pedic products a unique feel. Even though the foam didn’t feel as initially firm as I remembered, it was contouring and supportive, with a slow recovery time. Foam with a slow recovery time takes a few seconds to re-form after you’ve applied pressure to it — think of the lingering handprints in old Tempur-Pedic commercials — and it’s a characteristic of good memory foam. The combination of a high density and a slow recovery time tends to cradle the body well, which I definitely experienced with this topper.
The cooling cover works well enough, but it isn’t a game changer
When I tested Tempur-Pedic’scooling memory-foam mattress, I was genuinely surprised by how effective it was. The cooling version of the Tempur-Adapt isn’t as impressive, but it works well nonetheless. The cover, which is made from a blend of polyester, polyethylene, and spandex, feels cool to the touch. That’s likely thanks to the polyethylene, a fiber commonly used to make fabrics feel cool.
When I laid on the topper without any bedding, the cover felt nicely cool. However, the effect is much less noticeable with bedding on top. The cooling upgrade is a nice option for a truly hot sleeper who needs every bit of help they can get. But for most people, I think you can spare the extra $80 and just get the standard version.
The washable cover and straps are worthwhile extras
Memory foam can’t really be cleaned, so the Tempur-Adapt’s machine washable cover is a nice touch — I like having an additional barrier between my bedding and the foam. Extras like this help set the Tempur-Adapt apart, since some less expensive toppers don’t come with a cover at all, or if they do, the cover is not removable.
The cover also has elastic straps on each corner, which can be really helpful for preventing the topper from shifting under your bedding. It’s a simple feature that’s not strictly necessary, but since not all mattress toppers have straps, I tend to seek out ones that help prevent daily annoyances like having to reposition your mattress topper every time you toss and turn or make your bed.
More From Sleep Better Week
- Welcome to Sleep Better Week
- What’s the Least You Can Spend on a Good Bed? (Frame and Mattress Included.)
- If You Don’t Know What Kind of Mattress You Want, Try a Medium-Firm Hybrid
- Unisom Was the Only Thing That Helped My Pregnancy Insomnia
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