Orthopedic mattress topper

A mattress topper is an extra layer of material that sits on the top of a mattress to provide additional cushioning, support or padding. Some people try to use a mattress topper to remedy a failing or damaged mattress, however that is no their purpose and once a mattress starts to fail the only solution is a replacement.

What mattress toppers do?

The main purpose of a mattress topper is to transform or adjust some characteristic of an existing mattress for an orthopedic benefit, i.e. to make it more comfortable or supportive or both.

Most people who choose to do this do so because they want to add the characteristics of another material to their mattress, e.g. if they have a spring based mattress they may want to add visco elastic memory foam and its spongy quality.

The advantage of doing this would be to take the traditional sleeping features of springs and supplement them with the moulding and sculpturing features that are particular to memory foam.

By doing this a standard bed (composed of springs) can be transformed into something similar to a composite bed where different materials and manufacturing methods are combined in a single mattress. This can be a cheap way of getting the sleeping attributes of a much more expensive bed, or a way of making a bed that does not help you sleep have a different feel.

A further reason for adding a topper can be to make a mattress feel warmer or cooler. Materials like memory foam have a warm feel which some people do not like. Adding a mattress topper with a cooler filler can change the way that the mattress feels.

Types of mattress topper fillings

Mattress toppers come with a broad range of fillings. These include the so called "Hi-Tec" materials like visco elastic memory foam and Latex foam as well as popular bedding fillers like organic wool, feathers and down and standard foam. Additionally, there are some more exotic fillings that have, or combine, anything from hemp or rice to straw.

There is also a range of therapeutic mattress toppers that are claimed to have special properties that relax the body, ease aches and discomfort and help the body to self heal. Many of these claims have yet to be substantiated scientifically, however they are increasing in popularity.

One such example is the magnetic mattress topper. This topper has a network of small magnets embedded in its padding and these magnets are intended to work with the body's own electromagnetic system.

At present the most popular material for a mattress topper is visco elastic memory foam and the minimum thickness of this kind of topper should be at least 2 to 2.5 inches.

Fitting and maintenance

Most mattress toppers will have corner straps that allow them to be tied to the four corners of the mattress on which they lay. Because the bedding sheet fits over both the mattress and the topper, this kind of fitting is generally sufficient.

How a mattress topper is cleaned will depend on the filling. Memory foam and latex foam toppers will have a removable cover that can be washed. Since the foams themselves are hypoallergenic they should not require cleaning.

Other toppers may be washable, require wiping with a damp cloth, or may even require hoovering with a vacuum.

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