4 Inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper By mustangsally82 on May 29, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

My current set of mattresses are a few years older than I am, and even though they were top-of-the line when they were purchased by my parents in 1980 I was looking to improve the quality of my sleep.

I wasn't ready to buy a new set of mattresses, so I started shopping around for mattress toppers. I found a 4-inch memory foam topper on overstock.com that was on sale and I took the plunge.

I couldn't wait to open it up and try it out when it arrived. I was disappointed to find out that I had to let it air out for 48 hours after opening the package. It came rolled up and you are supposed to lay it out in an area that's big enough for it to open up all the way. I think it took a few hours for it to puff back up enough to unfold itself, and I was dismayed to discover that it had a distinct and strong odor.

It didn't smell bad per se: but it certainly made me thankful that I hadn't slapped it down on my bed and put a sheet over it and slept on it. Because it was new and had probably been stuffed in its little plastic bag in a warehouse for who knows how long, it smelled like new materials.

For two days I walked by the room where it was settling itself, and I could hardly wait to flop down on it and try it out. The hour finally came and I put it on my full-sized mattress.

The topper is a bit smaller than the standard mattress sizes so that it will fit better under most sheets. If it went to the edge of the bed it would make it harder for sheets that don't have deep pockets to fit and stay in place. I was worried that my sheets wouldn't fit, but I soon found out that I could simply put the sheet over the topper alone if it wasn't big enough to cover both the topper and the top mattress. I try to change my sheets at least once a week and I've never had a problem with the sheets coming off before it's time to change them.

I sank down into the foam and felt many of the pressure points of a traditional mattress disappear. I'm curvy and sometimes it's hard for me to find a comfortable position on a mattress with no pillowtop or padding. With this topper, I often feel so supported that I don't even use a pillow because my body sinks down lower than my head and neck, so a built-in pillow is created.

Sometimes when I first get in bed the foam feels a bit stuffy. I know a lot of people say that foam is just too hot and moist to get comfortable in. I think they need to give it a few minutes, because somehow I adjust to the fabric fairly quickly after I get in bed. I don't know if it's my body responding or if the foam transfers heat away from me, but I never stay warm too long.

According to overstock.com, this visco elastic memory foam was originally designed for NASA. It's hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial, and because I have allergies I've encased it in one of those allergen barriers that zips up around it. I usually sleep in the same positions and locations in my bed, and I haven't noticed any sagging or deforming: the memory foam does go back to its original shape when you get up.

I've had this topper for almost a year, and it is starting to show signs of wear. It's yellowing a bit and I've noticed some staining coming off on my lighter-colored sheets. Otherwise I have no complaints, and I'd buy it again.

It is a relief to go to bed each night, and I can feel some of the day's stress melting away when I sink down into the foam. I don't wake up as sore in the morning, and I feel like this topper has helped extend the life of my mattresses. I'll be in the market soon, but until then I will continue to look forward to falling into bed at night.