Black Friday is the perfect opportunity to treat yourself to a swank new mattress, but before you seek out any Black Friday mattress deals you might want to ask yourself: would I be better off buying a mattress topper instead?
There isn't a straightforward yes/no answer to this one. In some cases one of the best mattress toppers can make a huge difference to your bed, enabling you to wait a while longer before biting the bullet and committing to a whole new bed. But it's not a cure-all, and there are circumstances in which a topper really isn't going to make much difference to your sleep setup, so you should instead go in search of the best mattress.
We're here to help you decide which option you should go with; if by the end of it you've decided that you'd be best off opting for a mattress topper for the time being, we've already picked out the very best cheap Black Friday mattress topper deals of the lot - the ones we'd genuinely spend our own money on.
Do mattress toppers make a big difference?
In short, yes, but in reality it's just a little bit more complicated than that. The right mattress topper can, in most cases, make an enormous difference to the comfort and support levels of your existing mattress. A plush topper can take the edge off a too-firm bed, and conversely a firm topper can give you the support that a too-soft bed might be failing to deliver.
Bear in mind, though, that in some cases a mattress topper could make things worse. For example, a memory foam topper might give your bed more of a sink-in feel, but because of the way memory foam tends to trap body heat, you might end up sweating in the night and losing sleep for a completely new reason.
It's also worth remembering that a mattress topper will add extra depth to your existing mattress; this could mean that if you opt for a particularly thick topper you could find that your sheets no longer fit on your bed. And if your old mattress isn't particularly hot on edge support, the extra height could make things worse.
As a rule, though, most of the differences a mattress topper can make to your sleep setup are positive. Let's move on to the question of when a mattress topper would be the best buying decision.
When should I opt for a mattress topper?
The best reason to choose a mattress topper over a whole new mattress is if your mattress is in good condition but it's not meeting your needs in terms of comfort and support. It could be that it's generally comfortable enough, but you find yourself waking up with sore shoulders or hips if you sleep on your side, in which case a couple of extra inches of cushioning foam might be all your bed needs to deliver the pressure relief your joints need; something like the Tempur-Adapt mattress topper can make the world of difference.
Similarly, if the comfort layers on an older hybrid mattress are starting to wear thin but the springs are still in great condition, a good topper is the ideal way to extend your mattress's lifespan for a couple of years or more. And while adding a topper is often a case of kicking the problem of needing a new mattress a bit further down the road, if money's tight then it's a cost-effective medium-term solution.
When would I be best off with a new mattress?
Sadly, sooner or later you'll find yourself in a position where your elderly mattress is beyond the help of even the best mattress topper. Ask yourself if your mattress is displaying any of these symptoms:
- It's seriously sagging or dipping
- The sleep surface is uneven and lumpy
- There are exposed springs or filling
If so a mattress topper really isn't going to be much help and you'll have to face facts: it's definitely time to invest in a whole new mattress (although our tips on how to fix a sagging mattress might help). A good topper might make a cosmetic difference in these cases, but it can't work miracles and it wouldn't be long until your bed is just as uncomfortable as it was before.
Ultimately you should easily be able to tell if an old mattress has had it, and in that case putting a topper on it would be throwing good money after bad.
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