Can a Mattress Topper be used as a Mattress?

Mattress toppers are designed to do exactly what the name suggests- to ‘top’ over the mattress, where they vary in thickness and size. They offer a more comfortable and luxurious sleep when placed on top of a mattress, but can you use a mattress topper as a replacement for the mattress itself? The answer isn’t so clear cut, it all depends on whether you see it suitable.

Yes, if its temporary.

A more general answer is yes, but if it is for a little while. Let’s say you’re at a family relative’s house, and there’s no beds. Then of course, a mattress topper can be a great solution to this sort of problem. It will offer more comfort than the floor and does have padding and can come in different measures of thickness. However, when it comes to a more permanent solution, you may want to carefully think about if that’s what is best – the answer is subjective.

Comfort and support?

Mattress toppers do not offer the same level of support and comfort that a mattress has to offer. As a mattress topper constitutes of one layer, it won’t have enough padding to keep you comfortable in the long run, as well as support your body. Remember, a mattress topper, even if it is thick, isn’t the same as a mattress. For example, if you compare a mattress topper to a hybrid mattress, a hybrid has many layers, springs, and memory foam inside to function as a good support and comfort for your body, specially designed to relive pressure points and support spine alignment and alleviate pain. Having a mattress topper may feel okay for a couple of days, but after a while your body may feel strained and sore.

Is Mattress toppers suitable for all sleeping positions?

Mattress topper may not accommodate for all types of sleeping position. For example, let’s say you are a ‘combination sleeper’, who loves to change positions during sleep, a certain type and good mattress can function to encourage this type of sleeper in their movements, allowing a more fulfilling and less disturbed sleep. Even if you’re not this type of sleeper, turning over in sleep is crucial to circulate blood, nutrients, and oxygen in the body, which a good mattress can encourage. Sleeping solely on a mattress topper may not allow the same benefit, and can go the same for back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and side sleepers.

Mattress toppers can increase susceptibility to allergies and dust mites.

If you’re sleeping on the floor with a mattress topper, you are much more vulnerable to those pesky allergens, dust mites and bacteria. This can be harmful to your health as it can trigger allergies, worsen asthma, and cause throat/chest irritation. Therefore, your mattress topper will need to be cleaned much more often which can be a hassle. Not only that but cleaning the topper itself can get difficult if the foam inside the protector has been damaged by dust mites and you may not be able to clean it.

Mattress topper better for the environment

Now we got some of the negatives out the way, mattress toppers aren’t all bad. They are more environmentally- friendly than a mattress. Did you know that around 7.5 million mattresses got the landfill per year in the U.K? That’s a huge amount of carbon dioxide and harmful gases, such as methane, being released in the atmosphere. This harms our planet, and as we know mattresses need to be replaced every 6-8 years per person. So having a mattress topper as a replacement for a mattress, means that inflicting harm to the environment and planet are much more reduced.

Mattress toppers are much cheaper

As we all know, mattresses come with a hefty price and may be very financially-straining for you, especially if you replace them every 6-8 years. The mattress price will vary depending on the size you need for your bed (single, double, king, super king) and what type of mattress you have (memory foam, latex, inner spring etc) Therefore, the price range may range from as little as £250 to up to £3000.