Soft Mattress Topper vs Firm Mattress Topper – The Ultimate Guide

You can buy mattress toppers for several reasons, such as extra comfort, pain relief or just to revitalize your old mattress.

In this handy guide, we will break down the benefits and disadvantages of soft and firm mattress toppers.

You will learn how to choose the right topper for your needs.

Soft Mattress Topper vs Firm Mattress Topper

We will also have a look at game-changing adjustable firmness mattress topper.

Let’s get into more detail to see whether you’re soft or firm mattress topper person!

Soft vs Firm Mattress Topper Comparison Table

Feature	Soft	Firm
Support	Not as supportive	Best support
Density	Low	High
Comfort	Comfortable and cozy	Not as comfortable
Portability	Light Easy to lift and carry	Heavier Not as portable
Temperature Control	Possible overheating as body sinks into the mattress	Cooler and regulates temperature better
Lifespan	Doesn’t last as long as firm mattress	Last longer due to higher density
Suitability	Eases fatigue and muscular stiffness	Alleviates pain and discomfort
Suitability (Mattress)	Use if your mattress is too firm	Use if your mattress is too soft
Suitability (Body Type)	Light people	Heavy people
Price	Cheaper due to low density	Pricier due to high density

Everything You Need to Know About Soft Toppers

Everyone likes a snug feel while sleeping that will make them feel comfortable and cozy throughout the night.

To get this delightful experience, you should consider a soft mattress topper, which is plush and cozy. An excellent soft mattress can make you feel neat and warm throughout the night.

However, you should also be careful not to go too soft as it can have some unwanted effects.

Too soft pad can compromise the support that the body needs. Especially those who have joint and back problems should avoid softer options.

Of course, this doesn’t always apply to everyone, as people are different, after all. If your old mattress is hard to sleep on, then a soft mattress topper can make it more comfortable and revitalize it.

Common Features

Here’s few tips and some of the standard features of the soft mattress toppers that you may experience:

If you want your fatigue and muscular stiffness ease away, the soft mattress topper will be useful. It is also suitable for releasing the tension from the body by relaxing the nerves.

Soft mattresses are plush but can also lose their fluffiness quite quickly, leaving the topper flat. Thus, you should always check the density of the material before buying it.

If your current mattress is rundown or too firm to sleep on, then buy and lay the soft mattress topper on top of it to get a cozier bed.

If you like the feel of warmth while sleeping, then softer toppers are perfect, especially during the winter season.

Materials

Some of the common types of soft mattress toppers are:

Memory foam: memory foam or gel foam is one of the most popular choices for soft mattress toppers. It is soft and has a lower density, thus making the topper lightweight and extremely comfortable.

Down alternative: down is again a very soft material, giving a snug soft feel while sleeping. Most of the time you can find synthetic materials such as polyester or rayon inside it. Should not be confused with down material.

Latex foam: many think that latex is for firmer toppers only, but it is not always true. You can find low-density latex foam for softer mattress toppers. It can be a lot comfier, while also being completely safe for health.

Soft Topper Is Great If You’re Looking For:

Comfortable and cozy for a cocooned feel while sleeping.
Very lightweight due to its lesser density.
Easy maintenance as you can lift and clean them without any hassle.
Relaxes the muscles and releases tension.
Soft mattress topper for firm mattress

It Also Has Few Disadvantages:

Will not help in making an old sagging mattress better.
It can make you feel too hot or stuffy during warm seasons.
Have a shorter life span as compared to others.
It does not provide much structural support to the body.

Everything You Need to Know About Firm Mattress Toppers

After a certain age or due to specific physical issues, some people may change their sleeping habits and not like sleeping on a too-soft mattress anymore.

A firm mattress topper is capable of lifting the body and prevent sinking into the mattress, which can cause backaches, joint pains, and lack of mobility.

It helps in maintaining the posture while sleeping and also make sure that the person can be comfortable in every sleeping position.

These toppers are perfect for making your old mattress feel rejuvenated and firmer without any dent on it.

Pay attention to density (pounds per cubic feet) and ILD rating when looking for firm mattress topper as these need to be higher than average.

The average density is roughly 2-3 pounds per cubic feet. Extra-firm toppers are over 5 pounds per cubic feet while ILD firmness rating is over 39 for the ultra-firm toppers.

When choosing the ideal firmness level, keep in mind different materials, and also changing densities.

Common Features

Some of the characteristics of firm mattress toppers are:

If you suffer from breathing issues or sleep apnea during the night, then firm topper may be a good option.

Never choose too firm of a topper as it can strain the muscles and will not be comfortable to sleep on as well.

Consider medium-firm mattress toppers if you suffer from body pain. Medium-firm toppers help in holding the body in the right position and relieve pressure on joints.

Firm mattresses are also quite helpful in keeping the body cool and reduce sweating while sleeping during hot summer nights.

It can be used to reduce the saggy and dented feel on an old mattress.

Materials

Some of the common materials used for firm mattress toppers are:

Latex: latex is one of the best firm materials as there are very high-density toppers available. Latex also keeps body temperature under control. Very useful if you’re a hot sleeper.

Memory foam: memory foam comes in a variety of firmness options thanks to various density levels. Not only it provides you with firm mattress topper but will also offer body contouring.

Polyurethane: Not as popular material as the two above, but those who want their mattress toppers to be more firm and supportive, choosing polyurethane is possibly the best option. It will not sag easily, as well.

Firm Topper Is Great If You’re Looking For:

Perfect for getting posture support
Helps in creating a firm top on old or soft mattresses
Longer lifespan
Does not get overheated as easily

It Also Has Few Disadvantages:

Not too soft which doesn’t make it a cozy option
Maintenance takes more effort as it is heavier in weight due to increased density.

Best Soft Mattress Topper

Sleep Innovations 4″ Dual Layer Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper

This two-layer SleepInnovations mattress topper combines cooling gel memory foam and fiber-fill, which makes this topper ultra-soft.

Memory foam part makes up the bottom part of the topper, which supports your body while ultra-soft fiber-will makes sure of the comfort and coziness.

If you’re a hot sleeper, then cooling gel memory foam will cool you down during the night.

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Highlights

Comes with 3” gel memory foam and 1” soft quilted pillow top cover
Suitable for side, stomach and back sleepers
Comes with washable cover
Made in USA
10-year warranty
CertiPUR-US® certified

Best Firm Mattress Topper

3” Pure Green 100% Natural Latex Topper

This Sleep On Latex mattress topper is 100% natural latex that provides excellent support to your body and works great if you’re looking for an ultra-firm mattress topper.

What makes this topper extra firm is the density, which is a whopping 5.9 pounds per cubic feet. Higher density means a firmer mattress to keep it short. You can read all about it in our mattress topper thickness and density guide.

That kind of density also makes this topper very heavy if you go for the thickest 3” option. Almost 52 pounds compared to 23-pound soft Sleep Innovations topper that we mentioned earlier. More than twice heavier!

However, all ultra-firm mattress toppers are bulky, so there’s no escaping that.

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Highlights

All-natural material made from rubber trees, no synthetics.
Latex provides a natural cooling
Extra-firm: High density (5.9 lbs per cubic ft), Firmness rating is 44 ILD
Comes in three thickness options (1”,2”,3”) and three firmness options (soft,medium,firm)
High quality as the foam scored 97/100 in LGA physical properties test and also holds several certifications

Adjustable Firmness Mattress Topper

Finally! Someone invented adjustable firmness, which pretty much ends all this soft vs firm debate.

This Dream Science by Martha Stewart Collection adjustable firmness memory foam topper comes with 8 different firmness options.

How it works exactly?

It’s very simple. It comes with three memory foam pads, and you simply have to layer foam pieces in a different order to achieve desired firmness.

Have a look at this topper if you want to be ahead of the game.

Highlights:

Suitable for all sleepers as eight different firmness options give you the freedom to adjust it to soft, medium or firm
Great for couples as you can adjust the firmness for both sides of the topper. Make your side soft, and your significant other can enjoy firm topper, or vice versa!
CertiPUR-US® certified, which means it’s been scientifically tested and it has passed all CertiPUR-US guidelines so you can be sure you’re getting a quality product
Free shipping

Conclusion

Choosing the right mattress topper should be a personal choice, but you should also keep in mind what is healthy and what is not.

You can choose soft mattress toppers to increase the luxury and plush feeling or go for a firm topper to increase the support and make the sleep feel less stuffy.

A proper mattress topper should give the sleeper complete comfort while sleeping without any pressure on the joints. And for this reason, it’s crucial to decide on the firmness of your new potential topper.

Keeping in mind your age and health condition, you should choose the level of firmness that is perfect given your circumstances.

So, which one do you prefer?

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