If you have a bed or mattress that has lumps, hard spots or areas where the springs have failed, then your only solution is a replacement mattress.
However, if you have a mattress that feels a bit too firm, or lacks the cushiony sinking quality that you like, a mattress topper may be the solution - and it is a lot cheaper than a replacement bed.
Organic Wool Pillows
What is a mattress topper
Simply put, a topper is an extra layer of cushioning and padding that you lay (or strap) on top of the existing mattress beneath the bedding sheet. This has the effect of adding an additional top level of padding to an existing mattress and it allows you to gain some extra softness, or to benefit from a material like memory foam.
Most toppers will have a protective layer which means that they will double as a mattress protector. They can look like a large spongy mat, or they can be quilted. It all depends upon the type of material used to fill them.
Different types of topper
There are two different reasons for wanting a topper. One is to get the extra softness and padding, however the other is to turn a spring based mattress into a composite mattress, i.e. a mattress that utilizes two different types of construction for maximum advantage.
In the latter case, materials like visco elastic memory foam and Latex can be used to give a bed the ability to mould itself around the person sleeping on it. These materials have become very popular in recent years and many experts in the medical and orthopedic disciplines consider them to offer superior support to spring based beds. Additionally they have good hypoallergenic properties that make them ideal for allergy sufferers.
The options for mattress toppers do not stop with memory foam and Latex foam. There are many other filling materials from standard foams through to natural organic materials.
When it comes to organic topper fillers, duck and goose feathers and down are one of the most popular and, since many people have pillows filled with this material, it allows a consistent filler to be used on all of the bedding surfaces that contact the body.
Another popular filling material for a mattress topper is organic wool. Organic wool has been increasing in its bedding applications and its washable quality gives it an advantage over many of its synthetic rivals.
The appearance of any given topper is determined by the filler and the quality of the covering material. Quilted toppers invariably have feathers and down or organic wool in them whilst the flat "mat like" toppers tend to be filled with a foam like Latex or memory foam. It is possible to get quilted mattress toppers filled with foam cuttings that offer the feel of foam with a quilted appearance.