Mattress Forum

If you can hold out for a bit longer I'll swing by Mervyns the middle of next week and get that information for you. I was just on their website--not very useful since you can't order merchandise online. Ithink Target also has a mattress pad with wide ribbed bands of quilting, but I couldn't swear to it. But Mervyns stretch terry pad really sounds like it's exactly what you're looking for.

Leo, I swung my Mervyns Wednesday. The reason you couldn't find either of those two mattress pads is because they recently discontinued and closed them out. There were just a few of the ribbed pads left in a twin size and all of the stretch terrys were gone. Darn! That terry pad seemed like it was exactly what you were looking for. Why is it they always discontinue the really good products while the so-so ones are stocked forever?

I poked around online and wasn't able to come up with another stretch terry pad anywhere. Bed Bath and Beyond does have a ribbed pad. Looks similar to the one I have and like. It's the Laura Ashley Home Overfilled Ribbed pad with a cotton top. Sells for $29.99 and you can find it in the store so you can take a look at it.

Sorry. I think you missed that stretch terry pad by about three weeks.

On the Brylane topper--It's not that soft because it's a medium. I guestimate about a 28. I folded it over, which gave me 2" of foam and it felt softer to me--or at least it had more cushioning power. Talalay is very resilient and pushes back against you, and you may be reacting to that quality. If you want soft latex you need to go with something like a 20-22 ILD, but if it's Talalay it will still feel pushy. The other thing is you are using it on a mattress with 5" of memory foam! I can't even imagine sleeping on 5" of memory foam. I suspect that when you add the latex to the top you just sink in even deeper. Toppers are really intended to soften up mattresses that are too firm and they work best on innerspring mattresses.

On the mattress pad: Mine is horizontal ribbing. Just so we're on the same page, the bands go across the bed from side to side, not head to foot. I returned two other mattress pads because they made the bed feel hard. This one is nice and soft. You could call a few Mervyns and see if they have any left in a queen. Washing them a few times tends to soften them up a little too. Guess it's too late because you've already taken the stitches out, but I would think doing that will cause the filling to shift around--especially when you wash it.

I think that mattress of yours is hopeless. You obviously aren't getting the kind of support you need. After wasting time and sleep and money on other kinds of mattresses I've come to the conclusion that an old fashioned flippable innerspring mattress is probably the best thing. Nothing really supports your back like springs, and with all the available choices in quality toppers --latex, memory foam-- you can eliminate the pressure point problem innerspring mattresses used to be known for.

Leo, I wouldn't waste any more money on toppers that will make no difference on your current mattress. Spend your money on a new innerspring mattress. Concentrate on a sturdy coil unit. Get it as firm as you can, then try the toppers you already have on top of it. You can layer them on until you find your comfort zone--good support for your back and enough cushiness for your hips. I think you'll be much happier.