Memory foam mattress toppers are a great way to test out the memory foam experience without giving up your old bed, or for use in a guest room and to fill many other bedding needs. But, just like when shopping for a memory foam mattress, it is important to ensure a quality product is purchased. Cheap memory foam will leave the consumer under-whelmed and ultimately prove to be a poor investment – regardless of how good a deal it was at the time.

Memory foam is the highly popular mattress material that was initially developed by NASA and that is based on polyurethane or vegetable mixture that is hardened into a solid mold. Millions of tiny bubbles provide support by evenly distributing weight across the sleep surface. The result is a body contouring experience in which the user is cradled for 100 percent support and comfort without the painful pressure points associated with innerspring mattresses.

Internal spring mattresses may have been the best thing on the market for many years, but they’ve long been associated with pressure points that develop where the metal coils make contact with the body –even with cotton comfort layers in between. Soreness and poor blood circulation are two unfortunate results of sleeping on an internal spring mattress.

Memory foam mattresses are able to provide comfort and support without creating pressure points. An additional benefit of memory foam is its innate prevention of motion transfer. This is especially important for couples, particularly if one partner is a restless sleeper or gets up frequently during the night. Memory foam mattress toppers carry these same traits; albeit, to a lesser degree of effectiveness than their mattress counterparts.

Memory foam mattress toppers consist of a strip of memory foam that is designed to lie on top of an existing mattress to provide an additional level of comfort and support while blunting the negative effects of pressure points.

The 3 most important things to consider when comparing memory foam mattress toppers:

• Density, which is measured in pounds, is a good indicator of the quality of a memory foam mattress. Generally, a memory foam mattress topper should run between three and five pounds. Anything less is not going to provide sufficient benefits and more than five pounds is probably going to be too hard.

• The thickness of a memory foam mattress topper can range from one inch to four or five inches. The thicker the mattress, generally, the better quality its construction and more able it will be to meet your sleep needs.

• Where a memory foam mattress topper is made is an important element to consider. Mattress toppers that are made in the U.S.A. are typically going to be better made and more durable. In addition, products made in some countries, like China, are manufactured with possibly hazardous materials under questionable production standards.