Well, I read a couple of threads about some people trying to use a memory foam topper in conjunction with a foam base to create a mattress similar to a Tempur-Pedic. As we all know, Tempur-Pedics are expensive...not something an "El Cheapo" like me is willing to lay the dough out for. Thus, I have decided to try this out and I will document my experiences as there has been very little follow-up on how this combo works.
First, a bit of background. We have a Sealy Pillowtop mattress and foundation that is just too soft for my fiance'. I had her lay down on a Tempur-Pedic one day, and she loved it just as much as I did. Thus, I set out to make one cheaply.
After looking at memory foam toppers on eBay for quite awhile, I decided on a 4" 3.3 lb. memory foam topper made by Carpenter. The cost (shipped) was $156.00, which is cheaper than most 2" toppers I found in the various stores around town. Bought it, and it was shipped here immediately. Threw it on top of the pillowtop mattress to try it for a night. It was not received well by my fiance'...said she thought it "felt neat", but was not comfortable on it. Great, I thought...it's not going to work. That being said, I did some more research and found that the memory foam takes on many characteristics of what is underneath it. As a result, a pillowtop mattress under the memory foam topper may not be the ideal combination. I decided to see what would happen if I just put the topper on the foundation. My fiance' laid on this configuration and said that it was much better, but just a bit too hard. I was beginning to think she was Goldilocks! At any rate, I decided to see if I could find something that was a nice compromise. As I researched Tempur-Pedic some more, I found out that their mattresses are a memory foam topper with a stiffer foam base. That set the wheels into motion for Stage 2 of my plan.
I began to research different companies that had a simple polyurethane foam in a firm configuration for the base. I found out that this can become very expensive! I was just about to give up hope until I ran across an old post here that mentioned JCPenney as a possible place to find such an item. I browsed online for a bit and came across a 5" polyurethane foam pad with an extra-firm feel to it. It was $105.00, and I had a 25% off coupon which brought the price down to $78.75. Shipping was only $9.95, so the total with tax and shipping was $95.20. I just received it today and have unpacked it to allow it to return to its original shape before laying it down with the other piece (it was vacuum-sealed). I can't wait to try this new configuration out.
So, that is where I am at as of this moment. As soon as I get the parts laid down on the bed and give it a try, I will post reactions from both myself and my fiance'. I thought this might be a useful post to FWers who are looking for Tempur-Pedic performance at a budget price. I just couldn't find any kind of follow-up on people that have used this combo. I will let everyone know how it goes from here on out!
A while back I bought a Comfortaire mattress which is made of air bladders w/ a 3" memory foam topper, then a pillow top over that. The price was dirt cheap and the people were amazingly friendly.
If you call them at 1-800-823-4233, they might have the zip-up, pillow-top shell to enclose your two pads and make it look like a real mattress, for your girlfriend's sake. You might need a ring of stiff foam around the two pads to compensate for the smaller size that "toppers" usually have.
I got really lucky last year. I was looking for a king size mattress firm with a pillowtop (yeah, oxymoron). And finally called Sleepys here in NY and got this really really nice old guy on the phone. We started talking about living with family etc. I lived with my brother and he lived with his sister. So finally after about 5 minutes of talking I asked him if he had any cheap firm pillowtop really good mattresses. I told him the similar styles I found at other places ($1800 at Macys, $1700 at another bed store, $1699 online). He said that they were having a closeout on certain mattresses and I got the top of the line Serta Beautysleep King for $780. That included the frame and 2 box springs. Delivery, set up and take away the old bed was only $10. He said that he gave it to me 5% over cost (the lowest he could do it for). Then I ordered a queen for my brother the next week.
Phase 2 is in progress. I let the foam base air out and expand back to its original size and shape yesterday and last night. It came back to its original shape nicely. It is a bit smaller than the memory foam pad (I would estimate 1 1/2" smaller W and 2" smaller L), but I can trim the memory foam later if need be. It does not look like it is too small on the foundation, though, which is what I was primarily worried about anyway. I laid the base down, and then laid the memory foam on top of it. I then put the sheets on it, and gave it a try. (I did all of this at lunchtime, by the way)
My initial impressions:
I laid down on it for about 15 minutes. It is a good thing I caught myself, because I almost fell asleep! It has a real nice feel to me...not too firm, but just enough give. I am a back and side sleeper, and this combo really does provide some nice support. I also do not feel as though I am laying in quicksand...I am not just sinking...sinking...sinking...it is supportive. I also have a memory foam pillow and laid down on it while I was trying it out. The combination felt great! I would say that the Tempur-Pedic is probably a shade firmer...but my combo was not too much different, I think.
Another nice feature is the new "mattress" does not move around like our old Sealy did. This was another thing that drew us to the Tempur-Pedic, and I am happy to report that performance (at least in this aspect) is similar. I put a couple of quarters where my fiance' usually sleeps, and they did not move at all when I got in and out of bed a few times. So, that is nice...especially for us as we often go to bed at different times.
My fiance' (a flight attendant) gets in today. So, when I have some reactions from her, I will post them to accompany mine. The real test will be this evening...can't wait to give it a try! I will post updates as they come along...so far, so good!
I did the same thing just a week ago! I had two 1-1.5" memory foam toppers (one is very soft and the other is a little stiffer), both bought for 40-50$ on different deals this year. Like OP stated, they did not feel quite right on our cheap old mattress. After a research I found Knoxfoam (.com), they custom cut foam for you! You can choose firmness, thickness, and size. Queen size piece of 3" thick very firm foam comes around 120$ shipped. It's useful to read their description of different foams - they explain firmness, density and other parameters. Well, that does not compete with OP's buy at JC Penney, but you get more choices at Knoxfoam's site.
I finally got the combination of platform bed + 3" of A-firmness foam (it's the stiffest, they do not recommended it for beds, only for sitting applications) + two memory foam toppers ~2.5" total. I am quite happy, it feels wonderful. Firm, but not hard.
Another alternative to consider as a base for memory foam is 4" crated foam ("1.5 density" at http://shop.store.yahoo.com/mednet-store/valvm9108.html for ~57$ shipped (queen size). I am just not sure if it is firm enough (I did not buy it).
Thanks to OP for information - I am going to check that JC Penney one for my living room futon (for overnight guests)!
Phase 3 complete. We spent our first night on the "Cheaper-Pedic" last night. I must say that I am VERY impressed! I slept very soundly last night, woke up this morning feeling very refreshed. The feel of the mattress is great...not too soft and not too hard. I usually wake up at least once or twice during the night...but not last night! I slept really well.
Thank the big man upstairs that I can also say the same for my finace'! She absolutely loves it! She slept quite a bit on it yesterday, and then quite a bit today as she has been a a touch ill. Her comments are that it is firm and supportive without seeming like a cement slab. In her words, it feels "just like" the Tempur-Pedic we tried...which was my ultimate goal. She says that it is a winner and we can keep it! (Yes!) Oh, and by the way, she IS NOT an easy person to please...her words, not mine. Thus, this setup HAD to feel right for us to keep it. I was also complemented by her on the price of the setup...she said she could not believe it after we laid on the $1500 Tempur-Pedic. $240.00 for everything shipped hits the spot!
I will continue to post updates on this setup, but as of right now...I can tell you that this is a surefire winner in my mind. The feel is great, the mattress does not slip around, it is NOT hot to sleep on, and when it is time to move, we can just roll both of the pads up for transport. Although we will need the room for the box spring, it helps to not have to deal with a queen-size mattress too! All in all, we are both very pleased with the setup and would recommend to anyone looking for a more cost effective way of getting similar performance to a Tempur-Pedic. Will keep you updated as things progress!
You can find these pre-made on E*Bay. I bought a Queen size foam bed with two memory foam pillows for around $300 shipped. The foam pieces are glued together so you need to do nothing. It is a little more expensive the OP's suggestion but it is no work and mine came with the pillows as well.
Thanks OP for this information. I too had read the old thread about the foam base from JCPenney. We're in desperate need of a new mattress and have decided to go the fake Tempurpedic route as well. The only thing we're trying to decide at this point is whether to buy one of the kits sold through a website (would run about $1000 for King size) that has been talked about a lot on another site or getting the polyurethane base and using a topper. I've read some information on the other website where the owner states that his latex bases are more supportive than the polyurethane foam and they will last up to 40 years where the polyurethane will only last up to five. The longevity doesn't bother me too much since it's significantly cheaper, but if the polyurethane won't be as supportive and comfortable, that would be a concern.
I'm getting ready to give this a shot too. I've bought a 2" Queen Carter brand memory foam topper from stein mart for $100. It's on the old queen mattress now, but a local place here in Phoenix called Central Plastic , www.centralplastic.com, has queen 7" polyurethane foam for $93+tax.
They've also got 6" latex for $351, which seems a good price for latex foam, not sure if it's worth the exta price though.
Well, I thought I would provide another update on how things are working out with the setup I put together. Overall, the combination is working out very well! I have been noticing that I am sleeping better and I am waking up more refreshed. I am not a morning person by ANY means...but this is helping me out in that respect as I feel a bit more ready to get up when I have to get up. The feel of the mattress has been really nice...it feels just the same as I had mentioned in my other posts. We have still not had any type of slipping occur...the both the pad and the base have stayed put.
My fiance' is still liking the setup. She has had problems with her sciatic (hope I spelled that right!) nerve in her hip, and the problems seemed to have subsided somewhat since we've been sleeping on it. The only problem is that as a flight attendant, she has to sleep on different beds when she is staying away. Thus, it may become aggravated again due to a bad bed at a hotel. However, at least she is still liking ours.
My future mother-in-law flew in last night and she laid on the bed for about 10-15 minutes. She said it felt really nice and she wanted me to order the two pads for her and her husband. So, I might have some more feedback for you guys soon! Stay tuned!
Someone had asked in a previous post about the "feel" of the base vs. latex. I can tell you that the base I bought from JCPenney (extra-firm polyurethane) feels great for a base, and really helps the memory foam's performance. It seems to work pretty well, and it is so much cheaper than the latex. It looks as though it will last a pretty good while to me, but only time will tell, I guess. The support of the base has been fantastic. I have been very pleased with how supportive it is and how the memory foam feels COMPLETELY different on the base than when it was on top of the pillowtop mattress.
I also had another "legitimate" question about the performance of the mattress in "other" aspects (you fill in the blanks here ) I am pleased to report to you that it works quite well for that purpose as well and is especially easier on the knees when compared with our old conventional mattress. That's all I will say! You will have to figure out the rest!
Well, hope this helps you guys with some more information! I will keep updating you guys as we go! Oh, and if anyone else tries this out, post some feedback that you may have! Thanks!
Thanks for the update. Can you provide detailed info on the two pieces you bought - vendor for the top layer and item number for the base. Many thanks and congratulations.
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At any rate, I decided to see if I could find something that was a nice compromise. As I researched Tempur-Pedic some more, I found out that their mattresses are a memory foam topper with a stiffer foam base. That set the wheels into motion for Stage 2 of my plan.
You will have to figure out the rest!
