Getting a new mattress is an investment, and it should be! If you’re getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night, you’re spending about a third of your life sleeping. Make sure you’re doing so comfortably. But if you want a quality bed that will last you a long time, you’re going to have to put down some serious cash, possibly over a grand, and times are tight.

If your bed isn’t that comfortable, a mattress topper can be a quick and inexpensive fix. Keep in mind that if the mattress under the topper is dumpy and saggy, the topper won’t be much help. But how do you know? 

In this post, we’ll go over your options when choosing between a mattress topper or a new mattress altogether.

My Mattress Is Too Firm

If it feels like you’re sleeping on a plank of wood every night, then a mattress topper might be exactly what you need. Mattress toppers are great for softening up a surface.

Sleeping on a firm bed can lead to pain and soreness the next morning, especially if you sleep on your side. Side sleepers need a softer mattress that has a little give for their hips and shoulders. If side sleepers don’t have that give, they can wake up with pain or that pins-and-needles feeling because their blood circulation was cut off.

In order to avoid this, and having to get a new mattress, try a mattress topper.

My Mattress Is Too Soft

There are some mattress toppers out there that make beds firmer, but you’re going to have to experiment a little more. It tends to be more difficult to make a bed firmer than soften it up.

Sleeping on a bed that is too soft can make it hard to move around in your sleep, and is also not great for your spine. If you sleep on your back on a bed that is too soft, your head, shoulders, and hips will sink too deep into the mattress, throwing your spine out of whack. This can lead to back and hip issues.

We recommend experimenting with mattress toppers first, but if they don’t do the trick, you might need to get a new mattress, especially if it’s seven years old or older. Mattresses soften up over time with daily use, so a very soft bed may mean it's time to upgrade. Your back will thank you.

My Mattress Is Sagging

If your mattress is sagging in places or has permanent indentations, meaning they stay imprinted even after you’ve gotten up and made the bed, it’s definitely time for a new mattress.

Sagging mattresses mean uneven distribution of support and pressure, leaving you in an awkward position while you sleep every night. Most mattresses tend to sag in the middle of the bed, because the edges are slept on less. This puts unnecessary pressure on the neck and back, and can lead to aches and pains in these areas, as well. In extreme cases, it can even affect your ability to breathe correctly through the night.

A mattress pad will just sink into and conform to the indentations that your mattress already has, not fixing the problem. If you have a sagging mattress, get a new one.

My Mattress Sleeps Too Hot

Lucky you, because eLuxury offers a cooling mattress pad. It’s cool to the touch and hypoallergenic, and will cost you a whole heck of a lot less than a new cooling mattress.

My Guest Room Mattress Isn't Comfortable

Uncomfortable beds are the worst, but that doesn’t mean you need to get a whole new mattress. If you’re thinking about a bed that isn’t used regularly, putting a mattress topper on it should be just fine. Sporadic use is much different than something you plan on using every single night. 

If your normal bed that you use every night just isn’t hitting the spot for you, you might want to think about a more permanent alteration, like getting a brand new mattress. Then you can just move the old one to your guest room.

This post was written by the team from myslumberyard.com and rizknows.com, which are review websites that cover popular consumer products such as those sold by eLuxury.com