Egg Crate Mattress Pad

An egg crate mattress pad could be the answer to sleeping more comfortably and soundly. It's one of many styles of mattress pads available for making a new or existing mattress more comfortable.

What is a mattress pad? It's basically a topper for a mattress that provides additional support, softness, or cushion to the bed. Mattress pads can be thick or thin, depending on the thickness desired for extra comfort and come in several styles including memory foam, fitted, down, anchor, guaranteed-to-fit pad or egg crate. Thicknesses range from 2 inches thick to 10 inches thick, depending on the type of pad you choose.

Mattress pads are purchased for many different reasons.

• Protect a mattress from potential accidents
  
  
• Provide a barrier between the mattress and the person sleeping on it
  
  
• Comfort for an existing mattress that is losing support
  
  
• Insulation - for cooler temperatures when sleeping

Why Choose an Egg Crate Mattress Pad?

Egg crate foam toppers are versatile in that they can be used on top of any style mattress and they're less expensive than other mattress pads. The egg-style pad can be used with the bumpy side up toward you or facing down toward the mattress.

Egg crate toppers are created from soft foam featuring closed or open cells. The topper resembles an open egg carton with evenly distributed egg-shaped formations or dips in the foam. It's possible you've seen egg crates in hospitals or nursing homes as they are often used for patients who have had back surgery or other procedures that require excellent support for the body as it's healing.

The egg crate technology is used only for mattress pad toppers, not the mattress itself. They're designed to soften an existing mattress that has lost some of its support or for making one side of the bed softer than another.

Why is the design of the egg crate foam topper so efficient? The bumpy design provides support without aggravating the body's pressure points. The design also allows for air to flow between the open cells so you won't experience a feeling of heating up during the night while trying to sleep.

Egg Crate Mattress Pads vs. Memory Foam
or Down Toppers

Egg crate mattress pads have been compared to memory foam and down toppers in an effort to discover which one provides the most comfort. The results are somewhat mixed, but egg crates seem to come out on top a lot, especially with moms of college students. College dorm mattresses are not the best; so most parents end up beefing up their child's mattress with toppers, pillows and duvets to achieve a quality level of comfort. Moms like them for the price tag, ease of transport, and comfort.

Couples like egg crates too because an egg crate topper can be cut to fit just one side of the bed if necessary in order to make one side of the bed softer than the other. It's customized comfort without a high price tag.

How are egg crate toppers different than memory foam pads? They're cooler to sleep on because they don't heat up in response to body heat. Egg crate toppers will provide support on top of a poor quality mattress. Memory foam toppers will simply conform to whatever shape your mattress is, which means you won't be able to achieve the desired support if your mattress is already sagging.

Compared to down or feather mattress pads, egg crates once again seem like the simpler and least expensive option. Egg crates won't shift or become uneven in support like a down mattress pad. In comparison to memory foam and down mattress pads, egg crate mattress pads are easier to transport too.

Overall it seems that the egg crates are a popular choice of mattress pad for comfort, durability, ease of transport, and price point.

What Do Consumers Say About
Egg Crate Mattress Pads?

• Easy to roll up and transport
  
  
• Can use the eggs up or down for customized comfort
  
  
• You can trim them to fit any size mattress
  
  
• Less expensive than other options
  
  
• Doesn't heat up with body heat
  
  
• No pain when I wake up!
  
  
• Varying thicknesses available so you can achieve maximum comfort
  
  
• Fantastic support following my back surgery
  
  
• Lightweight
  
  
• Stays in place, no shifting or moving
  
  
• Hypoallergenic - great for those with allergies to latex or wool

Tips for Buying and Adding an Egg Crate Pad

An egg crate topper may be the perfect solution for you if you desire a more supportive mattress or if you're on the heavier side. It will typically last longer than memory foam or down toppers because it's made from foam which is much more resilient and durable over time.

You can order an egg crate foam topper cut to your specifications, so keep this in mind when ordering. This is convenient because you won't have to cut it to fit when it arrives, nor will you have to store the extra pieces you trimmed from the original pad.

Lay the topper flat and weigh it down just enough to allow it to uncurl before placing it on the bed.

How do you add the egg crate to the bed? Place the egg crate pad flat side down onto the mattress. Place a protective cover over the egg crate and then put the sheets on as normal. Although egg crates can be washed from time to time, it's a good idea to protect it from direct contact with the body to keep it clean for longer periods of time.

You may need to consider sheets for deeper mattresses depending on the thickness of your egg crate mattress pad.

Prices for Egg Crate Mattress Toppers

Egg crate mattress pads can be purchased at a department store, online, or through a medical supply store.

Prices will vary depending on the size, thickness, and quality. Average prices for egg crate toppers are:

Twin - $45

Full - $60

Queen - $75

California King - $95

The protective cotton cover for the egg crate topper will be an additional cost of $50 - $80. Your total investment for a supportive mattress pad will be roughly $95 for a twin size up to $175 for a California King.

Egg Crate Mattress Pad and Chemical Sensitivity

Most of the more affordable egg crate mattress toppers are made out of polyurethane, which is treated with various chemicals to make it more fire retardant. These toppers will outgas and you may notice a smell, especially right when you remove them from their wrapper, and later on if you place them in the sun.

If you are sensitive to chemicals, you may want to find a more natural or organic mattress pad that does not contain the fire retardants and other chemicals contained in polyurethane. Some other natural mattress topper options include latex, wool or cotton, though you'll need to find a brand that is organic if you want to avoid the chemicals and pesticides normally used.

Some people may be allergic to latex, cotton or wool, so you will need to see which type of mattress pad best works for your particular needs.