I was given a Serta GelFoam mattress as a generous gift from a friend. I was excited, until I actually had to sleep on it. All memory foam mattresses/toppers are not equal. The bed was far too firm and left my poor back (6 herniated disks) aching and so stiff that I could barely move. It also left my ribs feeling bruised every single morning. (I have wide hips and shoulders and a very narrow waist, so it tends to collapse if I don't have the proper support) I tried to use crappy toppers to make it better, but it never did help enough. Being unemployed meant that I had to suffer though, because I couldn't justify spending money on anything expensive to make my sleeping situation better. Finally though, after a year, I had to admit that my lack of sleep was also beginning to take it's toll on my immune system, so I began researching mattress toppers. There were many reviews that went into detail for this one, and after several days of mulling it over, I signed back in to see that the price had dropped and that they were offering free shipping. I decided that I had little to lose by at least trying it, because any improvement would help.
The item was delivered very quickly, and undamaged. I pulled it out on a Saturday morning, allowing it the whole day to recover. By the end of the day, it was stretched out, corner to corner on my Queen bed, fitting perfectly. I was able to sleep on it that very night. I should mention, however, that an actual mattress cover should be used over this product, for a couple of reasons. 1) It's rather delicate. If you have pets or kids, it's going to tear. 2) It retains heat. Not "Oh, God, I'm melting" heat, but still...toasty. If you have company while you sleep, you might find yourself too hot. 3) It smells. Kind of badly, for the first 72 hours. It even made one of my cats have nosebleeds, so, if it's possible, I'd say air it out in a totally separate room that you can open a window in to get most of that chemical nastiness out and away. (Sadly, I didn't have that option.)
It took me a couple of weeks to get use to this topper, because it was literally like getting a new bed. I was also dealing with a flair up of my lower back, so it was hard to be objective about the whole thing. That being said, I can now safely say that this was one of the best purchases that I have EVER made. I'm able to sleep on one side for up to 5 hours straight, which is a HUGE improvement from an hour, max. I'm able to get a decent quantity and quality of sleep. I no longer have that bruised feeling to my ribs, nor are my hips or shoulders feeling the burden of carrying my weight overnight. My back will always hurt, but the difference is astounding. I went from an average pain level of 8 down to a 4. This mattress pad has been a literal life-changer. The big bumps distribute weight better and hold up to weight better, in my opinion than a standard egg crate. I'm around 200Lbs, so it's getting a good workout.
All in all, if you're looking for an affordable way to improve your sleep, look no further that this Mattress Topper! It gives great quality at a very reasonable price.