Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR Supreme Topper, Twin XL

Why it's worth it

Three inches of Tempur-Pedic's signature foam, the same material that goes into its mattresses. It softens a too-firm bed, cushions hips and shoulders for side sleepers, and comes with a washable cover and corner straps so it stays put.

If your hips and shoulders ache on a firm mattress, this is the one to try first. TEMPUR material responds to body heat and weight rather than just squashing down, so it forms a cradle around bony spots instead of pushing back at them. Tempur-Pedic says the material spreads pressure over 67% more surface area than standard foam. Owner feedback lines up: the most common story is someone who bought a firm mattress, regretted it, and salvaged it with this.

The three-inch profile is the sweet spot for a real change in feel. Two inches takes the edge off; four inches can leave you swimming. Wirecutter's in-house pressure mapping found three-inch memory foam toppers cut pressure on bony prominences by up to 30% versus the bare mattress. That's the range where a topper stops being a comfort tweak and starts doing the work of a proper comfort layer.

From our review of 7 mattress toppers, by Julian Croft, Appliances Specialist

What we like

• +If your hips and shoulders ache on a firm mattress, this is the one to try first
• +The three-inch profile is the sweet spot for a real change in feel
• +The details are better thought through than on cheaper foam
• +Reputation counts for something in a category full of anonymous foam

What to know

• –It's the heaviest topper here at roughly 32 pounds, and wrestling it onto a bed alone is genuinely awkward
• –It sleeps warm. There's no gel, no grid, no cooling cover — just dense foam that hugs you, and dense foam that hugs you holds heat
• –A minority of owners describe softening or a permanent body impression after a year or two, which is disappointing at this price…