Linenspa 3 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper, Plush, Cooling, Queen Size

Why it's worth it

If your mattress feels like a stack of cardboard and you mainly need cushioning, this gel-infused foam is the low-risk way to find out whether a topper helps at all. It's plush rather than supportive, and it won't hold up for years.

This is the one to try first if you're not sure a topper is your answer. It costs a fraction of what the picks above do, it comes in a 2-inch or 3-inch profile, and it does the single thing most people want: it softens a punishingly firm mattress. Owners who'd been sleeping badly for years on a hard bed describe the change as immediate. Get the 3-inch version — the 2-inch is barely more than a mattress pad.

The foam is CertiPUR-US certified, so off-gassing should be minimal, and owners frequently note there was little or no smell out of the box. It arrives compressed and needs a full day or two to expand, which is normal. It's light, around 15 pounds in a queen, so unlike the latex and TEMPUR options you can wrestle it onto the bed by yourself.

From our review of 7 mattress toppers for back pain, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +This is the one to try first if you're not sure a topper is your answer
• +The foam is CertiPUR-US certified, so off-gassing should be minimal, and owners frequently note there was little or no smell out…
• +Just be clear about what it is

What to know

• –Density is the catch
• –The cooling gel doesn't do much