As we spend our whole lives sleeping, it’s only natural we try and get the best sleep possible. When looking at beds in hotels or in the media, big, thick, dense beds look amazingly comfortable, but the price of such mattresses is so ridiculous that many people look for alternative solutions. So can you double stack mattresses to get the same effect?
You shouldn’t double stack mattresses. Mattresses are not designed to be stacked and you invite a whole bunch of problems by doing so. Your best bet is to look at replacing your mattress with a new one if your current mattress is too uncomfortable.
I’ll tell you the reasons why stacking mattresses is bad and also why similar DIY solutions may cause further issues. We’ll look at some other ways to make your mattress more comfortable and also what to look for when you are thinking your mattress is no good anymore but want to make sure.
Can You Stack One Mattress on Top of Another?
A lot of people try to solve their mattress comfort issues in various ways. If they happen to have an extra mattress it seems like a simple solution to stack one on top of the other and gets double the comfort. Unfortunately, it almost never works out for a couple of reasons.
Mattresses generally are more comfortable the thicker they are but trying to achieve this with two mattresses is not the same thing. If you’re finding your bed frame makes noises and wobbles when you turn, or that due to the sag you are basically unable to flip to a different sleeping position while lying down, you may need a new mattress.
Mattresses last for approximately 8-10 years at which point you should purchase a new one. Good quality used mattress is hard to find, and in most cases you don’t want to be getting a used mattress as they are being sold for a reason i.e. unhygienic, sagging, dirty. A premium, well-built mattress shouldn’t be more than $1000 and can be delivered to your home with a 30 or 60 day trial period.
New mattresses will have been designed and produced in a certain way to give maximum comfort. You cannot guarantee you will get this with a used mattress or by stacking two mattresses on top of each other. Mattresses are designed to react in a certain way and be used in a specified manner, just doubling up your mattresses won’t give you double the benefit.
First of all, you will have issues with ventilation. Mattresses need their fabric to breathe and covering the top surface of a mattress with another mattress is not going to allow it to breathe at all. Moisture is a big issue with mattresses normally, and you will just create more opportunities for mold to grow should you stack mattresses.
Second, mattresses tend to get a lot of their support from a bed frame or similar. This can mean that a spongy, soft mattress is not good foundational support for your ultimate sleeping platform.
How Many Mattresses Can You Stack?
A memory foam mattress on top of your regular mattress can work well as giving an overall more comfortable night’s rest. Memory foam mattresses tend to be thinner than mattresses with coils or springs and this helps to eliminate motion transfer.
Newer mattresses will generally keep a solid shape and firm structure. You may need to just add a solid metal frame to it to complete the package and stacking mattresses is unnecessary. A foam mattress top is your best bet if you want to add a layer of comfort to your existing mattress having to spend thousands extra.
How Do I Connect Two Mattresses Together?
Foam bed bridges are manufactured in a number of standard mattress sizes to connect two mattresses. You can also look at purchasing what is known as doubling kits which will contain this piece and additional necessary items like straps to hold it all together.
You should look up the dimensions of standard mattress sizes and then consider how big your new doubled-up bed will be to make buying linen easier. For example, if you join two twin beds together, it will roughly be equivalent to a king-size bed so king-size linens will work fine.
Connecting two mattresses like this is fairly common and can be convenient for a few reasons. Having the two beds joined gives a degree of independent movement which can be good for couples who find that one tends to move a lot in their sleep. Having two single or twin beds will also make any eventual move to a new house much easier compared to lugging a king-sized mattress around.
Can You Stack Two Mattress Toppers?
It’s not a good idea to put multiple mattress toppers on a mattress. If your underlying mattress is so hard or uncomfortable that you’re considering multiple mattress toppers, you really are better off getting a new mattress.
Memory foam and mattress toppers are made from soft material, and you would just sink in so deep that it would not be comfortable. Anything thicker than 3 inches for a memory foam mattress pad is about the thickest you should go. It is possible that you could try combining different brands of mattress toppers to get an ideal mix of comfort and support, but this will likely be an expensive endeavor with no real gain in comfort.
Sometimes older mattresses are sagging and are uneven on top. People then try to fix the issue by putting on more memory foam. This would just make the sleeping surface even softer and more uncomfortable. At this point, you really need to start looking at junking your mattress and getting a new one.
Memory foam is too soft and isn’t suitable for use as a support layer for your mattress. It’s only suitable for what are known as comfort or transition layers.
