For the Milliard 2-inch Topper, Big Relief Comes in Small Packages

Heat buildup is a very common issue when it comes to memory foam products. Thankfully, the Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper is one memory foam product that solves the issue for good. There is a whole lot to love with this mattress topper, and very little to dislike. From its gel-infused foam which promotes better airflow, to its super comfortable and supportive memory foam structure, this is an awesome addition to any current bed setup. Just be sure to air it out a bit, as there’s a strong chance it will come with the “new memory foam” smell.

For the next installment of my memory foam topper reviews, I decided to test out the 78 x 58-inch Queen-size version of the Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper for a week using our standard Zen Sleeping Scoring System. This holistic approach reviews 5 main categories: Initial Checks, Feel & Firmness, Smell, Heat Regulation, and Value, each worth a possible maximum 20 points. While the Quick Summary above will give you a simple breakdown of scores (converted to 10 points per category), you should definitely read the entire review to get a full understanding of what the Milliard 2-inch is all about. No use purchasing a product before you’ve done all your due diligence, right? Well, we’ve done it all for you, so all you have to do is sit back and read!

In addition to my personal review of the topper in these 5 categories, I will also share the opinions of 50 verified purchasers of the product. 37 of them have owned the mattress for more than 6 months, which is a great way to see how the mattress has been holding up after repeated usage over time.

Table of Contents

• Initial Checks
• Feel & Firmness
• Smell

• Heat Regulation
• Value
• Zen Sleeping Score

Initial Checks

1. Where was the memory foam mattress produced?

The Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper is made in China by Milliard Brands. As you may already know based on my other reviews, I really don’t like to even consider products that are made in China. This is because products imported from China usually do not meet the same strict quality control standards that we expect from US or European brands; these days especially, random mattress companies are springing up out of nowhere and trying to break into the market with memory foam products made from very cheap (and sometimes even harmful) materials. There are 2 exceptions I make, however: the mattress company has to be either CertiPUR certified, or PURGreen certified. As you will see in the next section, Milliard Brands meets one of these exceptions. For this section, I award4 out of 5 points.

2. Is the manufacturer listed on the CertiPUR-US site?

Yes, which means their mattresses are :
– Made without ozone depletes
– Made without PBDE flame retardants
– Made without mercury, lead, and other heavy materials
– Made without phthalates regulated by Consumer Product Safety Commission
– Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality

Since the Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper is made by a company which is CertiPUR certified, I will allow go on with the rest of the review with a clear conscience. 5 out of 5 points for this section!

3. What is the actual thickness/ density of the topper?

The Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Topper features a 2-inch thick layer of 3 lb pcf density, which makes it slightly denser than the Red Nomad. Coupled with the fact that the topper is made of gel-infused foam (which tends to make any surface a tad bit firmer), I was initially worried that it would be too firm for side and stomach sleepers. More on that in the next section, though. For now, I like what I’m seeing. For memory foam mattress toppers, I like to see a thickness of 2 inches or more, and a density of 2 lb pcf or more. For the topper check, I award 8 out of 10 points.

In total, I have awarded 17 out of 20 points for this section.

Feel & Firmness

I take a three-pronged approach to reviewing the feel and firmness of a memory foam mattress topper. First, I conduct a personal test in which I sleep on the topper for a week, recording my thoughts on comfort, firmness, and overall sleep quality. Then, I conduct focused questionnaires on my verified purchasers to gauge their scores with regards to the same factors. Lastly, I review the mattress topper’s durability by considering three other factors and conducting more questionnaires with my verified purchasers. So, let’s begin!

To get everything set up, I first placed the Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper on a 12-inch memory foam mattress with medium-level firmness and slept on it for a week. Three words: super comfortable, and supportive. I really thought that the gel-infused foam would actually be firmer than a typical memory foam topper with similar thickness and density, but to my surprise it felt amazing. Compared to the Red Nomad (which is also featured as the best memory foam topper for side sleepers), the Milliard 2-inch felt more supportive, but in a good way. I’m naturally a back sleeper, so I typically would prefer surfaces that are a bit firmer than what side or stomach sleepers prefer; to my surprise though, this sleeping surface felt great not only to me, but to side and stomach sleepers as well (don’t just take my word for it, I’ll show you the customer questionnaire results in a minute). The great support from the topper also prevented me from sinking too low or making a U shape, which was also a big plus.

Now onto the customer interviews. Out of 50, 39 purchasers reported the Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper to be a perfect fit for them. 5 believed it to be a bit too soft (but still not uncomfortable) as they are back sleepers, and 6 thought it was too soft to get a good night’s sleep on. My rule of thumb: 39 out of 50 is a great number. For me, a natural back sleeper, the Milliard 2-inch was quite a comfortable sleep. So I think the majority of back, side and stomach sleepers will be able to sleep very soundly on this topper.

Time for some durability tests. I consider three key factors to test the durability of a memory foam product: garment construction, surface / edge abrasion, and stain release. For all of these factors, I turned to my trustworthy 37 verified purchasers who have owned the product for more than 6 months, as they are the best subset of the total 50 purchasers to give a good account of their experiences with the topper after many nights of use.

Garment construction refers to how resistant the mattress topper is to tears at the seams, body and sleeves. The more durable a mattress is, the more resistant it is to these types of tears. All 37 verified purchasers had the same answer: there was no visible wear or tear of the seams, body or sleeves.

Surface / edge abrasion refers to how resistant the topper is against wearing away when rubbed against another surface. Since the mattress will be rubbed against your skin, the washing machine, the drier, and everything in between, this is an extremely important factor to review. In this case, 5 verified purchasers reported surface abrasions on the top of the ultra-soft bamboo mattress topper cover. It could be that a few batches were made with less-than-optimal covers, because 5 out of 37 isn’t a lot of people. I’ll take the benefit of the doubt though and warn any prospective buyers to purchase another cover to replace the standard one.

Stain release refers to how effectively the topper can release stains. It’s important for two reasons: durability and aesthetics. A more durable mattress topper typically will be able to release stubborn stains with ease, and secondly, who likes to sleep on a mattress with stains?! Unfortunately, no customers reported ever having stains on their Milliard 2-inch mattress topper, so I couldn’t really provide a straight answer here.

All in all, I was pretty happy with what I saw in this section. I will award 17 out of 20 points.

Smell

While smell is often a big issue with memory foam mattresses, toppers usually don’t have the same issues due to the size difference. However, I’ll echo the same advice I normally give out in my memory foam mattress reviews: The more you let your memory foam product air out in the first few days, the less you will have to deal with any lingering smell. Unlike the Red Nomad 2-inch Mattress Topper, the Milliard 2-inch Memory Foam Topper came out of its airtight packaging with a very distinct, pungent memory foam smell. I aired the topper out in a well-ventilated room for about 3 days before the smell totally went away.

As for the 50 customers I interviewed regarding smell, 49 purchasers reported absolutely no smell at all, and 1 thought it had a light smell which went away after a day. That’s nearly a 100% success rate, which is awesome. 18 out of 20 points here, Milliard deserves it.

Heat Regulation

This is arguably the most important section when it comes to gel-infused memory foam products. The sole purpose of gel-infused foam is to regulate heat and prevent the product from getting too hot in the middle of the night. A gel-infused memory foam product that can’t provide a neutral or cool sleeping experience, is not really worth purchasing over just standard memory foam. Likewise, it’s not exactly easy to test heat regulation with respect to memory foam mattress toppers. First of all, the overall heat buildup of an individual is completely dependent on what that individual places the memory foam mattress topper on. To control for all of this, I approached my analysis in two ways: first, I recorded how hot I felt during a week’s worth of sleeping with the Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper placed on top of my 12-inch memory foam mattress, which has a neutral heat regulation. Then, I consulted with my 50 verified purchasers to gauge their opinions on how hot the Milliard 2-inch sleeps. Simple and quick answer: I felt cool every night.

Likewise, 49 out of 50 respondents also said the heat regulation on the Milliard was perfect. This is awesome, and I’m really happy the gel-infused foam is actually doing what it’s supposed to. 20 out of 20 points here!

Value

These days it’s pretty difficult to find good memory foam products. There’s a lot of imitation, knockoff, or mediocre brands out there, especially when you don’t have thousands of dollars to splurge on a TempurPedic. However, I truly believe you are getting an optimal value with the Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper. At a little over $100, you are effectively investing in a topper that can transform your current sleeping surface into a paradise for not only side and stomach sleepers, but even most back sleepers. Likewise, you are purchasing a product with superior heat regulation capabilities, all thanks to the open cell structure of the gel-infused foam.
20 out of 20 points over here!

Zen Sleeping Score

We at Zen Sleeping believe that a mattress with a score of >70 passes our performance standards. After adding up the totals of each section, we are glad to report that the Milliard 2-inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Topper has attained a Zen Sleeping Score of 92! Below you will see a breakdown of how each section in this review stacks up against one another.