Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual-Layer Mattress Topper: A Unique Solution?

Unpacking the Sleep Innovations Mattress Topper

The Queen-size version of the Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layered Memory Foam Topper comes shipped in a large Amazon box weighing roughly 25 lbs. The contents of the box are as follows:

1. 2-inch thick mattress pad made of fiber-fill, which comes with a soft quilted cover that is machine washable
2. 2-inch thick memory foam topper made from cooling gel memory foam

Both the pad and the topper are individually wrapped in airtight plastic.

Where Was The Sleep Innovations Mattress Topper Made?

Sleep Innovations is an American company that also manufactures their products in the USA, which is a great first sign. While we do review products that are manufactured in places like China, we really prefer those that are produced in the United States and a select few countries in Europe.

Is It Made From Safe Materials?

Sleep Innovations produces their memory foam products in accordance with the strict standards of the CertiPUR-US program, 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

Thickness & Density

The Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layered Memory Foam Mattress Topper has a total thickness of 4 inches that is split equally between two separated layers. The first layer consists of fluffy fiber-fill, which is typically a blend of polyester fibers that are super-soft. This layer is encased by a soft quilted cover.

The second layer is also 2 inches thick and made from cooling gel memory foam. We couldn’t get word from Sleep Innovations (nor their parent company, Innocor) regarding the density of the memory foam. However, based on our interviews with current owners and our own professional tests, we believe the density is between 2.5-3 lb pcf. It’s pretty important to know the density of memory foam products because it gives us a good idea about both the durability and how “bouncy” or “gooey” the foam will be.

For toppers, it’s even more important. To make an existing memory foam mattress feel softer, you typically buy a topper to place on top. However, if the topper you purchase has a higher density than the memory foam mattress, the surface you sleep on will not feel any softer whatsoever. Therefore, you have to make sure the topper you purchase has an equal or lower density than that of the memory foam mattress you are sleeping on.
One last point we really want to drive home here: density has NOTHING to do with the firmness of the product.

Total points awarded for Unpacking: 19 / 20

Smell

Memory foam products sometime come with a “new memory foam smell”, which can range from no odor to a very strong odor that takes a week or more to disappear. For memory foam mattresses, there’s a higher chance that you will have to air out the mattress for at least a few days due to the smell. For toppers though, there is usually less smell because toppers are smaller and thinner than mattresses.

For the Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layered Topper, we interviewed over 200 owners and asked how the topper smelled upon unpacking. Here’s what we found out:

Pretty good results. 65% of respondents noticed no smell or a light odor that disappeared within 3 days. 27% experienced a mild odor which disappeared within 5 days. Lastly, 8% experienced a strong odor which disappeared within 7 days. No respondents noticed any chemical smells, which is very good.

Verdict: With regard to the smell of the Sleep Innovations 4-inch topper, you shouldn’t be concerned. You will most likely notice either no smell, a light odor, or a mild odor.

Total points awarded for Smell: 17 / 20

Feel & Firmness

The feel and firmness of any sleeping product is arguably the most important factor when deciding whether or not to purchase. In the case of the Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layered Topper, this is even more important given that this is a hybrid topper made from two different materials and separated into two separate layers. In this section we will dive deep and give as much insight into the feel and firmness as possible. But always remember – regardless of our professional opinions, the feel and firmness of any sleeping product is very subjective and changes a lot from person to person.

Feel & Firmness Test

To test feel and firmness, we placed both the fiber-fill mattress pad and the gel memory foam topper layer on top of a firm innerspring mattress and slept on it for a week. To make sure we covered all bases, we also tried out different configurations of the topper and pad to see how the feel and firmness changes. The sleeping subjects were a 200 lb male, and a 150 lb female. Here’s what we found out:

Fiber-Fill Pad + Gel Foam Topper Combo

Soft, plush, cloud-like. If your ideal sleeping surface can be described in those three words, then this will be heaven for you. Back sleepers will find this configuration to have the softest feel, while stomach and side sleepers should also experience a soft and plush-like sleeping experience. If you weigh over 220 lbs though, you may not receive as much benefit and would be better off with a 100% foam topper.

Fiber-Fill Pad Only

It’s soft, but you sink right through to the mattress. If you weigh less than 150 lbs this could be an ideal configuration for you… so basically for children or very small adults.

Gel Foam Topper Only

Medium-soft for back sleepers, medium to medium-hard for side sleepers. This is a pretty good configuration still, but may not be ideal for lighter weight individuals or those who only prefer super-soft sleeping surfaces.

To supplement our sleep test, we also questioned current owners of the Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layered Memory Foam Mattress Topper, and here’s what we found out:

First, note that these individuals all used the mattress pad on top of the topper. 70% of our respondents said the topper made their mattress a soft to medium-soft firmness. 25% said the topper made their mattress a very soft firmness, and 5% said the topper did nothing whatsoever. Lastly, 90% of owners said they find the topper to be a comfortable addition to their sleeping experience.
Verdict: this is a very versatile sleeping product due to its separated, dual-layered design. As long as you prefer to sleep on a surface that ranges from very soft to medium firmness, you will really like this topper.

Total points awarded for Feel: 18.5 / 20

Durability

Durability is quite an important factor, but how can we measure it? Typically, there are 3 important factors we at Zen Sleeping prefer to consider: adequate density, high-quality garment construction, and resistance to surface/ edge abrasions. In this section, we dive into each and every one of them.

Density

The density of a memory foam mattress topper has to strike an important balance. On one hand, it has to be high enough to maintain its shape and durability for years of use. On the other hand, the density should be low enough to ensure that it will actually do its job: to make your sleeping experience softer and more comfortable.
With an estimated density range of 2.5-3 lb pcf, the cooling gel memory foam layer of the Sleeping Innovations Mattress Topper is durable enough to last for years whilst also maintaining a softer sleeping surface.

Garment Construction

Garment construction refers to how resistant the mattress topper cover and actual mattress topper are to tearing at the sides, seams, and edges. The Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual-Layered Mattress Topper contains two separated layers, but only one cover. Regardless, the quilted cover and fiber-fill mattress pad scored high marks from our interviews with current owners.

However, the cooling gel memory foam layer scored pretty low with some owners. Apparently, previous versions of this exact brand were made with lower quality memory foam, which resulted in the memory foam tearing when trying to pull covers over it or in other situations related to pulling the foam.

Surface / Edge Abrasion

Surface and edge abrasions are defined as the breaking down or general wearing away of the surface of the product, which usually occurs after many night of your body and other surfaces rubbing over the surface of the product. Luckily, the majority of owners we interviewed said they noticed no surface or edge abrasions of the mattress pad and cooling gel memory foam.

Verdict

In some ways, the Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layered Topper is quite durable. It has an adequate memory foam density, and the fiber-fill mattress pad layer has a strong garment construction. Likewise, both layers are resistant to surface and edge abrasions. However, the cooling gel memory foam layer has scored pretty poorly in terms of garment construction, because previous versions of the mattress would tear. More recent owners of the topper have had no issues with the memory foam layer tearing, so we hope this has flaw has been definitively fixed by the manufacturer.

Total points awarded for Durability: 17 / 20

Heat Regulation

Memory foam mattress products can tend to capture heat more than other sleeping products, so it’s important for us to test how hot the Sleep Innovations 4-inch topper can get. Since this is a dual-layered topper, we will test heat regulation on the topper as a whole (fiber-fill mattress pad on top of memory foam), as well as the memory foam layer individually.
Here’s what we found out:

Fiber-Fill + Memory Foam

A bit too hot. For some reason it seems like the fiber-fill layer tends to capture quite a bit of heat. If you like sleeping a bit toastier than average, then you’ll enjoy this quite a lot; otherwise, the level of heat may be a bit uncomfortable for you.

Memory Foam Only

Much better. The cooling gel memory foam layer does a great job at regulating heat, and the temperature in this scenario felt a lot more neutral than with the fiber-fill mattress pad on top.
Verdict: If you are sensitive to sleeping hot, just use the memory foam layer. If you like sleeping warmer, use both the mattress pad and memory foam layers.

Total points awarded for Heat Regulation: 17 / 20

Zen Score of the Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layered Mattress Topper

A memory foam mattress must pass a Zen Score of 70 in order to be recommended by us at Zen Sleeping. The Sleep Innovations 4-inch Dual Layered Mattress Topper passes our benchmark with a total Zen Score of 88!

Be sure to leave a comment below if you have any questions or concerns.