Customer Reviews

3" 5lb. Sensus Visco Elastic Memory Foam Mattress Pad Topper Overlay (King Size)

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Sensus is a Foamex product. (I'd done quite a bit of research and (through some prying phone conversations with Foamex) found out that they once supplied Tempurpedic.) They are THE memory-foam authority. (Let that sink in for a minute.) If Tempurpedic chose this company to make their products, it must be top-quality.

I own this particular topper and I can say it is everything you want a memory-foam product to be; resilient, durable, firm, supportive, responsive and COMFORTABLE! I promise, you won't be disappointed with it.

I've also "done the math" and figured out the actual density. My Sensus topper has a density of 5.3 pounds per cubic foot; the exact density of the Tempurpedic topper. So there's no skimping on density, here. I reiterate, the up-front price is tiny compared to the long-term value. Expect 5 years of flawless performance from this dense foam. You may even get ~10 years out of it, depending on use.

Some generic info about memory foam:

There's a few things you MUST consider, it's long but I think you will find this helpful.

#1 Density. Density refers to the weight of the foam given a certain volume. It is measured in pounds per cubic foot or lb/ft3. As a rule, the higher the density, the firmer and more resilient (durable) the foam. There are exceptions to this rule, but that's for later. Generally speaking, a density of less than 3lb/ft3 is extremely soft, very low resiliency; it's bottom of the barrel stuff and should be bought as a super light-duty item (for your toy poodle's bed.) Foam with a density between 3lb/ft3 and 3.9lb/ft3 is marginal; expect it to be very soft and to wear out after a scant year of regular use. Densities of 4lb/ft3 - 5.3lb/ft3, you're into the better range; expect this foam to be soft to medium firmness and to last for 2 years of regular use (at the high end of the range, up to 5 years). Memory foam with a rating of over 5.3lb/ft3 is where the quality products are found; these products can best be described as medium-firm to firm and should last 5 years or more (you pay for what you get.) There's even an 8lb/ft3 foam on the market!(Good for the supportive middle layers of mattresses.) Some important notes: If you are a back-sleeper, I suggest a minimum of 5lb/ft3 memory foam; this will prevent sagging. Side-sleepers can get away with a softer density (4.5lb/ft3 is about the lowest I suggest for anybody.)
The firmness of memory foam varies greatly with temperature; a foam that is firm at 65 degrees can be squishy at 85; also, there are differences in manufacturing procedures that can produce very different firmnesses in different products of the same density. If you want to delve further, you'll have to go looking for yourself; the details are far too complicated for this post. lol


#2 Thickness. After you've chosen the density that suits you, consider the thickness. I'll keep this short; if you sleep on your back, go for about 2" and if you sleep on your side, go for 3". DON'T GET SOMETHING TOO THICK!!!, you'll just get a hammock effect. (Higher density foams will be more supportive at any given thickness, so if there's a choice between thick and light or thin and dense, go with the latter.)

#3 The Underlying Structure. If your old mattress is uncomfortable, putting a topper on it will not improve the situation by much. Memory foam is made so that it takes the shape of whatever is underneath it. If you need a new mattress, buy one. Expensive band-aids are just that...band-aids. Here's a BIG hint: Use a 6" thick slab of traditional polyurethane foam as the base for your topper; this will be a smooth, firm base. Remember this is NOT memory foam, it's a dense version of what's in your sofa cushions. Using a density of over 2.5lb/ft3 is vital for a base layer. If you need a new mattress get this as your base. Here, I can't mention a particular website, but there are manufacturers that make this stuff: (you know how to Google it)

* Lux High Quality Foam
* DENSITY: 2.8lb/ft3
* COMPRESSION: 50 LBS
* FIRM
* EXTREMELY RESILIENT
(The site (which shall remain nameless) makes a medium firm conventional foam, too)

#4 Cost. Many make the mistake of confusing the price of a particular item with its cost. Considering that very high-density (5.5lb/ft3 and up) polyurethane memory foam (all memory foam is made from polyurethane but not all polyurethane foam is memory foam) can easily last twenty times as long or longer than a low density foam, I don't need to explain how the "expensive" high-density products are anything but.

#5 The Break-In Period. Memory foam products will be their firmest when brand-new. After a break-in period of a few weeks, the foam softens significantly. So, when you first lie down on new memory foam, if it feels soft, you're in trouble; for after the break-in period, it will be much too soft. A memory foam product should be almost uncomfortably firm right out the box; give it time; after a few weeks, it gradually soften to the perfect firmness. If it's soft right out the package, SEND IT BACK!

I hope this was informative and please rate this review as helpful so it may see the light of day!

I have bought sensus memory foam pads for every bed I have had to sleep on in the last few years, and I love them. [...] My first Sensus mattress topper was a 4 inch version from a bedding website and that did cost me over 400 and I still felt that it was worth it, but i would have given up the inch and just gotten the 3 inch version on overstock if I knew it would cost less than half that. The shipping costs on overstock are almost nonexistant as well. Maybe the person who said it wore out after 5 years wouldn't be so upset if he/she only paid 170. That would work out to only $34/year.

It was a great mattress topper while it lasted. However, in less than five years of ownership I noticed the topper lost a considerable amount of firmness. It became too soft to sleep on except for the edges and I found myself waking up less refreshed. It's like trying to sleep on a 'V' shaped mattress.

I contacted the manufacturer, Foamex, twice via email but they never responded. Finally I called and was told they won't service the mattress; redirecting me back to the seller who has since gone out of business. I have no experience with this seller, however I would suggest anyone considering purchasing a Sensus brand viscoelastic mattress or topper be aware that you will likely have problems before the ten-year warranty has expired. Plus, even if you find a seller who doesn't turn a warranty claim into a hassle, you will find they are rather expensive to repackage and ship. I will not purchase another Sensus or Reflex brand product.

I bought this product in May 2011 from another vendor (Sleep Warehouse) based on a lower price. So I can't comment on Best Beds as a merchant. But what I have to say about the Sensus 5 pound/3" deep queen-sized mattress topper is worth considering, regardless of where you might buy it.

1. I bought the Sensus to help with "pressure points" discomfort from side-sleeping on a very good, firm mattress. To my surprise, the foam topper, while helpful, did not eliminate the pressure point problem. I naively assumed that putting a soft layer on top of a firm mattress would improve my sleeping experience, but unfortunately it did not completely address pain in shoulders/hips from side sleeping.

2. The product caused other problems I did not anticipate. Within a few days of starting to use the Sensus, I began having aches in my lower and middle back. Before using Sensus, I had never experienced routine lower and mid back problems from my sleeping arrangements. As you consider whether to buy Sensus, think about whether it could actually cause pain in parts of your body that are not problematic right now. For me this was the deal breaker.

3. I think Sensus caused my lower/mid back problems because it is too soft. This is ironic, since many reviews rave about 5 pound density being the best and firmest choice. But it really isn't firm, which is kind of the point because the big selling point is that it will alleviate pressure point problems. 5 pound density may be "firm" relative to cheaper, lower density foam, but it is not truly "firm".

So you've got this foam layer which is soft, but not "too" soft -- it is firm enough that you can still have pressure point issues, while being soft enough to cause lower and middle back pain. Everyone is different, but if you buy Sensus you're gambling that its softness level will relieve pressure points while not causing other back problems. Don't assume you will achieve this optimal result.

Perhaps if I'd bought a 2 inch thickness the softness of the foam would have blended optimally with the firmness of my mattress to alleviate pressure point issues while not creating lower/mid-back problems. But I'll never know....

4. The Sensus is very fragile and very unwieldy. It is extremely easy to damage it, especially in the unpacking process. You have to pry apart the foam -- it sticks pretty tightly to itself and the prying apart process is time consuming and quite tricky.

The fragility of Sensus is ideal for merchants because if you want to return the product (as I do) any damage will prevent you from persuading the merchant to take it back. The 5 pound density, 3" deep topper weighs about 50 pounds in queen size, so getting it out of the package, unpeeling it into a flat rectangle, coaxing it into a fabric encasement and then getting it atop your bed is quite a job. And then if you decide to return it, the whole process has to be gone through in reverse... and you can only return it if all of this labor proceeds with no damage taking place with the topper.

I assure you that it is virtually impossible to unpack, unfold, encase, install, de-install, de-encase, re-fold and re-pack this topper without some damage occurring. Therefore it is very unlikely you'll be able to return this Sensus product, so do think very carefully before buying it. Despite my best efforts, mine has several divots on the edges and some dirt in one spot where the packaging opened up en route to my house, so it is probably a total loss. With the cover that's $409 down the drain. I might try Cragislist, or I might just send it off to a charity. Or I might just chop it into little bits and landfill it. Not sure yet what I'll do with this thing now that I'm done with it in just 3 weeks...

5. Sensus has an odor. Many people write about odors emanating from various mattress toppers, and the stories are quite true. I aired my Sensus out on the floor for 4 days before installing it, and even now some 3 weeks later it is still smelly. The odor is more musty than chemical -- think mildewed linens smell more than new shower curtain smell. I am unsure whether the mildewy smell is because of how the topper was warehoused before shipment or is inherent to this type of foam... for me it is not a huge issue, but for those who really dislike odors in their sleeping products it needs to be considered.

6. When you see photos of a hand print in "memory" foam with the hand hovering over the print it has just etched in the foam, do not take those photos at face value. The photos imply the "memory" foam has a pronounced tendency to hold whatever form is pressed into it for an extended time period. But no....I tested this Sensus topper -- stuck my hand deep in the foam, held it there for 30 seconds with consistent pressure, and then quickly withdrew my hand. It takes less than 4 seconds for any trace of my hand imprint to vanish. The photos imply something much longer, and it just ain't so. With standard high density foam you get no "memory" and with this expensive stuff you get a 3.5 second "memory". Standard foam costs far, far less than this stuff, so is it worth hundreds of dollars for 3.5 seconds of "memory"?

We purchased this item.we found it a bit too soft for our needs,
as soon as I contacted the seller, he answered back within 10 minutes, and gave us the best customer service we ever delt with any seller.
Who ever would like to try the product, the most important thing is to know that the seller is backing you and any issue you have, you have who to deal with.
I would recommend this seller to anyone I could.