Any, even the smoothest and most comfortable sofa, over time "sags", and it becomes uncomfortable to sleep on it. In addition, in most models, the joint between individual parts of the sofa is felt, which does not add comfort to people lying on it. To soften the sensations, many lay a blanket over the spread out sofa, but there is a much more modern solution - a mattress-topper on the sofa.
Toppers are called very thin (compared to ordinary) mattresses designed to be laid on a sleeping surface in order to give it orthopedic properties.
Convertible sofa mattress: scope
A sofa, used as an additional, and, often, the main berth, wears out rather quickly. The filler begins to "sink", the surface becomes bumpy. Moreover, even if the filler itself meets all the requirements for good mattresses, it will, as a rule, be placed not on orthopedic lamellas, but on an ordinary furniture frame, which reduces its ability to properly support the human body in a dream.
Thin mattress on the sofa (thickness from 2 to 8 cm) is able to solve the following tasks:
- Surface leveling;
- Smoothing irregularities and joints;
- Hardness correction;
- Improving orthopedic properties;
- Improving the level of comfort;
- Extending the life of the sofa.
Such a mattress can be easily removed in the daytime in the closet, sofa drawer or on the mezzanine.
Sofa topper: materials
The main requirements for a mattress that must be removed from bed in the daytime are lightness, relative compactness while maintaining orthopedic qualities. It is clear that spring blocks cannot be used as a basis for making toppers - they have a solid weight and take up a lot of space, it is impossible to fold them.
Toppers are springless versions of orthopedic mattresses and are made of the same materials as conventional springless mattresses, differing from them only in thickness. Let's take a closer look at the most common materials.
Coyra
Natural fiber derived from coconut tree nuts. The coir is pressed and then processed in two different ways: it is fastened by the “stitching” method with needles, obtaining a pressed coir, or impregnated with latex - the output is a latex coir. Coira, not treated with latex, is more rigid and has a shorter service life. When choosing a latex coir mattress for a sofa, you need to take into account that its hardness will depend on the amount of latex. It can be up to 70 percent of the total, and the more latex, the softer the mattress. Coira is a natural, environmentally friendly material, so its cost is quite high.
Latex
Foamed hevea juice is called latex. It is a natural polymer material, very durable, well-retaining its shape, having the best orthopedic properties and at the same time not emitting harmful substances into the air.Latex provides air exchange, is permeable to water vapor, and is also able to maintain body temperature, preventing overheating in heat and freezing in cold. Even a very thin latex sofa mattress will provide the spine with the necessary support and will give you complete relaxation. This is the most expensive material of all mattresses used in the production.
Artificial latex
It is made from polymers obtained by chemical synthesis. Its performance is close to natural latex, but it has a number of significant differences. First, it is slightly stiffer and has a shorter lifespan. Secondly, in production, substances are used that, gradually evaporating, can deny a negative effect on human well-being and health. These mattresses are more affordable than natural latex mattresses.
PPU
Synthetic polyurethane foam is used quite often in the manufacture of toppers. A sofa mattress made of this material is the most affordable, although the most short-lived. Its elasticity is inferior to that of latex, it is much softer, its orthopedic properties are rather weak. As a rule, polyurethane foam toppers are used in cases where the folding berth is not used very often.
Memoriform
Artificial foam with a "memory effect" is produced from polyurethane by adding special additives. It is a very comfortable material that is pleasant to lie on, as it minimizes pressure on the body. The mattress on the sofa from the memory form gives the body a feeling of weightlessness. The main disadvantage is the inability to remove heat due to poor air permeability. Another disadvantage is the high cost, comparable and sometimes even higher than the cost of latex.
Combined option
Progress does not stand still, manufacturers are constantly experimenting, combining different materials in the production of toppers for sofas. The purpose of such experiments is to reduce production costs, and, consequently, the price for the buyer, while maintaining consumer qualities. Combining the advantages of artificial and synthetic materials, it is possible to neutralize their disadvantages. Combined materials, as a rule, have a long service life, have good air exchange, and are permeable to moisture. The hardness is controlled by the hardness and the amount of the components included in the initial mixture.
Among the combined materials, two of the most popular can be distinguished:
- Ergolatex: polyurethane - 70%, latex - 30%.
- Structofiber: 20% - natural fibers (dry algae, animal hair, coir, cotton, bamboo), 80% - polyester fibers.
Orthopedic thin mattress on the sofa: tips for the right choice
Before heading to the store, you need to be clear about what you need this purchase for. All toppers are different in properties, so you need to decide what you need exactly, and in what conditions the mattress will be used:
- It is necessary to give the sleeping place softness, or, conversely, to make it more rigid and elastic;
- Will the topper be cleaned during the daytime;
- The sofa will be used as a berth all the time or from time to time;
- What is the weight of those who will sleep on it.
When choosing a mattress for a sofa, it is very important to imagine who will use it most often. The required stiffness of the topper depends on this. The toughest and densest are made from coir. They level the surface well, make differences in height and joints completely invisible. Young people, those who do not suffer from excess weight and diseases of the skeletal system, can sleep on such a hard "bedding".
Latex and polyurethane foam toppers will help to make the sofa softer, the most comfortable option will turn out if you put a memory foam topper on top. PPU, from which the most budgetary mattresses for a sofa for sleeping, are made, can last no more than three years, while the weight of a person lying on them should not exceed the average.Those who weigh more than 90 kg will not receive orthopedic support from such a topper, and they will feel unevenness in the bed with all sides.
Coira and strutofiber, for all their advantages, have one significant drawback: the topper of them cannot be called mobile, it cannot be twisted to put it in a closet or on a mezzanine. But they are quite suitable if the sofa does not fold in the daytime, or folds very rarely, while it is possible to take the mattress to another room.