Memory Foam Pad for Hard Hotel Beds

by Abigail
(Washington DC)

I find European hotel beds too hard for me. What should I carry to soften them that is compact and light-weight since I only take what I can carry (a medium roller bag and a small carry-on.)

Thanks.

Abigail

Hi Abigail,

An excellent question because you can't be lugging a full-size memory foam topper around Europe!

Fortunately, you can still carry a memory foam pad with you when you travel. It will soften up those hard hotel beds and help you get a better night's sleep.

You have two options.

The first one is the Tempur-Pedic TravelSet. This kit has a memory foam pad and travel neck pillow. Both contain the luxury pressure-relieving material, TEMPUR. And they both contain washable covers you can remove and clean when you're back from your travels.

The pad is a mattress overlay and is about twin size. Use it as you would a memory foam topper.

The pad rolls up and the pillow and mattress topper come in a weatherproof bag for easy travel. And you can just pull the bag behind you.

Pros: May help your back feel better. Easy to carry around. Softens up those hard hotel beds.

Cons: A little pricey, depending on your budget. And I've heard the carry bag will eventually take a beating from the airline travel. Tempur-Pedic does not sell the bag separately.

You can get the TravelSet at various places, including Amazon. However, even though I like Amazon and it’s easy to buy from there, the price at Amazon is too high in my opinion. You’re paying about $70 more than other places.

Here’s a link to Amazon so you can see what the TravelSet by Tempur-Pedic looks like and read a few reviews.



Option Number Two

As of July 2015, option number two has recently come to my attention from other travelers.

If you think about it, traveling and then sleeping in a hotel bed has a lot in common with traveling and camping. Both ways you’re away from home and in a different sleeping environment.

And in both situations you have to travel light.

You can take advantage of the fantastic self-inflating mattresses the outdoor companies have come up with for campers and backpackers.

This makes a lot of sense to me, although I have not tried this myself.

The Therm-a-Rest brand is ideal because the self-inflating mattress they make is so light weight and they roll up small.

Pros: Easy to carry around. Can make the bed feel softer. Cheaper than the TravelSet I mentioned above.

Cons: It seems to me that these may keep you too warm, but I don’t know. After all, they are designed for sleeping outdoors. Then again, if you want to stay warm in your hotel room, this may be ideal.

Here’s the link to Amazon so you can check out the Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus Mattress. There are several varieties to choose from but this gets you started.



I also think the Therm-a-Rest ProLite Sleeping Pad is worth checking out. Here’s that link:



Abigail, there really is no perfect solution. However, these are some viable options to try.

Hope I helped you out. Thanks for contacting me. Safe, happy travels to you.

Rich Silver