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I know I was supposed to list you the best memory foam toppers on the market, but this time I‘ll give you the worst one that I‘ve ever seen. Yes, we are talking about 2.5 inch Costco distributed Novaform Memory Foam Topper. Don‘t get me wrong, most of the Novaform Products are great and extremely high quality (I‘ll write later on in the mattress reviews for the Novaform Elite Memory Mattress which is one of the best I‘ve ever seen), but specifically for the 2.5 inch foam topper currently promoted by Costco is very very bad.
The Novaform Topper is made of extremely high quality Visco Elastic Memory Foam (which is very good), but the 2.5 inc version is very buggy and in about 30% of all packages shows fabric/manufacturing problems mostly related to deflation problems. Most memory foam mattresses are shipped in vacuumed condition (they shrink extremely much when vacuumed) and when you open them they inflate and expand to their normal size. The thing about this particular topper is that in many cases it does not deflate properly on the edges and somehow looks weird. If you don‘t care about the looks (because when you put it in the velour cover you don‘t actually see that problems, its not that bad and it‘s actually quite nice for $90-$150 USD price…..
Also note that a lot of people are complaining about the intensive gas/paint type of smell which is actually from the visco memory foam chemical that converts regular foam to memory foam, but this smell will fade away in few days without problem. All memory foam mattresses have that smell when fabricated but in most cases the manufacturer aerate them to loose the smell and then package them for shipping. In this case I suppose Costco didn‘t bother to wait that few days and they packaged them immediately after fabrication and that‘s why they have that smell.
The overall quality of the novaform memory foam topper is quite good, and I‘d say that for the price of $90 for a full size mattress is not that bad and actually quite cheap. If you will be able to keep it aside and live with the little defects on the edges it is a very good quality topper as being made of high quality Visco Elastic Memory Foam which makes it good, but if you are able to spend a bit more then you should go with some other topper like the TempSoma memory foam topper.
Visitor Comments
Comment by: PJS
Message: we bought the full size costco novoform 2-1/2 inch memory foam topper. It is supposed to inflate to 54 inches wide. After 24 hours, it is 38″ wide. It is 2-1/2 inches in depth. Will it ever reach 54 inches?
Comment by: Kevin
Message: Actually you are dead wrong, the Novaform mattress sold at Costco and the Tempsoma sold at Sam’s Club are the exact same topper made by the same company. They are both made by Sleep Innovations.
Comment by: Virginia
Message: I bought the twin size 2 weeks ago and it is working out beautifully. Yesterday we bought the KING, brought it home, opened it and got instead a QUEEN foam pad and KING mattress cover. Today we brought it back (no small task after it reached full size)and bought another KING. This time it WAS a KING.
I don’t understand you yelling “DO NOT BUY” this product. Who cares if the sides are slightly imperfect? It’s zippered inside the case and you don’t sleep on the edges!
Note to PJS: You probably mistakenly got a TWIN size pad instead of a FULL in the box like we did! Bring it back!!
P.S. The smell is gone after a couple of days…
Comment by: Debbie
Message: I recently purchase the king topper from Costco after sleeping on one during our family vacation. Also, I have a friend who recommended the same topper. I think it’s wonderful. I haven’t slept so good in a long time. My son is getting ready to leave for college and is requesting one for his dorm room. The price is right and it’s comfortable.
Comment by: Anonymous
Message: I will say that it seems this topper has changed over the years. I bought one 3 years ago from Costco and love it but have upgraded to a larger bed. So, I bought a new topper but it’s now a 3-inch instead of a 2-inch and seems to be less than 4lb/sq. inch in density.
No problems with expansion (that would be “inflate”), but I’m concerned about its apparent lower density. I will be taking it back to Costco post haste if I’m not happy.
Comment by:
Message: I bought one 5 years ago and it is the best thing ever–still good as new. I swear by it and still have at least another 5+ years of life on it. Not bad considering i picked it up for $120.
Comment by: Sunny
Message: This memory foam give off a distinct chemical odor which many people will find unpleasant. It’s been 3 days and the off gassing is still very significant. Some friends tell me they can smell residuals after a year! After doing some research, I found the foam may decompose and emit toxic gases and respiratory irritants like toluene di-isocyanate and fire retardant PBDE’s. I would not recommend any memory foam product for this reason.
Comment by: Rick
Message: I don’t understand your comments either. I have purchased four of these toppers so far and love them. I have never slept better – I even put one on top of a very very expensive mattress and I now know I could have gotten away with a cheap mattress and put the topper on for all of $189 more. It’s a great deal.
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My husband and I have woken up with neck and back pain for years…. we have changed beds at least 5 times in the last 18 years and still not entirely happy with our choices… We bought the Novaform memory foam GEL toppers (2.5 inch) from Costco and we are now in heaven. It has been 2 months and we sleep well, wake up fantastic and have no pain at all. There was a slight smell when we opened the box but it went away by the next day. We bought one for home and one for the cottage. I have recommended this product to everyone I know. It is absolutely fantastic! It was only $185 for king. Even it was $500, I would still buy it!
Polyurethane catalysts are isocyanates and are normally consumed in the polyurethane manufacturing process. Isocyanates are toxic and can be dangerous in that they are odorless, colorless and tasteless. Over time people – like auto body workers who spray paint polyurethane without proper protection- can become sensitive to them and suffer from chest pains and respiratory problems when exposed to them. After sensitivity, some airborne vapors like some solvents may trigger a similar reaction. However, in most polyurethane foam products like pillows, cushions etc. the isocyanates have largely dissipated before consumer use. For some reason this particular foam formula may hold it longer and cause irritation in some people particularly asthmatics. Check out the USEPA Design for the Environment website for more information on isocyanates.
At first I loved this mattress pad but after less then a month of sleeping on it, I feel that it’s absolutely too soft for any back or side sleeping support. Maybe because it’s only 3 pounds density? I got to return this and get one at Sam’s at 5 pounds density for a bit more money. Thanks God for Costco return policy. However getting this topper to the store will be very hard.
Hello: I’d love some guidance if possible. I bought the Novaform king size mattress memory foam with gel topper about 2 months ago. My husband and I have been very pleased with the support, however we notice now that at our major pressure points (hips, shoulders) the mattress have softened quite considerably compared to other mattress areas. If you use your hand and press on different sections you notice it. It does return to it’s original shape however. My question is whether this is normal for memory foam or do we have a defective one? thank you for your time, adele
I forgot to mention it was a Costco gel novaform. thank you, adele
We bought two of the 2.5 Gel foam toppers at Costco. My wife loves hers. I had a king size 3″ topper from Costco without the Gel and it was simply great for me. The new 2.5 Geln topper just gives me so much body pain every nite!! I can’t stand it!! Can somebody tell me where I can get the old 3″ topper without Gel?? Thanks.
I bought the 3 inch topper about 5 years ago and I am still using it. I have a very good sense of smell and I did not notice any weird smells coming from this topper during its set up (or even now). I have ankylosing spondalitis (arthitis in the spine) so sleeping on spring mattresses is usually painful. As soon as I started using this topper, all my pain went away. This was probably the best $120 I’ve ever spent.
I bought the topper on Monday, I let it air out over night there is no smell after 12 hrs and its so nice to sleep on.
Actually, I’m having difficulty finding information with regard to the actual NovaForm Gel Memory Foam mattress that they sell as well. My Costco sells a King, 12″ mattress for $700.
I have the blue gel memoryfoam mattress & I love it.I was wondering if I can
buy the sheet that goes over it for a change?Thank-You,
Sheila Calder
I have the bluegel memory foam topper,& I love it!!!
I was wondering if I could buy an extra sheet that goes over it?
Thanks, Sheila Calder
I just bought the Novafoam memory foam with the gel beads from Costco. I read the instructions on how to unpack it properly, and it did exactly what it was supposed to. It fits perfectly on my full size bed. No unusual or deformed edges. Its perfect. Very satisfied!
I don’t know what you are talking about.
I have no problems, no smell with my
costco novaform topper.
My wife & I have used a foam Topper for 3 years. We purchased a larger bed and needed a larger foam so we bought the Novafoam Gel Topper. Three weeks later we had to return it as it is not as good as the foam one. Our backs and pressure points were very sore every night as the Gell Topper does not give the same support. The old Foam Topper has given us our good nights sleep back even though it is not large enough for the bed. Someone please tell me where I can purchase a kingsize Foam Topper.
Great Buy from Costco! Contrary to your negative posting, the Novaform memory topper (Cal-King) is wonderful for my lower back and the pressure points along my aging 60 year body. I was negative at first (without reading the blogs), but Costco has a great return policy, went ahead and bought it…and it is the most comfortable place to watch TV to relieve my defective spinal cord and lower back. Great job, Costco and 5 stars!!!!!
This topper is awesome! I was skeptical at first, and getting the pad into the slip cover was a feat. However, the pad is so comfortable. I actually am finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning! I have not noticed any smell either.
Brought the Costco Memory mattress topper and had in on our bed for over a year. It had a really strong smell when new that I felt cannot be good to breath yet alone sleep on but it was comfortable the first 10 months. Than we noticed in the winter it was very hard when we got into bed and actually had problems turning over on our side. I am now trying to get it back into the box it came in a real joke and we r returning it to Costco for a refund. Horrible mattress topper…Do Not Buy it…It loses its suppleness after a while. For You Who Love it…”JUST WAIT” Time will tell…
For around $100 and a great return policy, what do you have to lose, except for a good night sleep. Don’t nickle a dime yourself and your aching back…the bottom line is for you…No tossing and turning and feels great…
This might be a stupid question but….I just bought the queen mattress topper tonight and I am questioning how I put the sheet/cover on it came with. I put it over both the topper and my mattress like a fitted sheet….is this correct or is it just supposes to incase the topper like a pillow case does?
The shape of my topper looks great to me. The smells is a bit strong but as long as it goes away that will be fine. It seems very comfy already
I just purchased the Novaform topper from Costco. I am wondering if it is safe to use my heated mattress pad over it without damaging it. Does anyone know?
Love mine!
Bought it several years ago and its still yummy soft.
does anyone have the problem of getting sweaty hot at night?
This mattress topper is killing me with the heat!
What can I do?
Return it?
I needed a new topper as the one we purchased from Tempur-Pedic for our King Bed for over $500 and it did not last, was thin and sagging where we sleeep, even though I would turn it regularly. Anyway- I saw this at Costco and though it was a good price. It expanded beautifully and I never could smell anything! I washed the cover and put it on, which is very difficult to do, but once on – it was great. The mattress topper expanded SO BIG, it was hanging over our King Size mattress so I was very worried about it, but it fit back into it’s cover and WOW – so comfortable. You do need to be VERY careful if you open the package. Let the thing unfold on it’s own – it will tear. Also, I don’t see how I could EVER get it returned to the store if I don’t like it – it’s huge, heavy and will not go back in the box. NO WAY, NO HOW. I too am wondering if I can use a heating pad on it – as I use those to keep warm in the winter.
Hi, I bought this ‘ Novaform foam topper’ from costco about 5 years ago. My daughter was then about 9 years old. We took it out of the box and it inflated. She played in it and even jumped on it because it was so soft. The first night, her hands were red and we didn’t think anything of it. The next night, she came to our room where the mattress was and played in it again. After about 3 hours, she went to bed. She woke up past midnight with both of her hands so swollen that you can’t even see her knuckles. I immediately called and spoke to the advice line who said to give her Benadryl ASAP which I did,. She got better in about 20 minutes. I wonder what chemicals causes it? Thanks
I was sort of nervous after reading the bad reviews . I wanted one for my bed and two of my children. I was pleased to see how nice it fit on their beds. The covers between all three of them each differed. One was like a cover attached to a sheet with a zipper enclosure .. the other two were just big covers. One of them had nice tan piping.. they equally suck on keeping it in place. I do notice they want to slip around a bunch.
The queen rolled out to be a tiny bit bigger the twins perfect. I am having issues with my sheets for the twins staying on looks like I need sheets with deeper pockets now. Anyone have that issue too?
Both the kids use electric blankets so I too wonder what prolonged exposure to heat could do.
I have a very sensitive nose and only smelled the odor upon smashing my nose into it.. no smells now for 3 weeks.
oh does anyone know if you are supposed to flip and rotate them like you would a mattress?
I as well as my kids are 100% satisfied with our purchase and im thinking how nice one would be in the RV for this price its a nice though.
Wow, I am shocked at the DO NOT BUY. I have spent thousands on mattresses over the years as I have a bad back.. two operations and I still have pain. That pain was SIGNIFICANTLY reduced after two nights on this mattress topper. I am so happy with this product. I am promoting the product at work and with friends who want a comfortable sleep and wake with almost no aches and pains.
The new blue gel topper is firmer than the old Nova Foam topper. We returmed ours.
I purchased this pad after my daughter put one on their guest room bed. I found it to be comfortable so I purchased one for our guest room bed. I guess they forgot to add the odor to it because I smelled nothing. Compared to the price of a new quality mattress this is a bargain.
Can a mattress heater be used with this memory foam topper?
Bought the full size novaform gel topper. The odor was terrible, even after I let it air out for 8 days, but thought I’d give it a shot anyway, hoping the smell would be contained in the cover. I have slept on it for a week. The first night I slept like a zombie, but for the last two nights I’ve developed lower back pains, which I’ve never had before. I could hardly stand up right today. And the smell has not got any better. Just removed it from the bed and washing the sheets, hoping to remove the smell. I was hoping for the best, but would not recommend this product. Probably will cut it up to make dog beds.
What is the group’s experience with adding a thin mattress pad over the Geltop, in addition the the sack provided.
I think it defeats the technology of the gel topper.
The worst topper I ever bought. So soft, there is absolutely NO support. It compresses down to wafer thin at the hip. Too soft for good back and shoulder support. My back hurst worst than before. Spend the extra money and buy a Talalay latex topper.
Disagree with your recommendation. We bought one for our guest room and each guest raved about the comfort of the mattress topper. In fact, one couple bought one for themselves. I do not understand your recommendation and discontent.
Costco mattress topper is comfortable but it gets hot hot hot. We keep the temperature at 68 degrees in our room and we’re still roasting when we’re trying to sleep.
5th-grade spelling: “aerate them to loose the smell.” “Loose” means not tight. As in the screw is loose. I think you mean “lose.”
We got one yesterday, Kind size, at Costco. It puffed right up to the perfect size and shape, no smell at all once the cover was on it, and what a fabulous sleep! Not a single complaint, and I feel this product is excellent and worth every penny, a great purchase. We got the Novaform pillows also. I highly recommend these products at Costco, and if you happen to get anything there with a defect they will exchange or return no problem.
I bought the Nova Foam Gel Topper for my boyfriends bed. We both love it! I would recommend this to all my friends. I can’t believe that some one would shout out DO NO BUY!
Does anyone know if the Novaform Memory Foam with Gel topper is the same?
This is an awesome mattress topper! I’m not sure what this person is complaining about. Mine is exactly the size that is stated on the packaging and it’s very, very comfortable!
bought full for 80 bucks costco no problems,replaces my older one,this is my first gel.no gases and perfect fit.slept good last night,
I got this topper as a gift and have slept on it 2 days. It’s absolutely wonderful. I wish I could stand on a mountain and tell everyone how great it is. Mine is perfect. Sure the edges looked a little funky at first but within an hour it all came back to its normal appearance. Nothing was squished after is inflated itself. I feel like a new person. The smell will go away after you air it out. I let mine out and uncovered for about 8-10 hours and there was no smell. It’s an excellent topper pad and I recommend it for anyone. No more back pain or crinks in my back. Yay!!!!!
I REALLY cannot understand how these minor complaints listed are considerable deterrents from buying this topper. An odour? Air it out. Not too difficult a problem to circumvent. The edges don’t really matter, unless you have some issue with using bed linens.
I purchased this mattress topper from Costco for my king size bed. It is wonderful for me. It came with a zipper cover attached to a fitted skirt to go around your mattress to help keep it in place. I had no problem with odors or bad edges or crumbly pieces flying about as others have mentioned. I got it on a special coupon sale and it gave new life to my aging mattress. I was mainly concerned that I would get over heated as happened with other regular memory foam products I have used. Not with this gel foam. I sleep very cool and comfortable. I am a small person so I cannot speak to how comfortable it would be for a larger person. For me, it’s great.
I purchased a king size 3 inch Novaform matress from Costco and I love it! I have also purchased regular foam matress toppers from Costco. Both are comfortable, but the Novaform Gel mattress doesn’t seem to hold the heat. I decided to try the Novaform specifically because I had heard it was cooler to sleep on and I am not disappointed.
I bought this topper on E-Bay and love it. Hard to put into the cover, but well worth the fuss. Best night’s sleep we’ve had in years. My husband and I have a 10 year old Serta pillow top set, good tick padding but I was starting to feel the springs through the padding – my hip hurt, made it hard to get comfortable. The topper has made a world of difference, it’s dreamy soft and yet supportive. I’d recommend this topper. If it ever wears out we’ll get another.
I LOVE my Novaform gel memory foam topper. I don’t understand this article. It’s not that negative yet says don’t buy. ?? Anyway, I’ve been very pleased with the product. I’m much more comfortable, and the price is good. Yes there is an odor for a bit but it’s not that bad atball and doesn’t bug me. I think some people are just massive whiners. I would recommend this product to friends.
I used a Costco Novaform topper for about 6 months. It was great at first, but started getting permanent indentations after only a few months of use, so I kicked it to the curb.
I paid around $150 for it, and it was only 2″ thick, so I basically sank right through it onto my spring mattress. Had the topper been thicker, and lasted longer, I’d be much happier.
Since throwing out the topper, I bought a full new mattress rather than just a topper from http://www.novosbed.com. There’s literally no comparison. Definitely worth the initial investment – I see this mattress lasting me for years without a doubt.
So, if you want a short-lived but inexpensive solution, get a topper.
But, if you’re willing to invest a bit more up front for a much longer-lasting and more comfortable bed, get a Novosbed.
Maybe I got lucky but I picked up a king size yesterday afternoon. Followed the directions on opening it up and 4 hours later it was the full expanded size. There was a bit of an odor so I opened the window for another few hours. When it came time to go to bed, the odor was gone, it was perfectly shaped and fully expanded. Slept on it last night and it was fantastic. Highly recommended.
We bought the gel memory foam from Costco last Sunday and it sure makes a difference when it come to my sleeping patterns. Prior to having this, I would usually toss and turn and feels very restless. But after we used the topper that same night we purchased it, I slept like a log! Regarding the smell that others are complaining about, I DID NOT smell anything from it! I have a very sensitive nose because of allergy and asthma, but did not smell gas or any form of chemical. I did not use the mattress pad that goes along with it (too thin for me), I used our old mattress pad on top of it. All of our sheets (including the mattress pad) were just washed that same day, so all I was smelling was the freshness of the bed sheets. So my tip to avoid that smell is NOT to use the mattress pad, or better yet, wash it first before putting it on because I sure did smell a strong odor coming from the mattress pad. Hope this helps…
We recently installed two Twin sized Memory foam toppers on our sleep number mattresses, and are really very pleased with them. After removing them from their cartons, we let them rolled up on our lanai, and had NO problem at all with odor, before, or after,they unrolled. They extended out as intended, and we installed them of the mattresses
very well. We DID have some trouble with the casings, we could have used some instruction, but in time, after trial and error, we got them installed. We have slept on them for a week now, and are enjoying full nights rests. My wife and I are in our 80′s, and don’t adjust well to new ideas, but this is one upgrade that pleases us very much.
I loved it, but it didn’t love me. HUGH welts appeared every morning. Finally, figured out it was the Gel Topper. FYI to all!
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