Mattress pad & egg crate pad for dorm beds?

[LisaR]

I was looking at one of those sites where you can order everything for a dorm room in a bundle. I won't be using that service, but I wanted to check it out to maybe get some ideas.

I was very surprised to see that the very basic bundle includes a thick mattress pad and an egg crate pad. I know the dorm beds aren't top of the line mattresses but are they really *that* bad that it is part of the basic bundle?

I'm picturing the reaction of my dad if I would have asked him to order that for me when I went away to college.

 

[clh2]

Yes - dorm mattresses can be that bad.

DD started off her freshman year with an egg-crate style pad. DON"T WASTE MONEY ON A CHEAP EGG-CRATE PAD! In Feb (after she had been offered an on campus job this summer, and as part of the job, gets to stay in the dorm for free) she opted to get a:

3.3 Cloud9 Twin XL 2 Inch 100% Visco Elastic Memory Foam Mattress Topper

(from Amazon). DD likes it - but says many people in the dorms have mattress toppers that are much thicker than 2".

Personally - I'd wouldn't purchase one right away. If they need it - then spend the money.

And - as far as "thick" mattress pad, well my opinion is everyone has a different idea of what is "think". A mattress pad is necessary IMHO - but they are available in many places in the summer (i.e. Target, JCPenneys etc). Most dorms (BUT NOT ALL) have XL twin beds. The XL mattress pad is a little harder to find - but they are out there.


My guess is - you will be able to find the items that are needed at far less than what the bundles cost.

 

[kacaju]

my dd did not use an egg crate. She did have a regular size mattress NOT the XL

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

Dorm beds really are not that comfortable to sleep on daily. I had a regular sized mattress. My freshman year I went without an extra pad (just mattress, mattress pad, sheets, bedding). Sophomore year I added an egg crate - OMG sooo much better. My roommate had a feather bed topper, that was awesome. I don't think it's a necessity, but it is something that is really, really, really nice to have, especially since you sleep on it every night.

 

[Pamlur]

We started my granddaughter out with a tempurpedic pad on her xl twin dorm bed. After seeing the mattress, she thanked us profusely.

 

[leebee]

Remember that dorm mattresses these days are not really very mattress-like. The mattresses on DD's dorm beds (three different rooms) have all been about 5" thick, made of very dense HARD foam, and were encased in heavy plastic. I sat on the bed and I swear the mattress didn't dent or move (and I am pooh-sized). ICKY to sleep on!! She has a basic mattress pad (flat and utilitarian, to cover the mattress), an "advanced" egg crate pad (not egg crate, per se, but heavy duty foam that is ridged, with the ridges running in different directions in different areas of the pad) and a hypoallergenic mattress topper. She put the fitted sheet on over all this, then a top sheet and blanket, with a comforter. WHile she doesn't like a hard bed, she doesn't like a very soft mattress, either, but found she needed all this just to be able to sleep!

 

[PizzieDuster]

I was looking at one of those sites where you can order everything for a dorm room in a bundle. I won't be using that service, but I wanted to check it out to maybe get some ideas.

I was very surprised to see that the very basic bundle includes a thick mattress pad and an egg crate pad. I know the dorm beds aren't top of the line mattresses but are they really *that* bad that it is part of the basic bundle?

I'm picturing the reaction of my dad if I would have asked him to order that for me when I went away to college.

Yes, don't bother with the egg crate pad, the thick mattress pad is better.

Also, those sheets are made to fit dorm beds which are not the same as twin size.

I suggest for a boy all black. LOL.

 

[AllisonK]

Remember that dorm mattresses these days are not really very mattress-like. The mattresses on DD's dorm beds (three different rooms) have all been about 5" thick, made of very dense HARD foam, and were encased in heavy plastic. I sat on the bed and I swear the mattress didn't dent or move (and I am pooh-sized). ICKY to sleep on!! She has a basic mattress pad (flat and utilitarian, to cover the mattress), an "advanced" egg crate pad (not egg crate, per se, but heavy duty foam that is ridged, with the ridges running in different directions in different areas of the pad) and a hypoallergenic mattress topper. She put the fitted sheet on over all this, then a top sheet and blanket, with a comforter. WHile she doesn't like a hard bed, she doesn't like a very soft mattress, either, but found she needed all this just to be able to sleep!

This is exactly what I had in college. I bought the egg crate from Walmart and the hypoallergenic topper from either Bed, Bath & Beyond or Linens & Things. The hypoallergenic topper was about 2 inches thick (almost like a pillow-top mattress) and gave me just the extra amount of padding to sleep well.

 

[Janepod]

Featherbed. Most comfortable option.

 

[SleepyMom]

This is exactly what I had in college. I bought the egg crate from Walmart and the hypoallergenic topper from either Bed, Bath & Beyond or Linens & Things. The hypoallergenic topper was about 2 inches thick (almost like a pillow-top mattress) and gave me just the extra amount of padding to sleep well.

Our youngest DD had the same topper all during her Freshman year and loved her bed. Now she is living in a different dorm for the summer and noticed the very 1st day the mattress was a lot harder. We bought an egg crate to add to her bed and it really helped a lot and she has no complaints now.

The dorm she was in during the school year was only 3 years old and I think the mattresses are much nicer than the older dorm she is staying in this summer.

One note... since we were buying the egg crate over the summer there wasn't a huge selection like you would find in August just before college kids are leaving for the dorms. We had to get a regular size twin egg crate and she noticed it fit better than if we had found a twinXL to put under the 2 inch mattress topper. We got it at Target.

 

[HM]

We actually went out and bought a really nice mattress pad for my son's dorm bed at Bath, Bed, and Beyond last year. It was around $100 and we used a coupon. His mattress was very uncomfortable and we decided it was best to get a really good one. The dorm mattress he had the previous year didn't need one, the mattress cover was enough for him. So, you never know.

 

[asta]

I'll add my recommendation for those foam mattress pads from Bed Bath & Beyond. We bought a set that had a cover with a built in pocket to cover the foam pad and then the whole thing fit over the mattress.

Those dorm mattresses were foam covered in very hard vinyl. I think this is necessary to to keep the mattresses sanitary. I'm guessing that bed bugs can't live in all that vinyl.

 

[wiigirl]

Featherbed. Most comfortable option.

Those are really comfy!

 

[Green Tea]

Mine got the foam toppers from Costco and all loved them.

 

[MrsPete]

First, you don't need both the foam pad and the egg crate topper. I vote for the foam pad.

We bought an XL foam pad from eBay for $15. It did take a while to win it, but it was worthwhile. She LOVES it.

I volunteered with move- in last year, and almost every student had some type of mattress pad. They're absolutely worthwhile.

 

[LisaR]

Thanks everyone! I'll let her test out the beds for orientation and see what she says. I'm sure I'll be mattress topper shopping soon after.

 

[ctinct]

I'll add my recommendation for those foam mattress pads from Bed Bath & Beyond. We bought a set that had a cover with a built in pocket to cover the foam pad and then the whole thing fit over the mattress.

Those dorm mattresses were foam covered in very hard vinyl. I think this is necessary to to keep the mattresses sanitary. I'm guessing that bed bugs can't live in all that vinyl.

DD will be starting her jr. year this fall. The first year I bought her a foam topper and it was gross by the end of the year. Not only was it pretty flat, it had stuff growing on the bottom of it. This year I bought her another topper. It wasn't expensive, but it held up much better. We WERE going to re-use it, but again, the topper had a bit of some moldy stuff on the side that was in contact with the mattress. Not sure if it was a consequence of the topper or the mattress itself, but you can bet that this year we will be sanitizing the heck out of her mattress with some Lysol or bleach BEFORE we put the topper on.

Three lessons here- 1. ABSOLUTELY buy some sort of topper. 2. Don't go with a very expensive one, since it may not last. 3. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. I assumed the vinyl kept the mattress sanitary, but ewwww--still got mold.

 

[TLuvsD]

We got a foam topper and a feather bed topper. Dorm mattress, then foam topper, then feather bed (well--hypo allergenic version), then fitted sheet. Topped by a comforter. At least she could sleep. The mattress itself is some sort of foam covered in heavy vinyl...not comfortable. And I wiped the whole thing down with lysol wipes before we put anything on it.

 

[LisaR]

I think we are going to need to rent a U-Haul just to get all her bedding supplies to her college!

 

[TLuvsD]

Buy everything at Bed Bath and Beyond. You can buy near you and pick up near the college. And you can choose what to purchase when you pick up.