The Egg Crate Mattress Topper Guide: Sleep Better Tonight
A good night's sleep is essential for overall health and wellbeing, and the quality of our sleep is directly linked to the comfort and support our mattress provides. While a new mattress is a significant investment, a quality foam topper is an accessible, effective way to improve your sleep: it adds a touch of luxury to an existing mattress, restores support to an ageing one, and many people use one to ease back and joint pain, including arthritis. While standard flat memory foam toppers are the best known, convoluted foam toppers – also called egg crate foam toppers – are an excellent choice for several reasons.
What is egg crate (convoluted) foam?
Convoluted foam toppers come in various shapes and sizes, not always a strict egg crate shape – some have more dramatic points, others are wave-like. The egg crate shape is known for its massaging feel and significant improvements to blood flow, while the open shapes aid good airflow around and under the body.
Health and comfort benefits
For these reasons, convoluted toppers are very popular in healthcare and medical settings, and for those with physical needs requiring good support such as back pain and sciatica. With added airflow under a patient, the risk of bedsores and fevers is reduced – our guide to foam in care settings covers this further.
Reflex Superior vs memory foam
Reflex Superior foam is incredibly supportive – more so than memory foam – as it's not as viscoelastic, so it doesn't mould to the body as quickly. It compresses at a reduced percentage compared to similar foams and is very durable. Convoluted Reflex Superior toppers benefit both the user and the mattress, adding a layer of protection from spills, dirt, dust and weight pressure.
These toppers are praised for their natural orthopaedic qualities, keeping the spine aligned much like memory foam. Thanks to their large bubble structure, air is displaced rather than eliminated, so they spring back into shape very quickly – meaning you don't sink in the way you often do with memory foam toppers.
Compared with a flat foam mattress topper, the responsive convoluted structure gives good weight distribution. The peaks and dips of the egg crate shape help reduce pressure on shoulders and hips, making them an excellent, supportive solution for side sleepers, while back and front sleepers benefit from the firm support too.
How to choose the right convoluted foam topper
Convoluted foam toppers are available cut to size or shape via our online tool. For the highest support, we recommend a convoluted Reflex grey firm foam sheet; for a slightly lower firmness, Reflex Superior is also available in a medium density. For easy reference, eFoam's Reflex medium foam is pink/peach, while Reflex firm foam is pale grey.
When choosing, three things matter most:
Firmness for your build and position. Heavier sleepers and back or front sleepers generally do best on the firm (pale grey) Reflex, which resists sinking and keeps the spine level. Lighter sleepers and dedicated side sleepers often prefer the medium (pink/peach), which lets shoulders and hips settle into the dips a little more.
Thickness. A 2" convoluted topper suits most people, adding comfort without changing the feel of the mattress dramatically; go thicker if your mattress is firm or showing its age, and thinner if you mainly want airflow and a gentle massaging surface.
Size. Measure your mattress rather than assuming a standard size – UK, European and older bed frames vary – and order the topper to those exact dimensions. Our cut-to-size tool accepts any measurements, so the topper sits flush edge to edge without overhang or gaps.
Care and maintenance tips for your foam topper
A little routine care keeps a convoluted topper supportive and hygienic for years:
Air it regularly. When you change the bedding, stand the topper on its edge for a few hours so air circulates through the convolutions and any moisture evaporates.
Rotate it. Turn the topper head to toe every month or so, spreading wear evenly and preventing permanent compression under your heaviest points.
Use a cover. A washable stockinette or fitted cover protects the foam from spills, dust and skin oils, and is far easier to launder than the foam itself.
Clean gently. Spot-clean marks with mild soapy water and a cloth, rinse lightly and let it air dry completely before remaking the bed – never machine wash foam or use harsh chemicals.
Know when to replace. If the peaks stay flattened after airing and rotating, the foam has done its job; a replacement cut to the same size takes minutes to order.
For more on toppers or full foam mattresses, explore the rest of our site and blog. For reliable personal advice, contact one of our friendly colleagues who will be happy to help.
Frequently asked questions
What is egg crate (convoluted) foam?
Egg crate foam is a convoluted foam topper with a peaked or wave-like surface. The shape is known for its massaging feel, for improving blood flow, and for allowing good airflow around and under the body.
Is egg crate foam good for preventing bedsores?
It can help. The added airflow under the body reduces the risk of bedsores and fevers, which is why convoluted foam toppers are popular in healthcare settings and for those with back pain or sciatica.
How does Reflex Superior foam compare with memory foam for a topper?
Reflex Superior is more supportive than memory foam because it is less viscoelastic, so it doesn't mould as quickly and springs back fast. You don't sink into it the way you can with memory foam, while it still keeps the spine aligned.
How thick should an egg crate foam topper be?
A 2 inch convoluted topper suits most people. Choose thicker if your mattress is firm or ageing, and thinner if you mainly want extra airflow and a gentle massaging surface. Heavier sleepers should pair thickness with a firm Reflex grade for support.
How do you clean a foam mattress topper?
Spot-clean with mild soapy water and a cloth, rinse lightly and let the topper air dry fully before remaking the bed. Never machine wash foam or use harsh chemicals. Airing it on its edge regularly and using a washable cover keeps it fresh between cleans.
