Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is 5-star memory foam topper in terms of functionality, but I have to agree that although the odor is not that bad right out of the package, there is a hefty amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the foam that needs to be heavily ventilated before it dissipates. I let the foam decompress for 8 hours before our first night on it. It reached full form in about 3 hours. The problem is your bedding traps in the VOCs (stink) and when you get some air from under the sheets you get a nasty exposure of who-knows-what (wish this stuff was tested in a lab). My girlfriend complained of dizziness the next morning (today) and I sneezed a little. She tends to use more bedding and may have had her face underneath the bedding at some point. I cant say those symptoms are due to the VOCs and other compounds we smell, but they are out of the ordinary. What to do about it? Today I pulled the foam out of the cover and propped it up on some bins with a fan under it. It actually made the ENTIRE ROOM and much of the house SMELL like under our sheets (vinyl-polyurethane like smell). This wasn't acceptable, so I decided to do the same thing but take it outside in the hot sun to help evacuate the VOCs more quickly. I took a photo to illustrate. Although the packaging says the smell is harmless, nervous system symptoms suggest otherwise. I would never consider a bed by this manufacturer because you could never properly expel the chemicals out of it without ripping it apart into layers. I will update this review tomorrow and hope the stink is gone. Pros: - High density foam (3-4lbs) - Queen size ship weight is a full 28lbs, actual product weight for the queen is 21.5lbs (measured) - Great comfort, 2.5" height is perfect to turn a too-firm spring mattress into a supportive and comfortable dream bed - Gel cooling really does feel cool compressed against your skin, so it's not a complete sales gimmick Cons: - VOCs are pretty substantial (was able to stink up a 16x18 bedroom quite badly with forced air through it) - Synthetic/petroleum smell in process of eliminating (see product photo); if I cant get rid of the smell in a few days I will have to return it as defective, but I would certainly rather not have to. Update: After a day outside the smell is similar in strength. Given that this thing can clear my whole house with odor given the right conditions, it's hard for me to believe that whatever made my girlfriend dizzy in a way she had never felt before (literally loss of balance going to the bathroom and back) will entirely leave the mattress. She doesn't want to sleep on it again so it's going back. Who knows if even the LinenSpa knows what's really in it (made in China). The good news is I found what I believe to be a safe alternative: 2 Inch ErgoSoft Natural Latex Foam Mattress Pad Topper, Queen and ordered that at double the cost. Worth it in the long run. Supposedly latex will outlast most memory foams anyway.