I’m looking for a gel topper (like a Purple “Gelflex Grid” or Intellibed “Gel Matrix”) that won’t break the bank. I don’t need an entire mattress, I only want the gel grid.

I sleep really hot and although I currently have a memory foam topper on my bed that’s very comfortable, I also tend to get night sweats. So I thought a gel grid would sleep cooler because it allows better air circulation.

I was able to find Alibaba dealers that sell gel honeycomb toppers directly from China for about $200-300, but I worry about the quality and potential off-gassing.

There’s a great discussion about this at https://www.reddit.com/r/Mattress/comments/glpbhr/alternative_honeycomb_tpe_topper/, and someone was able to buy “Gel Matrix from Intellibed, but it was $1,200. That seems like a lot! (Anyone have a damaged Purple mattress they wouldn’t mind cannibalizing for me? LOL)

Has anyone used a honeycomb or grid style TPE topper on their mattresses? There are slight differences in the formulas that make up elastomers for different stretch, rigidity, bounce, etc... so I'm not sure if any company in particular can patent every formula and type (Purple for example).

I started thinking about this because I had bought a honeycomb gel TPE seat pad from Costco a few years ago and realized this isn't unique to the Purple mattress brand.

It is fairly simple to make these bouncy gel like TPE materials in factories using molds and the right formula clearly.

For example on Alibaba there are several factories making them in any custom size (full, queen, King, etc). I messaged the sellers and they confirmed that they can make various sizes.

Example links:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/The-World-s-Most-Comfort-Fit_62031072270.html?spm=a2700.wholesale.deiletai6.6.7cf611f9KSn3Js

Or

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2019-Newly-Designed-Honeycomb-Cool-TPE_62305726097.html

On Quora, a chemist (I am a chemist as well), had this to say regarding Purple:

"After a little digging, I found the trademark is for a “Plasticized elastomeric gel material sold as an integral component of cushioned products, namely, mattresses; Plasticized elastomeric gel material sold as an integral component of cushioned products, namely, seat cushions.”

https://trademarks.justia.com/870/57/hyper-elastic-87057122.html

HYPER-ELASTIC POLYMER Trademark of EDIZONE, LLC - Registration Number 5224883 - Serial Number 87057122 :: Justia Trademarks

That still doesn’t say much about what the material of construction is. I can only guess, but I believe it is a soft, solid version of the viscoelastic polyurethane used to make the mattress itself. That would explain how it is both soft and resilient enough to behave as it does."

Edit: I did ask a moderator permission before posting these links and was granted approval. These links are not spam or affiliate links at all. I am just wanting to do a DIY and thought it was interesting that this type of material is indeed sold out there.