I recently bought a mattress and it's too firm. I can't return it. What can I do to soften it? thanks

Buy a mattress pad with a pillow top.

It wont' soften. The sales person should have let you test out the firmness types before you bought it. I would try to exchange it for a less firm model. It will not soften over time. It may wear some. But definately not soften. You can put egg crate foam or a pillow topper on top and it will soften the surface. It will still be firm undearneath. But the topper will help make it more comfortable.

Depending on the size of the mattress get 1 or 2 pieces of thick foam rubber and a Sealy mattress pad. The Sealy pad is really thick, and, it will help hold the foam rubber in place. Hopefully after a few years the mattress will break down a bit.

Foam Topper Links

http://mattress.talkspot.com/aspx/templates/blank....

You can get a pillow top to go on top of the current mattress or can get something like a temporpedic cover to go over the existing mattress.

You could but a mattress pad to put on top of your mattress. You can get pads that are really soft, and even some that are made out of squishy foam, and they aren't too expensive.

definetley get the mattress pad! invest in a good one, after all you don't want to regret your purchase like you did the mattress. by no means attempt to soften your mattress. they are not constructed the way they were years ago and you may end up with something that is not usable. i kno, because my father put a dent in a $2500 stearns and foster trying to "loosen up" his side. apparently the spring balance one another or something???? the pad sounds like the best idea.

get a charter club memory foam mattress topper. they go for about $100 - 150 and are super comfy. we bought one for our bed because we also have a very firm mattress.

get one of those memory foam tops then a mattress pad

Have your fat brother-in-law come over, well, no! he would get the wrong idea! Buy a foam mattress cover for it.