It was either buy a new mattress or buy this.  I am so glad I bought this topper.  My 2 year old foam mattress was just too hard on my aging joints.  This topper is soft and made my bed more comforable.  I  now wake up without the aches and pains I usually have.  There was no smell so after an hour of airing it , I put it on the bed where I hope it will continue to provide me relief for years.