Mattress Topper Reviews You Can Actually Trust
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Mattress Topper Comparison
Select a topper below for more detailed information, including brand reviews / ratings.
| MEMORY FOAM | FIBER | FEATHER | LATEX | WOOL | |
| Sample Size | 30,625 | 13,713 | 6,029 | 1,670 | 826 |
| Affordable | c | A- | B+ | D- | D |
| Conforms to body | A | D+ | D+ | B | C- |
| Durability / longevity | B- | d+ | c+ | b+ | b+ |
| thickness options | A | d | c | B | c |
| Motion Isolation | B | d | d | c | d |
| Easy to move on | D | A- | B | C | B+ |
| No Noise | A | C | D+ | A | A- |
| No Sleeping Hot | D+ | c | b+ | c- | b- |
| No Initial Odor | d | A- | c | B- | c- |
| Sex Friendly | c | A- | b | b | b |
| Easy to lift, handle | D+ | C | C | D | A- |
| Not lumpy | A | C- | D+ | A- | B- |
| Appearance on Bed | B+ | c | c | B+ | b- |
| Easy to maintain | a | D+ | d | a- | d+ |
| Washing Ease | D | C- | B- | D | B |
| Widely Available | a | b+ | c- | d | D+ |
Mattress Toppers Vs Mattress Pads
The terms "mattress topper" and "mattress pad" are sometimes used interchangeably. Generally, however, these are two different types of products, each with their own purpose.
Pads are used to protect a mattress and or provide a limited softening; they are also sometimes placed over a topper to secure it to the mattress. Toppers, by contrast, are used almost exclusively to improve mattress comfort.
| TOPPERS | PADS | |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort Improving Potential | good | fair to poor |
| Price | medium to high | low to medium |
| Thickness | medium to high | low to medium |
| Protects Mattress | fair to good | good to excellent |
| Relation To Mattress | lays on top or tucks in | tucks in |
See Mattress Pad Reviews for the top-rated waterproof and non-waterproof pads.
Mattress Topper Advantages
Below are the top four advantages of mattress toppers.
1. Revitalizes Aging Mattress
As a mattress ages, especially an innerspring mattress, it tends to become compacted and loses much of its cushion. A topper improves cushioning, resulting in increased comfort and reduced pressure on the body.
2. Changes Firmness / Improves Comfort of Newer Mattress
If you have a newer mattress that does not suit your personal preference for firmness, a topper can alter the comfort to better suit you.
3. Improves Support
Some toppers, namely memory foam and latex, can improve not only mattress comfort but also support to a limited extent. This can help to reduce pain, including back pain.
4. Improves couple friendliness
If two people sleep on the same bed and have a different firmness preference, a topper can be added to one side of the bed to, in effect, provide a different firmness for each side. Learn more on how to have a topper on one half of a bed. Also, a memory foam topper can to a limited extent improve the motion isolation of a mattress, resulting in less disturbed sleep for couples.
Mattress Topper Disadvantages
Below are the top four disadvantages of mattress toppers.
1. Not Always Effective
If your mattress is uncomfortable due to sink holes, sagging (uneven sleep surface) or protruding springs, a topper will be of only limited if any help in reducing these problems.
2. Problem Edges
Many memory foam and latex toppers are about one inch smaller than the mattress on all sides to help ensure that the bed sheets fit over both the topper and mattress. This can cause sitting or sleeping near the far edge of the mattress to be uncomfortable / unsupportive. And it may also give a somewhat awkward appearance to the bed's surface.
3. Initial Odor
Roughly 5% of owners (1 in 20) – especially owners of memory foam toppers – report that their topper has a significant odor when new. This odor (or off gassing) tends to largely diminish within a few days in most cases.
4. Sleeps Hot
A topper that softens a mattress will to some extent envelop the sleeper. This can decrease air circulation and cooling around the sleeper's body. As a result, about 5% of topper owners (1 in 20) report heat buildup occurring to an extent that undermines sleep quality or quantity. Memory foam and latex toppers are more likely to trap heat than are the other topper types due mainly to their higher density.
5. Sheets May Now Be Too Small
A topper is placed on top of a mattress under the fitted sheet. For thicker toppers especially, this means that the sheet will now need to cover a greater height. Depending on the pocket depth of your existing sheet, it may now be too small to securely cover the mattress.
6. Slides Around / Rolls Up / Bunches
Since a topper is not a fully integrated part of the mattress, it may move around independent of the mattress somewhat. About 6% of owners – especially owners of lighter toppers such as fiber and feather – report this problem. (A mattress pad can be placed over the topper to strongly secure it to the mattress.)
Quick Summary of Mattress Toppers
Memory Foam Mattress Toppers
Pros: Most popular topper • often highly effective at improving comfort • available in many varieties to suit individual needs.
Cons: Initial odor • some heat trap potential • squishy feel possible • somewhat difficult to move on / get up off • relatively heavy.
See
detailed Memory Foam Topper Reviews / Ratings based on 30,625 owner experiences.
Fiber(bed) / Down Alternative Mattress Toppers
Pros: Mostly effective at softening a firm mattress • low priced • little or no odor or allergy-causing potential.
Cons: May be too thin and lumpy for some • shaking / fluffing may be required to maintain loft and comfort • damage by machine washing / drying possible.
See detailed Fiberbed Topper Reviews / Ratings based on 13,713 owner experiences.
Feather(bed) Mattress Toppers
Pros: Generally effective at softening a firm mattress • relatively affordable, light weight and easy to handle • few reports of bothersome heat buildup.
Cons: Can lack adequate thickness • fluffing / shaking often needed to maintain loft • feathers poking through cover is possible which can be uncomfortable • may produce some noise • dry cleaning often required.
Read
detailed Featherbed Reviews / Ratings based on 6,029 owner experiences.
Latex Mattress Toppers
Pros: Can make mattress softer or firmer • above-average pain relief • comes in many varieties including all natural.
Cons: Expensive • limited availability • some initial odor and heat retention possible.
See detailed Latex Topper Reviews / Ratings based on 1,670 owner experiences.
Wool Mattress Pad-Toppers
Pros: Often effective at softening a firm mattress and providing luxurious feel • fairly cool / dry in summer and warm in winter • tends to be durable / long lasting.
Cons: Pricey • may not provide adequate cushion for some • some initial odor possible • regular shaking / fluffing may be needed to maintain loft.
See detailed Wool Topper-Pad Reviews / Ratings based on 826 owner experiences.
How To Have a Topper on One Half of a Mattress
If two people sleep on the same bed and have different firmness preferences, a topper can be added to half of the mattress to, in effect, provide different firmness for each half.
To do this on a king-sized mattress, you will likely need to buy an x-long twin topper and place it on one half of the mattress under the linens. (An x-long twin topper in most cases will be one-half the size of a king-sized mattress.)
You will want a topper that merely lies on top of the mattress without needing to be secured to the sides. Foam, memory foam, and latex toppers almost always meet this criteria.
With a queen-sized bed, things are more complicated. There is no topper size that will cover one half of a queen. Therefore, you will likely need to buy an x-long twin sized topper and trim it so that it will fit half of the mattress. It will need to be a foam, memory foam, or latex topper because these can be trimmed without spilling their contents and they don't have skirts.
A final thought: The half of the mattress with the topper is going to be higher than the other half without the topper which will give the mattress an awkward appearance. To minimize this look (if it bothers you), don't buy a topper any thicker than what you need to be comfortable.
About Sleep Like The Dead's Mattress Topper Research
Ratings are based on over 52,800 mattress topper consumer reviews gathered from diverse, credible sources including product review sections on retailer websites (Amazon, Overstock, Wal-Mart, and others).
Sleep Like The Dead receives no direct compensation of any kind from any sleep product or topper company.