9 Best Mattress Toppers, According to Our Testers

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Best Overall

Helix GlacioTex Premium Mattress Topper

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$374.06 at Amazon

After just one night on the Helix GlacioTex mattress topper, our tester Spencer Kildare was certain he had just experienced the best sleep quality ever. Spencer, who is accustomed to sleeping on an old, well-loved mattress, estimates that he typically wakes up feeling 60% to 90% rested. That increased to 85% to 100% thanks to the Helix mattress topper.

Made with a combination of memory foam and steel micro coils, this best mattress topper is a true hybrid model. And if you’re a hot sleeper, you’re in for a treat. This mattress topper’s four layers are wrapped in a GlacioTex cooling cover that draws heat away from your body and keeps you cool while you sleep. The sturdy straps on each corner ensure a secure fit and prevent it from sliding around on your mattress. In fact, Spencer notes that in addition to the comfort and support offered by this mattress topper, the straps are a big part of what makes it hard to beat. “I appreciated how comfortable it was and how well it stayed centered on my mattress,” he says.

According to Spencer, this luxury plush mattress topper is an 8 out of 10 on the firmness scale. “The mattress feels like it has structure but also feels like it has the potential to give,” he explains. When pressure is applied, Spencer says the topper offers quite a bit of resistance. And when he lay on his side, he found that he didn’t sink in as much as he did prior to using the Helix mattress topper. Most importantly, he noticed a significant improvement in his sleep quality. “My circadian cycle was maintained and improved with this mattress topper,” he raves. “I never woke up sore or in pain.”

The best mattress toppers certainly don’t come cheap. This Helix one costs between $374 for a twin size and $561 for a California king. Spencer acknowledges that there are other more affordable options out there, but he is confident that you won’t regret spending your money on the Helix, especially if you snag one on sale. “I believe there are cheaper options that offer similar comfort, but the quality and straps make this hard to beat,” he explains. “You get what you pay for: quality.”

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Best Budget

Dreamsmith Memory Foam Mattress Topper

$149.99 at Amazon

This budget-friendly Dreamsmith mattress topper will breathe new life into your bed for under $200. That’s a steal, especially given the fact that other toppers on our list can set you back upwards of over $500. It’s offered in five sizes and three thickness levels. Spencer opted for the 4-inch topper, which starts at just $120.

“This mattress topper is a great value compared to other toppers. It costs about a half or even a third of other mattress toppers but keeps up with the performance. And it has straps, a feature typically reserved for the more expensive mattress toppers,” says Spencer. “It’s made up of one quality material, so this is a mattress topper I feel will last.”

The Dreamsmith mattress topper arrived in a compact package and took Kildare less than five minutes to get onto his bed. That said, he points out that you won’t be able to sleep on it right away as it needs time to expand. Per the manufacturer’s instructions, this topper should be given 24 to 48 hours to fully expand. However, he found he was able to sleep on it after four hours. His advice? Set the topper up early in the morning and give it a full day to do its thing.

When it comes to comfort, Spencer points out that the more this topper expands, the more comfortable it becomes. Ultimately, he gave it 4 out of 5 stars. “It’s quite comfortable. It’s firm but has a plush fullness to it,” he explains. “It was probably the firmest of the bunch, feeling more like a block of soft foam than a spongey soft foam, but I had better quality sleep with it than without it.”

After he completed his testing, Spencer passed this mattress topper onto his brother, whose line of work caused him to suffer from back pain. According to Spencer, his brother was an instant fan. “He works overnights, which is stressful on his body, and claims the Dreamsmith topper helped his back issues. He doesn’t feel sore as much,” reports Spencer. “My brother also says he falls asleep faster and feels much better overall.”

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Best Memory Foam

Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Topper

Shop on Tempur-Pedic

449.0022% OFF$349 at Amazon

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299.9920% OFF$239.99 at Kohl's

Tempur-Pedic is known for their high quality memory foam mattresses. Our tester, Leah Groth, has had her eye on one for quite some time now. However, given their high price point, she opted for the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt mattress topper instead. According to Leah, this topper has completely transformed her bed and sleep experience.

Made of Tempur-Pedic’s signature memory foam, this topper has a 3-inch profile and is designed to relieve pressure. It’s perfect for someone like Leah, who regularly experiences lower back pain and tightness around her neck. Since she typically struggles to get comfortable at night and often wakes up with aches and pains, she was especially excited to test this topper.

Leah placed this topper on her king-sized Purple mattress and was pleased by how well it fit. She notes that the straps stayed put, and the topper itself had no overhang, unlike others she tested. Once she had it securely on her bed, Leah made up her bed and sat down. “When I first flopped down, I honestly was startled by how much more comfortable the 3-inch topper made my mattress. Super plush, it immediately conformed to my body and relieved pressure on my joints,” she explains in her full Tempur-Pedic mattress topper review. “Then, my 100-pound dog plopped down on it, and even he sunk into the memory foam. But the beauty is that as soon as I kicked him off, the topper bounced right back.”

At night, Leah found that she slept soundly and woke up feeling quite refreshed thanks to this topper. “I usually sleep on my back but also on my side, and this is perfect for both positions,” she explains. “But it was especially great for side sleeping, as it really kept my body cradled and secure.” Better yet, she found that her pain significantly decreased.

During testing, Leah suffered a hip flexor injury that made walking around incredibly painful. But once she climbed into bed, she felt instant relief. “The topper offered immediate pressure point relief in my hip,” she says. “I couldn’t believe how much the pain dissipated overnight.”

This mattress topper runs from $319 for a twin size to $469 for a California king. Considering the fact that Tempur-Pedic mattresses can set you back thousands of dollars, Leah insists this mattress topper is a worthy buy. “This is a great value for someone who has been dying for a Tempur-Pedic bed but can’t afford it,” she says. “It lives up to the price and then some. It is clearly made out of top-of-the-line materials, and I expect it to last for many years.” In fact, this topper is so good that Leah decided to make it a permanent fixture on her bed. “Of the three mattress toppers I tested out, this by far was the winner,” she raves. “I’m not sure I could ever go back to sleeping without it.”

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Best Organic

Avocado Eco Organic Mattress Topper

$219 at Avocado

The Avocado Eco organic mattress topper is the epitome of clean, featuring GOLS organic certified latex, GOTS organic and Oeko-Tek Standard 100 certified wool and GOTS organic certified cotton. The 2-inch topper comes in both plush and firm options to meet individual needs. But is it comfortable? You bet.

Spencer placed this topper on his 16-year-old mattress and was smitten by the overall quality and spongey nature of the foam filling. “It really has a cakey sort of feel, and it mushes when pressure is applied. It provided excellent support to my sides without applying excess pressure,” he explains. “My sleep quality improved, and I woke up either fully rested or almost fully rested.” And speaking of cake, Spencer adds that this mattress arrived with a factory smell that was reminiscent of vanilla cake. Though the smell isn’t bad, per se, it does require a few days to off-gas.

Spencer’s only complaint was that this mattress topper doesn’t have straps to hold it in place. As a result, it moved around quite a bit. “This mattress topper is definitely for people who can really get around their bed to place the sheets on thoroughly,” he says. Luckily, there’s an easy solution. Keep this topper in place with a snug set of sheets.

If this organic mattress topper sounds right up your alley, consider swapping your current mattress with the Avocado Green mattress. (We tried it and loved it!)

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Best Cooling

Puffy Deluxe Mattress Topper

209.0014% OFF$178 at Puffy

If you’re looking for the best cooling mattress topper, it doesn’t get any better than Puffy’s memory foam topper, according to our tester, Wendy Rose Gould. Wendy tried five different cooling mattress toppers and dubbed Puffy the best overall for its quality construction, superior comfort and subtle yet effective cooling capabilities. She especially appreciated that it didn’t change the feel of her bed.

“I loved my bed before, but this somehow made it even more comfortable,” raves Wendy. “After completing the review process, this is the one I chose to put back on my bed and enjoy. I look forward to going to bed every night because of how comfortable it is.”

This hypoallergenic mattress topper is made of 2.5 inches of responsive memory foam and has a soft, cushy cover. It features a deep pocket design which allows you to put it on your mattress like a fitted sheet and its anti-slip base cover and elastic edges keep it snugly in place.

“This was my favorite mattress topper by far. It has a moderate firmness, which I like,” says Wendy. “It’s also great that it fits across the entire mattress and stays snug thanks to the elastic bands and corner pockets that tuck over each corner of the bed.” Pair this topper with a set of cooling bed sheets and a cooling comforter and say goodbye to night sweats forever!

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Best Down Alternative

Saatva Down Alternative Featherbed Mattress Topper

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Filled with an ultra-plush 3D down alternative and lyocell fill, Saatva’s Featherbed mattress topper will have anyone sleeping like a baby in no time. This best mattress topper pick features a cotton cover and is treated with the brand’s botanical antimicrobial treatment to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew. It also does an excellent job of keeping you cool and dry, as opposed to memory foam models, which tend to trap heat.

Our tester, Lois Alter Mark, fell in love with this topper the moment it arrived at her door. In fact, the luxe, gift-like packaging actually brought a smile to her face. “The packaging made it feel so luxurious,” recalls Lois. She was even more excited once she opened it up. “It’s super soft and just makes me want to cuddle up in it,” she says. “It was very cushy and felt almost down comforter-like. I worried that it would actually be too soft even for me because of that and also because it’s called ‘featherbed.'” Fortunately, her worries were short-lived.

During testing, Lois found this mattress topper to be more supportive than it looks. “All parts of my body felt like they were well supported when I slept on my side, and nothing was digging into my hips or shoulders. They felt totally cushioned,” she explains. “My hips were able to sink in, but I was able to move around comfortably without getting stuck during my nights of tossing and turning.” And thanks to the sturdy corner straps, Lois, who regularly tosses and turns throughout the night, had no issues with this topper sliding around with her. In fact, she feels that it just naturally integrates right into the whole sleep experience. “This adds another layer of luxurious plushness,” she says.

In addition to being comfortable and supportive, this mattress topper is machine washable. Simply toss it in the washing machine on a gentle cycle with cold water and tumble dry low. The box quilting ensures that the fill is evenly distributed for that luxe plushness. Speaking of wash cycles, here’s how often you should wash your bedding.

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Best for Back Pain

Nest Bedding Alexander Signature Select Topper

$259 at Nest Bedding

If you’re tired of waking up with aches and pains, go ahead and add the Nest mattress topper to your bed. Made of responsive memory foam, it boasts pressure relief properties that worked wonders for Shopping Editor Mary Henn. Mary, who frequently experienced significant back pain and stiffness, insists that this topper completely saved her back from morning aches and stiffness. “I used to wake up so stiff that I’d have to hold onto the wall to make it out of bed and across the room to my daughter’s bassinet. I don’t have to do that anymore,” she says.

Both Mary and her partner found this topper to be soft and comfortable. She attributes that to the fact that it’s completely made of foam and is encased in a smooth, quilted cover. And while Mary likens the cover to a super soft, jersey-knit sheet, she wishes that she could remove the cover to wash as needed.

On a scale of 1 to 5, Mary rates this mattress topper a 1.5 to 2 for firmness. “Your hand does sink into it, but it doesn’t mold to your hand or stay compressed,” she explains. “The topper bounces back as soon as the weight is removed. So, while it’s very soft, the foam is also very responsive.” According to Mary, her bed feels cozier with this topper since it provides a “sink-in” experience without swallowing you up.

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Best for Side Sleepers

Bear Pro Mattress Topper

$245 at Bear Mattress

If the Helix mattress topper is over your budget, our tester insists that this Bear mattress topper is just as good. Made of plush memory foam, this topper is designed to provide pressure point relief and is an excellent choice for side sleepers.

“Its quality is up there with Helix,” he says. “This one uses different materials and has no strap.”

“I like that the mattress topper had the right amount of give when sleeping on my side. I didn’t feel any pain or soreness when sleeping on it,” Spencer says. Moreover, the quality is comparable to other high-end brands, and Spencer is confident it will hold up well over time. “It has a nice solid structure to its singular foam filling and a strong cover. It’s almost like a mattress’ surface but not as rough. It’s definitely durable and feels like it will last,” he raves.

Overall, this mattress topper for side sleepers is a great value, and Spencer believes that its quality is on par with that of the Helix GlacioTex. The only thing that Spencer didn’t love was the lack of corner straps. “It is a good value compared to others but misses the mark with no straps,” he says. “It didn’t move too much when I tossed and turned, but it definitely moved when I got out the bed.”

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Best on Amazon

Dormeo Premium Mattress Topper

$429 at Amazon

With thousands of products to choose from, finding the best mattress toppers on Amazon can feel like an impossible feat. That’s why we went ahead and found it for you. Over 2,000 Amazon users gave this Dormeo mattress topper a five-star review, raving about its comfort, value and how well it improves sleep quality.

This mattress topper is comprised of eight-sided, all-foam springs laid out in a honeycomb design with a layer of memory foam on each side. Dormeo refers to this as Octaspring Aerospace Technology. In addition to providing support and pressure relief, this design makes the topper more cooling than traditional memory foam. These springs are arranged to provide three-zone support, which provides varying firmness zones to support the spine while you sleep. According to Leah, this topper is more supportive than traditional memory foam and ideal for those who are on the hunt for a high-quality, firm mattress topper.

“I definitely feel like it helped with my back pain. I awoke with less neck pain and aches throughout my body,” says Leah. “It also offered pressure point relief for my back and hips, as it offers varying levels of support by region.”

It’s also worth pointing out that due to a medical condition, Leah is a hot sleeper who is always looking for the best cooling products. After a week of sleeping on this mattress topper, she found it lived up to its claims of being cooling and breathable.

Overall, Leah determined this topper is well-made with high quality materials. What she didn’t love, however, was the fact that the hexagon impressions could be seen and felt through her bedding. If you’re like Leah and prefer a softer, smoother sleep surface, you’ll want to invest in a thick set of sheets like these cozy flannel sheets to go with this topper.

What To Consider When Buying a Mattress Topper

Function, personal preference and budget will determine the type of topper most suitable for your needs. Here are a few other things to consider:

• Firmness: If you prefer a soft, plush surface, look for a down or down-alternative topper you can really sink into. If you want a firmer feel, a memory foam topper will be your best bet.
• Cooling properties: Certain toppers, like memory foam models, tend to trap heat, and some sleepers run hot at night. If that’s the case, look for designs that have built-in cooling features.
• Corner straps: According to our testers, mattress toppers with corner straps didn’t move around as much as toppers that relied on fitted sheets to hold them in place.
• Return policy: While they cost much less than a new mattress, mattress toppers aren’t necessarily cheap, and you shouldn’t be stuck with one if it’s uncomfortable. Many of the brands on our list offer trial periods or no-hassle returns. Be sure to carefully read the return policy before you buy to ensure you won’t be throwing money away if you decide the topper is not for you.
• Certifications: To ensure a topper doesn’t contain chemicals or potentially harmful materials, it’s worth researching its certifications. Start by looking for toppers that are CertiPUR-US certified, Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and Made Safe certified.

How We Found the Best Mattress Toppers

After thoroughly researching top brands and scouring customer reviews, we selected over 20 mattress toppers for all types of sleepers. We looked for a mix of plush and firm toppers made of various materials at a variety of price points. Once we finalized our selections, we sent the mattress toppers to our experienced product testers.

Our testers personally slept on every mattress topper on this list for a minimum of five consecutive nights to ensure they lived up to their online descriptions and reviews. They noted the best features of each topper along with the not-so-great, covering everything from packaging and setup to odors, comfort and performance. Based on their experiences, we narrowed the list down to the nine best mattress toppers. We then compiled all of their notes into this comprehensive list so you can shop with confidence.

FAQ

Can you wash a mattress topper?

Washing instructions depend on the material and type of mattress topper you purchase. Most foam models can only be spot-cleaned, while many cotton or latex versions are machine-washable and safe to put in the dryer. Others have removable covers that can be tossed in the washer and dryer as needed.

Do I need a mattress topper?

People purchase mattress toppers for different reasons. The best mattress topper extends the life of a mattress. If you’re looking to change the overall feel of your bed by either softening a too-firm mattress or adding support to one that has started sagging, buying a topper is a smart idea. It’s also helpful when paired with an affordable mattress.

People experiencing pressure-point pain or night sweats or those who are seeking motion isolation also benefit from mattress toppers. “If someone lives in a dry climate, they also help with preventing moisture from accumulating in the bedding,” Pagano points out.

How long does a mattress topper last?

The best mattress topper options offer some kind of warranty, which typically range from 1 to 10 years. Some splurge-worthy styles may last up to 20 years. The lifespan of the topper depends on the materials, construction and quality. Just like it’s important to clean a mattress, how you care for your purchase will also determine how long it lasts.

What is the difference between a mattress topper, mattress pad and mattress protector?

Yes, they sound similar, but they’re very different items. A mattress topper measures around 1 to 4 inches, rests on the surface of a bed and makes the mattress more comfortable. Similar to a fitted sheet, a mattress pad—which is a thin, quilted layer—shields the mattress from sweat and stains. Mattress protectors, often made of thick plastic and high-performance fibers, encase the entire mattress to fend off contaminants like bed bugs, mold, bacteria and other allergens.

Why You Should Trust Us

At Reader’s Digest, our team of editors and testers are always excited to try new products. We especially love testing products that enhance the quality of our sleep. Each mattress topper on this list was sent to some of our most experienced product testers, all of whom have different sleep preferences, so they could try them on their beds at home for at least five nights. We took into consideration how easy it was to unpack each topper and place it on a mattress, along with its overall comfort and performance. Our testers used these mattress toppers on a variety of mattresses and were able to detail how much each topper did or did not improve the quality of their sleep. We tested a total of 21 mattress toppers and only 9 made our list of the best mattress toppers overall. This is because we will never recommend a product we don’t like, regardless of its popularity.