The right mattress topper could transform the look and feel of your mattress, keeping you cool and comfortable for a fraction of the price of a brand-new bed. Now that I've found the right topper, I won't let it go: I've carried across the country to vacation rentals and camping sites so that I can get my best night's sleep, wherever I am.
I bought my mattress topper when I first went to college. I was sick of waking up stiff and sore from my dorm bed with the indent of an innerspring across my hip. I logged onto Amazon and ordered the best mattress topper I could afford. My new topper struck just the right balance between softness and support and it totally saved my sleep.
As H&G's resident sleep writer, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best mattress toppers. Over time, I've learned the pros and cons of all the topper types, from plush pillow-tops to memory foam models. I want to share my six simple rules to help you find a mattress topper that meets your needs.
Mattress topper buying rules
As we enter shopping season, the mattress sales are ramping up. I've already seen some deep discounts on mattress pads, protectors, and toppers. Still, I'd urge you not to sacrifice quality for cost. It's worth slowing down while you shop and following my mattress topper buying rules to avoid buyer's remorse.
1. Understand your sleep style
Before you start to shop in earnest, I'd encourage you to stop and think about your sleep style. How you tend to lie on the bed tells me a lot about how you sleep and which is the best mattress firmness for you.
There are three primary sleep positions: stomach, back, and side. If you tend to flip between two or three of these positions in the night, then you're what's known as a combination sleeper. When you lie in a particular position on the bed, you're putting certain parts of your body under more stress and strain. You need to find a mattress topper in the right firmness to cushion those pressure points while keeping your spine straight.
For a side sleeper, I'd recommend a medium or a medium-soft mattress topper, filled with memory foam or tufted in a pillow-top. Side sleepers need a mattress topper with enough give that their shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles can sink into the surface, but enough support to stop their spine from falling out of alignment.
If you sleep on your stomach, I suggest a firmer mattress topper, filled with high-density memory foam or natural latex. A firmer topper should support the natural alignment of your spine and stop your mattress from swallowing you up. A back sleeper's best bet is a medium-firm mattress topper, which lifts the lumbar region but allows the shoulders to sink in.
This mattress topper is super-supportive, especially around the edges. You could comfortably sit on the side of the bed to apply lotion or get dressed in the morning.
You can find more detail in our Nolah Mattress Topper review.
This is the most expensive mattress topper we've tested, but it's proof that you get what you pay for. The latex support core is springy and responsive, while the wool and cotton comfort layers work to cushion your joints.
You can find more detail in our Saatva Organic Quilted Mattress Topper review.
Filled with springy and supportive Talalay latex, this plush topper would be just the thing to soften up a firm, inflexible mattress. It's a great option for side sleepers and anyone in need of pressure relief.
You can find more detail in our Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper review.
2. Get to know your topper types
Now that you've found your ideal topper firmness, it's time to work out which materials best meet your needs. Sometimes, you don't need to sleep on a mattress topper to understand how it feels: you just need to check the specs.
Memory foam is made to absorb motion and contour around your curves to give you the feeling of weightless sleep. It's a good option for couples, light sleepers, and anyone in need of pressure relief. For the best balance of comfort and support, I recommend a high-density memory foam mattress topper. If you're a hot sleeper, be warned that memory foam isn't especially breathable: all that thick foam leaves little room for air to flow. Your best bet to keep cool is a gel memory foam mattress topper.
Latex tends to feel firmer than memory foam, and cooler, too − natural fibers are always more breathable than their synthetic substitutes. I'd recommend a latex mattress topper for back and stomach sleepers, as well as hot sleepers. The biggest downside is the cost: latex is one of the most expensive mattress materials, especially if you want to go organic.
If you sleep on your side, or you suffer from aches and pains and you're crying out for pressure relief, then you'll appreciate the plush comfort of a pillow-top or featherbed. These toppers are soft and squishy, but they aren't quite as supportive as a latex or memory foam mattress topper.
This is our reigning champion for the title of 'best mattress topper', with perfect scores across the board for pressure relief, motion isolation, and edge support. When you shop with the code TOPPERS40, you can save more than $150.
You can find more detail in our Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Topper review.
You can customize this mattress topper to meet your sleep needs. The Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper comes in six sizes, two heights, and two comfort levels (Medium and Plush) to suit every style of sleeper.
You can find more detail in our Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper review.
Filled with responsibly sourced down and reinforced with a double-stitched piping seam, this three-inch featherbed offers plush support that won't waver under your weight. If you prefer the look and feel of a pillow-top, I suggest the Coop Retreat Mattress Topper for pressure relief and contouring comfort.
3. Consider ways to keep cool
If you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, or you simply tend to run a little warm, then you're what's known as a hot sleeper. One way to stay the right side of cool and dry is to invest in the best cooling mattress topper.
As a general rule, I recommend toppers filled with latex over memory foam for thermoregulation. Latex is arranged in an open-cell structure, which leaves more room for your bed and body to breathe. Still, it's not all about the support core: pay attention to what makes up the comfort layers inside your mattress. According to the Woolroom Clean Sleep Report 2024, wool is a natural moisture-wicker, able to hold up to a third of its weight in water before it evaporates first thing the next morning.
With that said, our reigning champion for the title of 'best cooling mattress topper' is filled with memory foam. The secret to the cooling lies in the graphite infusion. Graphite is a highly conductive material, which works to carry excess thermal energy away from your body and out of the bed. You'll see similar results from copper, green tea, and all manner of cooling gels.
Our expert tester, Kaitlin, tried this memory foam mattress topper during a hot and humid New England summer and never once overheated. She puts it down to the cooling graphite infusion.
You can find more detail in our Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper.
This memory foam mattress topper is infused with copper to dissipate heat, wick moisture, and block odors. Our expert tester, Lauren, took this mattress topper to her friends' houses and even out on a camping trip and she still managed to sleep comfortably.
You can find more detail in our ViscoSoft Active Cooling Copper Topper review.
'Compared to my old memory foam model, the Earthfoam Mattress Topper is a revelation,' writes one of our expert testers, Louise. For natural breathability, it doesn't get better than latex, wool, and cotton.
You can find more detail in our Earthfoam Mattress Topper review.
4. Shop with straps in mind
The whole point of a mattress topper is to make a quick and easy upgrade to the look and feel of your mattress. The last thing you want is to have to get out of bed in the night to stop your topper from slipping and sliding over your mattress.
For a safe, secure fit, I recommend a mattress topper with corner straps. Some, like the ViscoSoft Active Cooling Copper Topper, come with adjustable corner straps to fit any depth of mattress. Remember, once you've layered your topper over your mattress, you might need to invest in a deep-pocket fitted sheet to stretch all the way around.
Of course, there are a few exceptions that prove the rule. The Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper doesn't have straps, nor a stretchy bed skirt – just an organic cotton canvas underneath the topper to maintain friction with the mattress. Before you buy, it's worth learning how to keep a mattress topper from sliding overnight.
5. Ask your partner
Perhaps you and your partner share a bed, but not a sleep style. You might prefer a firmer mattress, while they appreciate a softer surface: where you sleep hot, they might sleep cold. You might need to compromise to find a mattress topper that meets both of your sleep needs.
Most sleepers would benefit from a medium-firm mattress topper to cushion their joints while keeping their spine in line. You're looking for high-density memory foam or latex for support, wrapped in cotton, wool, or cashmere for softness.
In the most extreme cases of incompatibility, I've heard of couples who order a single Twin or Twin XL mattress topper to layer over one side of their Queen or King mattress. That way, you can create two distinct firmness profiles in the same bed.
6. Make sure you need one
If you're sleeping in a dorm or you're renting an apartment where it just isn't practical to get a new mattress, then you might get a lot of use out of a mattress topper. If your mattress is nearing the end of its life, but you can't yet afford to buy a brand-new bed, then a topper could prolong the life of your mattress for a fraction of the price.
A mattress topper is good for many things − often, though, it's only a short-term solution to a more persistent problem with your mattress. If you're wondering whether to buy a mattress topper vs a new mattress, you're in luck: I've weighed up all the pros and cons of either product. Remember, you can always save when you shop the mattress sales.
Final thoughts
Once you've bought a mattress topper, it's important to take good care of it. I recommend learning how to clean a mattress topper for hygienic sleep.
