While we're keen to help you save money where we can, there's one thing the entire ES Best team agree on: you should spend as much as you comfortably can afford on a great mattress.
A bed that facilitates a decent night's sleep will repay you in myriad ways, from better mood and focus to having the energy to do all the things on your after-work and weekend to-do list. A good night’s kip is one of life’s best investments.
The trouble is, most renters are stuck with landlord-bought mattresses which likely won’t be replaced unless they're truly on their last legs. Does that mean you have to lump it?
Not with a well-chosen mattress topper, you don't. This extra layer of cushioning can make an unyielding bed feel cloud-like while others are designed to draw away heat to leave you cool, comfortable and fully rested come the morning. They're also usually much cheaper than buying a brand-new replacement with the added bonus that they can easily be transported to your next home when it's time to move.
Even if you’re not renting, a mattress topper is worth the investment. Aside from making your bedroom an altogether plusher and happier place, adding one to your bed set-up can prolong the lifespan of the mattress beneath, meaning you can put off replacing it for longer.
The question is, where to start? The market is crowded with options, all clamouring for your hard-earned cash - which can make choosing the perfect one a mission of near-impossible degrees.
Best mattress toppers at a glance
- Best for blissful cushioning: John Lewis & Partners Synthetic Soft Touch Washable Dual Layer 6cm Deep Mattress Topper - £105, John Lewis
- Best for joint support: Emma Premium Topper - £465, Emma
- Best for Goldilocks comfort: Simba Hybrid Essential Topper - £239, Simba
- Best for allergies: Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper - £183.99, Woolroom
- Best for heat wicking: M&S Collection Comfortably Cool Mattress Topper - £79, M&S
- Best for budget buy: Silentnight Airmax mattress topper - £37.15, Amazon
- Best for tailored support: Brinkhaus Morpheus Mattress Pad - £119, And So To Bed
- Best for organic materials: Naturalmat Trendy Topper - £410, Naturalmat
- Best for cooling qualities: Soak and Sleep Cooling 6cm Memory Foam Topper - £140, Soak and Sleep
- Best for silky smooth layers: Silentnight Goose Down mattress topper - £135, Silentnight
- Best for thickness: Organic Latex Topper Latexsense - £465, Amazon
- Best for sneezers: NightComfort Anti Allergy Mattress Topper, King - £43.62, Amazon
- Best for sweaty snoozers: The White Company Temperature Balance Quilter Mattress Protector - £125, The White Company
- Best for softness: Kally Sleep Cooling Mattress Topper - £79.99, Amazon
- Best for sustainable luxury: Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper - £118.96
To help you make the best choice, we’ve tried and tested some of the best options on offer right now. From cushy memory foam knockouts to made-to-order insulators and palace-worthy downs, here’s our pick of the best mattress toppers for your money.
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John Lewis & Partners Synthetic Soft Touch Washable Dual Layer 6cm Deep Mattress Topper - double
Best for: blissful cushioning
This easy-care topper is a doddle to keep smelling daisy-fresh - simply unzip the top layer and bung it into your washing machine when needed. The topper is made of two parts and while the top detaches, the base stays put, providing additional comfort and support on top of your mattress.
It’s perfect for anyone with a Princess-and-the-pea style bed, comfortably covering mattresses up to 32cm deep.
After just one night using it we found the JL topper offers delightful cushioning, offering an extra layer of oomph for supreme comfort.
Our only gripe? The polyester covering. Whilst it’s almost guaranteed all who buy this will use a sheet to cover it, those with extra sensitive skin may find it a little too hot to handle. That said, it’s a godsend for the allergy-prone.
It's available in all standard UK bed sizes including small double. Sold with a two-year guarantee.
Buy now £105.00, John Lewis
Emma Premium Topper, double
Best for: joint support
With medium firmness to support your spine and joints where you need it most, this HRX comfort foam topper is the quickest way to give your mattress an upgrade.
The luxe 9cm-deep topper promotes a deeper, richer quality of sleep by adding a graphite layer, which aids support and breathability.
The cover is removable and washable to 40°C, enough to keep it clean and free of smells. If you’ve ever flopped onto a hotel bed and wondered how to recreate its luxe feel at home, along with luxury bedding and the right pillows, this is the way to do it.
The brand also offers a flippable version (£249 for a double) for those worried about wearing down one side.
Buy now £465.00, Emma
Simba Hybrid Essential Topper - double
Best for: Goldilocks comfort
Simba’s bed-in-box mattresses are some of the best around, but they don’t come cheap.
Get a slice of the action with its memory foam Hybrid Essential Mattress topper which incorporates 1500 Aerocoil springs to support as you sleep in any position. To stop you from feeling hot and uncomfortable, there’s also a layer of open-celled Simbatex to manage climate levels incorporated into the sleep accessory.
In a test, our reviewer said: “The Goldilocks feel leans to the firmer end of the spectrum but will satisfy those looking to sink right into their bed frame. This ensures you are getting the support for your muscles and easing potential back pain without sacrificing snugness.” The cover can be removed and thrown in the washing machine to keep your bed feeling fresh.
Buy now £239.00, Simba
Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper
Best for: allergies
It may seem counterintuitive to choose wool to keep you cooler, but the textile is famously a great natural thermoregulator, keeping you snug in winter and sweat-free in the summer by wicking sweat from your body. Wool also happens to be naturally hypoallergenic and flame-resistant so it’s a worthy choice from a safety perspective too.
Woolroom’s deluxe topper will keep you cooler, especially if you pair it with a thin and lightweight wool duvet from the brand. This soft, comfortable and chemical-free topper is packed with British wool from sheep that can be traced to the Chatsworth Estate and it is covered with an organic cotton cover. The elasticated bands may look a little insubstantial at first glance, but they fit well and stop the design sliding about once it’s on.
Woolroom’s design is an excellent choice for allergy sufferers and there is a 30-night sleep trial period to try it out for size too. Dry clean only.
The size choice is pleasingly large, with standard UK and EU sizes covered, spanning single to Emperor so you'll be covered whatever mattress you're working with.
Price featured is for a double.
Buy now £183.99, Woolroom
M&S Collection Comfortably Cool Mattress Topper, double
Best for: heat wicking
With temperatures on an upward trajectory, you might be on the hunt for bedding that wicks heat rather than retaining it. Enter M&S’s topper, which does what it says on the tin and keeps things at a comfortable level through Climate Control technologies and cotton-like fibres.
The filling is formed of at least 30 per cent recycled polyester and it’s completely machine washable too.
Keep on your bedding for a luxe extra level of comfort or keep folded in a cupboard, ready to whip out for guests who are staying over.
It's available in single, double, king and super king sizes.
Buy now £79.00, M&S
Silentnight Airmax mattress topper - double
Best for: budget buy
Students and city dwellers on a budget, this one’s for you. The Silentnight Airmax mattress topper is the perfect choice for those who want to rejuvenate their existing mattresses without a hefty price tag.
Ideal for renters and those not ready to splash the cash on a swanky top-notch mattress of their own, it’s a great option for peeps looking for instant relief from exhausted springs. Thanks to its 3cm thick dual-layer air mesh walls, the topper is designed to keep you cool no matter the season.
Although it’s noticeably thinner than all the other toppers we tested, it still provides support and is super soft to the touch. The Airmax is also machine washable at 40 and comes with a two-year guarantee for added peace of mind. Its hollow fibre is also vegan-friendly – yet another reason to buy it.
Buy now £37.15, Amazon
Brinkhaus Morpheus Mattress Pad
Best for: tailored support
Brinkhaus has been topping and downing some of the most luxe bed apparel on the market since 1953, and the Morpheus mattress pad is a testament to that fact. Made for sound slumber (and cheeky Sunday naps), the topper’s soft natural absorbent cotton cambric and pure cotton fibre filling provide tailored support for those in search of a squishier night’s sleep.
Another bonus is that the pad has been designed to be laundered at high temperatures – helpful for removing pesky household and seasonal allergens.
Buy now £119.00, And So To Bed
Naturalmat Trendy Topper
Best for: organic materials
The Naturalmat topper is handmade to order using a blend of organic and upcycled materials – mostly denim and locally sourced organic lambswool from Cornwall and Devon – designed to deliver medium-soft comfort atop your mattress.
For those more conscious of the environment, this option is an ideal natural replacement for synthetic foams using OEKO-Tex-certified hypoallergenic and GOTS-certified cotton and substantially sourced fillers.
Naturally anti-microbial, the topper is also a superb insulator, naturally trapping heat when you need it and when you don’t – something really important to consider if you’re one of those hot flash types. Overall, it’s a great addition to an already firm mattress and because of its relatively low carbon footprint, a total winner in our books.
Buy now £410.00, Naturalmat
Soak and Sleep Cooling 6cm Memory Foam Topper
Best for: cooling qualities
If you’re one of those human radiator types who always runs hot, even on the frostiest of nights, a mattress topper with cooling qualities will appeal.
Despite being made from memory foam, famous for trapping heat, Soak and Sleep's version is made with a specialist memory foam that's been infused with a cooling gel to help reduce night sweats. This means you get the best of both worlds: breathability paired with the comforts of memory foam - a match you'll be thankful for come summer heatwaves.
The 6cm deep topper arrives vacuum-packed in a tight roll making it easier to manoeuvre around the house and into position.
Buy now £140.00, Soak and Sleep
Silentnight Goose Down mattress topper
Best for: silky smooth layers
Silentnight’s luxe Hungarian Goose down feather topper serves two-fold: bringing added protection to tired mattresses and creating an additional silky layer of smoothness and comfort. It’s packed with a high level of filling to support the body’s main tension and problem areas.
Whilst it’s on the softer side, the 100 per cent cotton and hypoallergenic cover also allows for added breathability and comfort enhancing the quality of your sleep even further.
And it gets even better: the topper is machine washable, which is worth a couple of hallelujahs. It’s available in double, king and super king dimensions.
Buy now £135.00, Silentnight
Organic Latex Topper Latex Sense
Best for: thickness
Made with 100 per cent natural latex, organic certified cotton and organic certified wool, the Latex topper from Latex Sense was one of the thickest toppers we tested at 9cm deep. It’s ideal if you’re trying to make a too-hard mattress softer without completely replacing it.
You will need a deeper bottom sheet to fit over both this and your mattress. Arguably one of the most comfortable, the topper contours itself to your natural sleeping position, giving you a fabulous night’s sleep and a feeling of freshness as soon as you open your eyes.
The packaging could be less bulky, but as it’s pretty big and expensive, you’ll feel more relaxed knowing it's well protected from factory to your doorstep.
Add the 10-year warranty, its hypoallergenic and anti-bac credentials and we think you’ll find it’s a good investment, despite its luxury price tag.
Available in standard UK and EU sizes, we’ve priced a double here.
Buy now £465.01, Amazon
NightComfort Anti Allergy Mattress Topper, King
Best for: sneezers
With bounce-back qualities and stretch straps on each corner to stop it from slipping across your mattress, NightComfort’s mattress topper offers excellent value for money.
Made from synthetic materials and fibres, it’s a great option for side-sleeping allergy sufferers in particular and can even be used to add extra comfort to sofa beds and caravan mattresses. It’s machine washable and can be tumble dried as long as it’s on a low setting.
Right now, only single, king and super king sizes are available.
Buy now £43.62, Amazon
The White Company Temperature Balance Quilter Mattress Protector
Best for: sweaty snoozers
If you’re forever throwing one leg out of the duvet to find the perfect sleep temperature, this could be the topper for you.
Great for those who are naturally hotter in bed than others, it’s made with Outlast, a high-tech fabric that uses microencapsulated natural wax to capture and store body heat, a trick that the company says avoids over-heating in the first place.
Crucially, if the temperature suddenly drops, the wax capsules can release the heat back, keeping your sleeping space a consistent temperature. This model feels very padded with a quilted cover and fits neatly over the mattress with a skirt, rather than straps.
We didn’t notice any noise from it at night, which can sometimes be a problem with waterproof fabrics. The outer is made from soft Outlast and 100 per cent cotton which feels cool and comfortable and gives a good night’s sleep.
Buy now £125.00, The White Company
Kally Sleep Cooling Mattress Topper
Best for: softness
Sizes available: double, kingYou’ll feel like you’re laying on cloud nine with this thick topper sandwiched between you and your mattress.
Perfect for reviving older or harder mattresses, it simply relies on airflow to keep you cool until sunrise. The sides are built with mesh, which allows air to circulate freely and it claims to be able to help with hot flushes and warmer weather, though when we tried it, it was still on the warm side - it was tested on a particularly balmy night.
The super-soft design almost feels like laying on top of a thick duvet. It also has an anti-allergy treatment that prevents bacteria from building up, which is a common cause of allergy. Elasticated straps kept it firmly on my mattress too.
Buy now £79.99, Amazon
Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper
Best for: sustainable luxury
Sizes available: standard UK and EU sizes
Layers are the secret to creating a comfortable bed which is why a topper is imperative, even if you've paid top whack for the mattress sitting underneath.
Panda London's 5cm deep design offers next-level luxury, combining orthapaedic support with third-generation hydro-foam to keep joints in perfect alignment as you snooze. What's more, there's gel-infused technology to draw excess heat from the body, keeping you cool and comfortable throughout.
The bamboo cover is hypoallergenic, breathable, and can be removed and put in the washing machine when it needs a refresh.
Buy now £118.96, Panda London
