As a short-term rental host, giving my guest a good night's sleep is my top priority. For a while now, I've felt that the mattress in one of our guest rooms is a little lacking. It's a basic innerspring mattress that offers responsive support without much plush comfort. Rather than spend thousands of dollars and countless hours buying a new mattress, I decided to try a mattress topper.
I jumped at the chance to test the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper. Filled with three inches of supportive memory foam, this mattress topper made an immediate improvement to the look and feel of my guest bed.
The first guest we had to stay happened to be my mother. She liked the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper so much that she went home and bought one for herself. Countless friends, family members, and visitors agree that this is one of the best mattress toppers on the market. Not willing to take their word for it, I tested the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper for pressure relief, thermoregulation, motion isolation, and edge support, and found it excels in every area. It even comes with stretchy corner straps for a secure fit. The only problem is the price: a Queen-sized topper goes for $445.
Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper review
I started testing the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper in the middle of the hottest summer New England has ever seen, so I can confirm it lives up to those cooling claims. I'd recommend this mattress topper for hot sleepers who lie on their front, back, or sides.
Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper Specifications
Who would suit the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper?
- All sleep styles: the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper has a medium-firm feel, which is commonly held to be the best mattress firmness for most sleep positions. It's soft enough to cushion your joints, yet sufficiently supportive to keep your spine in line. I found that the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper was just the thing to soften up a inflexible innerspring.
- Hot sleepers: this memory foam mattress topper is infused with graphite, which is highly conductive. It works to carry excess thermal energy away from your body and out of the bed, keeping you cool and dry. I tested the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper during a hot and humid New England summer, and I never once overheated.
- Couples: the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper works to minimize motion transfer. Your partner should be able to toss and turn on their side of the bed without disturbing you on yours.
What's it like to sleep on the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper?
- Pressure relief: on a firmness scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is super-soft and 10 is ultra-supportive, I'd rate the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper around a 5 or a 6. As a side sleeper, I know I need a mattress that's soft enough to cradle my body without swallowing it (the sort of sensation you get from low-density memory foam). The best way to describe it is to show you a picture of my handprint in the mattress (above). You can see that the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper contoured around my curves to bear my weight. Still, it sank no more than an inch, and sprang back into shape soon after my weight was removed. I'd say that the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper strikes a careful balance between comfort and support. Still, if you know you need a firm mattress topper, your best bet is the Nolah Mattress Topper.
- Thermoregulation: before I started testing the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper, I had a low opinion of memory foam. I had to ditch my old memory foam mattress because it trapped too much heat: all that dense foam left little room for air to flow. Understandably, I approached Saatva's cooling claims with a healthy dose of skepticism. I started testing the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper in the middle of July in a room without AC, and I was slightly surprised to find that I slept comfortably all night long. I'd put the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper up there with the best cooling mattress toppers. If you can't abide the feel of memory foam, and you're interested in natural cooling, then I'd recommend the Earthfoam Organic Mattress Topper, instead.
- Motion isolation: my partner and I had a 'sleepover' in our guest bedroom to measure the motion isolation of the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper. In our master bedroom, we sleep on a latex mattress, and I can sometimes feel it when he tosses and turns in his sleep. That's the natural springiness of latex for you. Since memory foam is made to isolate motion, I was expecting the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper to minimize motion transfer. Certainly, I could sleep undisturbed while my partner got into and out of bed. Still, beneath the three inches of memory foam, I could feel a little bit of bounce from the innerspring mattress. For optimal motion isolation, I suggest the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Topper.
- Edge support: often, a memory foam mattress topper falls down in the edge support test. Foam that feels solid and supportive in the center of a topper sometimes gets a little soft and squishy around the edges. Luckily, I found that I could sit comfortably on the side of the the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper to put on lotion or tie my shoes.
- Delivery: the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper arrives vacuum packed. The box was fairly large and definitely heavy, but I had no trouble getting it inside by myself. Set-up is easier with a friend or family member – I asked my husband to pull out the plastic from under the mattress while I maneuvered it into place. Since this is a memory foam product, you might experience some mattress off-gassing − a chemical sort of smell that emanates from the foam. It's totally harmless, but it's not pleasant, so I suggest you close the door and crack open a window to speed up the process. Within 24 hours, the smell should have disappeared.
How does the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper rate online?
The Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper boasts a 4.7 average star rating from 197 verified reviews. There's an option to filter for reviews that address common concerns, such as 'heat', 'comfort', 'fit', and 'support', as well as an option to sort by star rating.
One particularly fulsome piece of praise comes from a '60 year old woman who suffers from hot flashes and hot sleeping. I have tried everything – other cooling toppers, cooling sheets, blankets, pillows − and nothing works except this wonderful graphite topper. Other cooling toppers didn't working because the foam would retain the heat, but not this one.' A few customers complain that the mattress cover develops uncomfortable creases. I can't say I experienced that in my months of testing, but you've been warned.
Should I buy the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper?
I couldn't review the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper without mentioning the price. A Queen-sized topper retails for $445. For that much money, you could skip the mattress topper and invest in the best affordable mattress.
Whether or not the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper is worth the money all comes down to the current state of your mattress. If your old bed is more than seven years old, and the coils are creaking or the foam is deforming, then it might be time to replace your mattress. If your mattress still has life in it, and you're just looking to alter the firmness or feel, then the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper is a great option.
How we test mattress toppers
We assess each topper against the same criteria: pressure relief; thermoregulation; motion isolation; and edge support. To assess pressure relief, we switch between our sides, backs, and stomachs, considering how the topper feels in each position. To assess thermoregulation, we sleep through heat waves and cold snaps, making note of any times we wake up in the night feeling hot or cold.
To assess motion isolation, we ask our partners to lie down on the topper and toss and turn beside us. We pay attention to how much of their movement we can feel on our side of the topper. To get some quantitative data, we might fill a cup with water and set it in the center of the topper before applying pressure around it. The more the glass moves, and the more water spills, the worse the motion isolation, and the less suitable the topper for couples or light sleepers. To assess edge support, we sit on the side of the topper and measure how far we fall. The further we fall, the worse the edge support, and the less suitable the topper for anyone who likes to sit or sleep on the side of the bed.
Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to pick out common concerns. We also consider all the practical aspects of buying a mattress topper, from the details of the warranty to the length of the sleep trial. Finally, we bring it all back to the price to help you determine value for money. To learn more about our reviews, you can consult our expert guide.
