Honorable Mentions
Not everything we test makes the cut as a pick, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad mattress topper. Here are a few our testers slept on and still got a good night’s sleep with, but didn’t love as much as the picks above.
Avocado Alpaca Topper for $899: If you’re looking for a mattress topper that’s extra soft, WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson recommends the Avocado Alpaca Mattress Topper. He says it’s one of the softest things he’s ever slept on, and that it’s like sleeping in a cocoon of fluffiness. While it’s only 2 inches thick, it still has that cozy sinking sensation of deeper mattress toppers. There are two options: medium-firm or plush, with the first using organic wool and the second using what Avocado calls “baby alpaca” fiber. Luckily that’s a reference to how soft it is, not the age of the alpaca itself. It’s certainly a luxury purchase, but a great pick of you want something super soft.
Brooklyn Bedding 3-Inch Latex Mattress Topper for $464: This latex mattress topper was fine, with a nice spring to it and a good softness without being too soft. But the Avocado Eco was more comfortable and nearly half the price.
Helix Premium Memory Foam Mattress Topper with GlacioTex for $374: This memory foam topper doesn’t have as much of a sinking sensation as the Company Store or Tempur-Pedic toppers we recommend above, for better or worse—my hips felt a little lower than the rest of my body, and I noticed more motion transfer than with the aforementioned foams. But this Helix topper is a good option if you don’t want that super sinking feeling. There’s no heat retention whatsoever due to the hypoallergenic GlacioTex cover, and it has handy straps that attach to each corner of the mattress. Helix also has a trial period and limited lifetime warranty, so you can give this one a try and change your mind, unlike the Tempur-Pedic above that has no return policy. —Kat Merck
Nolah Mattress Topper for $244: If you’re looking for that new-bed feel, Nolah’s topper adds a fresh layer of a semi-dense proprietary foam inside an organic cotton cover to the top of any mattress. It’s just 2 inches thick, and the firm version softened WIRED reviewer Martin Cizmar’s bed, offering some pressure relief and a plush new-bed feel.
PlushBed Natural Latex Mattress Topper for $497: If you love something firm but want a thicker option than 2 inches, Scott recommends PlushBed’s topper instead. It has five firmness levels, and he’s a big fan of the extra-firm option. It’s also a nice range if you want to pick a really specific level of firmness, as most other toppers only offer one or two options.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Topper for $199: I like a soft bed. In fact, if you had asked me before I tried the Tempur-Cloud topper if a bed could be too soft, I’d have said no. But I have changed my mind. There actually exists a mattress topper that might be too soft. I’m a stomach sleeper, and this memory foam is so plush and so deep that during my week of testing I found myself having to practically fling my body if I needed to move at any point during the night. It also has a tendency to sleep hot, and because a user sinks so deep, there’s a potential for neck pain if they normally sleep with an overstuffed pillow. But aside from that, the Tempur-Cloud topper is basically the last word for soft-bed fans who want to completely eliminate both motion transfer and any trace of a hard mattress. —Kat Merck
Turmerry Latex Mattress Topper for $199: If you want something organic on a budget, this 2-inch latex topper is a good price and our favorite organic topper on a budget. You’ll have to buy the cover separately, but you don’t need it if you want to save the money. Turmerry uses a five-zone design to make the topper firmer in some areas, like your head, and softer around others, like your shoulders.
Toppers We’d Skip
Leesa Mattress Topper for $224: This mattress topper didn’t have great construction to it. We found it didn’t fit neatly on the bed, had weird spots on the edges, and was too soft.
Brooklyn Bedding 4 lb. Memory Foam Topper for $271: Neither my husband nor I could get a good night’s sleep when this mattress topper was on our bed. It also doesn’t offer the same benefits as other memory foam toppers we’ve tested.
Types of Mattress Toppers
Wool: Wool mattress toppers are usually filled with wool batting or stuffing—think the stuff you fill a quilt or upholstered chair with—and wrapped in cotton. It’s soft, but not as extremely soft as memory foam and not as springy as latex is, either. Wool is a good temperature regulator, so it’s a nice choice for hot sleepers.
Pillow Top: Pillow top mattress toppers are designed to have the fluffy feel of a pillow on top of your mattress. The insides of a pillow top can vary: Some add a pillow top design over layers of foam, while others are simply a pillowy layer of down feathers between you and your mattress. Our favorite pillow top uses latex but still has a fluffy, slightly sinking feeling of laying down on a pillow.
Latex: Latex is a manufactured substance, made from rubber trees. That rubber base gives it a nice bounce and spring compared to memory foam. Even though it’s not labeled as foam, a latex topper usually has a foamlike sheet similar to memory foam as its base. It’s also sometimes referred to as man-made organic, since its base is a natural substance, but it does have to be processed in order to become the latex you’d sleep on or use in other products. You’ll get less sinkage with latex compared to memory foam, and less heat retention.
Memory Foam: Memory foam is actually polyurethane (a plastic polymer) foam, created by adding other compounds—the exact combination of compounds varies by company—to the polyurethane to create the memory foam itself. It’s also known as “viscoelastic” polyurethane foam, or low-resistance polyurethane foam (LRPu). It’s designed to conform to your body but return to its original shape afterward; the “memory” name comes from remembering its original shape. Memory foam tends to be one of the softest toppers, and it has a lot of sinkage (which you might love, might hate) and tends to retain more heat. Some companies add extra ingredients, like cooling gel or graphite, to help make the memory foam cooling.
Serene Foam: Serene foam is a newer trademarked material created by Carpenter Co., the parent company of Casper Sleep. It’s made of billions of polyurethane bubbles like memory foam is but also consists of microscopic air capsules. It’s designed to address some of the downsides of traditional memory foam, including heat retention and variable firmness levels, while maintaining the same plush, pressure-relieving feel. A quick warning if you love a heating pad: polyurethane Serene foam is not recommended for use with heated devices like electric blankets or heating pads.
Hybrid: Hybrid mattress toppers use multiple fillings that can be found on their own. These combinations can vary; our favorite hybrid topper from Helix uses coils and foam, while ViscoSoft’s hybrid topper uses a mix of memory foam and soft fiber for a pillow top feel. If you’re feeling like a single type of topper isn’t suiting your needs—whether it’s too soft or not soft enough—a hybrid option might be best for you.
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