5 Best Mattress Toppers for Added Comfort in 2022
What else we tested
James Brains/Insider
We tested 20 mattress toppers for this guide. These are the ones that missed the cut.
What else we recommend and why:
Mattress toppers under $150
Allswell 4-Inch Memory Foam: This CertiPUR-US certified copper gel-infused memory foam topper was in the middle of the pack in every test, which makes it a solid product, but nothing sets it apart. It was easy to install, affordable, and stayed in place on the bed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a warranty.
SensorPedic Bamboo Charcoal Infused Memory Foam: If our budget pick isn’t available, we strongly recommend picking this topper up, especially if you suffer from back pain. When I started testing, my back pain was flaring up, but after two nights on this, I was feeling great. It didn’t make our guide because it wasn’t particularly good at cooling, and there’s no trial period.
Mattress toppers under $300
Bear Pro: Previously, the Bear Pro Topper was our pick for the best cooling mattress pad. It’s made of copper-infused CertiPUR-US certified foam, stays in place well, and has excellent pressure relief. However, our new cooling topper pick, the GhostBed, did better at dissipating heat. Still, we think the Bear Pro is a fantastic topper if you can find it in stock.
Nest Bedding Cooling: This topper didn’t live up to its name, as it held onto heat once I got up. It also had poor motion isolation. However, it was comfortable to sleep on, is made in the US with CertiPUR-US certified foam, and didn’t move on the bed. It’s on the softer side, so it may be a good option for side sleepers who prefer a more pillow top feel.
Slumber Cloud Core: This pad did at least okay in every test we put it through. It goes on your mattress like a fitted sheet, which keeps it in place, and it’s easy to clean. It was comfortable and supportive and offered impressive motion isolation. The biggest negative is the relatively short 180-day warranty. Plus, it was just in the middle of the pack at cooling and heat dissipation.
Mattress toppers under $500
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt + Cooling: This is supposed to be a high-end, better-cooling version of our best topper for back pain, but it didn’t perform as well in our tests. Despite its name, it was also inferior at cooling and costs $100 more than the other Tempur-Pedic topper. However, it was comfortable to sleep on, has a removable, machine-washable cover, and is backed by a 10-year warranty.
Saatva Graphite: We almost included this topper in our guide, but it just wasn’t the best in any of our categories. Its average firmness was comfortable and supportive to sleep on, no matter my position. It did a good job of dissipating heat and features straps to secure it to your bed. However, it still shifted, and the topper has poor motion isolation.
Birch by Helix Plush Organic: The Birch topper is similar to our best overall pick. Both are handmade in the US using organic latex, cotton, and wool with all sorts of eco-friendly certifications. However, though the Birch was comfortable, I enjoyed the Avocado more. If the Avocado isn’t available, this is a worthy substitute.
Mattress toppers over $1,500
Airweave Mattress Topper: Until recently, the Airweave topper was our pick for the best firm mattress topper. However, when the already-expensive price nearly doubled, it lost its spot in our guide. The Airweave is still a great product, but at this price point, you could buy a whole new mattress. Toppers that make your mattress firmer are rare, and we will continue to look for a good, reasonably priced alternative.
What we don’t recommend and why:
Perfectly Snug Smart Topper: I really wanted to love this topper. It uses little fans to promote airflow to keep you cool (or warm) through the night. The app lets you customize your experience, even heating the topper to wake you in the morning. Unfortunately, it just isn’t comfortable to sleep on, like really uncomfortable. It reminded me of sleeping on a sofa bed, with its hard spots. I’m interested in testing future iterations of this topper as they company(hopefully) makes it more comfortable.
Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover with PerfectFit: The cool thing about the Eight Sleep topper is it makes your bed as hot or as cold as you want. It pumps water between 55 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit through the topper to keep you cool or warm you up. The app tracks your sleep, and you can adjust the temp to help you stay asleep through the night and wake up in the morning. We initially recommended the Pod Pro Cover, but after less than a month of use, it sprung a leak, which destroyed the mattress it covered.
Lucid Gel Memory Foam: This topper is incredibly soft, like our budget pick. Since it’s made of memory foam, you sink in, making it hard to change positions in the night or get up in the morning. We recommend going with our budget pick instead because of its superior cooling properties and motion isolation.
PlushBeds Natural Wool: The PlushBeds topper was the only model we tested that had wool fill. It’s handmade in the US and is chemical-free. However, it smelled awful, and the odor didn’t go away. It also trapped heat and was way too soft for comfort.
Sleep Number DualTemp Individual Layer: The Sleep Number mattress and AirFit pillow are among my favorites, and I had high hopes for the topper but was disappointed. It pumps air through the topper to warm or cool based on your preferences. I found it didn’t do very well at cooling and wasn’t comfortable. I expected more at this price point.
