Investing in one of the best mattress toppers around can dramatically increase the lifespan of that bumpy old mattress that's keeping you up at night. A topper is a thick layer that sits on top of your existing mattress, held in place with elastic straps or an elasticated skirt. In terms of materials and sleep surfaces, there's almost as much variety here as you'll find on the mattress market. Some are filled with down, wool or synthetic stuffing to give a pillowy feel. If you want to replicate the feel of one of today's best memory foam mattresses (opens in new tab), you can pick a memory foam model. Some even feature springs, although that's pretty rare.
Toppers are not to be confused with the best mattress protectors (opens in new tab). The latter are thinner layers that simply shield your mattress from spills and stains, and aren't designed to change the feel of the sleep surface.
If your old mattress simply isn't just right, choosing a suitable mattress protector can get it back into the Goldilocks zone. Whether you want to firm up an unpleasantly soft setup or inject some comfort into a too-firm mattress, a mattress topper is the ideal solution, and typically much cheaper than one of today's best mattresses (opens in new tab) (although if you're on the fence about whether a new mattress entirely might be a better idea, you should consult our cheap mattress deals (opens in new tab) roundup to compare what you can get for what price).
For back to school season, you need to be packing a mattress topper with you if you're headed back to college or university. If you're moving into a dorm room, you'll be given a bed but god knows how many people have slept in it! To protect yourself from germs and to recreate your comfy bed set-up that you've left at home, you need one of the best mattress toppers to do son.
For this ranking, we've reviewed the best mattress toppers in terms of both quality and value, in one handy post. Read on for our top picks.
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The best mattress toppers 2022, ranked
The Eve mattress topper is designed to add a luxurious layer of comfort to your mattress. Beyond that, it also provides a generous helping of support. It’s made from 5cm of the same foam found in the company’s original mattress: there’s a 2cm open cell comfort layer, and a 3cm base foam layer for increased support. It also comes with a hypoallergenic, removable and machine-washable 100% polyester cover, which acts to increase its life.
This mattress topper comes with straps at both ends that hug your mattress, keeping it firmly in position as you sleep. The foam regulates your sleeping temperature, so you’ll stay cool throughout the night. It also serves to reduce motion transfer, which means you’ll notice less partner disturbance throughout the night. And its very breathable – in fact, Eve claims it’s around 30 times more breathable than traditional memory foam. This is an expensive option compared to other products on this list. But overall we think it's the best mattress topper you can buy – head to our Eve mattress topper review to find out more. Or check out our Eve vs Panda mattress topper comparison to see how it compares to a softer, cheaper memory foam option.
The John Lewis Soft Touch Dual Layer 6cm Deep Mattress Topper is available in five sizes and comes with a two-year guarantee. The bottom layer of the topper provides support while the softer top layer adds comfort. That top layer is removable for washing, and tumble drying on a cool setting, and you can leave the base layer attached to the bed with its corner straps, which will fit a mattress up to 32cm deep. For the price this is an ideal mattress topper for occasional use – perhaps to pop onto a sofa bed to provide additional comfort when guests stay over. At the time of writing, this mattress topper has over 1,000 reviews at John Lewis with over 900 people rating it five stars, and having tried one at T3 we were also impressed.
The Simba Hybrid mattress topper is almost like a mini-mattress in itself. This complex model includes four separate layers: a breathable top cover, a layer of synthetic latex, a layer of mini 20mm conical springs (in a polyester pocket), and a layer of zoned foam (called 'Simba-Pure'). There's also an anti-slip base to keep it securely in place on your bed. It's on the chunky side but not ridiculously thick at 7cm. It's (understandably) pricey, there's always a chance you might be able to snag a Simba discount code to knock a bit off. Also note that this topper uses a lot of the same materials you'll find in Simba's mattresses (see our five-star Simba Hybrid Pro review for more on that) – so this could be a way of getting all that expertise for a much lower price than a whole new mattress. Want all the details? Take a look at our Simba Hybrid topper review.
If you’re looking for a medium-firm mattress topper, here’s a design we’d highly recommend; especially if you tend to overheat at night. Soak and Sleep’s Ultimate Soft as Down with Silk Mattress Topper (opens in new tab) is filled with hollowfibre for a high level of comfort, while the top layer of breathable silk helps regulate your temperature as you sleep. Not to mention the generous 7cm thickness (ideal for masking lumps and bumps in an old mattress), a layer of mulberry silk inside to draw out moisture, and a 262 thread count-cotton casing. Head to our Soak&Sleep Soft as Down with Silk Mattress Topper review for more details.
If you want a mattress topper to keep you warm and snuggly when winter rolls around, then go for this Hungarian Goose Down Mattress Topper (opens in new tab). It is extremely soft as well as supportive so it will help prolong the life of your mattress whilst bringing the added benefit of a bit of extra comfort. You can tighten or loosen this mattress topper with its adjustable buttons, meaning that you can have it nice and taught if you like a firmer mattress, or have it looser if you like a softer sleeping foundation. That's a great feature for anyone worried that adding a mattress topper to your bed might negate the benefits of your carefully selected mattress. As an added bonus, the top layer is easily removable and machine washable. When you first get this mattress, give it time to air out and plump it up, as the feathers can become compressed when packaged.
The Panda Topper is ideal for those who like a softer sleep surface. The memory foam that fills this 5cm-thick mattress topper moulds to your body, making it good if you suffer with pain in your back, neck or joints. This filling is contained within a removable, washable and naturally hypoallergenic cover that’s made from bamboo, so it's good for allergy sufferers too. The foam is also punctuated with tiny capsules of cooling gel that should help prevent you overheating throughout the night (in practice, it still traps heat a little). Finally, straps and an anti-slip layer keep you secure, even if you move around a lot in your sleep. All this, plus a generous 10-year guarantee, make this a very tempting buy indeed. Head to our Panda mattress topper review for more info, or see how it matches up against to our #1 pick in our Eve Topper vs Panda mattress topper comparison.
If you want to explore memory foam without shelling out a fortune, the Silentnight Impress could be the best mattress topper for you. Add it onto a spring mattress and this topper will mould to your shape to relieve any pressure on the muscles and deliver a soothing night’s sleep. It's available as a thinner 2.5cm or chunky 5cm version, and if you're worried about things getting too spongy, we'd recommend the former. This is cheaper than the other memory foam entries on our list, and some reviewers have had issues with it not lying quite flat. Also note that while it's listed as machine washable, this refers to the top cover that stretches over the foam layer.
If you tend to blow hot and cold in the night, a mattress topper made of wool is a great way to go... and here’s the best one we know of. The Wool Room’s Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper (opens in new tab) is hand-crafted from 1000gsm of ethically-sourced British wool, combined with an organic cotton outer cover, for a feeling of luxury and comfort. Sustainable, renewable and biodegradable, this natural fibre provides a safe and reliable way to regulate temperature, and has anti-allergy properties to boot. All in all, a quality product from a firm known for its excellent customer service.
How to find the best mattress topper
What do you need to consider when choosing a mattress topper? First look at what's inside it. As with pillows, mattress toppers come with a range of fillings. Memory foam toppers work well if you want something to mould to your body and provide custom support and pressure-relief. Synthetic fillings such as polyester, polyurethane and latex can be a great option if you suffer from allergies (although almost all of the best mattress toppers will offer a hypoallergenic certification).
It's also about the level of comfort you're looking for. How firm your mattress should be depends partly on how you like to sleep – if you're lying on your back sleeper, you might want something firmer to support you under your hips and shoulders, while if you lie on your side, you might want a softer surface to avoid achy shoulders – but it's also a matter of personal preference.
Finally, think about how thick you want your topper to be. To cover up rogue springs, the best mattress topper will be nice and thick – but go too deep and you might need to buy new sheets to fit. Now read on to discover the best mattress toppers to help you upgrade your sleep.
How we test mattress toppers
To create this guide, wherever possible we call in the mattress topper and our tester will spend at least a fortnight sleeping with it on their bed. They'll consider how it changes the feel of the sleep surface, how much padding it adds, how breathable it is (this is a particular focus if it's a memory foam mattress topper, as some can trap body heat) and whether it stays in place securely on the bed. We'll also consider the build quality, materials used and any notable special features. Specs, price and brand reputation also feed into our decision-making. Finally, we look at what other reviewers have said, to make sure we're not missing anything big.
In the cases where we haven't been able to get hold of a product, but feel it's still worth considering, we research what other customers and reviewers have said, and combine that with our existing knowledge about what makes a great mattress topper to put together an informed blurb for you to base your decision off.
Find out more about how we test at T3 here.
