Different Types of Mattress Toppers
Types of Mattress Toppers
Feeling stressed, experiencing back pain, or lacking comfort? Unfortunately, you're among the many people who struggle get a good night of sleep. A mattress topper may be the solution to getting rest and sleeping through the night.
Now, the question is, which one should you choose to meet your needs? Different types of mattress toppers serve various functions, such as extending the lifespan of your mattress, regulating temperature, managing pain, or reducing allergy risks.
To make it easier to distinguish between the different mattress toppers, we can classify them into two distinct categories based on their fillings. We have natural mattress toppers, known for the warmth and softness they provide. On the other hand, there are synthetic mattress toppers that offer easy maintenance.
Index
Natural Mattress Toppers
Feather and Down
This type of filling primarily absorbs moisture during the night and promotes air circulation. Feather and down mattress toppers increase the fluffiness of your bed and provide a soft sensation. The downside (pun intended) is that you may feel some poking depending on the quality of the down feathers.
Bamboo
The lightweight and soft fabric of bamboo mattress toppers offer numerous advantages, ensuring your well-being and comfort throughout the night. This textile is often integrated with other beneficial materials like copper.
Cotton
Made from cotton fibers or wool, cotton mattress toppers provide a plush surface and a gentle touch. Moreover, cotton has hypoallergenic properties, making it suitable for limiting allergies to dust mites. Cotton fibers retain body heat in winter while providing a refreshing surface during the summer. Cotton also allows excellent airflow, which can be beneficial if you experience night sweats.
Wool and Silk
Wool and silk mattress toppers offer a soft and plush feel. They are highly durable with the proper care, ensuring superior longevity compared to cotton or bamboo. These toppers also have excellent thermal properties, catering to the needs of individuals who require ventilation during the night. Moreover, their tight fibers prevent the proliferation of bacteria.
Latex
Latex mattress toppers are known for their comfortable adaptability to the sleeper's body shape and tension relief. Latex also provides firmness without sinking completely, allowing for better freedom of movement.
Note: "100% natural latex" mattress toppers are composed of at least 85% natural latex. "100% latex" mattress toppers, on the other hand, are mainly made of synthetic latex. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to the different labels used for natural latex mattress toppers, as their compositions may vary.
Synthetic Mattress Toppers
Water
A heated mattress topper allows you to sleep at your desired temperature. The temperature controller warms or cools the water according to your preference, typically ranging from 18°C to over 45°C (64°F to over 113°F). This water circulates through the mattress topper, conditioning the surface of your bed. This type of mattress topper offers numerous benefits, such as improved sleep quality and relief for certain health conditions. It also helps alleviate hot flashes, excessive sweating, and certain allergies. It's a good idea to check the warranty on these toppers as their bells and whistles can be quite expensive.
Memory Foam
A memory foam mattress topper relieves pressure points and is primarily designed to reduce back and hip pain. It adapts to your body's position and will gently cradle the shape of your body. Memory foam is also quite effective at reducing motion transfer, so couples, pets, and children won't disturb one another at night.
When your back is stiff, spending hours in a compromised sleep position can and likely will result in pain upon waking up. The problem is not the stiffness but the immobility. Whatever material you choose, a mattress topper must adapt to the shape of your back and body. For this reason, we tend to suggest memory foam mattress toppers if you suffer from back or hip pain.
You can find our highly reviewed 4-inch Active Cooling Mattress Topper, made in the USA and voted the best mattress topper of 2021 here.
Conclusion
There is a wide variety of mattress toppers available, and to make the right choice, it's important to consider three criteria:
- Size: It should match the size of your mattress.
- Thickness: It ranges from 1 inch to 4 inches. For optimal comfort, we recommend choosing a thickness of at least 2 inches.
- Technology: This depends on the specific benefits you seek (back pain, allergies, etc.). We like memory foam with the restorative benefits of copper.
To compare mattress toppers with your needs, take our Topper-Finder quiz.