Sleepopolis is supported by readers. Product links on Sleepopolis are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something Sleepopolis makes a little bit of money. See how it all works here.Do I need a mattress pad or mattress protector for my new Casper, Tuft & Needle, Leesa, Saatva, or other online mattress? This is by far one of the most common questions I receive on my blog, and it’s long over due for a quick question and answer post. First off, it’s important to note the differences between mattress pads and mattress protectors. A mattress pad is a relatively thick piece of quilted material that sits on top of your mattress, but below your sheets. A mattress pad can help to protect your mattress to some degree from general wear and tear, and help reduce allergens, but in general you’d purchase a mattress pad to add comfort to your mattress. The primary reason I would suggest buying a mattress pad is because you’re unhappy with your current mattress and a mattress pad can be a nice short term solution to add comfort to an older or uncomfortable mattress.
If you’re buying a brand new mattress, whether it’s foam, innerspring, or otherwise, there is really no need to purchase a mattress pad. Mattress toppers would be a similar option if you’re seeking a temporary solution to add comfort, but that’s another blog post. A mattress protector also sits directly on the surface of your mattress, but below your sheets. It’s similar to a fitted sheet in the way it covers the mattress. They are generally made from cotton, polyester, or other materials, and are designed to help repel liquid and prevent other sources of damage (dirt, dust, allergens, etc). The most common use for a mattress protector is simply as a liquid resistant protector. In the event you were to spill a drink, have an accident prone child or pet, or have a sexy-times accident, the mattress protector will help to ensure your expensive mattress stays fresh, clean, and unsoiled. I would highly recommend a mattress protector to anyone who is purchasing a new mattress, or already owns a mattress without a mattress protector.
They are an inexpensive way to ensure your mattress stays nice for years. Most mattress protectors are fairly thin. They don’t have to be thick to do their job if they are made well. As such, they have very little impact in terms of the feel and comfort of the mattress they are on. My wife and I have been using a pretty good and inexpensive mattress protector we purchased from Amazon when we bought our mattress. We’ve slept several times with it off to get a sense of the feel and I cannot tell any noteworthy difference in feel, comfort, or sound when the mattress protector is on vs. with it off. In addition to protecting your mattress from damage, liquids, etc. they can also aid in reducing allergens, dust mites, and asthma issues. If you have an older mattress that you’re not terribly happy with I would recommend a mattress pad. Mattress pads are an inexpensive way to add a little life to older or otherwise uncomfortable mattresses. If it’s a new mattress, there is no need to purchase a mattress pad (assuming you are happy with the mattress).
A mattress protector on the other hand is all but required. It’s inexpensive, protects your investment, has no visible impact, and shouldn’t dramatically change the way the mattress feels. In my book it’s a no brainer. Below are my favorite mattress protectors and mattress pads:A gel mattress pad or topper makes memory foam feel cooler. Memory foam mattresses utilize body heat to conform to your body as you rest. After resting on it a while, the mattress may feel a little too warm for comfort, especially if you prefer cooler sleeping conditions. While there are several ways to reduce the warming sensation of sleeping on memory foam, cooling the mattress is often a matter of placing a cooling material between your body and mattress, but this may also change the feel of the mattress itself. Cooling with Cotton A cotton cover over the mattress -- between the mattress and fitted sheet -- keeps the mattress a bit cooler than not using such a cover. Cotton breathes and feels cool against the skin;
pair the cotton cover with 100 percent cotton sheets for even more cooling properties. Synthetic materials such as polyester blends trap heat and moisture in, rather than wicking body perspiration away. Woolly Wonders A wool-based mattress pad or blanket beneath the sheet also helps keep the heat of the foam away from your skin. While wool offers warmth in cool weather, such as with a wool sweater, wool also has cooling properties because it draws moisture away from the body. A wool blanket or pad keeps your body from feeling clammy atop memory foam. Wool mattress covers or pads are also washable. Air Cooling A bed fan -- a special fan designed to blow air beneath the covers -- offers a cooling sensation no matter what type of bedding is used. This type of fan draws air from beneath the bed, transferring it through the vertical body of the fan through a vent that extends over the mattress, beneath the top sheet and blanket. The vertical portion of the fan body adjusts to the height of the bed.
Under Covers The type of pajamas worn while in bed also affects your comfort level in terms of feeling too hot or too cold. Warm materials such as fleece or synthetic fabrics may cause sweating, warming the body more than you'd like. Swap the pajamas out for thin, breathable fabrics, such as cotton to help ensure you feel cool enough for a good night's rest. Any blankets and comforters should also be made of breathable, natural fabrics to avoid trapping in too much heat. /Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionSummary: Cool sheets can especially help menopausal women. Natural sheets such as cotton and linen are a reliable choice. But not all sheets made of "Egyptian cotton" sheets, bamboo or high-performance synthetics can justify their marketing claims. Look for cotton percale in moderate thread count. To keep your sheets soft and smooth, don't launder your sheets with other clothes, and don't over dry them. Here's a quick quiz - answer yes or no: Read on if you answered "yes" to any of these.
If instead, you are looking for a sheet that will keep you warm, read our guide to finding a flannel sheet that will help you sleep better on winter nights Night sweats are indeed the most common reason to look for a cool sheet. And they are more common than you would think - one survey reported that 41% of people visiting a doctor experienced night sweats at least once in the past month. Specifically, menopausal women experience the worst kind of night sweats. And their options are limited - treatment choices are expensive and could have dangerous side effects. So their safest path of action for women in menopause is to make lifestyle changes that includes using cooling bed sheets. Sometimes, changing sheets with the season just feels like the right way to welcome a new season. For instance, replace your percale sheets with flannel and announce to yourself that it's now officially time to snuggle up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate! Then there are couples who fight over the AC remote.
It's not as uncommon as you think - reportedly, 25% of married couples argue about temperature control. If you and your partner have "thermal incompatibility" (to use the technical term), you need to find the right kind of sheets before, well, things get heated up. Lastly, if you're a parent, then you've seen nights when you walk in to your child's room at night to check on him/ her only to find him drenched in sweat. The right sheets will make sure your child is well-rested the next day. How do you find a cool bed sheet that's right for you? We've seen cool bed sheets of each kind, neither kind is superior to the other. Natural fibers like cotton were traditionally recommended for cool sheets. And to be fair, natural fibers do have a lot going for them - they're a safe choice because they've stood the test of time. But there are plenty of new synthetics that perform much better. Some of these synthetics are even used to make high performance running apparel. For instance, our No Sweat!
sheet has come out at the top of the charts in our coolness tests. What are the pluses and minuses of some of these fabrics? Cotton is a safe and traditional choice for coolness. This is because cotton fiber absorbs sweat immediately. Cotton is also more durable and affordable than most alternatives. It can be blended with other fabrics to produce sheets. Egyptian cotton was traditionally considered the gold standard for cotton sheets. But "Egyptian cotton" has become a much-abused term. A lot of manufacturers claim to make sheets from Egyptian cotton. There is no policing system to check if their claims are real so you end up with dissatisfied customers who thought they were buying high thread count Egyptian cotton. Pima cotton has a similar issue. Grown in a handful of countries, genuine Pima cotton is a good choice for a cool sheet. But again, it is hard to tell if a sheet is truly made of Pima cotton. So it's pointless buying "branded" cotton sheets if you can't be sure of the quality of the actual cotton.
Supima cotton sheets are your best bet if you are looking for the absolute best quality of cotton sheets. Supima cotton sheets have the longest staple fibers used in sheets. Long fibers mean fewer fibers are needed to make the yarns. (Imagine the opposite: short grass cuttings made into yarns -- ugh!) Supima yarns are finer, smoother and lighter than other cotton yarns. Supima yarns have fewer loose 'hairs' that form into small fiber balls (pills) which are ugly and uncomfortable for sleep. The best part about Supima is that its production and handling is tightly regulated from the cotton farm to the finished sheet. For example, inspectors visit Supima factories to make sure Supima is not mixed with other fibers, or that it is not being woven on the same machines that weave non-Supima products, etc. Factories using Supima cotton are granted hard-won certificates that can be revoked for any infractions.To ensure Supima sheets are not adulterated with any other kinds of cotton, Supima cotton is tagged with DNA markers.
This means if a manufacturer decides to make a sheet with 10% Supima and 90% inferior cotton and pass it off as a genuine Supima sheet, he can be found out and penalized by the Supima organization. Lastly, Supima cotton is 100% grown in America. The only downside of Supima is that it's expensive, and has few producers. Buyers also feel that Supima is better suited for say, towels, where you can feel the yarn much better. Still, if you can afford it and are looking for the best, Supima is what you're looking at. Bamboo sheets suffer from the same condition as Egyptian cotton. Bamboo sheets were popular because they were considered quick-drying, soft, breathable and anti-microbial. But the FTC found that "bamboo sheets" are made of rayon, a material that can be made from the cellulose of any plant or tree. So you can't be sure if a bamboo sheet is truly made from bamboo.Further, the manufacturing process itself uses harsh chemicals. "It takes harsh chemicals and lots of energy to turn stiff bamboo stalks into fibers that can be woven into silky fabrics" says The Wall Street Journal.
So bamboo sheets are neither eco-friendly nor anti-microbial. Tencel sheets are probably a better recommendation if you're looking for a cool natural sheet. Produced by an Austrian company called Lenzing Fibers, Tencel sheets are made from Eucalyptus trees. Tencel sheets also have anti-microbial benefits. Are linen sheets cool? There is a type of linen called tissue linen that does well in coolness tests but is too expensive to be used in sheets. Regular linen is a good option for coolness but with one difference: texture. Linen has a coarse texture that is popular with some people. So if you like the casual lived-in look, perhaps iron your pillowcases but you don't need to iron your linen sheets. Linen has a hollow core so its the best natural breathable fabric holding 50% more moisture than cotton. It is often more durable because it's a heavy fabric, although that depends on the quality of yarn. If your linen sheets shed lint, you can be sure they're made with poor quality linen yarns -- good linen sheets will never clog your dryer.
Silk is definitely not a good choice if you're looking for cool bed sheets. While having an instant touch that feels cool, silk is finely woven and the fabric tends to trap heat. Fancy winter gloves have liners made of silk! Microfiber sheets have many advantages over other fabrics: Microfiber is stretchy and clingy, though. It is not popular with some people because it feels like the sheet is "melting" on them, making them feel claustrophobic. Flannel sheets are great to keep the bed instantly warm for you in the winter. But they don't have to make you hot and sweaty. If you choose a high-quality cotton flannel sheet, it will keep the bed warm for you all night but will wick away moisture and prevent you from heating up at night. Read our guide on flannel sheets for the winter to learn more. Besides these, there also some high-tech fabrics that claim to be cool sheets.For instance, Nano-tex claims to use "nanotechnology to transform the molecular structure of fabrics."
It also supposedly has an "advanced moisture-wicking system." Outlast claims to balance skin temperature using embedded microcapsules that absorb heat and prevent moisture from even making an appearance. Do high-tech sheets work? We have had mixed experiences with them. Some of them work but are not chart-toppers in our coolness tests. Some high tech sheets perform very well before their first wash. But after a few washes, the chemical finish wears out and the sheets lose their coolness. That's why you sometimes see rave reviews from customers one night after they have tried out the sheet only to get disillusioned a month later. There are other high-tech treatments that are permanent. The treatments don't wash out because they make mechanical enhancements to the yarn such as introducing heat-absorbing particles. These sheets feel cool for a short time but can absorb only a tiny amount of heat. The parts of the sheet in contact with your skin gets heated up quickly. These sheets only work if you keep shuffling around at night.