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Simply visit the My Account page, enter your subscriber number in the relevant field and click 'submit changes'. If you have any difficulties creating an account or logging in please take a look at our FAQs page. If you are reading this article online, perhaps you could go to the comments section and let us know what single slightly unusual item you have bought which has brought you the most reliable and lasting happiness. Perverse answers are welcome, of course, but I am not so interested in suggestions such as ‘a Thai bride’ or ‘a brewery’ or ‘“The Concert” by Johannes Vermeer’. What I am hoping for is a list of slightly unusual domestic or practical items which you might have bought on a whim or as a slight extravagance but which subsequently you found surprisingly delightful or life-changing to the point of boring your friends about them. My first two suggestions would be the air fryer (a device which fries food without using oil) and an ice-making machine which sits in the kitchen making ice cubes so I can make a gin and tonic in under a minute.
But far above even these two devices on the happiness-per-pound-spent graph would come a thing called a ‘mattress topper’. Like the film The Shawshank Redemption, I suspect this marvellous item has been slow to catch on because it has been given a silly name: you feel a bit daft recommending it to your friends. If you do summon up the courage to ask ‘Have you got a mattress topper?’ most people will look bemused — but 5 to 10 per cent become highly animated ‘Best thing I’ve ever bought changes your life, etc…’ Just to explain, these devices are a kind of under-duvet. They strap on top of your mattress and create a lenient, downy layer of squidginess between the mattress and the lower sheet. They are available in down, memory-foam and lambswool variants in prices varying from about £35 to £200 and up. (Comparison is difficult, so I am not honestly sure if there is much point in buying the more expensive kinds.) As well as being luxurious, they seem significantly to improve the quality of sleep.
Now at this point you are wondering ‘Why am I reading this? This guy who works for an advertising agency has clearly been paid by a mattress-topper manufacturer to act as some kind of corporate shill. Hell, if I want the company of people who pretend to be excited about things for the purposes of their own material self–interest, I can simply visit a prostitute or read some travel journalism.’ I can assure you this is not the case here. There is no prospect of anyone paying me to advertise mattress toppers, however life-changing they may be. You see, one of the problems of hyper-efficient market capitalism is that copying products is now so fast and easy that every new market category rapidly fragments into hundreds of competing manufacturers. There is no interest in any one of them promoting the category, since their own share of any resulting growth in sales of the item would be so small. Online retail makes this worse still; whereas Argos or Peter Jones might only stock six mattress toppers, an online store can offer several hundred.
Thirty years ago, one of the incentives for creating and promoting a new idea was that, even if the idea was unpatentable, you enjoyed an effective monopoly for a few years while competitors caught up — a reward for innovation known as ‘Schumpeterian rent’. Your name might even become indelibly linked with your innovation, like Hoover or Dyson. In Australia duvets are still called Doonas after the brand name (from the Norwegian dyne?) of the first company to introduce down bedding down under. Perfect competition isn’t always good. The faster and easier it is to copy new products, the less rewarding it is to develop them in the first place. Rory Sutherland is vice-chairman of Ogilvy Group UK. Subscribe to The Spectator today for a quality of argument not found in any other publication. Get more Spectator for less – just £12 for 12 issues.Would you like to give feedback on images or tell us about a lower price?Never mind expensive duvets, now manufacturers claim that padded mattress toppers are the key to a good night’s sleep.
Once just for children, to guard against those little accidents, now they’re for adults — with a bewildering breadth of choice. Mandy Francis puts eight to the test...Breasley Flexcell Mattress Topper (double), £179, time4sleep.co.ukThe claims: Made from 100 per cent memory foam, which moulds to your body contours and evenly distributes body weight for a more comfortable sleep. This 6cm thick topper has a smooth ‘winter side’, which retains body heat near the surface, and a moulded, bumpy ‘summer side’ that allows additional air circulation to help keep the body cool in warm weather.The removable, washable Coolmax cover is designed to draw away sweat and help keep your body temperature stable while you sleep.The reality: This thick topper provided a firm surface to sleep on and really did make my lumpy old mattress feel like new. Both sides — bumpy and smooth — were comfortable, although I preferred the firmer feel of the smooth side.The only drawback for me was how warm it was.
If you like to be toasty in bed, this is ideal — but if you prefer a cooler snooze, you could find this a bit hot and claustrophobic, especially in the warmer months. A quality product — best for those who feel the cold. House of Bath 5 Star Hotel Quality Enhancer (double), £79.95, houseofbath.co.ukThe claims: Enjoy a five-star experience every night, thanks to this topper’s miraculous ability to retain its sumptuous 10cm-deep height. A 100 per cent cotton cover with a synthetic filling that has been cleverly stitched for even distribution. Comes with free pillows.The reality: Soft, downy, exceptionally deep and fluffy, this topper envelops you when you lie on it. For the price it’s good quality, with a nice, soft-cotton covering, and thick elasticated straps to keep it in position on the bed. The only downside is that the filling moves around, leaving it a little bumpy after a few days. A good shake when you change the bed linen restores it.Like sleeping on a cloud — but only if you give it a regular shake.
The claims: Made by luxury Swedish bed retailer Hastens, which also manufacturers the £67,000 Vividus — ‘the most expensive bed in the world’. Rather cheaper is this whopping 7cm-thick topper handmade in Sweden using only natural materials including cotton, wool and flexible horsetail hair (which gives the mattress good ventilation and a springy feel).These should keep your body at the perfect temperature all night.The reality: It took two burly men to carry this hefty topper into my house. Covered in an attractive, thick, navy-blue checked cotton, it looked and felt substantial and was immaculately put together and finished. There are no straps to attach it to your bed — just place it on your mattress and the weight ensures it stays put.Firm, but springy and flexible at the same time, I felt as if I was lying on a new mattress, not my saggy old one with a topper.It was incredibly comfortable all night — perhaps because horsehair doesn’t flatten like other materials — and is so well made you can tell it will last for years.
The only drawback (aside from the price) is you can’t put it in the washing machine. Any spillages or stains have to be sponged off.Slumberdown Bouncy Mattress Topper (double), £12, MatalanThe claims: Filled with Slumberdown’s unique Rebound filling, which is made from millions of tiny spirals, this topper is designed to give a soft, comfortable night’s sleep and bounce back into shape. It’s machine-washable and non-allergenic.The reality: I imagined this topper would be, as the name suggests, thick and bouncy — but at 1cm thick it’s actually pretty thin compared to many others.The ‘bouncy’ description seems to refer to the fact that it holds its shape night after night without going lumpy or mis-shapen, rather than the feeling you get when you lie on it.With a quilted polyester and cotton covering and synthetic filling, it provided a smooth surface to sleep on, although I was still aware of my tired old mattress underneath. I also felt very warm so it’s good if you have a cold bedroom — but not if you suffer from night sweats.
Cheap and cheerful, but more of a mattress protector than a topper. The claims: Filled with 100 per cent platinum-certified (i.e. top-notch) British wool, this 3cm-deep, cotton-covered topper is washable. It also carries the British Allergy Foundation’s Seal Of Approval for its natural resistance to house dust mites and fungus, so it’s ideal for anyone who suffers from allergies, asthma or eczema. It helps regulate your temperature which, the manufacturers say, could mean you get up to 25 per cent more deep, regenerative sleep a night.The reality: The topper arrived neatly packaged in a smart calico bag. It’s a lovely, high-quality product, beautifully finished with smart rounded corners.It fitted generously over the bed, and you can pop it in a washing machine. Unfortunately, the elastic loops to fasten it to the mattress were a bit tight. Though dense, it managed to feel cool and cosy at the same time. It was very comfy to sleep on. Fantastic — especially for allergy sufferers.
The claims: A high-quality 300 thread-count cotton cover filled with grade-A, long-fibre silk that helps to keep body temperature comfortable throughout the night. This topper has elasticated corners — like a fitted sheet — for a snug fit on your mattress.Naturally hypoallergenic — dust mites, which can exacerbate asthma, hate silk so tend to stay away. You can’t machine wash it though; its makers recommend airing outside twice a year.The reality: A slim topper —around 1cm thick — so it’s best for improving the superficial feel of your mattress rather than offering any extra support.It has a luxurious feel and stays in place thanks to its fitted-sheet style. As promised, it is cool and comfortable all night.Feels lovely, but it’s neither thick nor supportive — and it’s annoying that you can’t wash it. The claims: This reversible topper — which secures itself to your mattress like a fitted sheet — features snuggly, wool fleece on one side to keep you cosy in winter and smooth cotton on the other to keep you cool in summer.
It’s approximately 4cm deep and dense enough to cover lumps and bumps in a tired mattress. Naturally anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic (dust mites hate wool, too), it’s dry-clean only.The reality: Perfect for cold winter nights. Lying on the fleecy side of this thick, luxurious topper was incredibly cosy, without being sweaty.The other side was comfortable, too, although I was aware of the thick wool fleece underneath — so I’m not sure how cool it could ever be on a balmy summer evening. It’s far too thick and heavy to wash at home. Lovely and cosy for the winter. Just don’t spill anything on it! The claims: Specially developed so even allergy sufferers can enjoy the warmth and softness of feather and down, this 5cm-thick quilted topper is designed to add a bit of luxury to your bed.A polyester and cotton-mix case filled with generous amounts of duck feather and duck down, it’s held on to your mattress with elastic straps at the corners. It’s also machine washable.The reality: For less than half the price of many of the other mid-range toppers, this product is surprisingly thick and downy.