Skip to main content Skip to accessibility help Natural and synthetic blend Show in stock items onlyIf you can’t afford a new mattress – or you’re not ready to replace your existing one, but are aware it needs a pick-me-up – then a topper could become your new best friend. Sitting on top of the mattress, under your sheets, it offers extra padding and comfort that could make all the difference to your quality of sleep. Research the fillings as rigorously as you would with a new mattress. They all have different benefits for different kinds of sleepers and types of people – for instance, if you get hot at night or you suffer from allergies. Check how snugly the topper fits onto the bed – you don’t want it to move about. And be sure that the filling is evenly distributed, just as you’d want it to be with a duvet. 1. John Lewis Soft Touch Washable Mattress Topper: from £75, John Lewis This 6cm polyester topper, with dual layers and woven fabric, offers cloud-like comfort.
It lasts well too, staying squidgy and soft without going flat. Plus, you can wash it in the machine umpteen times without losing any of the quality. Great value for hotel-like luxury. 2. Breasley Flexcell Mattress Topper: from £129, Mattress Online This thick, comfy topper is made from memory foam, which moulds to your body’s shape and distributes your weight evenly. There’s a smooth winter side, which gets really quite warm (great for those who feel chilly at night), and a bumpy summer side, which circulates air to keep you cooler. 3. Hästens Top Mattress BJ: from £670, Hästens This is the deepest topper in our roundup (7cm) and it feels like you’ve got a whole new deluxe mattress. It’s handmade from all-natural materials including wool, cotton and flexible horsetail hair, all of which keeps your body at the ideal temperature and means the mattress stays comfortable and durable. It is very heavy, though, and it can’t be washed. 4. Vispring Heavenly Mattress Topper: from £550, John Lewis
Vispring is the crème-de-la-crème of mattress brands, and its mattress toppers are equally fabulous. Each one is handmade to order in any size and generously filled with the best British wool, which all makes for a comfy, soft, breathable and hypoallergenic sleeping experience. 5. The White Company Supreme Luxury Down Topper: from £150, The White Company Anyone who’s experienced good duck down and feather bedding will know that this filling can swiftly take you into the land of nod in the lap of luxury. The same can be said of this incredibly comfy topper. The top layer includes down for extra softness, while the bottom layer is 100 per cent feather for support. It's box stitched for even distribution, but it does need regularly plumping up. 6. Dorma Anti-Allergy Mattress Topper: from £45, Dunelm This is excellent value for a soft and plump mattress cover, made from spiral fibre which is encased in 100 per cent cotton sheeting. We found it every bit as good as some toppers we tested (that didn’t make this list) at two or three times the price.
It fits well on the bed and is machine washable. 7. The Woolroom Deluxe Wool Topper: from £111.99, The Woolroom This soft and cosy topper, made from top-notch British wool, carries the British Allergy Foundation’s Seal of Approval, making it an ideal choice for anyone who suffers from asthma, allergies or eczema. It’s 3cm thick, extremely well-made, keeps body temperature comfortable throughout the night and is machine washable. 8. Silksleep Topper: from £110, Silksleep This works like a fitted sheet, wrapping right round your mattress. At just 1cm thick, it’s neither firm nor supportive, but the 300 thread-count cotton cover, filled with long-fibre silk, does a particularly good job of regulating body temperature – ideal for women of a certain age – and it feels luxurious. Dust mites hate silk, so it’s also good for allergy sufferers. 9. Soak and Sleep Ultimate Microfibre with Silk Topper: from £60, Soak & Sleep This is a good one for anyone who wants the luxury, springy feel of down and feather, but either can’t afford it or is allergic.
The filling – top-quality, hypoallergenic microfibre and silk – is box stitched so the filing doesn’t disappear down one end, no matter how much you toss and turn at night. 10. Marks & Spencer Supersoft Mattress Enhancer: From £89, Marks & Spencer This is soft but supportive, thanks to the cluster fibres that cushion your body. Particularly well suited to those who get chilly at night, it keeps the bed nice and warm – so probably not the best for those prone to sweating while they sleep. 11. Ikea Talgje: from £65, Ikea Ikea has a wide range of mattress covers, with this one – a blend of cotton and polyester foam filling – towards the bottom of the price range. It has a good, snug fit and although it’s only 3.5cm thick, it offers an indulgent layer of comfort, particularly for the price. It’s not for people who get hot at night and it has an initial chemical odour, although that does disappear over time. 12. Gingerlily Silk Filled Mattress Topper: from £85, Gingerlily
This 100 per cent long-strand, silk-filled topper is a great natural body regulator, making it a godsend for anyone who overheats at night, as well as suiting allergy sufferers. It fits on well with elastic straps and the cover is a luxurious 300 thread-count cotton sateen. If you’ve got the dosh, the Vispring Heavenly Mattress Topper really does take you to sleep paradise, while a cheaper option that also stands out is the John Lewis Soft Touch Washable Mattress Topper. IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing little home at John Lewis More than 10 in stock Standard delivery within 5 working days More information on international delivery Returns are free - John Lewis Soft Touch Washable BeddingLike it or not, the nights are drawing in and the evenings are getting chillier.
No better time, then, to invest in an electric blanket, enabling you to get into a toasty warm bed or snuggle up under a nice hot blanket on the sofa. There are plenty of variations – underblankets, throws, overblankets and even duvets – but what they all have in common is a series of thin electrical wires that heat up when it’s plugged into the mains. When buying one for the bedroom, make sure it fits well onto the bed. Think about how quickly you need it to heat up – if you’re prone to forgetting to switch it on until last minute, this can make a big difference. Also consider whether your partner feels the cold more or less than you – many come with dual controls. How many heat settings do you want? Do you want one that can remain on all night? Can the heated blanket be washed in the washing machine, and even go in the tumble drier? How easy are the controls to operate? Some are so whizzy that they even respond to your body’s own temperature. Make sure that you can’t feel the wires.
And if you’re buying one to use on the sofa, think about the colour, size, texture and how thick it is – as well as how many temperature options there are. A lot of people worry about safety issues, but there’s really no need, provided you buy one with the UK safety standard mark. 1. Sleepwell Intelliheat Luxury Cotton Mattress Cover: from £69, amazon This fits over the mattress as easily as a fitted sheet, and has the added benefit of extending your mattress’ life. Because it’s made from pure cotton and is breathable, it’s great for allergy sufferers, as well as people who like to feel warm when they get into bed, but are then prone to getting too hot during the night. It heats up quickly and has dual controls, and responds to your body’s temperature. 2. Silentnight Fleecy Electric Blanket: from £19, amazon This brand is better known for beds and mattresses, but it makes great electric blankets too, including this soft microfleece option which we found incredibly comfy.
It washes like a dream, has a 15-minute heat-up time. There’s a non-fleece version available too. 3. Lakeland Velvety Electric Heated Throw: £70, Lakeland Who says electric blankets have to be confined to the boudoir? With its on-trend colour scheme of grey and cream, this one can take pride of place on the sofa and it will keep you toasty while you curl up to read a book or watch the telly. It heats up quickly and can be automatically turned off from after one or nine hours. It’s a good size, too, but best for those who prefer a thinner covering. 4. Lakeland Luxury Fleece Electric Blanket: £67, Lakeland No need to curse that you’ve forgotten to switch on your blanket while you’re doing your ablutions as this one only takes just five minutes to heat up. And with six heat settings and dual controls, there’s a whole world of variable heat to choose from. There are no annoying tapes as it simply fits over the mattress and has good longevity. 5. Dreamland Ready for Bed in 5 Minutes Underblanket: from £60, amazon
Here’s another dual-controlled underblanket that heats up by the time you’ve got your PJs on and cleaned your teeth. And it’s got a whopping nine heat settings, meaning that you can just take the edge off cold sheets right through to creating a piping hot bed. If you really feel the cold, you can leave it on low all night – there’s an auto shut off option up to 12 hours. It takes a while to set up though as it fits on with ties. 6. Dreamland Intelliheat Luxury Cotton Duvet: from £100, amazon Kill two birds with one stone with this electrically heated microfibre duvet that responds to your body’s temperature. We suspected that the wires would be annoying, but you honestly can’t feel them and they’re spread nice and evenly too. Particularly good for anyone with a memory foam mattress, which you can’t use with heated underblankets, and it stays nice and cool in summer. 7. Relaxwell Deluxe Faux Fur Heated Throw: £120, Argos If you’re prone to getting chilly while you’re relaxing on the sofa, this big, thick and soft faux fur blanket will be a godsend, potentially saving you a fortune on the heating bills.
It comes in a range of colours that you can match to your décor and it gets warm within five minutes. A real luxury that can also go on your bed. 8. Lloytron Superior Underblanket: from £28, amazon This is our top recommendation to students or anyone on a budget. It has three heat settings and we found it was ready for use within 15 minutes or so. The double ones have dual controls and you can’t feel the wires. On the downside, it’s slightly smaller than the bed, but we just left a gap where the pillows go and it didn’t move around during the night, like many electric blankets do. 9. Dreamland Intelliheat Harmony Overblanket: from £75, amazon If lying on a hot blanket is about as tempting as going to sleep on hot coals, you might prefer this satin-trimmed blanket that you drape over your blanket or slot inside your duvet cover. It responds to your body’s temperature, so there’s no need to worry about getting too hot. 10. Relaxwell Heated Velvet Lap Blanket: £40, Argos
This is relatively cheap for a heated blanket that you can use as a throw, yet it does the job well, costing less than a penny to run. It’s available in several colours, is machine washable and we love the snuggle pouch to warm cold hands. Best for those who prefer a smaller covering as it’s not huge. 11. Morphy Richards Double Dual Washable Fleece Heated Mattress Cover: £63, amazon We found this particularly stretchy on the side panels, which makes it a cinch to fit over your mattress, and the fleece lining is so thick and luxurious that you’ll probably want to lie down on it straight away. There are four heat settings, although you have to click it through all four positions to get back to zero, which can be a bit of a pain if you prefer to switch off your blanket while you’re dozing off. Sleepwell Intelliheat Luxury Cotton Mattress Cover is the daddy of heated blankets for the bedroom, in our opinion. If it’s more of a throw you want, we rate the Relaxwell Deluxe Faux Fur Heated Throw as the best.