Have you ever wondered how to go about choosing the right top layer for your mattress? It is important to understand the difference between a mattress topper and a mattress pad. A Mattress Toppersmattress topper is used in addition to a pad or protector to provide extra comfort, joint support, and warmth. It sits directly on top of your mattress (which may be covered with a mattress pad). There are many different kinds of toppers, such as memory foam, featherbed, heated, waterproof, anti-microbial, and more. A mattress pad (sometimes called a “mattress protector” by certain manufacturers) fastens to the mattress via an elastic skirt or band. It safeguards your mattress and acts as a buffer between the sheet and the bed. Mattress pads can be hypoallergenic and protect your mattress from spills, stains, and the wear and tear that occurs over time. Below we teach you how to choose one or both based on several different factors to improve your sleeping habits. Latex Mattress Topper: This popular durable topper provides an extra layer of support, requires very little maintenance, and comes in a variety of thicknesses.
They tend to be longer lasting than some of the other toppers, and have been proven to keep cool throughout the night. Foam Mattress Topper: Foam and memory foam toppers are usually constructed of polyurethane and come in varying levels of thickness and densities. They are a less expensive alternative to a foam mattress and limit movement transfer as you sleep to provide joint support. Those who suffer from neck and back pain and arthritis should consider the foam pad. One thing to note, many sleepers say they foam tends to retain heat. If you sleep hot, a gel-infused memory foam mattress topper addresses this issue and uses cooling gel to absorb your body heat and keep you cool. Feather and Down Mattress Topper: These mattress toppers add an extra layer of plush softness to your bed. They have also been to known to keep sleepers warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Allergy sufferers should be cautious when purchasing a feather or down mattress as they are not naturally resistant to dust mites and other triggers.
Fiber Mattress Topper: Fiber mattress toppers provide all the benefits of feather toppers, but are hypoallergenic due to their polyfiber fill. Cotton Mattress Topper: Cotton toppers are an excellent natural alternative to the synthetic ones. Many manufacturers will use organic or all natural cotton. Wool Mattress Topper: Another excellent option for the health conscious, these natural toppers keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They are also resistant to mold and dust, which is excellent news for the allergy sufferers. Fitted Mattress Pads: Similar to a fitted sheet, an elastic band wraps around the edges of the bottom of the mattress. These are the most common type and are typically quilted and help to prolong the life of your mattress. Waterproof Mattress Pad: If you have children, eat breakfast in bed, or like to enjoy a glass of wine with a good read in bed at the end of the day, a waterproof pad is the way to go. A porous layer helps repel stains and keeps unpleasant odors at bay.
This is also a good option for children that are being toilet trained and adults with incontinence. Anti-Allergen Mattress Pad: These pads help eliminate allergy-inducing particles such as dust mites, pet dander, bacteria, mold, and other household allergens that find their way into your bed. An added bonus, these pads also stop allergens from eating away at your linens. Pillow-Top Mattress Pad: These pads are designed for those looking for an extra layer of soft, cushion-y comfort. They feature a sewn in layer of pillow-like material that lies directly on top of the mattress. Temperature Control Mattress Pad: Heated mattress pads are usually remote controlled and provide a little extra warmth for those that get cold at night. If you tend to wake up in a sweat, a cooling pad uses a special design to promote airflow.For those who like feeling as if they’re sleeping on a pile of feathers, or in a Ritz-Carlton penthouse suite, nothing will bring you there like a plush mattress topper.
An extra (literal) layer of softness can be all the more necessary in this age of computer-generated comfort from bed-in-a-box brands like Casper and Tuft & Needle, which aim for a median level of comfort so that you don’t need to test out your mattress beforehand; you can feel relatively sure, based on their extensive research, that it will feel “fine.” But what if you want to feel not just fine, but like you’re sleeping on a cloud? If you’re looking for plush, there are two options: down and alternative down, which mostly feels the same, but has no allergy-causing potential and is often much more affordable. What makes one cushiony fabric really stand out from the pack is the way it distributes the fluff. While in some cases a down filler will shift or bunch up, the best toppers are able to maintain an even distribution throughout the night. Others run into problems when the outer shell has a synthetic feel, which can seep through and affect overall softness, even when it’s beneath sheets.
The happy medium here is Parachute, which is, of course, another sleep start-up. Instead of focusing on the mattress, though, Ariel Kaye founded Parachute two years ago to sell sheets and duvets she designed to mimic a hotel bed she first slept in during an Amalfi Coast getaway. I was turned on to the brand during an informal survey of interior-designer friends and bedding experts. Two of them, interior designer Danielle Arps and home-goods designer Aelfie Oudghiri, said that Parachute’s down-alternative fiber bed, filled with a hypoallergenic microfiber and released this August, was the most natural and luxurious-feeling, like a super-dense comforter from below. So I decided to try one out.I sunk right into the Parachute and it shaped to the form of my body, following my every move throughout the night. While a memory-foam topper might act similarly, this felt light, airy, and cool, instead of thick. And there were no hot vibes like I get from foam. Kaye and her team developed this topper to solve the problem of down alternative often flattening quicker than real feather down;