Perhaps you’re not quite ready for a new mattress, but something needs to change. For whatever reason, that mattress that was once the joy of your life has started to feel a little less plump, and more lumpy – and what’s worse, it’s beginning to affect your sleep. It’s perfectly normal for this to happen even to the best mattresses, but it can be frustrating, especially to sensitive sleepers.
Mattress toppers are a great way to add that little bit of extra comfort to your mattress and prolong its life span by a few more years at least and help to get a better night’s sleep.
So here’s our guide to the best mattress toppers on the market today.
What are mattress toppers?
Essentially this is almost a mini mattress with straps that goes on top of your traditional mattress. They can range from a small slither of material to as much as 10cm in thickness and like normally mattresses, mattress toppers come in a wide variety of materials and styles so there’s something for everyone and every sleep style out there.
Do I really need a mattress topper?
Did you really need that 5th slice of pizza last night? Or that 6th beer? Probably not, but it felt good at the time. A mattress topper is by no means a requirement for a mattress. The mattress itself, in theory, should provide you with all of the comforts you need.
However – if your mattress is more middle age than in the prime of its life, you may begin to feel some slight discomfort or simply that the mattress doesn’t quite have the same bounce that it once did. At this point, you have three options. Live with it, and gradually begin to grumble about the glory days of your firm mattress, replace the mattress, which can be an expensive investment, or get a mattress topper, which is often a fraction of the price of a new mattress but with a similar initial impact.
I’ve also heard whispers about hygiene?
Because they sit on top of your mattress, your mattress topper will collect much of the gunk, dirt, dust mite – and just about everything else that might appear in a bedroom. You’d be surprised just how much accumulates in our houses that we don’t even see.
Some mattress toppers come with removable covers that are machine washable, while it’s not uncommon for some people to just simply replace the mattress topper every year or so. This isn’t exactly necessary but might appeal to the avid cleaners out there.
What kind of mattress toppers are out there?
There are four types of mattress toppers
Natural fibre
Usually made of feather, wool, goose or duck down. These mattress toppers can be wonderfully soft and comfortable but might not be the best option for allergy sufferers.
Synthetic
Exactly what it says on the tin. Cheap and cheerful and usually made from polyester. The cheapest mattress toppers will normally fall into this category.
Memory Foam
A good option if you have allergies, a memory foam mattress topper will mould around the shape of your body but isn’t to everybody’s liking. They often also come with a cooling gel that keeps the mattress topper at a pleasant temperature throughout the night.
Latex
Very good quality and will last for as long as you need but comes with a price to match. Latex toppers are usually made of natural material, such as rubber and is often a good option as a topper for back pain.
So what is the best mattress topper?
Hold your horses, there are a few things that you need to consider before rushing out to buy a mattress topper. Budget can be a big factor, with a latex mattress topper costing much more than a polyester topper. Are you looking for a thick mattress topper or are you happy with something just 5cm thick? Do you like the sound of a gel infused memory foam topper or do you want to go all out for that luxurious feel? Are you or your partner allergy sufferers?
As you can see, there’s a lot to take into account. Here are our picks of the best mattress toppers around:
Soak and Sleep – One of the best mattress toppers in UK under £ 150
Soak and sleep have a great variety of mattress toppers from memory foam to silk and polyester, from wool to duck down, all of which provide wonderful padding that doesn’t lose its shape after a night of tossing and turning.
While the quality and material might change slightly, customer reviews through Trust Pilot remain at 4.5 or above across the board – a very popular choice. And a prices that won’t leaving you gasping in horror.
Prices range between £29.50 and £112
5-year guarantee
Topper from Soak and Sleep
Check Latest Price on Amazon UK
Panda – A great memory foam mattress topper that’s also eco-friendly
Panda’s gel infused memory foam mattress topper is already proving to be hugely popular. As we begin to think more and more about the environmental impact of what we buy, chances we are going to see a lot of products like this.
It comes with a naturally hypoallergenic bamboo outer cover that is machine washable and gel-capsule infused hydro-foam below to give you that beautiful sink-in feeling.
Prices range between £99.95 and £189.95
30-day sleep trial
10-year guarantee
Simba – A great hybrid mattress topper
Anybody who knows anything about mattresses will recognise the name Simba. Its hybrid mattresses with their hybrid foam and spring technology have become enormously popular, and their mattress toppers use the same format. This is relatively firm mattress topper and a good option for those who suffer from aches and pains.
Through a combination of latex, conical springs and high-density foam this topper gives not only plenty of bounces but excellent support too. The open-cell foam also adds a cooling airflow, which isn’t always evident in traditional foam mattress toppers. Quite simply one of the best memory foam mattress on the market. A great way to stay comfortable throughout the night.
200-night trial
10-year guarantee
£199.99
Dunelm – A thin mattress topper that doesn’t skimp on comfort
Don’t expect too much thickness with the Dunelm teddy bear cream quilted mattress topper, but what it lacks, it more than makes up in comfort and an eye-catching low price. And on top of that, it comes with two different sides that work excellently in different seasons and provides that wonderful layer of comfort, which also allows for plenty of temperature regulation. Use the fleece side up during those chilly winter months, and flip it over to the microfibre side as soon as things begin to heat up.
Prices range from £16 to £22
The Wool Room – A wonderful wool mattress topper
If you want to go in completely the opposite direction to the Teddy Bear Cream, Wool Room provides a wool mattress topper that feels almost decadent. Under the organic cotton outer covering lies 1000gsm of traceable British Downs Wool.
This is an excellent self regulating mattress topper and feels utterly heavenly to sleep on. It also comes with a stamp from Allergy UK for being hypoallergenic and naturally resistant to dust mites and mould.
30-night sleep trial
Prices range from £116 to £262
Conclusion
So, should you rush out to buy a mattress topper or a mattress pad? If you feel that your mattress has lost a bit of its old bounce, but considering you only bought in a few years ago you are loathed to splash again, maybe a topper is for you. Their prices typically mean they are an attractive proposition instead of an entirely new mattress and many of them now come with a sleep trial which allows you a short period to test our your new topper.
As for which type to go for, that will really depend on what you are used to sleeping on. These days mattress toppers are more or less mimicking traditional mattresses in terms of their technology, so if you like memory foam then go for that if the idea of laying back on wool sounds like heaven to you, then why not give that a test.
