The 4 Best Mattress Toppers

The Best Mattress Toppers

Best Overall Mattress Topper

Saatva Graphite

Machine Washable: No | Core Material: Memory foam infused with graphite

The Saatva Graphite was the all-around favorite mattress topper in our testing. It expertly balances softness and support, allowing many couples to sleep comfortably while prioritizing each partner's different needs. This topper offers good support for those who prefer firmer surfaces while still cradling pressure points and providing plushness that sleepers who like soft surfaces appreciate. The version of this 3-inch thick memory foam mat we tested is infused with graphite, which does seem to make it cooler than other memory foam models we tested. The corner elastics are taut and wide enough to help the topper stay in place better than just about every other contender we tested.

Unfortunately, the pricey Saatva Graphite lacks a removable cover, begging to be protected by a mattress pad, adding to its overall cost for anyone who doesn't already own one. Folks looking for the softest topper on the market might not love this topper's medium firmness. Though not as warm as most of the other foam options we tested, it will still add heat to your nighttime experience (though it is worth noting that every mattress topper we tested adds some degree of warmth). Although it is an investment, we recommend the Saatva Graphite for most split-firmness couples shopping for a topper that will please you and your partner, even if you both prefer sleeping surfaces with different firmness levels. If squishy soft is what you are going for and you prefer a machine washable cover, you will likely be happiest with something like the TEMPUR-Adapt by Tempur-Pedic, which also sells at a steep discount comparatively.

Best Bang for Your Buck

LUCID 5 Zone Lavender

Machine Washable: No | Core Material: Memory foam

The Lucid 5 Zone Lavender is fairly-priced and one of our favorite toppers to sleep on. It features an ergonomic grid and a balanced foam density that feels neither too hard nor too soft. We found ourselves deep in comfort, looking forward to a night's sleep after placing this over a hard 10-year-old test mattress. It provides an excellent level of support that contours the body without swallowing you up, so restless sleepers are free to toss and turn with ease. Many of our testers loved the subtle lavender smell, which isn't overbearing and adds a nice scent to the room — though the Lucid is also available scent-free.

The few disadvantages of this mattress topper include its warmth and the fact that it can't be washed — it lacks a cover. Since we sank into it so easily, it felt warmer than many other options we reviewed. Its interesting assortment of channel designs across the top doesn't significantly affect the overall thermoregulatory properties, and some of our testers found them mildly off-putting at first. It took a few weeks of airing out for the lavender scent to calm down to a manageable level. Quirks aside, the Lucid 5 Zone Lavender has plenty to offer and is available at a very reasonable price. If you know already that you tend to run hot and temperature regulation is a priority, but you still want a fluffy, soft place to land at the end of each day, consider an extra thick down-alternative mattress topper like the one from The Duck and Goose Co. Or if you aren't worried about heat but you know you want decent support without the lavender smell, you might consider spending a bit more to pick up the ViscoSoft topper.

Best Topper for Serious Softness

Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Adapt

Machine Washable: Yes; removable cover | Core Material: TEMPUR foam material

If you've always wanted to describe your bed as “plush,” "supple," or “decadently doughy,” we think you'll love the Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Adapt. Made of 3 inches of proprietary foam material, this topper is seriously squishy and became a fast favorite among our testers who prefer a soft sleeping surface. It will cradle you like a babe but still bounces back quickly, preventing you from feeling trapped in any one position throughout the night. The cover can even be unzipped and easily laundered in your washing machine.

However, if you're looking for serious support for your mattress, the TEMPUR-Adapt will likely let you down. It's so pliable that it sacrifices the support many people crave — particularly larger folks who will more easily sink in without receiving much resistance. This intense level of sinkage also contributes to this model being one of the warmest options we tested, so we wouldn't recommend it to anyone who feels like they already sleep too warm. We found the corner elastics too loose on our test mattresses, allowing the topper to slip a bit more than we'd like to see. And yet, if you're looking to transform your old hard mattress into something soft and plush, the TEMPUR-Adapt is the model that does it best. If you are among those who require something a bit more firm, but you equally don't want to sacrifice deep cushioning, take a closer look at Saatva's Graphite mattress topper. It will tap your wallet a bit more heavily at purchase, but it will also do an excellent job regulating your body temperature at night while providing a nice balance between softness and support.

Best Synthetic Filled Pillow Topper

The Duck and Goose Co Classic Topper

Machine Washable: Yes | Core Material: Synthetic down alternative

The The Duck and Goose Co Classic Topper is filled with a fluffy synthetic alternative that feels remarkably like down. It's advertised as hypoallergenic and offers 2 inches of coziness. This ultra-plush option simulates a cloud-like sleep without too much support, making rolling or moving around easy. Unlike foam options, these materials offer good temperature regulation, adding warmth in cold weather without being too hot in the summer. And just like most comforters, you can simply toss this topper in the washing machine when it's time for cleaning.

Like most other options built with the same materials, this product isn't as plush or supportive as high-quality memory foam. You can still feel the structure of your mattress underneath, so if you're looking to transform an old hard bed into something new and soft, this isn't the right choice. The Classic Topper also tends to shift quite a bit over several nights of sleep, even with its corner elastic bands. Still, if you seek a down-alternative topper, this is the best one we've tested for its high loft, coziness, and easy cleaning. If you are equally open to memory foam toppers and want to stay in a similar price range, you will find an even better combination of softness and support in something like the 5 Zone Lavender from Lucid.

Compare Products

Compare select up to 5 products to compare

	Score	Product	Price
	80	Saatva Graphite Best Overall Mattress Topper	$565
	73	Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Adapt Best Topper for Serious Softness	$469
	70	Birch Plush Organic	$749
	69	LUCID 5 Zone Lavender Best Bang for Your Buck	$110
	67	ViscoSoft Memory Foam	$230
	55	Linenspa Gel Infused Memory Foam	$120
	54	The Duck and Goose Co Classic Topper Best Synthetic Filled Pillow Topper	$100
	54	Zinus Swirl Gel	$65
	47	Niagara Sleep Solution Down Alternative Topper	$43
	45	Sleep on Latex Pure Green Natural Latex	$325

Why Trust GearLab

We've spent hours researching mattress toppers over the years to find the best and most promising options available. We purchase every contender ourselves, never taking handouts or freebies from manufacturers, and put them all to the test. We've spent many weeks testing and sleeping on each model, recruiting as many people to our testing squad as possible. We had light sleepers, side sleepers, large sleepers, stomach sleepers, and sore sleepers scrutinize each topper's performance over repeated nights of rest. We evaluated thermoregulation qualities, supportive features, and the ability of each one to stop water from spilling out of a glass placed on top while we rolled around. We did our best to leave no scenario unexamined in our testing to bring you an unbiased understanding of which mattress toppers will be the best fit.

Our topper testing process was divided into four metrics:

• Comfort (35% of overall score weight)

• Support (30% weighting)

• Temperature Regulation (20% weighting)

• Movement Transference (15%) weighting)

This review is led by two of our longtime Senior Review Editors, Maggie Nichols and Amber King. Maggie is a lifelong side sleeper and a runner with a tendency toward sore hips, so she is used to investing in worthwhile bedding to maximize the enjoyment of each slumber. Amber has been using mattress toppers for over 20 years on her own bed and understands the transformative power of a good topper on a bad mattress. Both of these experts have backgrounds in scientific research, having become well-versed in methodology, implementation, and even teaching during their many years of study and fieldwork. Maggie possesses both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Biology, while Amber earned degrees in Science and Education and has since spent years teaching science and working as an aquatic biologist in the Mountain West. This shared background has given them a solid foundation from which to design and carry out comprehensive and probing tests on these mattress toppers.

Analysis and Test Results

Over the years, we've collectively spent many months testing this lineup side-by-side. Our testing teams sacrificed significant chunks of time and repeated nights of sleeping and lounging on every contender. While each product's overall score provides a big-picture idea of how they compare to the rest, we tested each topper across four different metrics. In what follows, we'll break down our testing and get into the nitty gritty of each topper's detailed performance.

Value

Mattress toppers span a wide range of possible costs, and yes: you generally get what you pay for. That said, in our testing experience, we did find less expensive options that still provided a great night's sleep. While part of this depends on what you personally want from your sleeping surface, we tested several high-value products that perform well while remaining more affordable. The Lucid 5 Zone is one such model. If you want a memory foam option that won't break the bank but will transform your mattress, this fairly-priced product is a great choice. It offers comfort and moderate support with channels that help to regulate body temperature. If you don't want to change the support of your current mattress but want an extra layer of coziness, the Duck and Goose Co Classic is another high-value item. If you're okay with spending more, keep in mind that toppers can be worth their additional cost by transforming an old, uncomfortable mattress and saving you from having to buy a whole new mattress — which is even more expensive. The Saatva Graphite is one such topper, adding both support and comfort to any mattress, no matter how old, hard, or broken in it may be.

Comfort

Comfort is king when it comes to sleep. Most likely, you're seeking a mattress topper to add additional comfort that your mattress alone isn't providing. We realize that people have different preferences when it comes to this arena, so a large part of this metric is based on subjective feedback we received from several testers after sleeping on each contender for weeks. We evaluated every topper on such criteria as pressure points in different positions, compressibility for various sizes and weights, and other related factors like how the materials smelled when new.

The Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Adapt is the plushest topper we tested. It's a full 3 inches thick and is exceptionally squishy. Our testers that prefer a soft sleeping experience loved this model. While it compresses easily and readily, it bounces back just as quickly and never felt weird or deformed, even when shifting positions. The Adapt is one of the few options we tested that can truly transform an old mattress into an entirely different sleeping surface. The other mattress-altering model we tested is the Saatva Graphite. It's not quite as soft and squishy as the Adapt, but it offers a serious level of comfort. Our entire testing team — larger and smaller folks, side sleepers, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers — all appreciated the comfort the Saatva provided.

The Lucid 5 Zone Lavender is another very comfortable option. It's soft and supple, easily cradling all your pressure points. The Birch Plush Organic is also a comfortable topper. It's thinner than several of the foam options we tested, but it's filled with a blend of natural wool and latex that provides quality comfort. The Birch isn't enough to make a hard mattress feel cushy, but it still adds a level of casual comfort that our testing team enjoyed. If you don't prefer so much cushion and instead are seeking to add some coziness to your already-comfortable mattress, the Duck and Goose Co Classic is a wonderful option. Filled with a synthetic down alternative, this fluffy topper puffs up around you while you sleep, helping you to feel like you're lying in a welcoming cloud.

Support

Though the amount of support you desire will depend on your body and personal sleeping habits, having at least some support is key to a mattress topper that will enhance your sleeping experience. We scrutinized the ability of each model in our lineup to support people of different sizes, different preferred sleeping positions, and various body aches and pains. We determined each topper's relative firmness and evaluated how well they contoured our bodies. We also monitored if and how this support changed over our testing period.

If you're after extra support for your worn-out mattress, the Zinus Swirl Gel may be your perfect pick. Its unique-feeling memory foam maintains its rigidity without softening very much as you lay on it. It brings serious support to your bed but isn't as comfortable or soft as most other options and only conforms to some of the curves of your body. The next most supportive model we tested is the Saatva Graphite. Though it is a step lower in supportiveness compared to the Zinus Swirl, it's several steps softer and offers a nearly ideal blend of comfort and support that our entire testing team enjoyed. The Saatva compresses as you lay on it without totally collapsing beneath the weight of your hips or shoulders.

Another great option for a supportive topper is the ViscoSoft Memory Foam. It offers a similar blend of support and comfort to the Saatvabut is just slightly softer and squishier. We found ourselves sinking into its dense foam but still had plenty of support in all the right places, regardless of our sleeping position. The Birch Plush Organic is another model with good support. It is firmer and less squishy overall and was better liked by those members of our testing team who lean toward enjoying solid, stable sleeping surfaces.

The Lucid 5 Zone Lavender is another option to consider. Instead of our bodies sinking into the foam, we found ourselves resting higher on the topper without that sinking feeling. There is just enough squish to conform to your curves and still feel supportive and comfortable. The material holds up and offers the same level of support from the time you lay down to when the alarm clock goes off. The ViscoSoft, comparatively, felt hard at first, then softened up as we sank into its full support.

Temperature Regulation

While many manufacturers claim that their products are cooling, none we have ever tested or tried over the years kept us cooler than just sleeping on a plain mattress. However, not all toppers add the same amount of heat. While, in general, squishier, thicker foam toppers are warmer than thinner, more rigid, and non-foam toppers, we found that there are notable exceptions and variations.

Both down-alternative models we tested — the Duck and Goose Co Classic and the Niagara Sleep Solution Down Alternative Topper — do well in this metric. Their lofty innards naturally allow more airflow and dispersion of body heat than any foam model could hope to offer. The Niagara Sleep Solution performs slightly better than the Duck and Goose because it's only half an inch thick, compared to the fluffy 2 inches of the Duck and Goose. Still, if sleeping cool is your number one priority and you only want a small amount of extra cushion on your bed, we recommend either of these two options.

The Birch Plush is the next coolest option. With its cotton exterior and wool/latex interior, it retains more breathability than all the foam and latex options we've tested. While all of the foam models in our lineup add some heat, they're not all the same. The Saatva Graphite is the coolest foam option we tested. It's hard to say if it's actually due to the graphite embedded in the memory foam interior, which, the manufacturer claims, has a cooling capability. We also found ourselves not sinking as far into this foam model as the rest. This added height almost certainly helped to keep us from getting as hot on the Graphite as the other foam contenders.

Movement Transference

Though the ability to stop feeling your partner turning over in the night is rarely at the top of anyone's list of reasons to purchase a mattress topper, for those of us who share our bed with a particularly active sleeper, it can really improve the overall experience. We tested this by sleeping two people to a topper and noting if we could feel each other rolling or moving — both during the night and while awake during the day. We then put a glass of water on the particularly sturdy models and jumped, flopped, or bounced on the other side to see how much liquid spilled out. And peripherally, we noted how each model attaches to the mattress underneath and if it stays in place over many nights of sleep or shifts, gets bunched up, or otherwise moves around.

Toppers made from high-density foam performed the best in our movement transference tests. In particular, the Tempur-Pedic Adapt and the Saatva Graphite far exceeded the rest regarding quelling stray movements. Not only did we not feel our partners moving on these solid models, but they both also performed well in our water glass testing, spilling just a few drops of liquid when we jumped on the other side. The ViscoSoft is also impressively sturdy in this regard, though it performed slightly lower in the water glass test. The Lucid 5 Zone Lavender performed solidly here as well, though it was noticeably less able to mask movement than the TEMPUR-Adapt or the Graphite.

Another piece of this metric involved the movements of the toppers on the mattresses over numerous nights of regular use. The Saatva Graphite impressed us the most here. While several models have corner elastic bands to hold them in place, this one proved to be the most stable. Even after a week of sleeping on a king bed, where most models started to shift or bunch, the Graphite remained impressively in the same spot. The ViscoSoft also does a solid job staying put and is the only model with adjustable elastic bands on the corner.

Conclusion

Mattress topper hunting can be challenging in the best of times and especially difficult when done over the internet. Our team of testing experts places a lot of importance on the performance of our bedding, as we all spend roughly one-third of our lives sleeping. We hope our thorough and rigorous testing has helped you gain insight into which model will work best for your needs and your wallet. Sweet dreams!