The best mattress topper overall
Memory foam was originally developed by NASA to protect astronauts from the rigors of re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. You're not hitting G-forces when you hit the hay, but you'll still benefit from the cushioning and support memory foam offers. It's an especially good choice if you have a hard time sleeping due to aches and pains in your hips, back, or upper body.
The DreamFoam Bedding Gel Swirl Memory Foam Mattress Topper is a two-inch-thick pad of gel-infused memory foam. The gel, which gives the mattress topper a tie-dyed appearance, helps prevent your body heat from building up in the memory foam. It's a welcome innovation, considering that "sleeping hot" is the number one complaint about memory foam bed products in general.
This isn't the densest memory foam on the market, but it's not super-soft, either. It's just right. It hits the sweet spot of just enough support to keep your spine, body, and pressure points comfortable, without too much of the "sinking in" feeling that can be a problem with overly soft memory foam.
The topper is made in the US, and has CertiPUR-US certification, meaning it doesn't contain harmful chemicals such as ozone depleters, heavy metals, formaldehyde, lead, or phthalates.
Pros: Great price, excellent support, not too hot, an extensive range of sizes
Cons: None to speak of, although a few buyers complained the topper was too soft
The best featherbed mattress topper
The Super Snooze Baffled Featherbed Set is a lofty five inches thick and has baffles to help keep the feathers in place with no clumping or shifting. It's a thickly stuffed, heavy featherbed, so you'll sink in a bit more than you would with a lighter topper. The 100 percent cotton, 230-thread count shell is tightly woven, so a stray feather quill won't poke you, and the featherbed comes with an additional cover to protect it from body oils, moisture, and allergens.
Despite the name, a featherbed is not a bed. It's a mattress topper stuffed with feathers from ducks or geese. The downy filling gives the featherbed a billowy, cloud-like feel, but also means that you aren't going to get the firm support or cushioning for sore joints that memory foam provides.
Most people who love featherbeds simply enjoy the supreme softness, which can provide welcome relief from a mattress that is too firm. A featherbed is also a great choice for people who tend to sleep hot, as the topper is comfortably warm in the winter, yet remains cool in the summer. Keep in mind, however, that if you have feather allergies, this isn't the topper for you.
We did come across a few customer reviews complaining of the need to fluff the featherbed daily — or at least a few times per week — to keep the loft. This is a common issue with all featherbeds, however, not just this one. Some customers also mentioned the sound of feathers shifting inside the topper, and others felt the topper wasn't as thick or supportive as they had hoped for.
Pros: Reasonable price, thickly stuffed with feathers, well baffled
Cons: Must be fluffed frequently, you'll need extra-deep sheets to fit over the featherbed
The best wool mattress topper
Fleece mattress pads are not the easiest type to find, but for those who sleep hot, they are worth the search. Natural fleece is surprisingly cool to sleep on, as it has excellent breathability and doesn't hang onto your body heat the way memory foam or similar materials do. It's cozy, plush, and soft as well. But if lots of support is a must, this isn't the right type of mattress topper for you. While a wool topper offers more support than a featherbed, it's less supportive than memory foam.
Overstock's Lambswool Mattress Pad is a very thick, soft, and high-quality mattress topper, with an inch-thick layer of oh-so-cozy wool atop a polyester backing. A poly/cotton skirt wraps securely around the sides of your mattress to keep the pad in place. The wool is thick enough to cradle you comfortably, but you won't experience the "sinking in" sensation you'd feel with foam or feathers. Instead, you'll have just enough light support for a good night's sleep, and a welcome addition of comfort to a mattress that's past its best days. The wool is safe for machine washing, as an additional bonus.
I owned and enjoyed this mattress pad for several years before finally switching to memory foam due to arthritic pain. The lambswool topper was indeed much cooler than traditional memory foam, and it added a very nice layer of comfort to my bed. On the downside, the wool flattened out under my body weight, and required a quick finger-fluff to restore the loft each time I changed the sheets.
Sleep Like the Dead rates this mattress topper highly, with 91 percent of buyers pleased with their purchase.
Pros: Not as hot as other types of mattress topper, cozy, durable, is easy to cover with a fitted sheet
Cons: Requires periodic fluffing, slight wool odor initially, expensive
The best luxury mattress topper
What if you could get a two-inch, gel-infused memory foam topper to provide heavenly support for your spine, joints, and upper body; plus a two-inch fiberfill topper for dreamy, soft comfort with just one click of a button? Well, now you can, because that's just what Sleep Innovations offers with its Dual Layer Mattress Topper Set.
First, you'll lay the gel-infused memory foam topper atop your mattress. The gel helps keep the memory foam from holding onto body heat, so you'll sleep cool and comfortable. As with all memory foam, the topper will mold slightly around your body's contours, giving you excellent support with a slight "sinking in" sensation.
Next, you cover the memory foam topper with a separate thick, fluffy fiberfill topper, which provides a cloud-like softness and a bit more support. The fiberfill topper's skirt wraps around the memory foam topper and tucks under the edges of your mattress, so no need to worry about the two toppers shifting or sliding during the night.
Of course, as with all products, there are a few naysayers. Some buyer reviews complain that the set is softer than they would like, or that it sleeps hot.
While the Sleep Innovations Dual Layer Mattress Topper Set is a bit of a splurge, it's actually rather reasonable considering that you get two quality toppers for not much more than you would pay for one. Plus, isn't it worth it to enjoy a truly great night of sleep?
Pros: Two comfortable and supportive toppers, gel-infused memory foam stays reasonably cool
Cons: Expensive, may be softer than you'd like
Check out our other bedding guides
A good pillow means a good night's sleep. We reviewed dozens of pillows to narrow down the choices to the ones you'll love best. Here are our top picks:
- Best budget pillow: Le'vista Hotel Collection Pillow
- Best down pillow: Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow
- Best buckwheat hull pillow: Zen Chi Buckwheat Hull Pillow
- Best memory foam pillow: Sleep Innovations Cool Contour Memory Foam Pillow
- Best bolster pillow: Half-Moon Bolster Pillow
- Best gel pillow: Beckham Hotel Collection Gel Pillow
- Best body pillow: Snuggle-Pedic Ultra-Luxury Full Body Pillow
Your cozy down-filled duvet needs a stylish cover to keep it clean and add some spice to your bedroom's décor. Here are our favorites:
- Best duvet cover overall: Brooklinen Classic Duvet Cover
- Best affordable duvet cover: HC Collection Duvet Cover Set
- Best zip-up duvet cover: Crane & Canopy's Nova Duvet Cover
- Best high-quality duvet cover: Casper Cool Supima
- Best kids duvet cover: Animal-print Reversible Duvet Cover set from Where the Polka Dots Roam
Your bed is not only the highlight of your bedroom, it's the only furniture you spend 33% of your life on. Here are our top picks for the best bed frame:
- Best overall: Zinus Upholstered Square Stitched Platform Bed Frame
- Best for storage: Zinus 14 Inch SmartBase Platform Bed Frame
- Best faux leather frame: DHP Dakota Faux Leather Platform Bed
- Best canopy frame: DHP Rosedale Metal Canopy Bed Frame
- Best metal and wood frame: Zinus Sonoma Metal & Wood Platform Bed
- Best high-tech frame: Reverie 9T Adjustable Bed Base
- Best simple frame: Casper foundation and frame
