THE BIG COVER-UP

Zoe Phillimore jumps all over these mattress toppers

Mattress toppers are enclosed wads of padding, ranging from wool and microfibre to memory foam, which add an extra layer of comfort to mattresses while also protecting it, and extending its shelf life. However, mattress toppers shouldn’t be confused with protectors, which are waterproof, have minimal padding and are designed purely to protect mattresses from stains.

But how do you pick the perfect topper for superior snoozing? First of all, think about the obvious stuff: what are you hoping to achieve? Are you keen to crank up the comfort, boost the heat retention qualities of your current mattress, or find a topper which offers better support for your back, neck or shoulders?

If it’s the latter, we’d recommend opting for memory foam. But memory foam – which is generally less breathable – isn’t necessarily the best option if keeping cool is your priority, although there are a handful of exceptions, namely toppers which have cotton covers that wick away sweat and can help to keep you cool. Woollen toppers are brilliant options for anyone keen to keep cool, because wool fibres are naturally breathable, and can absorb large amounts of moisture vapour which are then allowed to evaporate.

We also have a bit of maintenance advice to make sure you get the most out of your topper. Mattress toppers can be washed using your washing machine’s delicate cycle, but should be airdried, ideally hung outside from a washing line. If the issue is a minor stain, consider spot-cleaning the topper instead. Mix two parts of water with one part detergent and spritz the liquid onto the area in question, or dab on white vinegar to remove stubborn stains.

How we tested

We’ll be honest: we slept. A lot. But in our defence, this wasn’t as easy as it might seem – the testing took place during one of the hottest Julys on record, so we weren’t only able to assess the comfort levels, but each topper’s breathability temperature regulation properties, too.

And the testing wasn’t just carried out during periods of Saharalike heat – we spread the testing to ensure we tested the mattresses on cooler nights too.

M&S comfortably cool mattress topper £65, Marks & Spencer

We tested this during a week when it felt like the world (or at least Surrey, where the testing took place) was on fire – an unbearably hot week during which we’d ditched our duvet, and were keen to minimise any heat retention. And we can honestly say this brilliant topper saved the day, keeping us wonderfully cool (the blurb credits this to climate control technology, but we suspect the heavy use of cotton had a role, too) and providing just the right amount of support. It was also a brilliant fit – all of the toppers we tried were double or king sized, but our testing revealed huge inconsistencies with sizing, so we were pleased to discover this wasn’t the case with the M&S topper.

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Dormeo octasmart plus mattress topper £359.99, Dormeo

Yes, this is a lot to pay for a mattress topper, but having slept on it we can only declare that it’s worth its weight in gold. The blurb states that it’s able to reduce the bed temperature by three degrees and despite our scepticism, we reckon this is a pretty accurate estimate. Our theory is that it’s down to the way the topper is divided into three different zones – after all, different parts of our bodies heat up and cool down in different ways, so it makes perfect sense that a topper engineered to reflect this will have superior cooling qualities. Its cooling ability is even more impressive given that this is one of the thickest toppers in our selection, thanks to the use of memory foam – a material we regarded (until now) as a notorious heat trapper. Dormeo, we salute you.

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Panda the topper £84.96, Panda London

We’ve overdone it in the gym recently and have been suffering from various aches and pains which our current mattress worsened. Once this topper had been added, the discomfort disappeared. We’re assuming this is due to what Panda refers to as the hydro-foam core, but whatever term marketing decided to use, we love it. It supported our hips and lower legs in all the right places, and provided just the right amount of support for our head and neck, too. On a particularly humid night, it also did a great job of keeping us cool. There’s a staggering range of sizes – nine in total – and additional shout-outs go to the sustainable bamboo cover and the anti-slip straps in each corner, which ensure the topper stays put.

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JML bambillo comfort-fit mattress topper £229.99, JML Direct

This topper is one of the thickest and heaviest in our selection, but that’s not a complaint – it’s just a topper which is best suited to autumn and winter rather than summer. The upside? It’s ridiculously comfortable – we’re restless sleepers and are especially sensitive to lumps and bumps, but sleeping on this topper felt like dozing off on a cloud (not that we’ve ever done that, to be clear, but we’re fairly sure the experience would be similar). Memory gel provided firm support without trapping body heat, and our neck and shoulders felt especially wellsupported.

It’s currently out of stock, but you can sign up to receive an email notification when it’s back.

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Piglet merino wool mattress topper £179, Piglet in Bed

Full disclosure: we were sceptical when we read that this topper contained wool, simply because we don’t particularly associate wool with comfort – rather a general scratchiness which isn’t usually conducive to a great night’s sleep. However, never have we been happier to be proved wrong because this mattress topper has a marshmallow-like softness which provided optimal cushioning and kept us wonderfully cool on a particularly muggy night. It’s slightly on the thin side, so ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to add too much height to their mattress, although this didn’t mean sacrificing comfort – we were honestly blown away by the softness and support offered by this topper, and it was another one which was refreshingly true to size, too.

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Richard Haworth hollowfibre bed topper £14.37, Richard Haworth

Yes, this topper really does cost just £22. It’s probably not the best option if you’re looking for a topper to breathe new life into a mattress which should have been discarded years ago, but it does exactly what it says on the tin, providing a decent level of support and cushioning with a hollowfibre filling which won’t turn us into human hot water bottles. Bonus points for the ultrasturdy mattress straps, too.

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Simba the hybrid topper £161.85, Simba Sleep

Don’t get us wrong – toppers aren’t mattresses and shouldn’t be treated as such. But we’re slightly ashamed to say our current mattress is well past its expiry date, and this testing process revealed that, while most toppers do a great job of cranking up the comfort, few were able to breathe new life into old mattresses (such as ours) as well as the Simba topper. It’s slightly thicker and sturdier than most of the other toppers – it’s not one you can simply roll up and toss into a cupboard when not in use – but the upside is a ridiculous level of both comfort and support, alongside fantastic breathability which didn’t leave us overheating on hot nights. The added comfort stems from the multi-layer construction, which includes both an open-cell layer, an Aerocoil layer (basically, another layer of support) and a foam support base. AKA a hat-trick of topper-related tremendousness, in our opinion.

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Slumberdown airstream memory cool mattress double topper £75, Slumberdown

We knew Slumberdown wouldn’t let us down, and they didn’t, creating a fabulously thick mattress topper which somehow stayed cool and fresh. It was true to size, and had an ultra-soft cover which stayed cool to the touch, but helped wick away sweat on a night which was so hot we felt our blood had neared boiling pot. We’d recommend this as a great year-round mattress topper – with a thickness of 4cm, it provides just enough cushioning without any drastic changes to bed height.

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The White Company classic mattress topper £100, The White Company

You can spend an awful lot on toppers, including ones filled with enough tech to make our heads spin. But do toppers really need to be so hi-tech? The jury’s out on this particular question, but the White Company’s topper, available in four sizes, is a great example of one which shows that you can still crank up the comfort while keeping things simple. Unusually, duck feathers and down – not foam – are the key ingredients here, although we still enjoyed the same level of comfort provided by some of our favourite memory foam toppers. This one also excelled at keeping us cool too, and we loved the placement of the straps – a minor detail, but all too often the straps at the corners of toppers are positioned so they ping off the corners of our mattresses like an out-of-control elastic band. Not so with these ones, which stayed firmly in place

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M&S duck feather and down mattress topper £79, Marks & Spencer

Summers aren’t just getting hotter – they’re becoming more of a challenge for hay fever sufferers too, and after an especially horrendous week of sniffing and sneezing, the last thing we wanted was a mattress topper which would worsen our symptoms, so we were slightly wary about this duck feather and down mattress. Thankfully, we awoke sniffle-free, and knowing that the topper had been treated with an anti-mite treatment provided peace of mind – often it’s the build-up of dead mites and skin cells (apologies if you’re eating your dinner while reading this) which triggers allergy sufferers. We also loved the thick straps which secured it to the mattress. Deploying a mattress topper might not require a PHD, but all too often these straps are needle-thin, so the thicker strips of material on this one were a welcome change. Our one disclaimer – this was one of our favourite toppers, but its slightly thicker profile means we’d recommend it for autumn and winter.

We were not the only ones who enjoyed this topper immensely, as it’s currently only available in double and king sizes online at the moment. But fear not, you can try to find it in a store nearby via the website, or sign up for an email notification once it’s back.

The verdict

We loved M&S’ comfortably cool mattress topper, and although our testing took place during a particularly hot week, it wasn’t simply this topper’s breathability which bagged it the top spot – it was fabulously comfortable, with a depth that provided support in all the right places. And yes – we can confirm it definitely kept us cool, too.

The second spot (and it was an incredibly close tie) goes to the Dormeo octasmart plus mattress topper, which is worth every penny of its slightly higher price point. We’ve yet to come across a mattress topper which feels this supportive, and we loved how this aspect didn’t compromise its breathability.

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