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Best Overall
Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper
Best Hybrid Topper
Helix Sleep GlacioTex Premium Mattress Topper
Best Latex Topper
Avocado Eco Organic Mattress Topper
Best Memory Foam Topper
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Mattress Topper
I remember my first mattress topper. It was bright blue and made of foam, and I used it to try and relieve some of my back pain on the superthin mattress I owned in my post-college days. It didn’t do much, though, since it was just a thin sheet of foam thrown over a bad mattress.
These mattress toppers, however, are game-changers. While a mattress topper can’t save you from needing a new mattress, it can easily improve the feel of a too-firm mattress. All of these mattress toppers were tested against uncomfortably firm mattresses to see how much cushion they provide, if they can add any extra support or cooling, and if they really can make your sleep better. As someone who’s been unimpressed by mattress toppers in the past, I’m hooked now on having one.
From supersoft wool and memory toppers to hybrid toppers that will make your mattress feel new and firm again, we’ve got a pick for every kind of bed and sleeper. If you’re looking for more gear to improve your sleep, don’t miss our guide to the Best Pillows, Best Sheets, and Best Mattresses.
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Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best Overall
Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper
Birch’s plush mattress topper combines cotton, wool, and latex for a super comfortable topper that’s nice and soft while still giving some support and pressure relief. The latex base gives a firmness that other mattress toppers can lack, while the cotton and wool layers on top of it give it a plush feel. I used it on the firmest side of the Plank Firm Natural, which usually gives me shoulder stiffness as a side sleeper, but I woke up without a hint of stiffness thanks to this topper. My back-sleeper husband loves it too, and likes that it adds a little softness without erasing the firmer feel he prefers. It doesn’t have straps to hold it in place, but has a nice weight to it and has yet to move around for me at all. It’s made with entirely organic materials, and like its mattresses, Birch offers a trial on its mattress toppers for 100 nights. —Nena Farrell
Composition Wool and latex layers, cotton cover Firmness One option, plush Height 2 inches Cooling No Cover Not removable or washable Trial period 100 nights -
Photograph: Wired
Best Hybrid Topper
Helix Sleep GlacioTex Premium Mattress Topper
This topper comes from Helix, the brand that makes our longtime pick for the best mattress you can buy online. Like its big brother, it’s a hybrid that uses both steel micro-coils and several varied layers of foam to create a supportive feel. It’s rather rare to see steel coils integrated into a topper, but I enjoyed the effect. I tested the firm on top of the Bear Elite hybrid you see atop our list of the Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers and found that even as it’s firm it still softened up the overall feel. The other nice feature about this topper is that the cover is made from Helix’s proprietary GlacioTex fabric, a blend of polyester and polyethylene meant to help regulate body temperature. The coils also help with this as they promote airflow between the foam layers and your regular mattress. —Martin Cizmar
Composition Foam and coil layers, cooling cover Firmness Two options, plush or firm Height 3.75 inches Cooling Yes, cooling cover Cover Not removable or washable Trial period 100 nights
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Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best Latex Topper
Avocado Eco Organic Mattress Topper
Avocado’s Eco Mattress Topper is its cheapest mattress topper, but certainly doesn’t feel like it. This latex topper is incredibly light and springy, making even my superfirm mattress feel nice and soft without that strange sinking sensation you can get on other soft mattress toppers. There’s two feel options, Medium and Plush, both of which use different types of latex. I tested the Medium, which still gave me plenty of softness, and the GOLS-certified (Global Organic Latex Standard) organic Dunlop latex was very airy to sleep on. —Nena Farrell
Composition Latex, with a cotton cover Firmness Two options, medium or plush Height 2 or 3 inches Cooling No, but very breathable Cover None Trial period 100 days -
Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Memory Foam Topper
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Mattress Topper
I bought and loved a Tempur-Cloud mattress almost a decade ago, but when it came time to replace it, I was devastated I couldn’t afford a new one. So I did the next best thing: paired a cheaper, firmer mattress with the 3-inch Tempur-Pedic Adapt topper to try to replicate the experience I’d had before.
Those who owned a Tempur-Pedic more than five years ago might be slightly disappointed with this current iteration, as the newer Adapt topper contains a lighter, springier memory foam instead of the deep-sinking yet supportive foam they may remember. Even so, this is still a top-of-the-line memory foam topper for softening a too-firm mattress, and it works very well to prevent motion transfer. The cover zips off and is machine-washable, and corner straps keep the topper securely in place. Keep in mind that Tempur-Pedic does offer a 10-year warranty, but does not accept returns. —Kat Merck
Composition Memory foam, knit or cooling cover Firmness One option, plush Height 3 inches Cooling Yes (optional add-on feature for +$100) Cover Removable, machine-washable Trial period No
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Photograph: Kat Merck
Best Cooling Topper
Saatva Graphite Memory Foam Mattress Topper
Saatva’s Graphite Memory Foam Topper, which arrives shrink-wrapped in a box with a one-year warranty, attaches to a mattress with elastic straps at each corner and has a grippy, tight-fitting cover. Its 3 inches of foam are infused with graphite, which draws in and dissipates heat. Memory foam is notorious for running hot, but my husband and I both thought the graphite worked pretty well in cutting down on some (though not all) of the body heat absorption, and the thickness of the CertiPUR-US-certified foam worked to virtually eliminate motion transfer.
The Graphite Memory Foam Topper definitely has softness and give, but it didn’t alter the feeling of a very firm mattress as much as other toppers we recommend. It would likely be best for someone who generally likes the feel of their existing mattress but is looking for more memory foam support, or is wanting to extend their mattress’s life. Thankfully, if you’re on the fence, Saatva offers a 180-day trial period for mattress toppers, which is unusually generous. —Kat Merck
Composition Graphite-infused memory foam, organic cotton blend cover Firmness One option Height 3 inches Cooling Yes Cover Not removable or washable Trial period 6 months -
Photograph: Avocado Green Mattress
Best Plush Topper
Avocado Alpaca Wool Mattress Topper
If you’re looking for a mattress topper that’s extra soft, WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson recommends the Avocado Alpaca Mattress Topper. He says it’s one of the softest things he’s ever slept on, and that it’s like sleeping in a cocoon of fluffiness. While it’s only 2 inches thick, it still has that cozy sinking sensation of deeper mattress toppers. There are two options: medium-firm or plush, with the first using organic wool and the second using what Avocado calls “baby alpaca” fiber. Luckily that’s a reference to how soft it is, not the age of the alpaca itself. It’s certainly a luxury purchase, but a great pick of you want something super soft. —Nena Farrell
Composition Wool, cotton cover Firmness Two options, medium-firm or plush Height 2 inches Cooling Temperature-regulating Cover Not removable or washable Trial period 100 days
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Photograph: Wired
For a New-Mattress Feel
Nolah Mattress Topper
If you’re interested in buying a mattress topper on the promise that it’s like getting a brand-new bed without having to buy a brand-new bed, the firm version of this Nolah topper could be just the ticket. For less than $300 for a queen, you get a fresh layer of a semi dense proprietary foam inside an organic cotton cover. It’s just 2 inches thick and the firm version softened my bed, offering some pressure relief and a plush new-bed feel. While it lacks specialty cooling materials, the AirFoam used definitely slept cooler than memory foam toppers I’ve tried in my week of testing. —Martin Cizmar
Composition Nolah’s AirFoam, cotton cover Firmness Two options, plush or firm Height 2 inches Cooling Yes Cover Not removable or washable Trial period 30 days -
Photograph: Brooklyn Bedding
Honorable Mentions
More Mattress Toppers
Brooklyn Bedding 3-Inch Latex Mattress Topper ($498): This latex mattress topper was fine, with a nice spring to it and a good softness without being too soft. But the Avocado Eco was more comfortable and nearly half the price.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Cloud Topper ($155): I like a soft bed. In fact, if you had asked me before I tried the Tempur-Cloud topper if a bed could be too soft, I’d have said no. But I have changed my mind. There actually exists a mattress topper that might be too soft. I’m a stomach sleeper, and this memory foam is so plush and so deep that during my week of testing I found myself having to practically fling my body if I needed to move at any point during the night. It also has a tendency to sleep hot, and because a user sinks so deep, there’s a potential for neck pain if they normally sleep with an overstuffed pillow. But aside from that, the Tempur-Cloud topper is basically the last word for soft-bed fans who want to completely eliminate both motion transfer and any trace of a hard mattress. —Kat Merck
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Photograph: Nena Farrell
Others We Tested
Mattress Toppers to Skip
- Leesa Mattress Topper ($224): This mattress topper didn’t have great construction to it. We found it didn’t fit neatly on the bed, had weird spots on the edges, and was too soft.
- Brooklyn Bedding 4 lb. Memory Foam Topper ($271): Neither my husband nor I could get a good night’s sleep when this mattress topper was on our bed. It also doesn’t offer the same benefits as other memory foam toppers we’ve tested.