Beautyrest Black Ultimate 3 Cooling Memory Foam Topper Twin Xl
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The Best Mattress Toppers
By
Alex Arpaia
Updated September 30, 2021
If you toss and turn because your mattress is too firm, adding a topper could help you sleep better. After 40 hours of research, and sleeping for more than 300 hours on 17 different models, we found four of the best mattress toppers made with memory-foam (for cushioning that hugs the body), latex (for springier support), and fiber-fill (for just a touch of softness) to make your bed more comfortable.
Our pick
The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Topper Supreme is the most luxurious mattress topper we tested. Made from a dense memory foam, it cradles pressure points (like your shoulders and hips) better than other memory-foam toppers. Unlike cheaper options, its 3 inches of foam won't flatten or bottom out over time, which makes it a good option for softening up a too-firm mattress. It breathes better than the rest of the toppers we tried, regardless of material, and it also comes with a cover that's easy to remove and wash. Although it's expensive—typically $400 for a queen—the Tempur-Pedic comes with a 10-year warranty, the longest of any mattress topper we tried.
Our pick
If you don't want to spend $400 for the Tempur-Pedic topper, the Malouf Isolus 2-Inch Ventilated topper is a great alternative also made of memory foam, and it costs about two-thirds the price. The 2-inch thick Malouf topper isn't as supportive as the Tempur-Pedic, but it's the best among the rest of the memory foam toppers we tested. It won't fall victim to the problems common among cheap toppers: it didn't stink as much out of the box, cause overheating, or bottom out. The Malouf is also lighter than the Tempur-Pedic, making it easier to move around for temporary uses. This topper doesn't come with a cover, though, so make sure to use a waterproof mattress pad over it.
Our pick
The Sleep On Latex Pure Green Natural Latex Topper is the best mattress topper for people who want foam cushioning but don't like the characteristic sinking sensation of memory foam. Latex has a texture similar to memory foam, but it's springier, so your body will rest on the surface without sinking in. Many latex toppers are expensive, but the Sleep on Latex is the most-affordable, well-reviewed option we found. It's available in three thicknesses and three densities: soft, medium, and firm–offering more levels of customization than any other topper we considered. Similar to the Tempur-Pedic, you can also buy a separate washable encasement for this topper, making it easier to keep clean over time.
Our pick
We recommend Parachute's Down Alternative Feather Bed for people who mainly want to add comfort to their beds. This topper adds a soft layer, but won't give you much additional support or pressure point relief. The Parachute was the loftiest fiber-filled topper we tested and, unlike more expensive fiber and feather toppers that quickly flattened out, it stayed fluffy for longer than the competition. As with any filled mattress topper, you'll need to fluff this topper semi-regularly to keep up its loft.
Everything we recommend
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Why you should trust us
We read customer reviews of mattress toppers on Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, The Company Store, Cuddledown, and other bedding websites for pointers and to learn more about people's experiences with mattress toppers. As a former staff writer for Wirecutter, Alex Arpaia spent hundreds of hours testing bedding products and contributed to our guides to air mattresses and comforters.
When to get a mattress topper
If you're uncomfortable in bed because your mattress is too firm, there's a good chance a mattress topper will help. Adding some padding will keep your shoulders, hips, knees, and other pressure points from digging into the mattress.
What even the best mattress topper won't do is fix a sagging or lumpy mattress. At best, it will add just enough cushioning so that your pressure points (like shoulders, hips, and knees) feel cradled. "If you're sleeping on a mattress that's shot and unsupportive," mattress expert Terri Long told us, "putting a topper on it isn't going to make it any more supportive. If you're in a hammock, you're gonna be in a slightly more cushion-y hammock." Similarly, if your mattress is too soft, our experts agreed that, in most cases, a topper can't make it firmer. In both cases, you're better off just getting a new mattress.
Lastly, if you have a hard time falling asleep or you wake with a crick in your neck, you may actually need a new pillow. This can be a much less expensive fix than buying a new mattress topper or mattress so start there.
Best memory-foam mattress topper: Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Topper Supreme
Our pick
Who it's for: People who want a long-term option for softening a too-firm (but still supportive) mattress and like the enveloping feeling of memory foam. The topper is dense but soft, and less likely to bottom out under your body weight into the mattress than cheaper or thinner memory-foam toppers.
Why it's great: The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Topper Supreme feels more luxurious than any other topper we've tested. It's made from a heavy, dense foam that we found perfectly cradles the body. In fact, it offers more cushioning than any other memory-foam topper we tried, and unlike some other memory-foam models we tested, it never made us feel like we'd fallen into a crater. Best of all, none of our sleep testers woke up feeling sweaty in the middle of the night (a common pitfall of most memory-foam toppers).
I thought I hated memory foam until I tried the Tempur-Pedic. I've tested dozens of mattress toppers over the past year, and this is the one that stays on my bed full time. As a side-sleeper, my innerspring mattress was far too firm, but I wasn't ready to spend the money to replace it since it's nearly new. Adding the Tempur-pedic transformed my mattress and my sleep. Now, I look forward to climbing into bed every night.
At $400 for a queen, this is not the topper to buy if you need a quick fix. But if your mattress is still supportive, this topper could save you the hundreds to thousands of dollars you'd spend on a new one. It also offers a 10-year warranty—the longest of any topper we tried—so it may even last through several mattresses. Finally, this topper includes a removable cover for easier washing.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Tempur-Pedic mattress topper weighs about 36 pounds, making it difficult to maneuver. It requires two people to get it into place, but once you've managed to get it on the bed, it won't slip around or fall off.
Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Thickness: 3 inches
Materials: memory foam, poly/Lycra cover
A cheaper memory-foam topper: Malouf Isolus 2-inch Ventilated
Our pick
Who it's for: People who like the sinky, enveloping feel of memory foam but don't want to spend $400 for the Tempur-Pedic mattress topper. The Malouf topper's not as luxuriously dense and comfortable, and it probably won't last as long, but it should give you a few years of added padding on a still-supportive mattress.
Why it's great: The Malouf Isolus 2-Inch Ventilated won't transform your bed, like the Tempur-Pedic topper we love, but it does add a good amount of cushioning. It also avoids the major pitfalls we found with cheaper toppers, which were smelly, hot, and bottomed out onto the bed underneath. It provided good motion isolation (although not quite as good as the Tempur-Pedic), so it may help you sleep through your partner's tossing and turning.
Although the Malouf is still relatively expensive, it's the only sub-$300 model we feel comfortable recommending. After testing six even-cheaper (under $100) toppers that were each so miserable to sleep on that they were worse than nothing, we think the Malouf is definitely worth the money if you want a real improvement while keeping your current mattress.
It's also the lightest and easiest topper to move around, so it's a good option for temporary sleeping situations (like softening up a sofa bed or air mattress). If you buy this topper, we recommend investing in a waterproof mattress pad to help protect it, because Malouf doesn't offer a cover for it and the foam isn't washable.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Past testers found the Malouf made them sweat, so if you're a hot sleeper you may want to consider the Tempur-Pedic or foregoing memory foam and trying the Sleep On Latex. At 2 inches thick, the Malouf topper is thinner than the 3-inch toppers we generally prefer, but our testers didn't bottom out sleeping on it. Finally, we saw a few small cracks in the foam after boxing and unboxing it repeatedly. If you don't move it around as much, it should be slower to show wear. That being said, it's still the best mattress topper you can get for this price.
Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Thickness: 2 inches
Materials: memory foam
Best latex mattress topper: Sleep On Latex Pure Green Natural Latex Topper
Our pick
Who it's for: People who want foam cushioning without the sinking sensation of memory foam. This springy yet dense topper will allow your body to rest on the surface, while the foam hugs pressure points.
Why it's great: Latex toppers tend to be very expensive, but the Sleep On Latex Pure Green Natural Latex Topper is one of the most affordable and well-reviewed options we found. While most toppers only come in one thickness and density, the Sleep On Latex comes in 1-, 2-, and 3-inch thicknesses, and in soft, medium, and firm density levels for different sleep positions. As a side-sleeper, I tested and recommend the soft, 3-inch version, which the company says is its best-selling model. It cradled my pressure points nicely (although I much prefer the feel of the more expensive memory-foam Tempur-Pedic topper). Sleep On Latex recommends the medium density for back-sleepers or couples with different sleep preferences, and says that the firm density is best for firming up a too-soft mattress (although experts told us that you can't really firm up a soft mattress).
We really like that Sleep On Latex sells a separate washable cotton/polyester encasement, which will help keep the foam clean and allow you to wash the cover when it gets dirty. Most foam toppers—latex or memory foam—don't come with the option of a cover, and they can quickly become stained and collect dust and pet hair. We still recommend using a waterproof mattress pad or protector over this topper if pets or kids share your bed, though, since the optional cover isn't waterproof. The Sleep On Latex also comes in a wide range of sizes, including twin XL and California king. The company offers a five-year warranty for its mattress toppers, and has free 30-day returns—one of the more generous policies we have seen.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Even though latex is generally considered more breathable than memory foam, one of our testers still woke up drenched in sweat. This topper also weighs around 30 pounds—not as heavy as the Tempur-Pedic, but nearly double the weight of the fiber-filled Parachute—and can be unwieldy. Placing it on the bed was a two-person job.
Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Thickness: 1, 2, and 3 inches
Materials: latex, cotton/polyester cover
Best plush mattress topper: Parachute Down Alternative Feather Bed
Our pick
Who it's for: People who just need a soft layer of extra cushioning on a still-supportive mattress, who prefer sinking into a pillow top instead of foam, and don't need added pressure-point relief. This topper feels airy and fluffy, like you're lying on a thin, but soft, pillow.
Why it's great: The cloud-like Parachute Down Alternative Feather Bed is one of the loftiest fiber-filled toppers we tested (even compared with wool and feather models that cost more). Its baffle-box construction did a better job at keeping the microfiber fill evenly distributed than many of the less durable filled toppers we tried (those tended to feel flat or lumpy). The Parachute's smooth sleep surface and its plump and soft cushioning felt far better than some pricier feather beds we tested that tamped down almost immediately.
One of our testers compared sleeping on the Parachute to being swaddled—you're surrounded by softness, rather than sinking into it, as you would with foam. After sleeping on it for six months, another tester reports that though it requires regular fluffing, it still makes her mattress feel softer and more comfortable. Another tester, who has been using the topper with their partner for 18 months, also reports liking the topper despite similar "minor annoyances" about weekly fluffing to redistribute the filling and small shifts that require tugging the edge back into place every couple of nights. The topper is available in twin and twin XL sizes as well as full, queen, king, and California king. Parachute offers a 60-day window for free returns and a three-year warranty.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This topper isn't cushy enough to offer much pressure-point relief. If that's what you need, consider a memory-foam or latex topper. Because it requires dry-cleaning, we don't recommend this one if kids or pets share your bed (unless you use a waterproof mattress pad over it). And it will require more regular adjustment (fluffing, tugging square when you make the bed) than a heavy, unfilled topper like our top pick.
Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
Thickness: 3 inches
Materials: microfiber fill, sateen cotton shell
What to know about different mattress topper types
Memory-foam mattress topper
Memory foam, also known as viscoelastic foam, cradles or hugs the body. Its contouring properties and slow recovery make it feel soft, yet supportive. When you get up, the foam slowly regains its shape (that's the "memory" part). Memory-foam toppers range in thickness from 2 to 4 inches and vary in density (determined by weight per cubic foot), with denser foams being more supportive and also more expensive.
Memory foam is temperature-responsive and may feel firmer in a colder room or softer in warmer surroundings or through contact with body heat. As you sink into the foam, it retains and radiates your body heat, so it might make you sweat if you sleep warm. Gel memory-foam toppers contain cooling gels designed to absorb additional heat (sometimes these are advertised as "cooling" mattress toppers). In practice, we haven't found that gel-infused foams have kept our hot sleepers from sweating. In our testing, the least sweat-inducing toppers were the ones that came with some kind of a fabric cover. For example, our favorite memory-foam topper, the Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Topper Supreme, comes with a polyester/Lycra cover, and our testers never woke sweating in the night, as they did with other foam toppers.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good motion isolation | Likely to retain heat (unless specially treated) |
| Good pressure relief | May give off unpleasant odor from off-gassing |
| Often affordable | Motion isolation may make it hard to get out of bed or have sex |
| Can't be machine washed |
Latex mattress topper
Latex is similar to memory foam in texture, but it's springier; instead of sinking into it, your body rests on the surface. Latex can be a good option if you want the buoyancy of foam but you don't like the hugging sensation of memory foam. Because you sink less into the foam, latex should retain less heat than memory foam (although we've found this isn't always the case). Our recommended latex model, the Sleep On Latex, comes in a wide variety of thicknesses and densities, and most latex toppers offer more customization than other types, so you can choose depending on your sleep position or the amount of padding you want to add to your bed.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good motion isolation | Heavy |
| Good pressure relief | Often more expensive than memory foam |
| Doesn't hug the body like memory foam | May give off unpleasant odor from off-gassing |
| Often comes in a choice of densities for different sleep positions | Foam can't be machine washed |
| Some come with a washable cloth cover |
Fiber-filled mattress topper
Fiber-filled beds, also known as down-alternative toppers, are similar to feather beds, but are filled with polyester or other synthetic fiber. These are a good option if you just need a little extra padding on a too-firm mattress. One tester likened sleeping on our pick, the Parachute Down Alternative, to being swaddled in softness. Fiber beds won't provide nearly as much cushioning as memory foam or latex, so we wouldn't recommend this style if your current mattress is making you sore at the shoulders, hips, or other pressure points. But in general, fiber toppers can be a comfortable and pretty affordable option if you just want to add a bit of a pillow top to your mattress. Some fiber-filled beds can be machine washed, while others are dry-clean only.
| Pros | Cons |
| Usually hypoallergenic because they don't contain feathers | Needs to be fluffed regularly |
| Tends to sleep less hot than foam | Won't really provide pressure-point relief |
| Won't off-gas | May require dry-cleaning |
Other mattress toppers
We've found that memory foam, latex, and fiber-filled toppers are the only ones that provide enough cushioning to significantly change the feel of a too-firm mattress. However, there are a couple of other types you may want to consider if you only need to add a very thin layer of softness to your bed and want even better temperature regulation or a more luxurious feel.
Wool mattress topper
Wool toppers are among the most breathable and best at temperature regulation, but they're the most expensive type we tried and we found that they don't provide as much cushioning (they tend to flatten out with use). The benefit of wool—over some bulky fiber-filled toppers that won't fit in a standard washer and dryer—is that you can generally fluff wool toppers in a regular-sized dryer. They usually measure around 1 to 2 inches thick. Some wool toppers can be machine washed, while others are dry-clean only.
Feather mattress topper
Also known as feather beds, these—like fiber-filled beds—are similar to comforters in that they are sewn with baffle boxes that keep the feathers and down from shifting. These toppers tend to feel luxurious straight out of the bag, but require regular fluffing and shaking to maintain loft. They have a tendency to feel crunchier than other types, and feathers can poke through. Most feather toppers can only be spot-cleaned.
How we picked and tested mattress toppers
We looked for toppers that met the following criteria:
Comfortable: We looked for toppers that didn't feel lumpy, bumpy, or crunchy. We also focused on toppers that were dense or thick enough to create enough padding to soften up a mattress top. Mattress expert Terri Long recommends looking for a topper that's 2 to 3 inches thick. We avoided toppers that got a lot of negative owner reviews about overheating sleepers.
Fit well: We looked for toppers that stayed in place overnight and fit under regular fitted sheets with ease. We also wanted to find those that didn't shift on the bed after use.
A good warranty: We gave preference to models with longer warranties, especially pricier models. A good return policy, or a long return window, is also a bonus.
We looked at best-selling and highly rated toppers from retailers like Amazon, The Company Store, Cuddledown, Bed Bath & Beyond, Wayfair, and Target and ended up with a list of 90. We narrowed those down by focusing on popular models that received lots of positive owner reviews and met our above criteria, settling on 17 models for testing: seven polyester-filled, seven memory foam, two feather, three wool, one latex.
We examined each for quality of construction, and we noted any odors (some particularly smelly memory-foam toppers needed several days to air out before sleeping on them). We tried each on a queen-size mattress to check the fit and to see if a fitted sheet would go on over the topper and mattress. With the sheet in place, we rolled around on each topper to gauge how much cushioning it offered, how well it stayed put, and how much volume it lost after our tossing and turning.
After eliminating toppers that felt uncomfortable, fit poorly, and/or had lingering odors, we slept at least two nights on each of the finalists to determine how comfortable they were to use. We layered each one on a firm, three-year-old, innerspring Gold Bond mattress. Though no one mattress topper will work for everyone, we looked for models that would provide an experience like that of sleeping on a good-quality hotel mattress.
The competition
Memory foam
We used to recommend the DreamFoam 2" Gel Swirl Memory Foam Topper and Red Nomad Ultra Premium Gel Infused Visco Elastic Memory Foam Topper, but when we reordered two new toppers to test in 2018, both came out of the bag with horrible odors. We aired them out in a spare bedroom with an open window for at least three days, and the smell persisted. Many owners complain about this issue in reviews on Amazon, as well. Beyond the odor, we also felt that these toppers were less supportive and comfortable than the Tempur-Pedic or Malouf in the brief time we could stand to try them.
The Red Nomad 2-Inch Ultra Premium Visco Elastic (non-gel) topper was virtually identical to its gel sibling and we selected the Red Nomad gel for further testing primarily to contrast it with the DreamFoam gel (both of these were too stinky to stand in 2018).
The Langria 3-Inch Memory Foam Topper was comfortable and supportive, and the bamboo cover may have helped with heat retention (we'd love to see other manufacturers include this cover), but early testers found it more difficult to roll around on than other picks.
Latex
The Ultimate Dreams and Ultimate Sleep toppers were available only in limited sizes and thicknesses, and we couldn't find better stock elsewhere.
Fiber/polyester
The Duck & Goose Co Plush Topper's shell felt unpleasant to the touch, and the elastic bands meant to keep it attached to the mattress are too short, so it doesn't stay in place well. One of our testers didn't like that he could feel the baffles in this topper when he was lying on it.
Wool
The Cuddledown Plush Wool Fleece Mattress Pad and The Company Store Ultra Fleece Mattress Pad (now discontinued) are the same in design and thickness, and The Company Store Imperial Wool Mattress Pad (now discontinued) is a thinner version of those two. We didn't find that these wool models provided as much cushioning as some of the other toppers, and they cost substantially more.
Down/feather
Instead of baffle or sewn-through boxes, the Pacific Coast Quilt Top Featherbed has vertical channels sewn along the length of the topper, which allow feathers to pool at either end. The texture of this topper felt soft at first, but quickly flattened out, and the feathers sounded crunchy when we laid on them.
The Company Store Baffled Square Goose Down Featherbed arrived covered in feathers, and a second one did as well. Although it felt luxurious right out of the box, it substantially flattened out after we had laid on it for 10 minutes, so we dismissed it before overnight testing.
Sources
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Mike Magnuson, founder of GoodBed.com, phone interview , March 27, 2018
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Terri Long, co-owner of Long's Bedding & Interiors, in-person interview , September 15, 2017
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Mattress Topper Reviews You Can Actually Trust – 2018, Sleep Like the Dead , May 4, 2018
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Stacey Morgan, Do I Need a Mattress Topper?, Ted & Stacey's Mattress Guides , October 26, 2016
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Keith Cole, DPT, PhD, assistant professor of health, human function, and rehabilitation sciences at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, phone interview , June 20, 2018
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Ahkil Chhatre, MD, spine rehabilitation director and assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and neurological surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, phone interview , June 7, 2018
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Eric Robertson, PT, DPT, American Physical Therapy Association spokesperson, director of Graduate Physical Therapy Education for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California,, phone interview , May 11, 2018
About your guide
Beautyrest Black Ultimate 3 Cooling Memory Foam Topper Twin Xl
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-mattress-toppers/
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