The 7 best mattress toppers I've tested – offering comfort, cushioning, and breathability

The best mattress toppers can help make a sleep surface that's too firm – whether that's a mattress or a sofa bed – more comfortable by offering an additional layer of cushioning.

Depending on your needs, a topper can help combat back pain by creating better spinal alignment and ease joint pain by cushioning hips and shoulders. Plus, if your existing mattress is causing you to overheat at night, a breathable mattress topper could improve temperature regulation and deliver a cooler night's sleep.

A topper can't replace investing in the best mattress for your sleep needs – not even the best topper we've tested, the Simba Hybrid Topper, can perform miracles on a mattress that's past its best – but a topper can be a useful way to tweak your bedtime comfort, especially if your sleep needs have changed since you purchased your mattress.

However, not all mattress enhancers are created equal. To find the best, I've slept on multiple mattress toppers to assess the cushioning, comfort, and breathability of options from Simba, Emma, Woolroom, Silentnight, and many more. Alongside fellow reviewer, Rachael, I've also assessed each topper's value for money and researched third-party reviews to investigate durability and customer satisfaction.

Not all the toppers Rachael and I tested made the grade, but those offering the most comfortable sleep are on this shortlist.

The quick list

Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the best mattress toppers. You'll find more information on each mattress topper and why Rachael and I recommend it if you keep scrolling.

Best mattress toppers

Best mattress topper overall

Image 1 of 4

The Simba Hybrid Topper combines a memory foam top layer with microsprings. Most toppers don't use springs, and this makes the Hybrid topper somewhat unique in the mix of cushioning and support it offers.

At 6.5cm in depth, our tester, Rachael, found it did a great job of masking a hard sleep surface underneath, saying 'I mainly sleep on my side and found the memory foam upper layer and spring support did a really good job at providing extra support for my back, neck and shoulders in this position'.

It may be a bit too cushioned for front sleepers, but side or back sleepers should find this topper a great choice. As a hot sleeper, Rachael also felt this topper regulated her temperature well meaning she didn't overheat at night. Plus, elasticated straps and an antislip base meant it stayed firmly in place on Rachael's bed.

It's an investment, but it is a great quality product that's amassed a lot of very positive customer reviews and, after testing, we can see why. Luckily, a generous 200-night sleep trial allows plenty of time to test it out at home and make sure you find it comfortable before you commit.

Our Simba Hybrid Topper review has the full detail.

Best memory foam mattress topper

Image 1 of 4

The Panda Topper is a memory foam topper that does a great job of delivering cushioning. At 5cm deep it isn't the thickest topper on our list, but it's a good option for side or back sleepers looking for a topper that will cushion joints and soften up a hard sleep surface.

Our tester, Rachael, found 'this topper softened up my firm mattress and offered excellent pressure relief and cushioning where I needed it the most. When I slept on my side I found it added extra cushioning around my neck, hips, and shoulders, and supported my lumbar region when I was laid on my back'.

Thanks to the gel-infused open-cell memory foam, Rachael – who is often prone to overheating on standard memory foam – also found the Panda Topper offered far better temperature regulation than otherwise comparable memory foam toppers.

What's more, this topper has adjustable straps and an anti-slip base that means it stays in place once it's on the bed, and comes in a wide range of size options making it a great choice for any non-standard sleep surfaces like a sofa bed or campervan or caravan sleeping area.

It's also reasonably priced compared to many other options, making it a great all-rounder that offers good value for money. Plus, Panda offers a 30-night sleep trial.

Find out more in our Panda Mattress Topper review.

Best cooling mattress topper

Image 1 of 4

The Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper is a great choice if you tend to sleep warm or are struggling with overheating on your current mattress.

That's because, whereas the majority of mattress toppers on the market use synthetic materials, Woolroom's Deluxe Topper uses only breathable and temperature-regulating natural materials. Specifiacally, an unbleached organic cotton cover is stuffed with fully traceable British wool.

We found this makes it one of the best cooling mattress toppers for hot sleepers, and a great option if you share a bed with someone with a different inner thermostat than you, as wool has the magical ability to keep a cold sleeper cosy and a hot sleeper cool.

It doesn't offer the same support as the first two toppers in our round-up, but the 4-5cm deep padding does offer plenty of cushioning. As Rachael says, 'I sometimes wake up with pins and needles because of the firmness of my mattress, and whilst using this topper, I didn’t once. Unlike a memory foam mattress topper, I also didn’t sink into it so I could still move around freely but our bed felt a lot cosier and a more indulgent place to lie down'.

Thanks to the use of renewable and biodegradable natural materials – it's also one of the most sustainable and eco-friendly toppers we've found. It's not cheap, but a 30-night sleep trial allows you to test before you invest.

Find out more in our full Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper review.

Best firm mattress topper

Image 1 of 4

Most toppers are designed to add cushioning and soften up a firm bed. If you're looking for the reverse – to add some extra firmness to a mattress that's too soft – this can prove a much trickier search. That's why the IKEA NISSEHOLM mattress topper is a rare find as it's a much firmer mattress topper than most we've tested.

It's made from high-resilience foam, which meant I felt like I was lying 'on top' of the NISSEHOLM rather than sinking 'into it'. As someone who's predominantly a back or stomach sleeper, this firmer sleep surface suited me a lot better than a topper that's more cushioned.

It may be too firm for a side sleeper, as although there is some give in the NISSEHOLM (it doesn't feel hard, just very flat and firm) there isn't enough give to allow the shoulders and hips to sink into the topper very far. However, I was still comfortable when I did sleep on my side for short periods.

Even better, as a hot sleeper, I didn't find myself overheating on this foam layer. My bed felt marginally warmer than when I slept on my wool-filled mattress without it, but I certainly didn't overheat in the same way I have on memory foam toppers.

The only bugbear is the fact the topper doesn't have elasticated straps to attach it to the mattress, although its anti-slip cover did stay in place well under my fitted sheet. And, there's no sleep trial.

Our IKEA NISSEHOLM mattress topper review has more info.

Best mattress topper for side sleepers

Image 1 of 4

If you're a side sleeper with wider shoulders then that can mean you need deeper cushioning than our two top recommendations – the Simba Hybrid Topper and Panda Mattress Topper – deliver, which is exactly where the Emma Premium Mattress Topper comes up trumps. In fact, with a depth of 9cm, this is one of the deepest mattress toppers we've tested.

Made of pure foam, this topper could be too soft and squashy for some – especially front or back sleepers – but, its comfort levels impressed our side sleeping tester, Rachael, who prefers a softer sleep surface.

Despite initially worrying she might overheat on the synthetic foam, Rachael was also impressed by the topper's temperature regulation, saying 'the graphite-infused foam seemed to do the trick and I found I stayed a comfortable temperature all night long'. As of writing, a long 100-night sleep trial is another bonus.

The downside is its price – this is one of the most expensive toppers in our round-up. Along with the fact that Rachael noted a strong off-gassing smell when she first unboxed this topper. She also noted a lack of edge support which meant she felt a little less stable when lying on the edge of the bed.

Our Emma Premium Mattress Topper review has more detail.

Best budget buy

Image 1 of 4

Mattress toppers can be expensive, with some of the premium options in our round-up coming in well over £200. In comparison, the Silentnight Airmax Mattress Topper is one of our most budget-friendly recommendations.

However, its hollow fibre filling doesn't offer as much support or cushioning as other options in our round-up.

Our tester Rachael says, 'This topper is lightweight and looks and feels more like an extra duvet on the bed, but if you’re just looking for a bit of extra comfort or an additional snug and cosy layer, it did soften up my firm mattress'.

During testing she also found it offered some breathability when on the bed – especially if layered over a standard memory foam mattress where it acted as a bit of a breaker layer to prevent overheating – but it didn't compare to the toppers higher up in this list in that regard.

Rachael also found she had to shake this topper regularly to keep the fibres loose and stop them from flattening and clumping. On the plus side, this topper is very lightweight and easy to manouevre onto the bed, and it's also one of the few toppers to be fully machine washable which will be a big bonus for some.

Our Silentnight Airmax Mattress Topper has the full lowdown.

Best warming mattress topper

If you're looking for an affordable way to make your bed warmer on cold nights, Silentnight's Heat Genie Self-Heating mattress topper is an alternative to adding one of the best electric blankets to your bed.

This topper is designed to reflect a sleeper's body heat back towards them, with a 3-layer construction that includes heat-reflecting foil, a thermal lining, and a quilted top.

Our tester, Jullia, put the Heat Genie to the test in her cold and draughty bedroom and noticed a definite difference in overnight warmth. Thankfully there was also far less rustling than that heat-reflecting foil led us to envisage.

Based on wider customer reviews, I'd say it's likely that this topper's success or failure is largely determined by how much body heat you emit – self-proclaimed 'cold people' seem to find it less successful than those who consider themselves to have 'average' body warmth. And, of course, if you're a hot sleeper, this topper probably won't be for you.

At only 3cm deep, there isn't a lot of cushioning to this microfibre mattress topper, but then that isn't its main selling point.

Also tested

Our reviewer, Rachael, and I tested a whole host of mattress toppers in order to find the best and create this guide. Below are some of the runners up which didn't quite make the grade but might still be suitable depending on your requirements.

At a glance

How we tested

You'll find full details of the wider Ideal Home review process on our how we test page. But in the case of mattress toppers, we think there's no better way to test them out than sleeping on them on our own beds, at home.

Between myself and our reviewer Rachael, we've tested all the mattress toppers in this guide, assessing how easy they are to attach to the bed, how comfortable and cushioning they felt to lay on, and how breathable and temperature-regulating they were to sleep on.

As well as performance, we also considered price points and value for money, any sleep trials available, environmental impact, and long-term durability – evidenced by researching third-party customer reviews – before scoring each topper out of 5 and compiling this shortlist of our top recommendations.

Amy Lockwood

I'm Amy, Ideal Home's Certified Sleep Expert. I'm also a hot sleeper, and a combination sleeper who switches between sleeping on my side and stomach. I've spent the last four years testing and reviewing mattresses, toppers, pillows, duvets, and plenty more products for Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, and more. In that time I've spoken to osteopaths, physiologists, sleep scientists, and product developers to learn everything there is to know about getting a good night's sleep.

Rachael Penn

Rachael is a product reviewer who has been testing and writing about home, tech, and sleep-related content for the likes of Tom’s Guide, Creative Bloq, Independent, and more, for the past 15 years. She's predominantly a side and back sleeper who is also prone to overheating at night. Rachael regularly reviews mattresses and sleep products for the Ideal Home team.

Where to buy a mattress topper

£
Amazon: budget-friendly mattress toppers
Argos: low-price Silentnight toppers
Dunelm: affordable own-brand mattress toppers

££
IKEA: mid-range mattress toppers
John Lewis: mid-range mattress toppers
M&S: mid-range mattress toppers
Panda: good value memory foam toppers
Soak & Sleep: a wide range of toppers

£££
Emma: the deepest foam mattress topper
scooms: Hungarian feather and down toppers
Simba: the bestselling Simba Hybrid Topper
The White Company: luxury mattress enhancers
Woolroom: eco-friendly wool mattress toppers

How to choose the best mattress topper

As we've explained, a mattress topper can be a great way of softening up a sleep surface that's too firm. Why is this important? Well, we probably all know that being uncomfortable isn't much fun, but as Dave Gibson, registered osteopath, sleep expert, and founder of The Sleep Site explains, a mattress that's too firm can also be bad for your back.

'A mattress that is either too hard or too soft can exacerbate back pain or neck pain', he says. 'If the mattress doesn't allow your body to be gently supported in a firm yet subtle contour, the spine and muscles may struggle to relax, and pressure points on your joints can become more sensitive'.

Dan Fabian, Sleep Health Expert & Founder of Ten PM agrees, saying, 'a mattress that is too firm can place excessive pressure on certain points of the body, like the hips and shoulders, causing misalignment and discomfort'.

If your mattress isn't the right tension for you, a topper can help, but it's important to choose the right one for your needs. That comes down to considering two main factors, your usual sleep position and if you're prone to overheating. I explain more below.

Best for side sleepers

If you tend to sleep on your side, a mattress that's too firm can be especially uncomfortable. That's because side sleepers need a cushioned sleep surface that allows the hips and shoulders to sink into the mattress surface whilst supporting the waist for good spinal alignment.

Best for back sleepers

If you prefer to sleep on your back then you'll generally be best opting for a mid-depth mattress topper of between 4-5cm, like the Simba Hybrid Topper, Panda Topper, or the Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper.

Best for front sleepers

Sleeping on your front tends to be frowned upon by those in the know as it can put extra pressure on the spine and neck. 'Sleeping face down is generally advised against, as it significantly increases the likelihood of straining your neck muscles and irritating your lower back' confirms osteopath Dave Gibson.

Breathability and temperature regulation

Why does the breathability and temperature regulation of a mattress topper matter? As Dan Fabian, Sleep Health Expert & Founder of Ten PM, explains, temperature regulation is key to a more restful night's sleep. 'Temperature plays a critical role in both falling asleep and staying asleep due to its influence on the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle' he says.

FAQs

Can a mattress topper help with back pain?

According to registered Osteopath Dave Gibson, 'yes, a mattress topper can help with back pain. If your mattress feels too firm, a softer topper can provide relief. Conversely, if your mattress is too soft or worn and causing lower back pain, a firmer topper will reduce sinkage and offer better support'.

Can a topper make a soft bed feel firmer?

Yes, a mattress topper can help a soft mattress feel firmer if you opt for the right one. As Osteopath Dave Gibson explains, 'If you’re aiming to make your mattress firmer, the topper's material matters more than its thickness; firmer materials like latex or high-density foam will offer better support regardless of thickness'.

I can confirm this is the case with the best firm mattress topper we've tested. IKEA's NISSEHOLM mattress topper is only 5cm deep, but as it's made from high-resilience foam (otherwise known as high-density foam) it offers a much firmer feel than most other toppers we've tested.

Do I need a mattress topper or a new mattress?

If you're pondering the mattress topper vs new mattress debate, then the right choice usually comes down to the state of your mattress.

If your mattress is in good condition but feels too hard or firm, a cushioned mattress topper can help soften it up. Similarly, as long as your mattress is structurally sound, if it's causing you to overheat then a breathable temperature-regulating topper can help, and if it feels too soft a firm topper can adjust the sleep surface more to your liking.

What a topper can't do is fix structural problems with your mattress. So if the mattress is dipping, has craters, or uncomfortable lumps and bumps from worn-out springs, a topper won't mask those issues enough to make the bed comfortable. In this case, you do need a new mattress.

Do I need a mattress topper or a protector?

The main difference between a mattress topper and a mattress protector is its thickness. Mattress toppers are thicker and can add extra cushioning or support to the bed, whilst even the best mattress protectors are simply a thin layer of fabric that will protect your mattress from dirt and grime.

Our guide to mattress topper vs protector and what is a mattress topper has more info.

How thick should a mattress topper be?

The average mattress topper tends to be around five centimetres deep, although they can range from between two to ten centimetres. The best thickness for you will depend on your preferred sleeping position and how much cushioning you're looking for.

Based on our tests, those toppers under 5cm can add a little extra softening and snuggle-factor, but they're unlikely to change to feel of your sleep surface in the same way as a topper of 5cm or over.

Do you put a fitted sheet over a mattress topper?

Yes, I would always add a fitted sheet or a flat sheet over a mattress topper. In fact, unless your topper comes with a removable and machine-washable cover, I would suggest adding both a mattress protector and a sheet over your topper to keep your bed clean and fresh.

After all, a sheet and a mattress protector are far easier to stick in the washing machine than a thick topper, and whilst you can spot clean a mattress topper, it's simpler to avoid it if you can.

A sheet and mattress protector will form a barrier between your skin and the topper that can absorb sweat, oils, and dead skin cells (yuck!).

Can I use a duvet as a mattress topper?

If you can't afford a mattress topper right now, then yes, you could use a duvet as a replacement. This will help if your mattress is too firm and you want to add a layer of light padding to soften it a little. However, a duvet won't add the same support and cushioning as a good-quality topper.

It's certainly worth giving a duvet a try first though as it's usually a cheaper option than a dedicated topper.