Best Cooling Mattress Toppers
Lots of mattress pads are supposed to help you beat the heat, but some do a better job of keeping you cool than others
If you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep because it’s too hot, you might consider a cooling mattress topper. Not to be confused with mattress toppers touting “cooling” gels or “cool to the touch” covers, cooling mattress toppers have hardware to push cool air or water through your bed. They’re a cross between bedding and bed equipment.
As with conventional mattress toppers, the cooling sort typically slips under a fitted sheet. Some of these toppers chill water before sending it through tubes in the pad to maintain a programmable temperature; others use a fan to blow air under the covers. They don’t seem to interfere with comfort.’
“Most models have sufficient padding and are quite comfortable to sleep on,” says Bernie Deitrick, the CR engineer who tested the toppers. A few companies offer the option of a dual-zone design, so sleep partners can adjust their own side to their preference, whether cooler than the ambient room temperature or warmer.
To see all of CR’s sleep coverage, go to our Guide to Better Sleep.
Best Cooling Mattress Toppers
There’s no such thing as a bargain when it comes to these mattress pads. The cheapest option isn’t worth the frustration, and the two most effective models—those that actively change the temperature of a bed as opposed to using a fan—start around $500.
