I'm a Hot Sleeper and a Sleep Editor – These Are the 6 Best Cooling Mattress Toppers and Pads You Can Buy in 2025

While the best cooling mattress toppers may typically be associated with relief during the hot summer months, if you're a hot sleeper like me, keeping cool in winter with the heating on and rooms feeling more stuffy than usual can be just as difficult.

That's why the sleep team and I tested the best cooling mattress topper for hot sleepers, whether it's because you naturally run hot, struggle when the heating is on, share the bed with a human heatpad, or have hot flushes from hormones, medications, or health conditions disrupting your sleep.

I personally swear by having a comfortable, cooling setup that saves me from the dreaded night sweats and sleepless nights, especially when the heating is cranked up.

As the resident Sleep Editor at Homes & Gardens, I have led a team of expert testers (and fellow hot sleepers) in the search to find the world's best mattress toppers. For this guide, we've tested a range of cooling toppers and pads to find out which are best for comfort, support, and varied budgets.

All of our included picks scored 5/5 for thermoregulation, and are the best cooling toppers and pads to buy right now in 2025.

Helix Ergoalign Mattress Topper, queen: was $498.66 now $374 at Helix Sleep

There's 25% off this memory foam topper right now, which our review described as being cool to the touch, thanks to its GlacioTex fabric.

View Deal

Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper, queen: was $329 now $263 at Avocado Mattress

With 20% off at Avocado, this mattress topper is a savvy buy if you're after a sustainable, organic option that is both breathable and moisture-wicking.

View Deal

Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper: was $532 now $399 at Birch Living

With 25% off, it's worth checking out the deals on Birch right now. It's a luxe purchase, so over $100 off sweetens the deal.

View Deal

6 Best Cooling Mattress Toppers and Pads – Our One-Minute Verdict

If you've got the budget to spend and are after a cooling mattress topper that ticks all our above parameters, the Saatva Memory Foam Graphite Mattress Topper available at Saatva is the one for you. If you find memory foam the comfiest, the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper, available at Helix, combines high-density foam with a patented Glaciotex cover that's actually cool to the touch, while the Avocado Eco-Organic Latex Mattress Topper, available at Avocado, champions sustainable cooling and uses organic materials.

Alternatively, the Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper available at Birch is ideal for hot side-sleepers, and the Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad available at Cozy Earth offers a more affordable, temperature-regulating option, but, at only 1/2 thick, you will be compromising on the comfort offered.

Therefore, for a thicker, plusher, yet still impressively cooling choice, opt for the Viscosoft High-Density Mattress Topper, available at Viscosoft, which is available in three different thickness levels.

6 Best Cooling Mattress Toppers and Pads – Our Tested Picks at a Glance

Below, you'll find a bite-sized summary of each topper or pad our team has tested in our homes for at least a month. To learn more about a particular product, keep scrolling, or hit 'read more below' to jump to that section where I've listed the need-to-know specifications before digging into the details of our testing experience.

Don't worry if you encounter any unfamiliar terms: I explain them as I go, and delve deeper still in our dedicated mattress jargon buster.

All prices were correct at the time of publication, and refer to 'Queen' sizes.

How to Choose a Cooling Topper or Pad

Before we get into the full reviews, it can be helpful to know exactly how to choose the best cooling topper or pad for you. Let's start with the difference between a topper and a mattress pad.

A cooling topper is a thick slab of foam, made from or infused with cooling materials, and secured with corner straps or a grip pad, which can work wonders at transforming an uncomfortable mattress and help you to sleep better.

A cooling mattress pad for night sweats, on the other hand, which is very similar to a mattress protector, is usually made from bamboo, cotton, and other natural fibres that won't impact the feel of your mattress too much, other than adding a cooling buffer.

And, when it comes to considering the cooling mattress topper vs mattress protector difference, a mattress protector does just that – protects your mattress – and is often waterproof, too.

Here are four key things to consider when looking for a great cooling mattress topper or pad that will work well for you:

• Consider your sleep position: If you've ever read one of my mattress buying guides, you'll remember hearing talk of 'sleep positions'. Whether you lie on your front, back, or side makes a big difference to your spinal alignment, as you need to create the right mattress firmness for your body. Most mattress manufacturers categorize their toppers as 'soft', 'medium-soft', 'medium', 'medium-firm', or 'firm'. Remember, only a mattress topper is thick enough to alter the firmness and feel of your mattress: A mattress pad isn't. You should only buy a cooling mattress pad if you're happy with the comfort and support of your current mattress.
• Set your budget: As a general rule, cooling mattress toppers are more expensive than cooling mattress pads: they're thicker, and often filled with more expensive materials, including foams, rather than cotton, wool, or bamboo that typically make up a pad. I suggest you set an upper and lower limit to your budget before you start shopping. I'd expect to spend somewhere between $200 and $300 on a cooling mattress topper, while a cooling mattress pad might be more affordable – more like $100 to $200.
• The current state of your mattress: If you purchased your mattress relatively recently, and it appears to be in good condition, and if you don't want a cooling mattress topper to alter the firmness or feel, you'd be better off with a cooling mattress pad. If your mattress is past its prime or showing visible signs of aging, from deformed foam to squeaking springs, then it might be time to change your mattress. The average lifespan of a mattress is seven years, but you can prolong it with a mattress topper.
• Key features: Consider material, such as natural cooling mattress pads made of organic materials for hot sleepers, thickness, as you may need a cooling mattress topper for a deep mattress fit, for example, trial period, returns, compatibility with mattress depth, and hot-sleeper signals on product listings.

The Best Cooling Mattress Topper Overall

Image 1 of 2

Our expert tester, Kaitlin Madden, side hustles as a short-term rental host, and reviewed the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper. She picked up the Saatva Memory Foam Graphite Mattress Topper to breathe new life into her old guest bed two years ago. Since then, she's had dozens of guests come to stay, and they all rave about this topper.

Though a fussy sleeper, Kaitlin's mother woke up the next morning and reached for her phone to order her own Saatva Memory Foam Graphite Mattress Topper − it's just that good. For that reason, if you're a generally hot sleeper with the budget for a serious upgrade, this is the pick for you, and our top choice for the best cooling mattress topper for hot sleepers.

As a hot sleeper, Kaitlin previously tried to avoid memory foam, believing it was too thick for air to flow through. She only agreed to test a memory foam mattress topper when she learned about the graphite infusion – graphite is a highly conductive material that channels excess thermal energy away from the body and out of the bed.

Kaitlin tested the Saatva Memory Foam Graphite Mattress Topper in the middle of July in a room without AC, and she couldn't get over how well she slept. This also helps us have a good, real-world idea of what a warm room might feel like with the heating on in colder months and how this product performs in those conditions, too.

'As a side sleeper, I know I need a topper that's soft enough to cradle my body without swallowing it,' says Kaitlin. 'Certainly, the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper contoured around my curves to bear my weight. Still, it sank no more than an inch and sprang back into shape soon after my weight was removed.'

Kaitlin also found that it cradles her neck and shoulders for soft support when she sleeps on her side.

We can't talk about the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper without mentioning the price. A Queen-sized topper typically costs $295, which is pretty expensive: Further from the price of the best affordable mattress than your average topper. Still, Kaitlin thinks it's worth the money as a way to prolong the life of your old mattress and keep cool and comfortable.

Key takeaway: Best for unparalleled cooling and support.

The Best Cooling Memory Foam Mattress Topper

Image 1 of 2

'Since I turned 40, I have regularly woken up drenched in sweat and exhausted,' says expert bedding and sleep tester, Meg St-Esprit, who reviewed the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper. 'Budget mattress toppers, comprised mostly of foam, only made me hotter. I was reluctant to test another memory foam mattress topper – until I felt for myself the cooling capabilities of GlacioTex.'

GlacioTex is just a marketing term for a patented fabric, made from a blend of polyester and polyethylene. It's hypoallergenic to guard against bacteria and bed bugs, and wraps right the way around the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper.

'The first morning testing, I woke up cool and comfortable for the first time in months,' says Meg. 'During the first 30 days of the testing period, I still had three mornings where I woke up overheated, but the frequency was drastically reduced.'

The Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper, available at Helix, isn't perfect. For one thing, it's expensive, and, standing three inches tall, it adds significant height to the bed. You might need to purchase a new set of the best bed sheets, or best cooling bed sheets, with deeper pockets. Amazon's best cooling sheets are worth a look, too.

Still, Meg was highly impressed by the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper's motion isolation and edge support, even though this model isn't a more premium or advanced active cooling mattress pad with dual zones for couples, which makes this a perfect pick if you share your bed with a partner.

'I was able to hang off the edge of the bed to read quietly at night without disturbing my husband, or rolling off the edge of the bed onto the floor,' she says.

Key takeaway: Best for sturdy co-sleeping.

The Best Cooling Latex Mattress Topper

Image 1 of 2

I'm a hot sleeper and am always looking to be more sustainable at home. I'm keen to keep cool and comfortable at night year-round, but I'd rather not spend my money on synthetic fabrics and fills. If I could only buy one of these cooling mattress toppers and pads, I'd get the Avocado Eco-Organic Latex Mattress Topper available at Avocado for natural breathability.

This is the best organic mattress topper on the market, and is the best option to go for if you prioritize sustainability. It's also vegan-certified and made without wool, and instead filled with organic Dunlop latex, which is dense and durable, arranged in an open-cell structure to boost breathability. Then, it's topped with organic cotton and wool for natural thermoregulation and moisture-wicking.

Our expert tester, Antonia Santoro, who tested and reviewed the Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper, still raves about it, over two years after she started testing. 'This thing got me through a hot and humid New York summer,' she says. 'I never woke up with night sweats, and I managed to sleep comfortably even when my HVAC system went haywire.'

The Avocado Eco-Organic Latex Mattress Topper was recently relaunched. Now, it's available in two heights and two comfort levels to suit every sleep position. I recommend a deeper topper in Plush for side sleepers who need more give, while the two-inch topper in Medium should provide solid support for back and stomach sleepers.

There's only one thing stopping Antonia from giving this topper the full five stars: the absence of corner straps. There's no way to secure the Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper to the bed – you just have to trust that the cotton canvas underneath the topper can get a grip on the mattress.

Before you buy, I suggest you learn how to keep a mattress topper from sliding.

Key takeaway: Best organic materials.

The Best Cooling Mattress Topper for Side Sleepers

Image 1 of 2

Filled with springy and responsive Talalay latex, the Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper, available at Birch, offers contouring comfort and near-perfect pressure relief, perfect for hot side-sleepers. Peel back the mattress cover and you'll find organic wool, cotton, and cashmere in the comfort layers, working to wick moisture, keeping your bed and body clean and cool.

'This latex mattress topper feels more supportive than a traditional down or cotton pillow-top, and more responsive than your average memory foam mattress topper,' says expert tester, Kaitlin Madden, who worked on our Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper review. 'Latex offers softness without the sinking feeling you get from memory foam.' If you suffer from aches and pains alongside your night sweats, then this is the mattress topper for you.

One of the best and worst things about latex, depending on who you ask, is its natural elasticity. The same bounce that makes it easier to get into and out of bed also makes it much harder to sleep undisturbed. Kaitlin found that she could feel it when her husband rolled around on his side of the bed. If you're looking for a cooling mattress topper with optimal motion isolation, you'd be better off with a memory foam model.

According to Kaitlin, there's a lot to like about the Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper. But, she adds, 'There are a few practical points that keep it from occupying pole position in our buying guide.

'There are no corner straps, so there's nothing to keep the topper from sliding across your mattress, and the cotton cover is prone to bunching up beneath your body.'

Key takeaway: Best for contouring comfort, however you sleep.

The Best Bamboo Cooling Mattress Pad

Moisture-wicking and antimicrobial, bamboo is built to bust the bacteria that breed in sticky, sweaty places, such as beds. Naturally breathable, the Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad, available at Cozy Earth, cools me down when I overheat, without ever getting uncomfortably cold.

The Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad is designed to enhance the comfort and cooling of your bed. It's super slim-line, fitting easily beneath my fitted sheet, with 360-degree elastic to get a good grip on my mattress. Its slim design also means it's the best budget cooling mattress topper under $150, to keep you cool in both summer and winter, from this list of six.

I tested the pad in combination with the Cozy Earth Bamboo Comforter and Duvet, and if I had to pick the best product out of all three, as Cozy Earth is on the more expensive side, it is hands down the mattress pad. I couldn't believe how soft and silky it felt, and I appreciated that the smooth design never rustles as you toss and turn.

The Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad boasts a 4.9 average star rating from 510 shopper reviews. 'I can finally sleep comfortably,' reads one recent review. 'I am a very hot sleeper and despite cranking the temperature way down in my room at night, I'd always felt my bedding to be stifling and sweaty. The result was inevitably me kicking off the covers after overheating, only to wake up freezing. Lather, rinse, repeat.

'With the Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad, especially when matched with a full set of their bamboo bedding, I am comfortable for the first time. I don't get cold, but I don't overheat. I don't wake up sweaty. My bedding no longer feels stifling. Everything is buttery smooth and luxurious.

'Care and maintenance is super easy as it is all machine washable. I love it so much that I bought an extra to keep as backup when I'm washing the other one.'

Key takeaway: Best slimline design.

The Best Cooling Mattress Topper on a Budget

Image 1 of 2

The Viscosoft High Density Mattress Topper available at Viscosoft is their most popular cooling topper and, in our opinion, for good reason. In fact, after Meg reviewed the Viscosoft High Density Mattress Topper, it made its way to the top of our guide on the best mattress toppers for dorm beds. It also boasts over 10,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, with satisfied shoppers praising it for its comfort, quality, and lower price point.

'Best purchase I've made in a while,' reads one review. 'I have been looking for a mattress topper suitable for plus-size side-sleepers for a while now. I did quite a bit of research before landing on this specific topper. My mattress is very cheap and springy, so I was looking for something that would conceal those properties as well as support my figure properly and alleviate pressure from my back and hips.

'I knew after the first night of sleeping on this that I had made the right choice. I considered cheaping out and choosing something lower quality, but I chose to invest in my health and comfort, and boy am I grateful I did. I wanted to wait until I had slept on this topper for at least a few weeks before writing this review. My thoughts have not changed at all. This mattress topper is clearly very high quality.'

Meg agrees, adding that she found it soft, supportive, and effective at keeping her cool all night long – as it's infused with a cooling gel to dissipate heat, wick moisture, and block odors.

While she experienced a few issues with keeping the topper firmly on the bed, she did conclude that you can't go wrong for the price with this pick.

'I believe this is a great product for the cost,' she advises.

Key takeaway: Comfortable and cooling, but not without its faults.

Best Cooling Mattress Toppers and Pads – Honorable Mentions

Over the years, my expert team has ranked and reviewed 12 mattress toppers and sampled a handful of mattress pads for consideration in deal round-ups and buying guides. My top six represent the best of the best for pressure relief, motion isolation, edge support, and, in particular, thermoregulation.

Still, I wanted to shout out three more cooling toppers and pads that might meet your needs.

How We Test Mattress Toppers and Pads

As the resident Sleep Editor at Homes & Gardens, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the best mattress toppers and pads. Together, we represent a wide range of ages, sleep styles, and body types, and we work right across the country, from warm cities in the South to snow-capped corners of the Pacific Midwest.

For this guide, we tested toppers and pads that are best for cooling. They still needed to pass tests on pressure relief, support, and motion isolation, but our main focus when testing was on their cooling properties. Our team of testers lives in both the UK and the USA, so a range of temperatures and conditions were experienced, and many of us (including myself) experience overheating in bed at night. We tested mattress toppers and pads in our own homes for a minimum of 30 nights before we publish our initial reviews. This gives a good indication of long-term performance.

To learn more about how we test mattress toppers, consult our expert guide.

We score mattress pads slightly differently, since pads aren't thick enough to impact the motion isolation or edge support of a mattress. Instead, we pay close attention to the look and feel of the mattress pad through the sheets, considering its thermoregulation alongside ease of care, such as how well it washes and dries.

We also consider the practical aspects of shopping for toppers and pads, including the range of sizes available, the details of delivery, and any warranties. Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to learn more about long-term use.

Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the product to help you determine value for money.

Don't forget that there are trade-offs to consider between cooling toppers and pads. For example, toppers may change the way your mattress feels, for better or worse, while pads may shift with sheets, particularly if they don't come complete with corner straps.

How to Know If a Cooling Mattress Protector Could Be Better for You

As Homes & Gardens' resident sleep writer, I've sampled some of the best mattress protectors on the market. These lightweight layers can bust bed bugs and safeguard your mattress from spills and stains, but only a few can stop night sweats.

That being said, while a cooling topper is for adding comfort, support, and cooling, a cooling protector will simply help you keep cool while keeping your mattress clean.

If you're looking for something a little more affordable, I've narrowed down the best cooling mattress protectors that meet my needs as a hot sleeper:

• The Slumber Cloud Core Mattress Pad available at Slumber Cloud is the best overall, and incorporates NASA-endorsed temperature-regulation technology to absorb, store, and release body heat at just the right time throughout the night.
• The GlacioTex Cooling Mattress Protector available at Nolah is the best value and is designed to shield your bed and your body from dirt, dust, and dander.
• The SafeRest Waterproof Mattress Protector available at Amazon is the best pick from Amazon. With more than 200,000 five-star reviews, it's a real crowd-pleaser, and is breathable, yet durable, and highly affordable.
• The Brooklyn Bedding Cooling Mattress Protector available at Amazon is the best smart cooling mattress protector, which incorporates polyethylene fibers to quickly conduct heat away from your body and out of the bed. It's secured with enhanced elastic to ensure a snug fit, like you'd get from a fitted sheet.
• The Casper Sleep Waterproof Mattress Protector available at Amazon is perfect for anyone with a bigger bed: it's sufficiently stretchy to accommodate thicker mattresses, up to 16 inches deep, and comes in every size, from Twin to California King.
• The Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Mattress Protector available at Woolroom is ideal if you're keen to keep cool with natural fibers. Wool is naturally breathable, thermoregulating, and hypoallergenic to guard against bed bugs and bacteria.

FAQs

Why is my mattress making me hot?

If your mattress is making you hot, it's probably because it's made from memory foam. High-density memory foam leaves little room for air to flow. You end up trapping heat and moisture inside the mattress, which becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and mildew.

If you feel most comfortable on memory foam, but you're keen to regulate your temperature, you could narrow the search to a gel mattress. Gel beads, included in a cooling mattress topper with gel-infused memory foam, are designed to absorb excess body heat and disperse it through the mattress, so you don't overheat.

If you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, you might consider one of the best mattress pads for night sweats or investing in one of the best cooling mattresses. I've ranked and reviewed six of my favorites from Tempur-Pedic, Saatva, DreamCloud, and more.

Where can I buy a cooling mattress topper?

The best places to buy bedding for hot sleepers are specialist sleep stores, rather than major home retailers.

We think Saatva's Graphite Cooling Mattress Topper is best, but you'll need to shop at Avocado or Cozy Earth for options made from natural materials.

Sijo hasn't made it into our guide as we haven't yet tested any of their products, but it does offer a great line of cooling bed accessories at a more affordable price point. We'll be testing those when we next update this guide next year.

As with anything, it's always worth keeping an eye out for reductions, which typically occur between November and January. Events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Boxing Day sales will usually see the best deals. Keep this page bookmarked if you're in the market for a new cooling mattress topper or pad, as I'll be hunting for the best deals and updating this page to reflect those prices and highlight any great deals.

Do cooling mattress toppers really work?

Yes, cooling mattress toppers really do work by adding a breathable layer between yourself and your mattress, which improves airflow and therefore dissipates heat.

Therefore, they're the best option for hot sleepers without the budget to buy a whole new mattress.

How thick should a cooling mattress topper be for the best performance?

How thick a cooling topper should be will largely depend on individual needs, as a slim design can cool just as well as a thicker alternative. To illustrate this, our top six included in this guide range from half an inch to four inches.

The thicker the cooling topper, the more 'plush' it will be, but this can also create issues when it comes to using fitted sheets or a mattress protector, or fitting your mattress with the topper onto your bedframe.

For the best fit and comfort, measure your space and then consider your priorities. A thicker topper may mean you need to buy new bedding, but it could seriously upgrade your sleep.

Meet Our Testing Team

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Antonia Santoro

Antonia is one of our freelance sleep product reviewers. She tested the Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper in tandem with the Avocado Green Mattress, as an affordable alternative. As someone who likes to sit and sleep on the side of the bed, Antonia needs a topper with solid edge support.

Emilia Hitching

As our resident sleep editor, Emilia specializes in reviewing, testing, and hunting down deals when it comes to all things bedding. She also leads our team of expert testers, curates reviews, and has interviewed various luxury bedding designers.

Kaitlin Madden

Kaitlin is one of our freelance reviewers, whose work features in Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and Refinery29. She has over a decade of experience in homes and interiors writing and, as a side sleeper, needs a mattress topper that can cushion her joints while supporting her spine.

Meg St-Esprit

Meg is one of our regular freelance sleep product reviewers and travels a lot, experiencing good and bad bedding all over the world, and touring a mattress factory in her hometown of Pittsburgh. She particularly likes the contouring comfort and pressure relief of memory foam to ease her lower back ache.

If you're working with a tighter budget, but you're still keen to keep cool in warm weather, you could pick up a set of the best cooling sheets. I've ranked and reviewed six of the best, from lightweight linen sets to crisp cotton percales.