If, like me, you tend to sleep hot, you know how difficult it can be to get a good night's sleep. Temperature regulation is a huge part of sleep hygiene; if you're too hot, you'll spend the night tossing and turning and flipping the pillow to the cool side.
Whether it's because of the season, or you're a natural hot sleeper, your mattress could be to blame, trapping warmth and causing you to overheat. But that doesn't mean you have to spend thousands investing in a new bed. Adding a cooling mattress topper to your sleep surface can relieve symptoms of overheating and help you sleep sweat-free. Made with cooling properties like charcoal or gel, you can turn your bed from a heat trap to a cool sanctuary.
As sleep editor, I've overseen tests of the highly-rated mattress toppers and mattress protectors on the market to see if they live up to their claims of temperature regulation and more. These are only the very best - the four toppers and pads that helped our hot sleepers keep their cool.
The best cooling mattress toppers and pads
You can trust Homes & Gardens. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, helping you choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Best cooling mattress topper overall
Why you should buy it
The graphite Saatva mattress topper does more than cool down your sleep surface. It offers body-contouring support to help soothe any aches and pains too.
What we loved on test
Saatva is known for luxury comfort, and their graphite topper really lets you chill — our reviewer and homes expert Kaitlin found that it kept her cool even in a hot July without air conditioning. With three inches of medium-firm foam and an internal graphite layer to absorb body heat, this mattress topper will keep you cool and alleviate any joint pressure. It also has a breathable GOTS-certified cotton cover you can wash.
Good to know
If you like a softer mattress with sink-in appeal, bear in mind this topper will make your mattress firmer. If 3" is too thick for you, Saatva also offers 1.5" latex or high-density foam versions without the graphite layer.
Our Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper review has more details.
Best cooling mattress pad
Why you should buy it
This mattress protector will keep your bed clean, and you cool, without altering the comfort levels or height of your mattress.
What we loved on test
As a hot sleeper with a bed that's otherwise comfortable, I didn't want to change the firmness of my mattress, only the temperature. After putting on the Sijo Home CLIMA TECH TempTune Mattress Pad, my bed felt cold to the touch. It's naturally moisture-wicking and temperature-regulating. Night after night, this pad makes it feel like you're always slipping over to the fresh side of the bed. As a mattress protector, it also helps to keep my rental mattress clean.
Good to know
Sustainably made, with CLIMA filler material and a eucalyptus-based TENCEL Lyocell cover, this protector is much more eco-friendly than investing in a full piece of cooling foam to keep you cool.
Best cooling mattress pad for hot flashes
Why you should buy it
If you suffer from hot flashes, this mattress protector is moisture-wicking to keep you dry and cool throughout the night.
What we loved on test
Made from bamboo, Coop Home Goods' premium mattress protector is naturally hypoallergenic, moisture-wicking, and temperature-regulating – you won't sleep hot, or suffer from allergies. Our tester Jaclyn found this protector cool to the touch, snd if you have any accidental spills from your morning coffee or kids in bed, then this protector will save you from ruining your already comfortable mattress. It's machine washable, too, so even when you have a hot flash, you can freshen up your bed in no time.
Good to know
It is quite a deep protector at 18in, so if your mattress is thinner be prepared to tuck it in.
Best cooling memory foam mattress topper
Why you should buy it
If you love the feel of memory foam, but struggle with sleeping hot, this cooling Viscosoft mattress topper will soften your mattress and keep you cool.
What we loved on test
Because memory foam is known to trap heat, hot sleepers are recommended to stay away from any bedding with foam fillings. Our reviewer Lauren Allain, however, says this Viscosoft topper offers soothing pressure-point relief thanks to two inches of copper-infused memory foam that wicks heat away from your body and two inches of ventilated memory foam for support. It has a breathable mesh cover you can wash, and an anti-slip backing that keeps it secure to the bed. This mattress topper is also great for motion isolating, keeping you and your partner comfortable even if the other is rolling around through the night.
Good to know
If you already have a thick mattress consider customer reviews that reported the straps snapping.
Our ViscoSoft Active Cooling Memory Foam Mattress Topper review has more details.
How we test cooling mattress toppers and pads
All our mattress protector and topper reviews are based on the real-life experience of using these products at home. We measure performance, how they fit, and how easy they are to wash. While lots of cooling mattress toppers can transform your bed when it comes to comfort, during testing, we are taking notes of how well they help hot sleepers stay cool throughout the night – including how cold they are to the touch and how they perform during a heatwave.
For more insight into our hands-on review process, refer to our Homes & Gardens review guidelines.
Our expert testers
Our former sleep ecommerce editor, Jaclyn frequently tests out and stays up to date on all things mattresses and bedding. She's not willing to sacrifice comfort or value and is after a mattress that makes it easy to sleep through the night. In addition to Homes & Gardens, you can find her work in Real Homes, Livingetc, Apartment Therapy, MyDomaine, and The Spruce. She lives in Atlanta, GA.
Kaitlin is a writer and editor covering all things home. Her work has appeared in Real Homes, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living, Refinery29, Modern Luxury Interiors, Wayfair, The Design Network, and lots more. She graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in journalism and currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, three kids, and black lab.
A topper or protector?
The biggest thing to consider is whether you're looking to transform your sleep surface or you are already happy with its current feel. A topper will change your mattress's firmness levels and help prolong its life if you've had it for some time. A pad, on the other hand, can help protect and cool your mattress without altering how it feels to sleep on. Both, depending on their cooling properties can help regulate your temperature, wick away any moisture and help you keep cool. Mattress toppers are generally more expensive than pads but are a great alternative to investing in a brand-new bed.
FAQs
Why does my mattress topper make me hot?
There are lots of mattress toppers on the market with cooling properties, but there are also others without. In fact, most mattress toppers are made of foam – a thick block of it, too. Foam can absorb heat and dissipate it out towards your body as you sleep. The thicker and more dense the foam, the more heat it can trap. So if your mattress topper is made from memory foam, shredded or otherwise, and it doesn't have a cooling casing, it could be the reason you're hot at night. Swapping to a cooling mattress topper can make all the difference. Or if you like the comfort and firmness rating, put a cooling protector on and see how you sweat less.
How can I keep my bed cool at night?
Aside from getting a cooling mattress pad or topper, there are a few switches for your sleep set-up to help regulate your temperature. Anything memory foam will trap heat, and hot sleepers should avoid bedding filled with foam. Changing memory foam pillows to polyester or even down types can help keep your face and neck cool. But if you're accustomed to the foam feel and aren't willing to give it up, adding the best silk pillowcase will provide a cold place to rest – no more needing to turn your pillow over to the cool side in the middle of the night.
If your mattress is old, you have the budget, and know a bed with cooling properties works well for you, investing in the best cooling mattress instead will help solve your hot sleeper problems long term. A topper should always only be a temporary solution to an uncomfortable mattress, so if your bed is too far gone, a new mattress is the key to blissful sleep.
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