How to Choose Your Mattress Topper

Sometimes sleeping on just a mattress doesn’t cut it. Perhaps you wake up because your spouse moves around too much, or maybe you can’t get comfortable — or there’s a host of other reasons. One popular solution is to add a mattress topper to your bed.

Not to be confused with a mattress pad, mattress toppers provide extra support and a substantial amount of extra cushion to your mattress. Mattress pads tend to serve mainly as an allergy protector or moisture barrier, with a slight layer of cushion.

There are several different types of mattress toppers out there, so it can be difficult to figure out what type of material to buy, what thickness is right for you, how much to spend, and so on…

The most popular choices of mattress toppers include: memory foam, egg crate foam, cotton, natural latex, and (our favorite!) wool. Here we’ll look at some of the benefits of each to help you choose the right mattress topper:

Wool

Wool is an all-natural option that creates a healthy sleeping environment. It’s also one of the most durable materials, and yet soft and comfortable. Wool is the best material for allergy sufferers and can even help keeps bed bugs away from your mattress.

And of course, wool bedding is proven to have a variety of health benefits that other materials don’t offer while still ticking all the right boxes when choosing a mattress topper: price, comfort, density, environmentally friendly, and more.

They make a wonderfully luxurious addition to your current sleep system at a reasonable price. They are a popular choice for those who want the comfort and benefits of a wool bed, but aren’t ready to invest in an entire bed set yet.

Memory Foam

While it can be pricey, memory foam is a popular choice because it absorbs movement and noise. It also has a lot of thickness choices, so you can find the level of support you need. The major downside, of course, is that foam is a synthetic material that will off-gas for an indefinite amount of time. This can cause unknown health issues for you and your family.

Egg Crate Foam

Egg crate foam is the most inexpensive. It’s very lightweight and provides good cushion, but it’s not as great for back support and only lasts a couple of years at most. Just like memory foam, egg crate foam will off-gas and fail to biodegrade. And because they aren’t nearly as durable as wool, they will end up in a landfill sooner, polluting the soil and our watersheds.

Cotton

Cotton mattress toppers can range in price, but a good quality cotton topper will obviously run higher. The advantages to cotton is that it’s very easy to clean and is a softer material, but it lacks the durability that other topper materials have.

Natural Latex

Natural latex mattress toppers are the most expensive option. They do have some benefits, though, like good shock absorption for people that move a lot in their sleep. Latex also molds to fit your body and has a wide range of thickness and support options. At Shepherd’s Dream, we generally recommend them more as a cushion between the bed frame and the mattress in the place of box springs.

Our goal is to help you sleep better while enhancing your health and protecting our environment. We believe our wool mattress topper is the best, natural option for your bed. Give it a try and see for yourself!

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