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Best Cooling Mattress Toppers

A hot night of sleep is never fun. That's why we've rounded up the best cooling mattress toppers on the market to help you find the perfect one.

By Natalie Yerger

A cooling mattress topper serves as a solution for sleepers who don’t get enough cushioning from their current mattress or who struggle with body heat retention throughout the night. A mattress topper is typically a 2” to 3” layer that can substantially change the feel of your mattress, making it more plush or adding more support for the back and spine. There are thousands of toppers to choose from, many made of foam or latex. Finding a topper that both feels good to your body and mitigates heat buildup is essential for sleepers who struggle with body temperature issues. Below, we share our top picks for the best cooling mattress toppers of 2020.

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Top 10 Best Cooling Mattress Toppers of 2020

ViscoSoft Cooling Copper Mattress Topper

Editor’s Pick

Constructed with 3 inches of gel-infused memory foam, this topper is encased in a breathable bamboo and rayon mesh cover. Memory foam is known for its tendency to trap heat, but the ViscoSoft topper successfully regulates temperature with its gel infusion while providing all the cushioning, pressure-relieving benefits of the material.

Reason to Buy: Memory foam has a signature, viscous, sinking feeling that many sleepers love, but one of the primary drawbacks of memory foam is that it tends to retain heat. ViscoSoft addresses that issue by infusing its topper with gel and encasing it in breathable mesh so that sleepers can enjoy the deep hug of memory foam without worsening their temperature troubles. It comes in a medium-firm setting that should suit all sleeping positions for lightweight and average-weight sleepers. Plus-size sleepers might be advised to search for a more supportive, firmer mattress topper.

Read our full ViscoSoft Cooling Mattress Topper review to learn more. 

Beautyrest Mattress Topper

Best for Camping

This 3” gel memory foam topper is designed to cradle your body and keep it cool. The topper comes in two sizes perfect for the campground (Twin and Twin XL), and it costs less than $50 in both sizes.

Reason to Buy: Millions of Americans own an RV or enjoy cross-country travel and camping. The right mattress for your vehicle or camping experiences should be comfortable, portable and suited to your body type. Whether your RV’s pull-out sofa is too firm, or you need a softer surface for your sleeping bag, the Beautyrest topper is a great option. Measuring 3” thick with a quilted, textured surface, it features gel channels to dispel heat quickly and comes in Twin and Twin XL sizes.

Read our full Beautyrest Mattress Topper review to learn more. 

Linenspa Mattress Topper

Best Value

If you’re looking for an affordable way to change the feel of your current mattress and regulate your temperature throughout the night, the Linenspa topper is our pick. Available in 2” and 3” heights, it costs less than $100 on Amazon and has gel beads to dissipate heat.

Reason to Buy: The Linenspa topper features gel-infused memory foam in both the 2” and 3” plush height options and is available in all standard mattress sizes for an affordable price. In more than 18,000 positive ratings on Amazon.com, reviewers write that both the 2” and the 3” versions do a better job than expected considering the shorter height. Customer reviews also report that this topper adds just enough comfort without sacrificing spinal support.

Read our full Linenspa Mattress Topper review to learn more.

Nest Bedding Cooling Mattress Topper

Best for Back Pain

The Nest Bedding Cooling Topper features some of the materials found in the Nest Signature Mattress. Encased in a washable cover with cooling technology, it’s made from a thin-but-comfortable piece of proprietary Energex foam, which has a similar feel to latex.

Reason to Buy: Sleepers who need extra comfort and contouring around tender aches and back pain will enjoy the Nest Bedding topper’s Energex foam interior. It combines comfort and a light bounciness with cooling and a fast response to pressure. The 2” foam layer is covered in Nest’s luxury cooling fabric and has four corner straps to hold the cover in place. While not the least expensive topper on this list (a Twin topper costs roughly $199), it’s a good choice for sleepers who want noticeable pain relief.

PlushBeds Luxury Wool Topper

Best All-Natural

This wool mattress topper by PlushBeds is an all-natural luxury topper made from wool, encased in a 400-thread count sateen cover. PlushBeds is known for its commitment to quality; every product it sells is chemical-free and 100 percent natural.

Reason to Buy: Like linen, wool is a special textile because it has the ability to keep you cool when you’re hot and warm when you’re cold. If you live in a climate with four distinct seasons, this topper will give you the cooling and comfort you need in the summertime and the warmth and coziness you want in the winter. It’s also a good choice for eco-conscious shoppers and those concerned about harmful or synthetic materials. PlushBeds values sustainability, and its topper is hypoallergenic and non-toxic. The PlushBeds topper is more expensive than most, but the quality of the product is noteworthy.

Nacreous Mattress Pad

Best High Tech

Designed by Slumber Cloud, the Nacreous pad features cooling materials designed by NASA for spacesuits. These materials absorb heat when you’re warm and release it back when you’re cold. The Nacreous Pad’s construction is deceivingly simple: A linen fabric is sewn over two layers of temperature-regulating material with added polyester fill for more cushioning.

Reason to Buy: The Nacreous was designed to help sleepers who struggle with overheating to regulate their temperatures for a better night’s sleep. The breathability goes above and beyond Slumber Cloud’s sister cooling pad, the Cirriform, keeping cool even those who struggle with hot flashes, sweat regularly, or sleep at a different temperature than their partner. The patented Outlast technology infusion is the key ingredient in this cooling mattress pad because it absorbs and stores excess body heat to keep you cool. If your temperature drops, the beads release the stored heat back to you to keep you at the perfect temperature.

Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Topper

Best for Moisture Absorption

This affordable topper from a well-respected mattress company features 1.5” to 4” of Zinus biofoam, which is similar to memory foam but infused with green tea extract and active charcoal to help absorb moisture. If overheating at night causes you to break out in a sweat, this absorbent topper can keep your bed dry, odorless and bacteria-free.

Reason to Buy: Zinus is known for its high-quality affordable mattresses, but the Zinus Green Tea topper is an even less expensive option for sleepers who want to change the feel of their mattress. The Green Tea topper is one of the best mattress toppers for people who sweat at night and need a solution to wick moisture. It’s available in three thickness options and five sizes, and it comes with a 5-year warranty.

Serta Perfect Sleeper Mattress Topper

Best Egg-Crate Design

The Serta Perfect Sleeper is a gel memory foam mattress topper with an egg-crate design. The convoluted polyfoam ridges not only help improve airflow throughout the night but are known for providing better body contouring than standard flat foam toppers.

Reason to Buy: Many reviews of the Serta Perfect Sleeper topper have one thing in common: They mention how much the product has helped relieve aches and pains. Technically, the topper is reversible (one flat side and one convoluted side), but sleepers who use the egg-crate side may experience improved relief for pressure points and, in turn, sleep better. The gel-swirl infusion gives the topper a mildly cooling effect, but sleepers who struggle with serious temperature regulation issues like night sweats may want to look for a topper  or a mattress with more active cooling technology.

Mecor Gel-Infused Memory Foam Mattress Topper

Best Cooling Foam

The Mecor is a gel-infused memory foam mattress topper that’s available in three thicknesses (2”, 3” and 4”). Its cooling properties include cooling gel and open-cell foam that provides ventilation. Together, these design elements offer above-average air circulation and make it one of the best cooling mattress pads for people who love the feel of foam.

Reason to Buy: One of the main drawbacks of foam mattress and topper styles is that they tend to retain heat. This characteristic can complicate things for shoppers who love the feel of foam but struggle with sleeping hot. The Mecor topper solves that issue by offering the plush hug of memory foam and a breathable, cool night’s sleep, making it our pick for foam-lovers who sleep hot. The Mecor comes in Twin, Full, Queen and King sizes, and it can be secured underneath a fitted sheet on any old or new mattress.

Birch Mattress Topper

Best Luxury

The right mattress topper can turn a good bed to great, and the Birch latex topper’s high-quality materials can do just that. Each material is chosen for its high level of breathability, making this topper not only luxuriously plush but cooling for hot sleepers.

Reason to Buy: The Birch looks and feels like a luxury topper, complete with 3 inches of organic materials including Birch Wool and high-quality natural latex sourced from nature. The organic cotton cover is designed to be both soft and cool to the touch, and the topper’s latex center has a responsive, yet contouring response to pressure. Plus, the Birch boasts moisture-wicking benefits to aid in temperature regulation, and it even features a fire-retardant layer to provide protection.

Read our Birch Mattress review to learn more about this great brand. 

Types of Cooling Mattress Toppers

When a topper is described as “cooling,” it means that it’s designed to help sleepers maintain a regulated body temperature throughout the night. There are two types of cooling mattress toppers available: passive and active.

Passive Cooling Toppers

Toppers that cool your body passively have constructions that feature cooling technology, such as gel-infused foams, ventilated foams and cooling gel beads or swirls. Some toppers are made with natural materials that are inherently temperature-regulating, like feathers from ducks or geese, wool and natural latex.

Active Cooling Toppers

Active cooling toppers are somewhat rarer than their simpler passive cooling topper counterparts. These types of toppers can include attachments like fans and water pumps that help sleepers stay cool. They are often customizable and usually more expensive. Sometimes they feature components to keep beds warmer during particularly cold months.

Considerations for Buying a Cooling Mattress Topper 

Here’s a list of important shopping considerations to keep in mind when purchasing a cooling mattress topper:

Cleaning Instructions: Just like your mattress, toppers and pads can harbor dust mites, bed bugs and more if not kept clean. If you don’t want to replace your topper every six to 12 months, look for a product that’s machine-washable.

Thickness: The thickness you select should be influenced by three factors: your sleeping position, whether you sleep with a partner, and how much you want to change the feel of your mattress. Side sleepers, for example, will most likely need a thicker topper, as will couples who want to minimize motion transfer.

Density: High-density toppers tend to have more support and may last longer than low-density toppers.

Material: Toppers come in a wide variety of materials, ranging from foam to natural latex, fiberfill and down alternative. Select a material that is known for its abilities to mitigate heat buildup.

Other Ways to Keep your Sleep Space Cool

Whether you have a naturally high body temperature, or you don’t have A/C, these are a few additional ways to stay cool at night:

  • Invest in cooling sheets, like those made from cotton or bamboo.
  • Sleep in the nude, as pajamas and other sleepwear can prevent thermoregulation.
  • Invest in a cooler mattress. Hybrid, innerspring and latex mattresses are among the most breathable.
  • Stay hydrated. Proper water intake helps your body thermoregulate properly.

Our Final Take

For people who sleep hot, selecting the right cooling mattress topper comes down to two things: comfort and effectiveness. All of the options we included in this list should succeed at both, but the best mattress topper for you will depend on your budget, sleeping position, personal needs and how hot you tend to sleep. If you struggle nightly with overheating, the Viscosoft Cooling Copper Topper will probably be your best bet. If you’re just looking for a topper that will keep you cool while camping during the summer, the Beautyrest topper could fit the bill. There’s something for everyone on this list, from value shoppers searching for a deal to hot sleepers looking to cool down. We recommend considering your key priorities and reviewing our recommendations before setting out to make your topper purchase.

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