Mattress Toppers: Which One for Your Job

Shoppers use the words "mattress topper" for two completely different things. One person wants to protect the mattress from stains; another wants to soften a mattress that turned out too firm. The products that do those two jobs are built differently, and mixing them up wastes money: a thin sheet-like cover will not change the firmness, and a 3 cm coconut coir slab will not save you from spilled tea.

So the place to start is not the material but the question: what exactly do you want to change. If you are not sure you need one at all, see what a mattress topper is for.

Job 1. Protecting the mattress

Here the topper is a thin layer that you should not feel at all. It takes on the moisture, the dust and the wear on the fabric, and then goes in the wash or gets replaced.

Waterproof

This is what people look for most often. The one in our catalogue now is a waterproof fitted protector from the partner brand Fabrika Sna: the fabric is quilted, it goes on like a fitted sheet, stays on the mattress and does not slide. Two sizes are in stock — 160×200 and 180×200. It does not change the firmness of the bed: it is a protective layer, not a filling.

Who genuinely needs one:

• Children — from potty training right through to school age.
• Bed-bound patients and elderly care — here it is essential, because it protects not only the mattress but your ability to keep it clean at all.
• Allergy sufferers — a dense barrier stops dust from working its way into the mattress, where dust mites live.
• Anyone who eats and drinks in bed. No irony intended: this is the single most common reason adults ruin a mattress.

One important point that rarely gets mentioned: a mattress cannot be washed. You can clean it from the surface, but moisture that has soaked into the filling never comes back out, and you are left with a smell and the risk of mould inside. A 160×200 waterproof protector costs 17,600 ₸ — several times less than any mattress of the same size in our catalogue.

Hygienic calico protector

A calico protector — 100% cotton, 0.5 cm thick. Its job is to absorb the dust and the friction and to extend the life of the mattress fabric. If protection from liquids is the main thing, choose the waterproof one. Both protective types go in the washing machine; toppers that change the firmness do not, because they have a filling inside.

Job 2. Changing the firmness

Here the topper is a full layer of filling, and it noticeably changes the way you sleep. In effect, it is a way to correct a mattress that did not work out, without buying a new one.

More on the materials themselves — what mattress toppers are made of.

Coconut coir, 3 cm — to make it firmer

A slab of coconut fibre. It goes on top of the mattress and raises the firmness of the bed noticeably. The typical situation: the mattress has sagged over time, or was softer than you needed from the start, and in the morning your lower back feels as if it has sunk in.

What else you can put on a mattress to make it firmer is covered separately. Coconut coir is the firmest of the options. It does not adjust things slightly, it changes the feel sharply, which is why it works over a soft mattress and not over one that is already firm.

Latex, 4 cm — to make it softer

The opposite job. A layer of latex softens a firm mattress without turning it into a feather bed: latex is resilient, it gives under the shoulder and the hip but carries on supporting the lower back. A good answer when the mattress is too firm for one partner and just right for the other — see also what to put on a mattress to make it softer and why latex works so well in toppers.

PU foam, 3 cm — an inexpensive refresh

The simplest of the filling toppers: a 3 cm layer of polyurethane foam. The product page says plainly that its anatomical properties are minimal and that its main advantage is the low price. It is a way to refresh the sleeping surface, not to fix a mattress that does not suit you.

Memory foam — to relieve pressure points

Memory foam follows the contour of the body and spreads the pressure out. It is chosen by people who sleep on their side and feel pressure in the shoulder and hip, and by anyone with sensitive joints. One quirk of the material: it does not spring back but takes your shape gradually. On our memory foam topper (a 4 cm layer, 5 cm in total), the product page says the surface levels out about 4 seconds after you get up.

Fixing: elastic straps or a zip

A practical question, and the answer decides how often you will be taking the thing off.

Elastic corner straps — sewn-on loops that slip over the corners of the mattress. Off in thirty seconds, fits any mattress height, and the panel does not slide around. This is the standard solution for thin protectors and for toppers.

Zip-on cover — encases the mattress completely on all sides. It protects better, since no dust gets in from the sides or from underneath. But it has to be matched to the height of the mattress, not just to the length and width: an 18 cm cover simply will not zip up around a 24 cm mattress. If you go for a zip, measure the height of the mattress first.

Sizes

A topper is matched to the mattress, not to the bed. For the toppers we make ourselves, the standard range mirrors the mattress range: from 80×200 to 200×200, including the popular 90×200, 140×200, 160×200 and 180×200. The exception is the waterproof protector we buy in: it comes only in 160×200 and 180×200.

Two practical rules:

• Do not size up "just in case". A topper larger than the mattress gathers into folds, and a fold under your back is something you feel all night.
• Non-standard sizes are made to order. The factory also makes its own toppers in non-standard sizes: give the manager the length, width and height of your mattress.

Care: what can be washed and what cannot

This is where people most often ruin the product.

• Type — Machine wash. Care
• Hygienic calico — Yes. A normal wash, like bed linen
• Waterproof — Yes. According to the manufacturer: wash at 30 °C, do not bleach, do not iron, dry flat
• Coconut coir, latex, PU foam, memory foam — No. There is a filling inside: dry or spot cleaning, and airing

How to wash the one that can be washed — step by step here. The general rule for fillings: water on the inside is bad. A coconut coir slab delaminates once it gets wet, and latex will not release the moisture and can develop a smell. If you spill something, dry it out rather than scrubbing it.

How to choose in three steps

• Define the job. Protection from moisture → waterproof. Dust and wear → calico. Too soft → coconut coir. Too firm → latex. Pressure in the shoulder → memory foam.
• Measure the mattress. Length, width and — if you are buying a zip-on cover — height.
• Choose the fixing. Taking it off often (children) → elastic straps. Maximum protection → zip.

Frequently asked questions

Are a mattress protector and a topper the same thing?

Not quite. A topper usually means a thick layer (3–4 cm and up) that changes the firmness. The word "mattress topper" gets used for both that and the thin protective cover. When you ask for a price, give the thickness and the job, not just the word.

Will a topper make an old sagging mattress usable again?

No. It adjusts the firmness, but it does not restore the support. If the mattress has developed a hollow, the spring unit has failed or the filling has collapsed, the fix is a new mattress; a layer on top only masks the problem.

Does the topper go under the sheet?

Yes, that is exactly how it is used: mattress → topper → sheet.

Does a new mattress need a topper?

If it is a protective one, yes, and preferably straight away. The point is to keep a new mattress from getting dirty in the first place, not to rescue one that already is.

What should I choose for a child's bed?

The waterproof one on elastic: you will be taking it off and washing it often and fast, sometimes in the middle of the night. It currently comes in 160×200 and 180×200 — if the child’s bed is smaller, ask the manager what will fit.

Does a waterproof topper change the feel of the mattress?

It is not designed to change the firmness: it is a protective fitted cover, not a layer of filling. If you need the bed firmer or softer, that is the job of a coconut, latex or memory foam topper.

Not sure what will fit your mattress? Send our manager the size of the mattress and what you want to change, and we will find the right option and quote it. Browse mattress toppers