Mattress Pad vs. Mattress Topper – Which is Best for You?

Before we understand the difference between the mattress pad and mattress topper we must first understand why we need a mattress? Apart from a healthy diet and exercise the most important thing is to get is quality sleep. Yes, quality sleeping is important to keep us healthy as it helps us to function well. Good sleep for 7-8 hours a day will keep us energized for anything we want to do, it repairs our body and brain. People who miss their sleeping hours tend to have a poor memory, they hardly can focus and often feel irritated or anxious. 

Now, a good mattress will help us in getting good sleep, it supports our body, keeps our spine neutral irrespective of our sleeping positions. But, is the mattress enough to give you quality sleep? The answer is no, as per many satisfied customers who have tried mattress pads and mattress toppers get a better quality of sleep than just sleeping on the mattress. By using these mattress pads and toppers they have not only opted for a comfortable sleep but also a hassle-free painless life which we will discuss in the following article.

After a long tiring day, you don’t want to sleep on a tight or stiff bed where your body and mind don’t feel comfortable or relaxed. You must try the mattress pads or mattress toppers to achieve the optimum level of comfort, satisfaction, and relaxation. On the other hand, mattresses are highly expensive, a good mattress can cost you $700 to over $4000 and should be taken care of. When you have to spend a few hundred to thousands of dollars on the mattress you bought,  you would want to protect it from dirt, body oil, stains from accidental spills. Some mattress pads and mattress toppers are waterproof and can come to your rescue, as they will protect your mattress from getting messy.

Typically mattress pads and mattress toppers can be called cousins as they belong from the same family ensuring quality sleep by adding some extra height of comfort level to your bed. However, both serve different purposes.  Most customers tend to feel confused in between the mattress pads and mattress toppers, but with us, you can clarify the difference between them ensuring you have a clear vision before you stop to shop.

Mattress Pad vs. Mattress Topper

Mattress Pads: Mattress pads add an extra layer in between you and the mattress. They can protect our expensive mattress from sweat, stains, body oil, pet hair, and are spill-proof. They add some comfort, as they are soft-cushioned especially if they are made up of wool.     These pads are generally lightly padded and come with a quilted top and are budget-friendly. Since, you should take care of your expensive mattress, buying a mattress pad for adding an extra layer that can protect from moisture and add style with comfort is recommended by us and by many satisfied customers who have used mattress pads. Mattress pads come in all sorts of desirable materials like synthetic, cotton, and wool. Synthetic pads are most common among all the pads and are generally made up of polyester. The polyester made pads are stretchable and durable for a long time. They are affordable but have some drawbacks.

These pads are chemically treated and can give skin allergies. These pads may contain some bleach, boric acid, flame retardant, and some harmful toxins which are not good for the human body especially while you are sleeping in them. Next, comes our cotton pads, it adds slight cushioning although they have great benefits when we use them. These mattress pads are water-resistant which is great if you accidentally drop a glass of water or any liquid. The pad won’t seep the liquid which can damage the mattress but it will bead up the liquid on the pad. Always look for cotton pads which are not chemically treated or bleached or contain any flame retardant. The less the chemicals will be the better it is for your body and skin. You should always opt for an organic or naturally treated pad. These pads are machine washable or can be hand washed too. Last but not the least on our options is the wool pads, we recommend you using wool pads as they are better than cotton pads.

These pads can do a better job in resisting water than the cotton pads, for their natural properties, they are often found to be used for baby beds and in baby cribs. Pads made up of wool provide more cushion than cotton pads. But keep in mind that they need some maintenance and should be laundry washed only. You can use the mattress pads either on top of your mattress or under your sheets. The best benefit of having a mattress pad is they can be transportable and movable.

They are easy to attach to the bed and reduce any noise coming from the bed or mattress protector.  Some pads made up of synthetic cluster fibre are great in use as the fibre used in the pads can trap air which allows the pad to retain its shape and allows more airflow than other mattresses they are highly recommended by us for our customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, some mattress pads tend to be flimsy and get damaged unless you buy a pad without checking the quality and brand. The light cushioning may not give you enough comfort as a mattress topper will do.

Mattress Topper: Mattress toppers are well constructed than mattress pads you can say they are the upgraded version of mattress pads which can contour your body that provides even-distributed support and eliminates hot spots which can cause pain, the heavily cushioned toppers ensure better comfort than mattress pads as it changes the surface of your mattress.

The heavily cushioned topper can provide you feeling of comfort and support and ensure you get quality sleep throughout the night by adding them on top of your bed. These toppers are either filled with wool or can be made from latex, memory foam, or polyurethane foam. This works great for people with joint pain, arthritis as they support your pressure points to feel relieved. These are great for side sleepers who tend to feel pain in their hip or shoulder. The mattress topper can benefit you adding some extra height that can protect your mattress from stain and spills, the soft cushioned toppers indeed do a great job for your pressure point relief plus if you have a mattress with innerspring adding a mattress topper to your bed will give you a foam feel.

 Now, the mattress which is made of memory foam is a type of polyurethane foam which does a great job for pressure point relief because they will adjust as per your body and maintains its shape after use. It can also retain body heat ensuring you quality sleep. The chemical reaction through heat allows the foam to move and help your pressure point to feel relieved; you can also find gel memory foam mattress toppers which are an advanced version of memory foam toppers providing you great back and body support with addition to the great plush which gives you maximum comfort. Next, the polyurethane mattress toppers are one of the most affordable toppers. It is the most available topper is in the market however, there is a major drawback with this kind of topper.

Polyurethane can derive petrochemical and are completely made up of synthetic material. It is less durable and less comfortable than other toppers. Unfortunately, these mattress toppers are not body huggers which means they don’t support or relief your body pressure points and tend to cause dips and sags. Now, natural latex toppers, this is our best recommendation for all the customers looking for mattress toppers. The natural latex is durable and long-lasting, these toppers serve a better purpose than memory foam toppers and polyurethane toppers. They are breathable and can relieve your pressure points. They don’t trap the body heat so you can sleep with a cooling effect and you will face fewer issues with the mattress not bouncing back. Last but not the least on our list comes the wool mattress toppers which also works exceptionally.

This is great during winter as most of us know how cold it turns outsides, as wool is a natural temperature regulator, they give you more warmth keeping you feeling cozy yet,  it is comfortable during summers by giving you cooler feeling. Before you opt for one of these toppers make sure you check the GOTS- certification and whether it is made from natural or organic material or not and with strap option that you can attach to your bed.

The drawback with mattress toppers is that they are pricier, the foam used in mattress toppers can make the bed warmer by insulating the body heat. They are not easily transportable or movable because of their heavyweight and are difficult while cleaning. Most toppers don’t come with straps which you can help you to attach them to your mattress.

Conclusion:

If you want more comfort then we would recommend you buy a mattress topper but if you want some comfort within your budget you should opt for mattress pads.