Best Mattress Toppers of 2023

Oct 07, 2023

These supportive cushions can give your bed a comfort boost

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Does your once comfortable mattress now feel less plush? Or maybe your brand-new budget mattress needs a touch more softness. A mattress topper could be the fix.

These layers fit on top of your mattress and offer varying degrees of cushioning to your sleep surface. Mattress toppers are made from foams (including gel foam and memory foam), latex, feathers, or fabric fibers; some offer a combination of materials. The average height tends to be 2 to 4 inches, and what's best depends on what feels comfortable to you. Generally speaking, though, the thicker the layer, the more pronounced the cushioning. Side sleepers looking for pressure relief for their hips and shoulders might consider thicker options; back sleepers who want their firm bed to feel just a touch less spartan might consider something thinner.

While mattress toppers can help dial up the plushness on your mattress, toppers will not resuscitate a bed that's past its prime or fix a sagging mattress. Nor will they help align the spine of folks with back pain. "The whole reason behind having a topper is that you feel your bed is too firm, so putting a topper on it is going to give a softer feel," says Bernie Deitrick, CR's senior test program leader for mattress toppers.

Something else to keep in mind: Just how soft a topper feels may depend on the temperature of your bedroom. Because of their thermal properties, says Deitrick, some gel foams and memory foam toppers will stiffen in cooler temperatures. That means if you don't keep your bedroom's thermostat consistent throughout the year, your topper could feel less plush in the cooler months than in the warmer months, at least when you first lie on it. (They’ll soften up more with body heat.)

No matter the season, the right mattress topper will balance the support you get from your mattress with additional pressure relief and comfort, however you might define that for yourself. To know which one is right for you, find out how to choose a mattress topper. And for the full slate of mattress toppers we’ve tested, go to our mattress topper ratings.

To see all of CR's sleep coverage, go to our Guide to Better Sleep.

As with mattresses, the best mattress topper is highly subjective. What feels right for one person may feel terrible to another. Add to that, the ultimate feel of the topper also depends on the bed you’re placing it on. That said, we evaluated a few characteristics that might help shoppers compare their options more easily:

Support: Our lab engineer placed a 20-pound weight on the surface of each topper and measured the depth of the depression. We also used a heavier weight and measured the distance between the weight and where the topper returns to its natural height. The less distance away, the better it is at conforming to your body.

Heat retention: Sleeping on your bed with a mattress topper will feel a tad warmer than sleeping on the same bed without one. That's because the topper's materials will cuddle against your body as you sink in. As a result, says Deitrick, "you’ll have less airflow around your body." That's typically not a problem—especially if you don't sleep hot anyway. But if a topper's materials inherently trap excessive heat, you could end up waking up in the middle of the night because you’re feeling too hot. To test for that heat retention, we place a dummy (dubbed the "tin man") set at 98.6° F, the average normal body temperature, on each topper, beneath a comforter, all placed in a temperature-controlled chamber. We then measure how much energy it takes to maintain that body temperature. If it takes less energy than average, the topper is labeled "warmer." If it takes an average amount of energy, we call the topper "average." If it takes more energy than average, we call it "cooler."

Convenience: We favored mattress toppers with features that make using them easier. For instance, some toppers we evaluated come with removable covers and corner straps, making them easier to clean and keep in place. Others can be flipped (all can be rotated) to evenly distribute the wear and tear.

Here are our top picks, based on our lab data. I’ve also included additional insights based on trying each topper myself on a neutral, wooden plank surface in the lab. Keep in mind, your experience on these toppers may feel different, depending on your size and the feel of your mattress.

Tanya A. Christian

Tanya Christian joined Consumer Reports as a multimedia content creator in 2021, bringing with her more than a decade of experience in the home and lifestyle space. As a content manager for small kitchen appliances, home remodeling products, and the sleep category, she's happy to provide readers with recommendations on great design, helpful cooking tools, and smart ways to achieve better sleep. Follow her on Twitter @tanyaachristian.