Best cooling mattress toppers, tried and tested in a heatwave
Overheating in bed is uncomfortable, but it can also impact your sleep, and that's been obvious during the recent heatwave.
If you've been tossing and turning all night, the right mattress topper can help to promote a cool and dry sleeping environment. At the same time, they can upgrade your mattress by adding an extra layer of comfort.
We asked Mattress Online 's sleep scientist, Hannah Shore, to weigh in on all things cooling and sleep, particularly when it comes to mattress toppers. Some mattress toppers will hold onto heat and moisture, Shore explains, and some are designed to feel cool to the touch, like the feel of a pillow after turning it over. 'It doesn't last throughout the entire night, but if you put your hand on [the cover], it will probably stay cooler for longer than a normal fabric'.
This means that there are plenty of mattress toppers that can keep you cool – you just need to know what you're looking for. The right material for your topper varies. Most mattress toppers are made from some kind of polyurethane foam, marketed as 'memory foam', and this is notorious for trapping heat. Some cooling toppers counteract this with conductive materials like copper thread or gels. The best toppers are covered with wool or bamboo rayon, as these can stop foam from overheating.
But whatever you do, don't expect a cooling topper to completely transform your bed, especially an old mattress. They won't be able to replace the support missing from your mattress; they 'tend to be too thin to physically move the body into the correct position', Shore says. However, a good topper can provide some relief, especially if you sleep on a budget memory foam mattress.
How we tested
The IndyBest team slept on these mattress toppers for weeks throughout spring and into summer. We tested them during the mini heatwave in May and during the heatwave in June.
We assessed how comfortable we were and noted the level of firmness and pressure relief provided. We examined how we felt whilst sleeping on them, and most importantly, whether or not they kept us cool. If we felt that any topper was contributing to tester overheating, it didn't make the final cut. Value for money and ease of storage were also factors in our final decision. Keep reading for our honest thoughts.
The best cooling mattress toppers for 2025 are:
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