The 6 best mattress toppers - tested for comfier, more supportive sleep
The perfect layers for better beauty sleep

I've been sleeping on the best mattress toppers on the market — from Simba, Woolroom, Eight Sleep, Dreams, and more — to find models that can help with night sweats, back pain, and any other issues that keep you from your beauty sleep. These are my expert-selected, tried-and-tested favourites.
In an ideal world, your sleep setup will include the best mattress for your sleep style, complimented by a specialised mattress topper, a plush mattress protector, a comfy duvet, and a supportive pillow (including the best pillows for neck pain). However, every time there is a change in your life, be it menopause or a slipped disc, your sleep needs will change. That's where mattress toppers come in.
Rather than spending thousands reviving your whole rest routine, a good mattress topper can be an inexpensive way meet your sleep needs and restore your rest to a regular routine. To find out which ones are worth buying, I've slept on memory foam, feather, gel-infused, bamboo, wool, and cotton toppers. Each topper is assessed on firmness, motion isolation, breathability, and edge support.
From the classic Simba Hybrid topper, which is great for reviving an old mattress, right through to the super high-tech Eight Sleep Pod that runs cold water underneath you as you sleep, I've selected the best six mattress toppers for every sleep style and budget. Here they are.
The quick list
Best overall
As your mattress gets older, it might need a helping hand to stay comfortable, supportive, and springy. Simba's Hybrid covers all basis, suiting every style, position, and type of sleeper. It even has an open, cooling structure too.
Most affordable mattress topper
Sometimes you need an affordable fix, and the M&S Cooling Topper ticks a lot of boxes. It's machine washable, hypoallergenic, and under £50.
Best natural
Wool is naturally cooling, supportive, and comfortable, making this a great option for combi-sleepers. The filling is all organic wool from the Chatsworth estate, with approval from Allergy UK too.
Best for back pain
This budget-friendly option can make some impressive claims. Crafted from sustainably sourced bamboo, this memory foam topper offers support and pressure relief. If you struggle with back pain, this just might help.
Best cooling (and smart)
Calling this a mattress topper is an understatement. It's a health-hacker's dream. You can use it to warm your bed, or, if you're a hot sleeper, it can run cool water underneath you when it detects your body temperature rising.
Best for side sleepers
If your new mattress is a little too firm, this memory foam option will offer some sink-in softness and satisfying support. It's a little warmer than the others to sleep on, but wonderfully comfortable.
The best mattress toppers, for every kind of sleeper
Why you can trust Woman & Home
After speaking with sleep medicine experts, sleep doctors and sleep practitioners, I came up with a list of six mattress toppers for a range of the twelve best mattress toppers on the market. Then, I spent months testing them all. During the day, I would do things like sit water on the bed, bounce around whilst dumbells were on them, and shuffle and shake the bed around. Then, in the night I would track my sleep, looking for quality, deep, undisturbed sleep. Only six made it through these tests and here they are: the best mattress toppers on the market, tested for every kind of sleeper.
Best mattress topper overall
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
It's highly likely that you've already come across the name Simba. It sits in amongst Emma and Nectar as one of the new, disruptive sleep brands that have emerged over the last ten years. Of all these newbies, Simba makes some of the best mattresses and pillows, so I expected their topper to be cut from the same cloth.
After speaking with their experts, I decided to test the hybrid mattress topper. Not only is it the most popular, but it's specifically designed to suit all sleep styles. The layers offer support and comfort for back and side sleepers, ensuring night-long spinal alignment. Then, if you tend to run a little hot, the cooling structures spaced across the layers promise to stop you from overheating.
Over the months of testing I found Simba to be true to their word on the comfort and support promises. I sleep on all angles of my body, from front to side and back, all of which felt natural with the Simba Hybrid. The cooling technology, whilst refreshing was very very subtle in comparison to the Eight Sleep Pod, which actively cools using water. However, given that this is 5% of the price of that one, it's a good compromise for most sleepers.
You can find out more in Louise's full Simba Hybrid Mattress Topper review.
Most affordable mattress topper
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
This isn't just any old mattress topper. This is an M&S mattress topper. Whilst there are plenty of big-name sleep specialists who could have taken the spot for the best budget mattress topper, for me, it had to be the M&S one. It's the perfect balance of price and performance.
Having slept on mattress toppers that cost £30 (as well as some that cost £3,000) I think that the £70 price tag of this is the sweet spot. If you start skimping any more, you won't get the breathable cotton case that the M&S topper comes with. Instead, you'll get a synthetic material like polyester, which can irritate your skin and it'll make you more sweaty.
Having slept on the M&S Comfortably Cool Mattress Topper, I can confirm that it's true to its name. I was both comfortable and cool in the night. This is a lot like lying on top of a duvet, so it doesn't feel like it's really supportive, but it's enough to take the edge off a firm mattress.
Whilst the cotton felt soft to touch and certainly helped the breathability of my bedding, it didn't actively cool me. I would say that this was cool in comparison to the memory foam models, for example, and it was cooler than all the other cheap mattress toppers that I've tested, but this won't cure your night sweats.
So, if you want a light layer that comes with some nice eco-credentials (including the fact that it's made in the UK), this is an inexpensive mattress topper. It'll do more than a good job, but there are other models in the list that offer a bit more
You can find out more in my full M&S Comfortably Cool Mattress Topper review.
Best natural mattress topper
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
This is easily one of the most luxurious, natural mattress toppers that I've ever tested. It felt wonderful to sleep on, both for the quality of my sleep, but also for all of the work that goes in to making one of these mattress toppers. They feel really, truly special.
If you've not researched it before, wool is one of the best options for hot sleepers. Surprisingly, it's really breathable and, therefore, naturally cooling. And this isn't just any wool. All of it is sourced from the Chatsworth estate in England. If you want to, you can trace the sustainable manufacturing process for yourself.Once collected, the wool is encased in an unbleached organic cotton case. This does mean it's not quite bright white, but I actually liked the off-stone colour.
As if that wasn't enough, this is certified by the Allergy UK Seal of Approval, meaning it has been tested for dust mites, allergen, bacteria and fungus. So, whether you have sensitive skin, or you just want to avoid adhesives and chemicals, this is a gentle option, especially if you pair it with the coordinating Woolroom Deluxe Mattress Protector.
The best way to describe sleeping on the Woolroom Mattress Topper is by comparing it to sleeping on a duvet — but a really, super thick one. It's a wonderfully cushioning layer, but is not the most supportive, so you'll want a firm mattress underneath you to keep good spinal alignment. Also, make sure to re-plump this, otherwise it'll become very flat.
You can find out more in Emily's full Woolroom Washable Mattress Topper review. I also have this on my bed at the moment, which speaks for itself, I think.
Best mattress topper for back pain
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
No mattress topper can claim to alleviate back pain. You'll need an osteopath or spine specialist for that. However, if you suffer from generic joint pain and pressure issues when you lie on your normal mattress, a memory foam model is a great option for you. This one in particular.
I'm a very keen runner, which means that my knees, hips, and spine are falling apart. The weeks that I slept on this were some of the best that I've had in years. The sink-in softness of the memory foam felt instantly soothing and I had lots of deep spine clicks as I was lying down. Unlike other memory foam options that I tested, this was relatively refreshing too. Normally, the spongy texture can feel cloying and warming. Whilst I would say that 'cooling' is a bit of a stretch, I certainly didn't wake up feeling hot or sweaty. Then, when I put some bamboo sheets on the topper, it really was cooling. I even had to switch them out in September because I was getting too cold.
That's not the end of it either. One of my favourite things about the Panda mattress topper is its eco-credentials. This comes in a bamboo case that is removable and washable. Then, the memory foam is also crafted from bamboo, so you know that it's not packed with nasty chemicals. Even the adjustable elastic straps are crafted with responsible materials — and these are really effective at keeping this still and secure on the bed, without misshaping the topper.
There are thicker memory foam mattresses out there, so if you have a really hard mattress, you might want to assess some other options (including Dreams' Tempur's). However, for most people, this cushioned, eco-conscious option will be a dream come true.
You can find out more in my Panda London Bamboo Mattress Topper review.