Best Soft Mattress Topper

There are several reasons to choose a soft mattress topper. They offer extra pressure relief to tired joints. They can help add contouring and cradling to a too-firm bed. They can even allow side sleepers to have a firmer mattress than they otherwise could.

So if you need a plush mattress topper for whatever reason, read on. One of the following best mattress toppers could be for you.

Best Soft Mattress Toppers of 2023

Among the best of the best memory foam mattress toppers, the Comfort Lift by Amerisleep offers contouring pressure relief that’s dynamic and breathable. The plant-based memory foam in this topper fixes traditional memory foam’s breathability and responsiveness issues. That means if you want a cooling and bouncy memory foam mattress topper, this is it.

The Bio-Pur® memory foam swaps some of the petroleum products in traditional memory foam with plant oils. This helps increase the foam’s temperature controlling power so that it doesn’t retain body heat but instead pushes it out of the mattress topper.

The breathable cover also helps with temperature regulation. It pulls cooler air into the foam so that you can stay cool all night long – all while maintaining the contoured pressure relief for which memory foam is famous.

The Comfort Lift doesn’t just offer superior contouring and cushioning. It is the soft version of the Lift, but there is a firmer option. The Support Lift is a perfect alternative for those who find the Comfort Lift is not supportive enough for their needs.

The Lift comes with free shipping and a generous five-year warranty. So you can expect it to last just as long as some of the mattresses out there! Considering its durability, comfort, and cooling power, this plant-based memory foam mattress topper has something for everyone.

SEE ALSO: Amerisleep Mattress Review

If you’re looking for a soft mattress topper with a little more support to help you recover from a long day of physical activity, check out the Zoma Balance Pad. This is more than just a memory foam mattress topper. It’s made of buoyant, responsive foam that offers dynamic support and breathable comfort.

The Balance Pad is made of Zoma’s proprietary Reactiv™️ material. This material bounces back immediately as soon as pressure is taken off of it. That allows it to offer you dynamic support that won’t wind up with body impressions.

The cooling, airy cover that surrounds the Reactiv™️ material is designed to wick away moisture to keep you cool and sweat-free.

The Balance Pad also features non-skid fabric to ensure the topper stays put even if you don’t. Between the dynamic material and sturdy grip, this is the perfect topper for sleepers who are active at night as well as during the day.

SEE ALSO: Zoma Mattress Review

Down is a popular material with people who enjoy a softer feel, whether they’re seeking a fluffy comforter, a comfy pillow, or a mattress pad. However, the expense of the material keeps it out of reach of some shoppers, while others find a whole sleep surface of down from a topper just isn’t supportive enough. For sleepers who enjoy a more pillowy surface, we recommend the Viscosoft Serene Hybrid Mattress Topper.

While many of the toppers we discuss have only one layer of materials, the Serene Hybrid lives up to its name by melding down alternative as the top layer with gel memory foam for support. The down alternative creates a plush feel like a pillow top mattress, while the gel foam contours to the entire body.

The 300-thread count cover fabric can be removed and washed. The skirt of the topper can slip over mattresses up to 18 inches thick, and there are also adjustable straps that can keep the topper from sliding out of place.

The Viscosoft Serene Hybrid Mattress Topper ships free and comes with a 90-day return policy and a 5-year warranty.

Hot sleepers who don’t get enough cooling out of their mattresses should check out the Nolah Mattress Topper. This breathable and soft topper hugs your body to provide optimum pressure relief and circulates air through the whole topper to ensure that body hug doesn’t leave you sweating.

The Nolah topper has two different firmness levels, so make sure you’re getting the Plush option if you want your mattress topper to be soft. The Plush topper features the same proprietary AirFoam™️ that comes in Nolah’s mattresses.

Nolah’s AirFoam™️ is an ultra-breathable type of memory foam that regulates temperature by constantly circulating air. That means it’s great at keeping your mattress topper free of moisture too! And you still get memory foam’s amazing contouring.

The organic cotton cover works with the foam to wick away heat and moisture for even more cooling power. So if you find yourself waking up in a sweat, this combination of airy foam and cotton could be perfect for you.

The Nolah Mattress Topper stays snugly in place on top of your mattress, thanks to its four elastic corner bands. These bands wrap around the corners of your mattress to ensure a secure fit without harming the mattress itself.

SEE ALSO: Nolah Mattress Review

Those who want a highly versatile mattress topper that offers lots of different material options should consider the Saatva Mattress Topper. The Saatva topper offers three different material options so that you can get the exact feel you want.

Hot sleepers should check out the graphite version of the Saatva topper. Graphite infusions are highly thermoconductive to draw body heat away from you. They also have the added benefit of fighting allergens like dust mites and mold.

Active sleepers should consider the ultra-responsive latex option. The natural latex will bounce back underneath you as soon as you move to fight body impressions and keep you comfortable as you toss and turn.

If you need a soft mattress topper with a little extra support, check out the high-density foam option. This topper is still plush, but the high-density foam offers a little more density for heavier sleepers and back sleepers.

No matter which material you choose, the Saatva Mattress Topper comes with a hypoallergenic and highly breathable organic cotton cover. This cover features stretchy elastic bands to keep the mattress topper firmly in place as you sleep.

If you want a mattress topper that doubles as its own protector for ultimate durability and convenience, look no further than the GhostBed Memory Foam Topper. This mattress topper has a waterproof cover that doubles as a mattress protector. That means you don’t have to go out and buy an additional protector to go over the topper!

Don’t think this mattress topper is just a protector, though. The GhostBed topper is a whole lot more than that. It’s also three inches of highly contouring gel memory foam that draws body heat away from you even as it hugs your body to relieve pressure.

The GhostBed topper also boasts the pleasantly chilly Ghost Ice fabric for its cover. This fabric offers a fantastic cool-touch feel that doesn’t dissipate as you sleep. It’s also breathable to wick away moisture.

The GhostBed topper also comes with elastic bands to ensure a tight fit, so you don’t have to deal with it sliding around at night.

Potentially the best feature of the GhostBed topper is its zoned pressure relief. This topper features different support zones that target each body area with the perfect combination of cushioning and support. That makes it potentially the best mattress topper for side sleepers on this list.

SEE ALSO: Best Egg Crate Mattress Toppers

If you want copper for your topper, the Layla Memory Foam Mattress Topper may be just the thing for you. Another great mattress topper for side sleepers, this copper-infused memory foam mattress topper provides much better temperature control than a traditional memory foam topper.

Copper infusions also create a hostile environment for all kinds of microbes, including dust mites, bacteria, mold, and mildew. Since these are common allergens, the Layla topper can help those with allergies sleep symptom-free.

Another great thing the copper gel beads do for the Layla Memory Foam Topper is increasing its breathability. The beads help create air pockets inside the foam. This keeps air flowing to prevent both heat and moisture buildup.

It’s a good thing the Layla topper is so breathable and cooling because its ultra-deep compression hugs your body to offer superb pressure relief. So you feel like you’re sleeping on a cooling cloud.

You also won’t have to worry about this memory foam mattress topper sliding around on your mattress, thanks to its stretchy elastic bands.

If you want all the best memory foam has to offer in your mattress topper, think about the PlushBeds Memory Foam Topper. This is one of the best mattress toppers for those who love memory foam because it offers a fantastic classic memory foam feel with deep compression and stellar pressure relief.

This memory foam mattress topper features open-cell foam for optimal temperature and moisture control. It also comes with an optional breathable cotton cover that can help increase airflow even more.

The PlushBeds mattress topper also comes in several different density and thickness options. Those who want a little more pressure relief can go for one of the thinner, less-dense mattress toppers. Those who want more support and buoyancy should consider the thicker, denser mattress toppers.

Those looking at natural down mattress toppers should consider the down topper by Parachute. This ultra-plush topper is just like sleeping on a marshmallow. The squishy down inside molds to your body and offers you the cotton candy feel that only down can provide.

The Parachute topper has a 550 fill power for a high-loft look and a slightly supportive feel. The dual-chamber design also provides two different chambers of feathers for a multilayered feel. And the three-dimensional baffle and box stitching help prevent the feathers from clumping.

The soft cotton shell helps keep air flowing through the down and gives it an ultra-plush and moisture-wicking feel. The pure white sateen weave also works with the three-inch loft to offer a look of hotel-style luxury.

Another great feature of this topper is the fact that it can be dry cleaned. If you don’t want to mess up the look or feel with a mattress protector, lay it on top of the protector and then dry clean it on a regular basis.

SEE ALSO: Best Queen Mattress Toppers

If you’re looking for the best wool mattress toppers, there’s nothing better than Merino wool. The Sleep and Beyond topper isn’t just a wool mattress topper; it’s also an organic mattress topper. That means the wool is harvested according to strict standards of purity, safety, and eco-friendliness.

Merino wool is some of the finest wool on the planet. It’s highly breathable to regulate temperature and prevent moisture buildup. It’s also hypoallergenic. Contrary to popular belief, wool allergies are quite rare. So most people don’t have to worry about being allergic to the wool itself, and it’s resistant to other, more common allergens.

The 100 percent organic cotton cover enhances the mattress topper’s breathability and hypoallergenic properties even more. So you can sleep easy knowing you won’t be dealing with moisture buildup or allergy issues stemming from your mattress topper.

SEE ALSO: What is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)?

How to Choose a Mattress Topper

If you already know you need a soft mattress topper, congratulations. You’ve already done (almost) half the work. Deciding on a firmness level is a big part of buying the best mattress topper for you, but it’s only one aspect of the buying process. You still have to decide on a material and consider a few other factors.

Material

Just like with the best mattresses, a mattress topper’s material is one of the primary determinants of the way that it feels and how durable it is. Material impacts everything from temperature control to responsiveness to durability to cost, so it is just as important as firmness level.

Unlike regular types of mattresses, though, you have a little bit more leeway when choosing a material for mattress toppers. Mattresses are generally limited to foam and/or coils. But mattress toppers can be made of other materials that can offer you a feel you might not get from a mattress alone, regardless of its firmness.

Down

Natural down is made of the little feathers that sit underneath the outer coating of feathers on waterfowl. These fluffy feathers evolved to keep the birds warm and dry, even in frigid water. The down that goes into pillows, coats, and comforters typically comes from geese or ducks.

You probably know that natural down makes for wonderful winter clothing, as well as pillows and duvets. However, down makes for fantastic mattress toppers as well.

A down mattress topper can make you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud or a modern version of an antique feather bed. It’s squishy, contouring, and pressure-relieving. Nothing can really compete with down if you like that cotton candy feel.

On the flip side, natural down does have a few issues. When it comes to feel, down relieves pressure unlike any other material. But if you need any kind of support, down is not for you. Down tends to squish and collapse under your body.

This behavior is fantastic for cradling and pressure relief but terrible for lift and support. So if you need a more supportive mattress topper, down is not the best option.

A lot of people also don’t like the animal cruelty aspect of natural down. While some down comes from birds that are slaughtered for meat, a lot of down comes from birds that are live-plucked. This means the down feathers are pulled from the birds while they are alive so that they can grow another coating of down. This is extremely painful and stressful for the birds, and it can sometimes be difficult to know whether or not your down was live-plucked.

Cruelty-free down is an option. This is down that is gathered after the birds molt naturally. However, it can be difficult to find and expensive when you do find it. This may make it an impractical option for some.

There’s also the maintenance issue of down. If you put a waterproof mattress protector on a down mattress topper, it will detract a little bit from the cloudy, squishy feel of the down. However, going protector-free means that you will have to wash your down mattress topper quite frequently, which can be a serious pain.

Washing down requires specialty soap and know-how to ensure the feathers dry and fluff up properly. So if you want a low-maintenance mattress topper, down may not be the best choice for you. However, many other types of toppers aren’t machine washable at all, so some may prefer a topper they can clean.

Latex Foam

Natural latex foam comes from the processed sap of the rubber tree. This sap can be whipped into two basic types of latex foam: Dunlop and Talalay. Dunlop latex is denser and more durable. So you can expect a highly buoyant and supportive sleep experience from a Dunlop latex mattress topper.

Meanwhile, Talalay latex is lighter and springier than Dunlop. If you want a latex mattress topper that contours like a memory foam one, Talalay latex may be your best option. It can follow the curve of your body better than Dunlop, but it maintains the springiness of latex.

Latex foam fixes some of the issues commonly associated with memory foam. This natural foam is ultra-breathable, so it can keep cool air flowing for optimum temperature control. This breathability also makes latex a natural allergen fighter, as it can prevent the moisture buildup many microbes need to thrive.

Comparing memory foam and latex, most find latex is also much more responsive. Even memory foams with infusions to make them more responsive will still not bounce back the way that latex will. So a latex mattress topper may be the best option for active sleepers.

Latex offers incredible comfort, but it does have a few issues. One thing is its expense. As a natural foam, latex’s supply is more limited. It’s harder to harvest and process than memory foam. This translates into a more expensive product, especially if you look for certifications like Global Organic Latex Standard.

Just as organic latex mattresses cost a significant amount, so too can latex toppers, even if they’re still a fraction of what a new mattress costs. Latex’s superior durability makes up for some of its upfront costs, but its sticker price may not fit everyone’s budget.

There’s also the allergy potential of latex. You might think you’ll never touch the actual latex with the cover and protector and sheets between you and the foam. But the risk is always there. That’s why it’s best for those with a latex allergy to stick with memory foam.

SEE ALSO: Best Latex Mattresses

Memory Foam

Flexible polyurethane foam – otherwise known as memory foam – was originally designed by NASA to support and cushion the human body during high-speed flight. Memory foam is made mostly of purified petroleum products. So it’s less durable than latex foam, but it’s a whole lot more affordable.

Memory foam mattress toppers are also the most contouring on the market. Natural latex wants to hold its shape to a certain extent, but memory foam can mold itself to your body to offer fantastic pressure relief that other foams cannot match. With its superior contouring and excellent affordability, memory foam is among the most popular mattress topper materials.

However, memory foam mattress toppers do have a couple of issues you need to watch out for. Probably memory foam’s most irritating quality is its tendency to retain heat. As a synthetic foam, memory foam is not breathable. Without any alterations, it tends to retain an enormous amount of heat.

There are lots of cooling technologies that make memory foam better at regulating temperature. Open-cell construction keeps it breathable. And infusions of gel or minerals can make it more thermoconductive as well. But it will never be quite as cooling as latex. So hot sleepers, beware.

A memory foam mattress topper may also have issues with responsiveness. It can take a long time to bounce back when you move, and this is especially true of mattress toppers because they don’t have any coils or responsive transition layers. The lack of responsiveness doesn’t bother everyone, but if you like to toss and turn, it might just drive you crazy.

SEE ALSO: Best Memory Foam Mattresses

Gel Memory Foam

Gel memory foam is memory foam infused with thermally conductive gel that helps draw heat away from your body and disperse it through the mattress topper. That means a gel memory foam mattress topper can help keep you cooler than memory foam alone.

Gel memory foam mattress toppers can come in a variety of configurations. Some gel memory foam mattress toppers might have liquid gel swirled right into the foam. Others might contain microbeads or even a thin gel layer on top. Still, others might contain mineral infusions like copper or graphite to create a cooling mattress topper.

If you want extra breathability as well as thermoconductivity, microbeads might be up your alley. Those with allergies should consider copper memory foam mattress toppers. Copper doesn’t fight overheating. It can create a hostile environment for microbes like bacteria, mold, and mildew as well.

SEE ALSO: Best Gel Memory Foam Mattresses

Wool

Wool is one of the best natural, non-foam materials for a mattress topper. If you’re looking for something other than foam but want a material that’s cruelty-free and more supportive than down, wool is probably your best option.

Because domestic sheep have to be sheared to keep them healthy, it’s much easier to find cruelty-free wool than cruelty-free down. Wool also has a much sturdier and more supportive feel than down. While down collapses under you to give a squishy, cloudlike feel, the denser wool contours with your body and provides some lift and support.

Despite what you might think about wool being a winter material, it’s actually not at all prone to overheating. In the wild, wool provides a temperature barrier to keep sheep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. That means it’s breathable and temperature-neutral. So even if you sleep hot, you can still enjoy wool.

Wool is also easier to maintain than down. You can spot clean it, and you can also toss it in the washing machine as long as you follow the care instructions on the tag.

The only real problems with wool mattress toppers are their affordability and the fact that they can be tough to find. Wool mattress toppers can be expensive, and they’re not the most popular options out there, so you won’t have a whole lot of choices between products. Fresh wool can also smell like sheep at the beginning.

Thickness

Mattress toppers range from two to four inches thick. Anything thinner than that is considered a mattress pad, while toppers thicker than four inches are not all that common.

Those who want to save money should consider thinner toppers because the reduced material means they cost less to produce and are therefore less expensive to purchase. A thinner topper may also be a good choice if you only want to add a little bit of extra padding to your mattress without significantly changing its feel.

On the other hand, a thicker mattress topper is the right choice if you want to alter the feel of your mattress in a major way. For instance, if your mattress is way too firm, and you need to add a lot of contouring and deep compression, then the thickest mattress topper you can buy is the way to go.

Naturally, a topper’s thickness also impacts your overall bed height, which can affect how comfortably you move out of bed in the morning. Remember, bed height is your frame or foundation + your mattress height + the topper’s thickness.

Density

Density refers to how much material is in each square inch of your mattress topper. The denser the topper, the more material it has per square inch.

Denser toppers are heavier and sturdier. They offer a lot more buoyancy and fight sinkage better than their less-dense counterparts. Denser toppers are also more durable, so they’ll last longer before wearing out.

Less-dense toppers are lighter in both weight and feel. They offer more contouring and cradling than denser toppers, making you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud. The downside of this is that less-dense mattress toppers don’t fight sinkage as well. So they’re generally better for lighter sleepers than heavier sleepers.

SEE ALSO: Memory Foam Density Guide

Price

It goes without saying that mattress toppers are less expensive than comparable mattresses themselves. Toppers are a great way to upgrade your sleep without having to upgrade your whole mattress. This is especially true if you want high-end materials like organic latex but cannot afford the sticker price of a whole mattress made of your chosen material.

That said, there is still a wide range of prices you can pay for a mattress topper. Lower-end toppers can cost less than $100, while top-of-the-line luxury toppers might cost over $1,000. If you just want a good-quality middle-of-the-road mattress topper, expect its price to be in the $100 to $500 range.

Who Should Choose a Soft Mattress Topper

If you’re on the fence about whether you need a soft, medium, or firm mattress topper, you likely need a soft topper if any of the following applies to you.

You’re a Side Sleeper

If you sleep on your side, you need more pressure relief than anyone else. It’s easy for side sleepers to buy an overly firm mattress and not realize it until they’re sleeping on it all night.

A 100-night sleep trial can help you ensure you’ve got the right firmness level, but if your mattress for side sleeping didn’t come with a sleep trial, or it’s too late to call it in, a plush mattress topper might be your best option.

Soft mattress toppers can help absorb pressure and give you the deep compression you need to alleviate pain in your hips and shoulders. Soft mattress toppers also provide great protection from pressure exerted on these pressure points by a too-firm sleep surface.

You’re a Petite Sleeper

If you’re under 130 pounds, you’re considered a petite sleeper. That means you could need extra pressure relief in your mattress in order to avoid pain in your pressure points. This is the case no matter what your sleep style is.

Mattresses were designed for the average human weight range (130 to 230 pounds). People who fall below this range tend to not get enough compression out of their mattresses. This can lead to your mattress feeling too firm even if it isn’t technically too firm for your sleep position.

Getting a soft mattress topper can help petite sleepers get the deep compression that they need to remain comfortable throughout the night and wake up pain-free.

You Feel You Have an Overly Firm Mattress

Sometimes you don’t need a reason – your mattress is just too firm for your liking. If it’s newer and it’s not time to replace your mattress, a soft topper can help you sleep comfortably on it – helping you keep the mattress you’ve got instead of plunking down thousands of dollars.

There might even be reasons for you to knowingly buy a too-firm mattress. For instance, heavier sleepers need lots of lift to fight sinkage. At the same time, side sleepers need lots of cradling to protect their sensitive pressure points. Manufacturers can have a hard time pulling this off in a single mattress. But a firm mattress topped with a thick, plush topper could be the solution.

FAQs

Does a mattress topper help back pain?

A mattress topper can absolutely help with back pain. A soft mattress topper can help with back pain by adding contouring to a mattress that might need some help in this area. Better contouring means more customizable support, which translates into better spinal alignment. This can help alleviate back pain that results from poor spinal alignment.

Conversely, a firmer mattress topper can also help add lift and support to an overly soft mattress. If your mattress is too soft, it can allow your body to sink too far into the bed. This can bend your spine out of alignment and cause back pain.

This is especially true for stomach sleepers. When you sleep on your stomach, your pelvis sinks into the bed, and your spine is overarched. This almost always causes lower back pain. If you can’t afford to buy a firmer mattress that can keep your pelvis lifted, a firm mattress topper for back pain might help.

What is the best foam for a soft mattress topper?

That really depends on what you’re looking to get out of your mattress topper. If you want to add more responsiveness and cooling power to your bed, latex foam might be the way to go. This springy and breathable foam is great at bouncing back into place as soon as you move and keeping cool air flowing for optimum temperature control.

Latex foam is also the best choice if you want an all-natural sleep surface. You can get lots of toppers that offer organic textiles and organic latex for a fraction of the price that you would pay for an organic mattress.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to add the ultimate contouring to your mattress, memory foam might be the way to go. Memory foam is not as springy or cooling as latex, but it makes up for this by being the best contouring material on the market. So if you need superb pressure relief and spinal alignment, memory foam may be up your alley.

How thick should my soft topper be?

That depends on what you want your soft topper to do for you. Those who were just looking to add a little bit more padding to their mattress can get away with a topper as thin as two inches.

However, if you want to really change the feel of your mattress or add deep compression, you will need a thicker topper. For instance, if you want your mattress to feel significantly softer than it is, you will need at least a three-inch topper and maybe even a four-inch one.

What is the best material for a cooling mattress topper?

The best cooling material is a close contest between gel-infused memory foam and natural latex. Gel memory foam is a thermally conductive material. That means it draws heat away from you and disperses it throughout the mattress topper. A memory foam mattress topper infused with gel microbeads will also be much more breathable than traditional memory foam.

Meanwhile, natural latex regulates temperature by being incredibly breathable. It keeps cool air flowing through the foam to ensure that hot air is pushed out. This means latex can wick moisture to keep you sweat-free as well as cool.

Both of these materials regulate temperature quite well. So it comes down to other factors. Those who want highly contouring and pressure-relieving material should go with gel memory foam. Those who want an all-natural and highly responsive sleep surface should consider latex.

Do I need to wash my mattress topper?

Maybe. It depends on the material that your mattress topper is made of. Generally speaking, you don’t wash foam. Throwing foam in the washing machine can damage its internal structure and make it lose its contouring power and responsiveness. Washing a foam mattress topper can leave you with a squishy, unsupportive mess. So spot clean only.

Washing down and wool mattress toppers can be a little more nuanced. You can wash down as long as you use a specialty down detergent. And wool is even easier to wash. Lots of wool can handle being tossed in the washing machine with any old detergent.

Regardless of your mattress topper’s material, you should always look at your care instructions to ensure you’re taking the right steps to maintain the topper for as long as possible. Also, ensure you’re using a mattress protector, as you can wash this instead of the topper itself.

Bottom Line

A soft mattress topper can go a long way to solving your bedtime problems and fixing your sleep schedule. Whether you’re petite, a side sleeper, or just bought a too-firm bed, a soft topper can help you get a good night’s sleep without having to replace a perfectly good mattress!