Best Mattress Toppers of 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 (or dorm-room dud) 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-infused 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 thick, 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-point 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.

If you opt for a memory-foam mattress topper, remember that the feel may change with the temperature of the room—stiffening a bit when the ambient environment gets cold. The topper will gradually soften up with body heat, but why wait? Try to keep your bedroom’s thermostat consistent throughout the year.

No matter the season, the right mattress topper will balance the support you get from your mattress with additional pressure-point 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.

Back-to-school shopping for mattress toppers—and more? Find deals and advice on laptops, sheets, coffee makers, and other essentials in our Back-to-School Guide.

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 with a mattress topper will feel a tad warmer than sleeping on the same bed without one (unless you have a cooling mattress topper, which is more like a mattress pad paired with an active-cooling device). 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. But if you’re an inherently hot sleeper, mattress toppers that trap excessive heat could leave you waking up in the middle of the night in a sweat. All the toppers in our ratings were tested in a temperature-controlled chamber, using a dummy dubbed the "tin man," set at 98.6° F.

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 simpler 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.

Expert guidance on how to choose the best design for you—and when to buy a mattress instead

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.