6 best cooling mattress toppers 2025: tried-and-tested

The best cooling mattress toppers prevent overheating at night by adding breathability and better temperature regulation to your sleep set-up.

Our bodies release warmth and humidity as we sleep, and if you’re regularly waking up hot and sticky at 3 am, your mattress could be the problem.

While the best mattress toppers on the market will cushion a sleep surface that’s too firm, the best cooling mattress toppers add both comfort and a breathable ‘breaker layer’ between your body and the mattress surface. This allows air to circulate and body heat to dissipate rather than being trapped.

The result is a cooler and more restful night’s sleep, which is great news if you don’t have the budget to invest in one of the best mattresses for hot sleepers right now.

To compile this guide, our product tester Rachael and I (both self-certified hot sleepers who are prone to overheating at night) slept on multiple mattress toppers in our own homes to see which ones delivered the most breathable night’s sleep. Our top recommendations are below.

The quick list

Short on time? This quick list is an overview of the very best cooling mattress toppers. You’ll find more information on each topper and why we recommend it if you keep scrolling.

Best cooling mattress toppers

Best cooling mattress topper overall

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Cooling: This is the best cooling mattress topper I’ve tested. I found its wool fill offered brilliant breathability and great temperature regulation – both of which resulted in a cool night’s sleep when I slept on it. I layered it over a memory foam mattress that was causing overheating and found it offered instant relief from the heat. What’s more, it’s a great option for couples with different inner thermostats, as its fantastic temperature regulation meant as a hot sleeper, I slept cooler, whilst my cold-blooded partner was still kept cosy.

Cushioning: This topper feels nicely cushioning when it’s on the bed. I tested it over a mattress that I was finding too firm, and it instantly increased my comfort levels and eliminated the pins and needles I was previously waking up with. It made my bed feel more luxurious to snuggle into, which I loved.

Support: The one area where this topper doesn’t deliver such excellent results is its support. I found it only offered cushioning, so it softened up a firm mattress, but didn’t offer a lot of support beyond that.

Sleep trial: This topper isn’t cheap, but a 30 night sleep trial makes it a safer bet to invest in. That should be plenty of time to test it out and see whether you find it offers the same cooling powers as I did.

You can find out more in our Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper review.

Best cooling mattress topper for support

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Cooling: Compared to the super breathable wool-fill of the Woolroom mattress topper above, the synthetic filling of the Simba Hybrid Topper does feel a little warmer to sleep on, but it still made a big difference to my sleep when I tested it on top of a mattress that was causing overheating.

Cushioning: The Simba Hybrid topper combines a memory foam top layer (made with open-cell graphite-infused memory foam for improved breathability and temperature regulation) with spring support. I found it felt medium-firm to sleep on, but I liked that it made my sleep surface more comfortable without feeling too soft and cushiony.

Support: Because of that layer of micro springs, this topper offers more support than most I’ve tested. That means it did a really good job of keeping my spine well-aligned in each sleeping position.

Sleep trial: Again, this topper definitely isn’t cheap, but it is a brilliant all-rounder that offers the holy grail of cushioning, support, and decent temperature regulation for a cooler sleep. Simba’s generous 200-night sleep trial means you have plenty of time to see whether it helps you to sleep cooler (and more comfortably) before you commit to keeping it.

Our Simba Hybrid mattress topper review has more detail.

Best cooling memory foam mattress topper

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Cooling: One of the most common causes of night-time overheating is sleeping on a mattress made from memory foam. So why would you attempt to find relief from a memory foam mattress topper?! Because the type of memory foam makes a big difference. If you don’t want to sacrifice comfort, this is the best cooling memory foam mattress topper I’ve tested. It uses gel-infused open-cell memory foam, and although it can’t compete with the Woolroom topper for breathability or temperature regulation, I found it still offered relief when I added it to a mattress that was causing me to overheat.

Cushioning: Because this topper is made of pure memory foam it offers great cushioning. I found it moulded around my body to cushion and cradle my joints, so it was particularly comfortable for side sleeping. However, because it’s only 5cm deep, I didn’t feel enveloped in the foam, instead it was just right.

Support: This topper feels softer to lie on than the medium-firm Simba Hybrid topper above, but because the memory foam moulded around my spine, I still felt it offered more support than the Woolroom topper, which is purely cushioning. It didn’t transform my sleep surface in the same way as the Simba topper though, just softened it.

Sleep trial: This topper’s mid-range price point is a welcome sight, and even better, Panda offers a 30-night sleep trial so that you’re not out of pocket if you find it doesn’t offer quite as much cooling as you’d hoped.

Find out more in our Panda mattress topper review.

Best firm cooling mattress topper

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Cooling: This topper isn’t specifically designed to offer cooling, instead it offers a much rarer thing – firmness. So if you’re a front or back sleeper who needs a topper they can lie ‘on’, not ‘in’, this is the best firm topper I’ve found. The bonus is it also offers decent breathability. I didn’t find it as cool as the Woolroom Topper to sleep on, but as a hot sleeper, it didn’t cause me to wake up in a sweat, so it’s a good option if you’re trying to find a cooler sleep and firm support.

Cushioning: This topper doesn’t feel hard, it does have some give, but it’s definitely the firmest mattress padder I’ve come across. That might make it too firm for a side sleeper, as there’s not much cushioning for the shoulder and hip to sink into, but is good news for back or side sleepers.

Support: This is where this topper excels, its firmer feel means you have much more support whilst laid on your stomach or back, although as mentioned above, it may lack the cushioning a side sleeper needs.

Sleep trial: There’s no sleep trial available on this topper. This said, most people aren’t too far away from an IKEA store, so this is one of the few mattress toppers that it should be possible to test in person before you buy.

Our IKEA NISSEHOLM mattress topper review has more info.

Best budget cooling mattress topper

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Cooling: I didn’t find it as cooling as I’d hoped. But, it did offer some relief when I tested it on an old memory foam mattress that was causing me to wake up hot and sweaty during the night. I just found I needed to keep shaking the topper each morning to fluff up the hollowfibre filling to maintain that extra breaker layer of airflow between my body and the mattress. This was a faff, and I have a feeling the filling will flatten more over time and stop working so well, but, this topper is one of the most affordable (semi) cooling toppers I’ve found. So if you need a budget option to bring some overheating relief, this topper did work, to a degree.

Cushioning: The thinnest topper in our round-up, the Airmax is filled with polyester hollowfibre, the same filling used in budget-friendly duvets. As such, it felt a lot like sleeping on top of a duvet when I added it to my bed. I found it added a layer of softness to a hard sleep surface, but it doesn’t feel as cushioning as other options.

Support: Because this topper is so thin, it didn’t offer me any support when I laid on it. It is simply a layer of soft padding that allows a little extra airflow between your body and the mattress.

Sleep trial: There’s no sleep trial available with this topper, but it is the most affordable option on our list. So if you’re waking up hot and sweaty because of a mattress that lacks breathability, it could help you to sleep better without breaking the bank.

Hear our reviewer’s thoughts in our Silentnight Airmax mattress topper review.

Best cooling mattress protector

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Cooling: If you’re happy with the way your mattress feels and simply want a cooler night’s sleep, you don’t necessarily need a mattress topper. Although it’s only 1-2cm thick, I found the cotton cover and wool-quilting in this mattress protector had a huge impact on my sleep when I added it over a memory foam mattress that was causing me to overheat. I instantly slept cooler thanks to the breathability and temperature regulation it offers.

Cushioning: This protector doesn’t offer any cushioning, but if you’re not looking to change the feel of your mattress and purely want a cooler night’s sleep, that doesn’t matter.

Support: Similarly this protector won’t offer any additional support, instead it’s all about the extra breathability it offers.

Sleep trial: Not sure if a protector is going to do enough to cool you down? Woolroom offers a 30 night sleep trial so you can test it out and see if it does. The Woolroom Topper in our #1 spot on this list can offer more breathability (and cushioning) as it’s thicker, but I still found this protector worked miracles to reduce my overheating.

Also tested

At a glance

How I tested

Luckily (or not), I have all the credentials needed to test the best cooling mattress toppers. Before I became Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor, I used to regularly overheat at night. That was before I discovered it was my memory foam mattress and polyester-filled duvet to blame.

I’m still a hot sleeper, and if I don’t sleep on a breathable mattress (I swear by the Hypnos Pillow Top Select mattress) and under breathable bedding (the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet changed my life) I reliably overheat, so I knew I could rely on my inner thermostat to put these cooling toppers to the test.

I also enlisted the help of three seasoned sleep reviewers – Rachael, Zoë, and Rachel –for a second opinion.

Between us, we’ve tested ten (and counting) mattress toppers, and only the most breathable and cooling have made this shortlist. Any that caused us to wake up in a sweat were promptly eliminated from the running.

We tested each topper for a week on our respective beds, noting how cool we slept, how well cushioned we found the topper, how supportive it was, and how easy it was to attach to the bed. We also considered each topper’s price point and whether it came with a sleep trial.

Our expert testers

How to choose a cooling mattress topper

Sleep brand Woolroom recently published a report that revealed a significant number of us find overheating to be the biggest factor disturbing our sleep. Whilst the causes of overheating can be numerous, the most common culprits are hormonal changes, perimenopause, and our sleep environment.

Many of us now sleep on memory foam mattresses or under synthetic bedding, and these manmade fibres are prone to causing overheating. The effects of synthetic bedding are worse if we’re already a naturally hot sleeper, or experiencing night sweats or hot flushes. But, if it’s your mattress causing you to overheat, a cooling mattress topper can help.

A cooling mattress topper does this by adding a ‘breaker layer’ between your body and the mattress, increasing the breathability of your bed (allowing your body heat and humidity to dissipate into the air) and offering better temperature regulation (meaning your body can more easily maintain a steady temperature which means less wakefulness).

Here’s what to look for when shopping for a cooling mattress topper:

• Materials: Natural materials are generally far cooler to sleep on or next to than synthetic materials. In our tests, we found the wool mattress topper with a cotton cover far cooler to sleep on than any of the synthetic mattress toppers. However, there were synthetic toppers that delivered a much cooler sleep than others. This tended to come down to added technology, such as open-cell memory foam that enables airflow, and gel or graphite infusions into foam to improve its temperature regulation.

• Cushioning: Of course, you might want your topper to do more than just offer a cooler sleep. Most toppers are designed to add cushioning to your mattress as well. A topper can be anywhere from 2-10cm deep, and the best depth for you will likely depend on your sleeping position. Side sleepers are usually most comfortable on a deeper topper that has more cushioning for the shoulder and hip to sink into, whereas back and front sleepers are better choosing a thinner or firmer topper that doesn’t allow the hips to dip too low.
• Support: You might not only want cushioning from your topper. You might also need firmer support. This is especially true for stomach sleepers, who shouldn’t sleep on too soft of a sleep surface.
• Ease of care: Most mattress toppers are too bulky to wash, or made from materials that aren’t washable. However, many come with removable covers that are machine-washable. That might be important to you, but I don’t think it should influence your decision too much, as you can achieve the same results by adding one of the best mattress protectors and a fitted sheet over your topper.
• Size: If you’re looking for the best cooling mattress topper for a bed, your search should be pretty easy, as most toppers come in single, double, king, or super king size. However, if you’re searching for a topper to fit one of the best sofa beds or a caravan or campervan bed, this can be trickier as generally, the sleeping areas aren’t standard sizes. One trick is to look for a topper, like the Panda Topper or Woolroom Deluxe Wool Mattress Topper that come in EU sizes. Often these can be a better fit for awkwardly sized sleep surfaces.

• Sleep trial: One of the hardest things about buying bedding is that all of us are different and have different sleep needs. That’s why I’d always recommend opting for a mattress topper that has a sleep trial if you can. Terms and conditions vary by retailer, but a sleep trial usually means you can buy the topper, test it out at home by sleeping on it for a set number of nights, and return it for a refund if you don’t find it improves your sleep. A good mattress topper isn’t cheap, and whilst investing in an expensive mattress topper is worth it, a sleep trial reduces the risk if you find it isn’t the one for you.
• Attachment: You don’t want a topper that’s going to move around in the night, so it’s also worth considering how the topper attaches to your mattress before buying. Msot toppers feature elasticated straps to hold them in place, whereas some have anti-slip bases that does the trick. The most important thing is that there is some kind of method of securing the topper to your bed, and that it will be a method you find easy to use.
• Other bedding: Lastly, when you’re shopping for a cooling mattress topper, don’t stop there. If you’re overheating at night it can be down to factors beyond just your mattress. That’s why it’s important to consider what bedding is on top of us, as well as underneath us. For instance, the best duvet for a hot sleeper will be a wool-filled option, like the Woolroom Deluxe Washable Wool Duvet, rather than a duvet with a polyester filling. Opting for breathable cotton or linen bed linen rather than a polyester mattress protector, sheets, and duvet cover can also make a big difference to temperature regulation.

FAQs

Do cooling mattress toppers really work?

Even the very best cooling mattress toppers aren’t going to actively cool down our sleep surface and make it feel like we’re climbing into a fridge – and who hasn’t considered that solution mid-heatwave?!

What the best cooling mattress toppers will do is increase airflow and breathability between our body and our mattress. This helps to prevent our body heat from being reflected back towards us whilst we sleep and allows any sweat and humidity to dissipate.

In turn, this reduces the risk of overheating which is what causes us to wake up hot and sticky in the night.

Can I clean a mattress topper?

Yes, most mattress toppers can be cleaned – see our guide to how to clean a mattress topper for expert advice – but the best approach is to keep your mattress topper from getting dirty in the first place.

Many mattress toppers have removable covers that can be unzipped and machine washed, but if yours doesn’t you can add a mattress protector over the topper and mattress to keep both clean and fresh. (Not sure on the difference between a topper and protector? Find out which you need in our guide to mattress toppers vs protectors).

What type of mattress topper is coolest?

Based on our tests, a mattress topper made from natural rather than synthetic materials is the coolest. In particular, we found a wool-filled topper offered the coolest sleep. Just make sure the topper also has a cotton rather than a polyester cover to maintain its breathability.