As a hot sleeper and sleep expert, this is my edit of the 5 best cooling mattress toppers and pads you can buy in 2025

Ah, the summer heatwaves, all fun and joy during the daytime, but if you're a hot sleeper like me, as soon as nighttime hits, it can be pretty uncomfortable (to say the least). That's why I now swear by having a cooling sleep set-up that saves me from the dreaded night sweats and sleepless nights.

As the resident Sleep Editor at Homes & Gardens, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the world's best mattress toppers. To create this guide, I, along with my expert team of self-proclaimed hot sleepers, have tested a range of toppers and pads to find out which are best for cooling, and of course, comfort and support. All of our included picks scored 5/5 for thermoregulation, and are, we think, the best cooling toppers and pads to buy right now in 2025.

For full clarity, a topper is a thick slab of foam, made from or infused with cooling materials, and secured with corner straps or a grip pad (they can work wonders at transforming an uncomfortable mattress). Whereas a pad, which is very similar to a mattress protector, is usually made from bamboo, cotton and other natural fibres that won't impact the feel of your mattress too much, other than adding a cooling buffer.

Out of all the products we tested, from brands such as Saatva, Helix, Avocado and Birch, our top pick is the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper, which combines active cooling with optimal motion isolation and near-perfect pressure relief.

Best cooling mattress toppers and pads – the 5 tested options at a glance

Below, you'll find a bite-size summary of each topper or pad. To learn more about a particular product, keep scrolling, or hit 'read more below' to shortcut to that section. There, I've listed the need-to-know specs before digging into the details of our testing experience. Don't worry if you encounter any unfamiliar terms: you can break them down with my mattress jargon buster.

The best cooling mattress topper overall

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Our expert tester, Kaitlin, side hustles as a short-term rental host. She picked up the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper to breathe new life into her old guest bed two years ago. Since then, she's had dozens of guests come to stay, and they all rave about this topper. Kaitlin's mother, a notoriously fussy sleeper, woke up the next morning and reached for her phone to order her own Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper − it's just that good.

As a hot sleeper, Kaitlin tries to avoid memory foam, which she believed was too thick for air to flow through. She only agreed to test a memory foam mattress topper when she learned about the graphite infusion. Graphite is a highly conductive material, which channels excess thermal energy away from the body and out of the bed. Kaitlin tested the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper in the middle of July in a room without AC, and she couldn't get over how well she slept.

There's more to life than thermoregulation. 'As a side sleeper, I know I need a topper that's soft enough to cradle my body without swallowing it,' says Kaitlin. 'Certainly, the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper contoured around my curves to bear my weight. Still, it sank no more than an inch and sprang back into shape soon after my weight was removed.' Kaitlin finds it cradles her neck and shoulders for soft support when she sleeps on her side.

We can't talk about the Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper without mentioning the price. A Queen-sized topper costs $445, which is pretty expensive: closer to the price of the best affordable mattress than your average topper. Still, Kaitlin thinks it's worth the money as a way to elongate the life of your old mattress.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Kaitlin Madden

Kaitlin is one of our freelance reviewers, whose work features in Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, and Refinery29. As a side sleeper, Kaitlin needs a mattress topper that can cushion her joints while supporting her spine. Read the full review: Saatva Graphite Mattress Topper

Saatva Graphite Memory Foam Mattress Topper | From $215 at Saatva

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The best cooling memory foam mattress topper

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'Since I turned 40, I have regularly woken up drenched in sweat and exhausted,' says expert tester Meg St-Esprit. 'Budget mattress toppers, comprised mostly of foam, only made me hotter. I was reluctant to test another memory foam mattress topper – until I felt for myself the cooling capabilities of GlacioTex.'

GlacioTex is just a marketing term for a patented fabric, made from a blend of polyester and polyethylene. It's hypoallergic to guard against bacteria and bed bugs and wraps right the way around the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper.

'The first morning testing, I woke up cool and comfortable for the first time in months,' says Meg. 'During the first 30 days of the testing period, I still had three mornings where I woke up overheated, but the frequency was drastically reduced.'

The Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper isn't perfect. For one thing, it's expensive, and, standing three inches tall, it adds significant height to the bed. You might need to purchase a new set of the best bed sheets with deeper pockets. Still, Meg was highly impressed by the motion isolation and edge support. 'I was able to hang off the edge of the bed to read quietly at night without disturbing my husband, or rolling off the edge of the bed onto the floor.'

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Meg St-Esprit

Meg is one of our regular freelance reviewers. She likes the contouring comfort and pressure relief of memory foam to ease her lower back ache. She's done a full review of the Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper.

Helix ErgoAlign Mattress Topper | From $280 at Helix

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The best cooling latex mattress topper

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I'm a hot sleeper and am always looking to make more sustainable purchase options for my home. I'm keen to keep cool, but I'd rather not spend my money on synthetic fabrics and fills. If I could only buy one of these cooling mattress toppers and pads, I'd get the Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper for natural breathability.

This is the best organic mattress topper on the market. It's filled with organic Dunlop latex, which is dense and durable, arranged in an open-cell structure to boost breathability. Then, it's topped with organic cotton and wool for natural thermoregulation and moisture-wicking. Our expert tester, Antonia Santoro, still raves about the Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper, two years after she started testing: 'This thing got me through a hot and humid New York summer. I never woke up with night sweats and I managed to sleep comfortably even when my HVAC system went haywire.'

The Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper recently relaunched. Now, it's available in two heights and two comfort levels to suit every sleep position. I recommend a deeper topper in Plush for side sleepers who need more give, while the two-inch topper in Medium should provide solid support for back and stomach sleepers.

There's only one thing stopping Antonia from giving this topper the full five stars: the absence of corner straps. There's no way to secure the Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper to the bed: you just have to trust that the cotton canvas underneath the topper can get a grip on the mattress. Before you buy, I suggest you learn how to keep a mattress topper from sliding.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Antonia Santoro

Antonia is one of our freelance reviewers. She tested the Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper in tandem with the Avocado Green Mattress, as an affordable alternative. As someone who likes to sit and sleep on the side of the bed, Antonia needs a topper with solid edge support. Read the full review: Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper

Avocado Organic Latex Mattress Topper | From $186 at Avocado

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The best cooling mattress topper for side sleepers

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Filled with springy and responsive Talalay latex, the Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper offers contouring comfort and near-perfect pressure relief. Peel back the mattress cover and you'll find organic wool, cotton, and cashmere in the comfort layers, working to wick moisture, keeping your bed and body clean and cool.

'This latex mattress topper feels more supportive than a traditional down or cotton pillow-top, and more responsive than your average memory foam mattress topper,' says expert tester, Kaitlin Madden. 'Latex offers softness without the sinking feeling you get from memory foam.' If you suffer from aches and pains alongside your night sweats, then this is the mattress topper for you.

One of the best and worst things about latex, depending on who you ask, is its natural elasticity. The same bounce that makes it easier to get into and out of bed also makes it much harder to sleep undisturbed. Kaitlin found that she could feel it when her husband rolled around on his side of the bed. If you're looking for a cooling mattress topper with optimal motion isolation, you'd be better off with a memory foam model.

According to Kaitlin, there's a lot to like about the Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper, 'But there are a few practical points that keep it from occupying pole position in our buying guide. There are no corner straps, so there's nothing to keep the topper from sliding across your mattress, and the cotton cover is prone to bunching up beneath your body.'

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Kaitlin Madden

Read the full review: Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper

Birch Plush Organic Mattress Topper | From $279 at Birch

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The best bamboo cooling mattress pad

Moisture-wicking and antimicrobial, bamboo is built to bust the bacteria that breeds in sticky, sweaty places, such as beds. Naturally breathable, the Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad cools me down when I overheat, without ever getting uncomfortably cold.

The Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad is designed to enhance the comfort and cooling of your bed. It's super slim-line, fitting easily beneath my fitted sheet, with 360-degree elastic to get a good grip on my mattress.

I tested the pad in combination with the Cozy Earth Bamboo Comforter and Duvet, and if I had to pick the best product out of all three (Cozy Earth is on the more expensive side), it is hands down the mattress pad. I couldn't believe how soft and silky it felt, and I appreciated that the smooth design never rustles as you toss and turn.

The Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad boasts a 4.9 average star rating from 478 reviews. 'I have been using the bamboo mattress pad for a couple of years,' reads one recent review. 'It is not quite as thick as other mattress pads, but it really does make a wonderful difference. I love the soft luxurious feel it adds under my fitted sheet. I have purchased one for my second home as well as my guest rooms in both homes.'

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Emilia Hitching

I started testing the Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad in summer 2024.

Cozy Earth Bamboo Mattress Pad | From $230 at Cozy Earth

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Best cooling mattress toppers and pads – Side by Side

Best cooling mattress toppers and pads – Honorable mentions

Over the years, my expert team has ranked and reviewed 12 mattress toppers and sampled a handful of mattress pads for consideration in deal round-ups and buying guides. My top 5 represents the best of the best for pressure relief, motion isolation, edge support, and, in particular, thermoregulation. Still, I wanted to shout out three more cooling toppers and pads that might meet your needs.

How we test mattress toppers and pads

As the resident Sleep Editor at Homes & Gardens, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the best mattress toppers and pads. Together, we represent a wide range of ages, sleep styles, and body types, and we work right across the country, from warm cities in the South to snow-capped corners of the Pacific Midwest.

For this guide, we tested toppers and pads that are best for cooling. They still needed to pass tests on pressure relief, support, and motion isolation, but our main focus when testing was on their cooling properties. Our team of testers live in both the UK and the USA, so a range of temperatures and conditions were experienced and many of us (including myself) experience overheating in bed at night. We tested mattress toppers and pads in our own homes for a minimum of 30 nights before we publish our initial reviews. This gives a good indication of long-term performance.

To learn more about how we test mattress toppers, consult our expert guide.

We score mattress pads slightly differently, since pads aren't thick enough to impact the motion isolation or edge support of a mattress. Instead, we pay close attention to the look and feel of the mattress pad through the sheets, considering its thermoregulation alongside ease of care (how well it washes and dries).

We also consider the practical aspects of shopping for toppers and pads, including the range of sizes available, the details of delivery, and any warranties. Where possible, we compare our findings against verified customer reviews to learn more about long-term use. Finally, we bring it all back to the price of the product to help you determine value for money.

How to choose a cooling topper or pad

Consider your sleep position

If you've ever read one of my mattress buying guides, you'll remember hearing talk of 'sleep positions'. Whether you lie on your front, back, or side makes a big difference to your spinal alignment. You need to create the right mattress firmness for your body. Most mattress manufacturers categorize their toppers as 'soft', 'medium-soft', 'medium', 'medium-firm', or 'firm'.

As a general rule, side sleepers tend to prefer a medium surface to cushion their joints while supporting their waist to keep the spine straight. Back sleepers prefer medium-firm to keep their pelvis from sinking, while stomach sleepers need a firm surface to keep their hips in line with their chest.

Remember, only a mattress topper is thick enough to alter the firmness and feel of your mattress: a mattress pad isn't. You should only buy a cooling mattress pad if you're happy with the comfort and support of your current mattress.

When choosing the right cooling mattress pad or topper, it is important to keep the above in mind, but, of course, choosing the right material to help with making your sleep space feel cooler is key. From bamboo to latex, from topper to pad, these materials and designs can work in combination with the best cooling sheets and comforters to create a relaxing and comfortable place to sleep in the summer heat.

Set your budget

As a general rule, mattress toppers are more expensive than mattress pads: they're thicker, for starters, and often filled with more expensive materials, including foams, rather than the cotton, wool, or bamboo that makes up a mattress pad.

I suggest you set an upper and lower limit to your budget before you start shopping. I'd expect to spend somewhere between $200 and $300 on a cooling mattress topper, while a cooling mattress pad might be more affordable: more like $100 to $200.

The current state of your mattress

If you purchased your mattress relatively recently, and it appears to be in good condition, you don't want a mattress topper to alter the firmness or feel: you'd be better off with a cooling mattress pad.

If your mattress is past its prime or showing visible signs of aging, from deformed foam to squeaking springs, then it might be time to replace your mattress. The average lifespan of a mattress is 7 years, but you can elongate it with a mattress topper.

FAQs

Why is my mattress making me hot?

Your mattress is making you hot, as it's probably because it's made from memory foam. High-density memory foam leaves little room for air to flow. You end up trapping heat and moisture inside the mattress, which becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and mildew.

If you feel most comfortable on memory foam, but you're keen to regulate your temperature, you could narrow the search to a gel mattress. Gel beads are designed to absorb excess body heat and disperse it through the mattress, so you don't overheat.

If you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, you might consider the best cooling mattress. I've ranked and reviewed six of my favorites from Tempur-Pedic, Saatva, DreamCloud, and more.

Where can I buy a cooling mattress topper?

The best places to buy bedding for hot sleepers are specialist sleep stores, rather than major home retailers.

We think Saatva's Graphit Cooling Mattress Topper is best, but you'll need to shop at Avocado or Cozy Earth for options made from natural materials.

Sijo hasn't made it into our guide as we haven't yet tested any of their products, but it does offer a great line of cooling bed accessories at a more affordable price point.

If you're working with a tighter budget, but you're still keen to keep cool in warm weather, you could pick up a set of the best cooling sheets. I've ranked and reviewed six of the best, from lightweight linen sets to crisp cotton percales.