Best Cooling Bed Pad (Topper) Reviews for 2020

The best cooling mattress pad on the market should be comfortable, well-made and will more than repay the investment by helping you sleep more soundly.

But how do you choose the best possible cooling mattress topper? We are here to help. We have gone through every available toppers out there and we've made it easy for you to find the right one here.

First check out the comparison table below for a preview of our most up to date picks.

Want more options? Check our top memory foam mattress topper buyer’s guide.

If you are looking for a great cooling mattress topper, the Extra Plush Bamboo cooling bed pad is a great option. Bamboo is a natural fiber that can be sustainably sourced. It breathes well, has a soft silky feel to it, and is highly absorbent.

Because of this pad's features, it is becoming a favorite in the hospitality industry as well. The Extra Plush Bamboo Cooling Bed Pad debuted in several top-rated hotels across America, including the Marriott, and Omni.

The outer covering of the pad is smooth and luxurious to the touch, so it feels great against your skin. The filling is all-business, though – it is made with the companies patented RevoLoft cluster filling. These fibers create little balls instead of breaking apart.

This enables the topper to allow air to move through and to maintain the shape of the pad. This, in turn, allows for much better air circulation.

This is great news for those with memory foam mattresses that, while extremely good in terms of comfort, are stifling to sleep on. The idea of a topper works particularly well in this case because it creates that barrier between you and the foam. You will still sink into your bed, but at least you will have the little air pockets around you to keep you cooler.

This gel-infused pad has four major selling points – regulation of body temperature provides deep contouring relief, prevents motion transfer and eases the pain for pressure points.

It is one of the least expensive mattress topper option among the pads we have reviewed, but one of the best. If you like to cuddle down into the bed, this is a great option. You won’t sink all the way in, but still get that feeling of being hugged.

The gel in this pad is what helps to cool your body temperature even more throughout the night.  

It costs less than nearly all of the mattress toppers mentioned on this list but succeeds in fulfilling its four promises.

This pad's temperature-controlled surface helps disseminate heat cooling your body, while the high-density memory foam hugs your body without sagging.

It is a little heavier than other similar offerings, but it comes coiled up, so it is not as difficult to get into your home.

ExceptionalSheets is no stranger to innovation and aims to give you the best product on the market. This option has a fitted skirt making it easy to keep in place. 

The additional plushy layer is filled with fiber that is shaped to feel like down, without the prickles. The shape allows for great air circulation. It will help you get an additional layer of comfort if your bed is too hard and will help you to sleep cooler as well.

The materials used are high quality and easy to care for. These can go into the machine.

The top does tend to shift a bit when you move around, so this is not the best option for a restless sleeper.

This is the most expensive cooling pad in our list, but for this kind of quality, it is still a bargain. This mattress topper uses the patented, new, AirCool IQ Gel so that you get the same kind of support you would from a high-quality foam, but without the weight and density that this would usually entail.

Buyers across the board have raved about the pad, claiming that it has improved their sleep quality. This pad molds to your body shape, offering all the right support in all the right places. As a side benefit, it helps to muffle sounds of movement on the bed – so if you have a bed that creaks, this could be a good option for you.

It is plush and very comfortable to lie down on, and there is no off-gassing from it at all. It is a little on the heavy side, so do get someone to help you to wrangle it onto the bed. This is just a minor inconvenience, though.

The model I am reviewing comes with the patented Outlast cover. This pad is designed to increase your comfort dramatically. It is made of memory foam, yes, but not your typical memory foam. In this instance, the foam is made with cells so that air can still circulate through it.

But what really sets this cooling pad apart is the Outlast Adaptive Technology that is used in the cover. There are a series of beads, microscopic in size, infused into the cotton fabric. This is pretty innovative technology because it reacts to your body temperature.

If you are feeling too hot, the material adapts by drawing the heat away from your skin. If you are feeling too cold, the material changes phases and radiates your body heat back to you. The cotton is 300 thread count – enough to be a quality make, but not so much that it won’t allow air to pass through it.

The cover in this cooling topper is machine-washable and easy to clean. And you get the best of both worlds – a cotton cover with phase-changing fabric to keep your body at the ideal temperature and the absolute comfort of foam.

It should be noted that at three inches thick, this going to raise the height of your bed – some people have taken issue with this fact.

This is one model where you don’t have to balk at the price. This pad is quite unique in its makeup and not particularly thick like other pads we've reviewed here– you will still feel your mattress underneath it so if you are looking for a way to soften up your mattress a lot, this is not it.

The pad's cover is made of soft, breathable fleece and this makes it nice to sleep on. It is fully machine-washable and easy to use overall.

I do have one niggle though – the sizes tend to be a little smaller so do measure your bed before buying this pad and consider choosing a size up from what you would normally buy.

ExceptionalSheets gel infused cooling pad has been made with open cell technology to improve air flow for a cool and comfortable nights sleep. Both of these measures have been put in place to help keep your body cooler during sleep.

So, you get the benefits of foam, without needing to worry about the potential downside in terms of heat being trapped.

This has proven a very successful innovation, and most users love it. There is a slight smell when you first take it out of the box, but if you air it out overnight that dissipates quickly.

#1. How cool do you want to be?

A cooling pad is there only to do one thing – keep you cooler at night. Sure, some options do also incorporate some plush layers so that you are more comfortable, but that is not always the case. If you are a hot sleeper, though, there is only one thing that matters – coolness.

There is nothing worse than trying to get a good night’s sleep when you are feeling overheated and sweaty. In fact, in order to facilitate sleep, the body needs a drop in temperature, and this can be very hard to achieve if you are going through a hot summer, or having hot flashes.

But how do you choose an ideal mattress pad out of the thousands of alternatives out there?

#2. Comfort is important

We have all had some experience of buying clothing looks great, not because it is comfortable. At the end of the day, those six-inch heels or too-tight jeans end up gathering dust because they are just so uncomfortable to wear.

Comfort is even more important here – you are going to be spending a lot of time every single day sleeping on this pad and so comfort should outstrip every other consideration.

Think about what is important to you – do you wish your bed was a little softer? Then look for an option that is puffier. Are you happy with the support your bed gives you now? Then look at an option with less padding.

Choose the level of comfort that best suits you.

#3. Getting the right mattress pad

The best way to do this is to actually measure your bed’s width, height, and depth and then check these against the measurements of the options that you are considering.

One company’s Queen mattress size can be very different to another’s so be prepared to put in a little effort here. You want something that will fit snugly so that it doesn’t shift, but not so snugly that a few movements cause it to loosen and come off the bed.

#4. How much you can spend

These are an extra expense that is technically not a necessity, but they can make a huge difference in your life. How much you spend will depend on your budget but when considering this, do think about the improvement in your quality of life.

Choose right cooling pad, and you will be able to sleep better and more restfully and could become more productive as a result. A good quality pad will cost more initially but pay off because it works better and will last longer.

There are some very cheap cooling mattress pads out there, but these are generally not all that good and don’t deliver on their promises. If that is all that you can afford right now, it might pay instead to save up for a better one.

#5. How to look after it

It pays to check what the aftercare instructions are. How will you keep it clean? What if something spills on it? How can you clean it without causing damage? Is it machine-washable and, if so, do you have space to wash and dry it?

What if you need to move it later? The heavier the pad is, the more difficult and unwieldy it becomes. This is not as much of an issue if you have someone to help you, but it can be a problem when you are on your own. Can it be stored easily without getting damaged?

The advantage of investing in a cooling mattress topper is that you are creating a cooling layer between yourself and your mattress. This layer is about more than just sheer comfort, though. It's there to help improve air circulation under your body, to channel the heat away from you and to draw sweat away from you.

The result? You cool off a lot more easily and can save energy on your power bill at the same time. And your bed becomes a whole lot more comfortable at the same time. It is a win-win situation.

If you are having a problem falling asleep at night or staying asleep once you’ve fallen asleep, the problem may be your bedroom temperature. Experts say that your bedroom should be dark, cool, and quiet. Studies have shown that sleep is initiated by a drop in core temperature. This can be aided by keeping your bedroom temperature between sixty and seventy degrees at night or purchasing a cooling mattress pad.

A cooling mattress pad is specifically made to keep you cool at night when no other mattress topper can do the job. Gel memory foam will sleep cooler than regular memory foam but for some people not cool enough. Cooling memory foam mattress toppers and latex foam mattress toppers both do a good job of temperature regulation but for some people they are still too hot. When nothing else is doing the job it may be time to try a cooling mattress pad.

There are two types of cooling mattress pads. The first uses a blend of man-made and natural fibers that wick away moisture from the body which allows it to evaporate. This helps you to feel cool and dry and provides better body temperature regulation.

The second type uses plastic tubing that is embedded in the mattress pad. This tubing is used to circulate either cool or warm water throughout the mattress pad. That’s right. This pad can be used to both-heat or cool your bed.

The advantages are obvious. In the summer you can save on cooling costs because you won’t need to keep your whole bedroom as cool. In the winter you can save on heating costs because you can heat only your bed instead of your whole house! Electromagnetic frequencies or EMF’s may be a problem when using a heated mattress pad but not with this product. No Wires!

The water is circulated using a small electric pump. This pump is actually very quiet but you should probably check it out for yourself to make sure the noise won’t be a problem. Some mattress pad also contains a heating unit to heat the water which in turn heats the mattress pad to keep you warm on those cold winter nights.

On average most mattress pad users report that some of the products in the market uses about eighty watts of energy which is a lot less than using your air conditioner or turning up your thermostat. You can also buy a model with dual zones which will allow you to regulate the temperature of each side of the bed separately.

A cool sleeping environment is not the only thing you need to insure a good night’s sleep. You bedroom must also be as dark and as quiet as possible. Avoid night lights and television and try to avoid caffeine within six hours of bedtime. A regular sleep pattern can help, and even a warm glass of milk before going to bed may help. The point is that a number of factors can contribute to a good, restful, reinvigorating night’s sleep.

If you suffer from hot flashes or night sweats a cooling mattress pad could be just what you need but be sure to do your research. Most but not all customer reviews are favorable so be sure to check them out. We find the reviews at Amazon.com particularly helpful. Use the available reviews and recommendations as a guide and I’m sure you will find the mattress pad that will do the job for you.

Below are more benefits of owning a cooling mattress topper.

1. Maximum comfort

Even if there is little to no padding, you are still going to have a much more comfortable experience. It’s an easy fix that does not cost a whole lot along the way. And you don’t need specialized equipment to store it either.

2. Lower your energy bill

What few people realize is that because you are sleeping cooler in summer, and warmer in winter, you do not have to use your fan or heater as much. This saves you a fair amount in energy costs and helps to reduce your carbon footprint. It is a win-win.

3. Improved quality of life

Think about how much time you spend in bed. Around about a third of your whole life, you will spend sleeping. Doesn’t t make sense then to make sure that we do our best to keep ourselves comfortable while asleep?

There are a few things that you will need to consider when looking for a mattress pad, but let’s get you started.

Is your budget a little limited at the moment? Then the ViscoSoft pad and Night Guard mattress topper have a lot of the features that you need and come in at a lower price point.

Do you have a lot of pain? The ExceptionalSheets Gel pad or Iso-Cool toppers are great for pressure relief and can alleviate a lot of pain.

Have a partner that does their best impression of an Olympic gymnast at night? The Nature’s Sleep pad or a memory foam option works well at reducing motion transfer and deadening noises.

There are a number of new mattress pads on the market that claim to allow you to sleep cooler. These usually have some kind of chemical infused into the fabric. And, while they can be effective, these do have a more limited useful life because the chemical will be depleted after a certain number of washes.

Natural fibers naturally perform better. Fibers such as bamboo, cotton, and linen are a lot cooler to sleep on than synthetic fibers like satin. Just bear in mind what I was saying about the thread count earlier. Ideally, choose a maximum thread count of 400 to get the best results.

The whole reason that these products work in the first place is that they allow the air to circulate underneath you. To boost the effects, it makes sense to choose bedding that also  breathes easily, like cotton, for example.

Also, consider the weave of the bedding. The higher thread counts are better quality but are also more tightly woven together. The tighter the weave, the less the amount of air that it lets through.

If you are choosing a quality product in the first place, yes, it will. These are not designed to be replaced every year or two. They should last quite a few years as long as you take good care of them. Look at products that have removable covers for the best results.

Memory foam is comfortable in terms of physical comfort. However, you are bound to regret purchasing that memory foam mattress the first time it is hot at night. Foam does not breathe easily, and this is a major problem if you are a hot sleeper.

A cooling topper can be really useful here. And, they can be made out of gel-infused foam that automatically feels a lot cooler.

No matter how hot you are, there is no need to sizzle when trying to sleep at night. A cooling topper is an excellent way for you to keep your cool more naturally.

For my money, the ExceptionalSheets Bamboo mattress topper is my top choice. It is light in weight and easy to keep clean. It does offer a little bit of padding and is ideal for those who already love their mattresses.

It is important to look at this as you would any other investment in your health. Without a good night’s sleep, your body cannot heal itself properly, and you wake up groggy the next day. Consider this an investment in yourself and your future productivity.

References:

• Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads - regulations.gov
• Effect of High Rebound Mattress Toppers on Sleep and Sleep-Related Symptoms - clinicaltrials.gov