How to Choose a Mattress Topper

What a Topper Changes — The surface. Two inches of wool or latex over a firm mattress makes it softer at the top while the core underneath still does the supporting. Four inches or more changes the feel of the whole bed.

What It Cannot Change — A sagging core. If the mattress has a dip, a topper follows the dip. If it is more than about ten years old, or you can feel the coils, the topper guide is the wrong guide and the mattress guide is the right one.

The Firm-Mattress Case — The latex mattress we carry comes in firm and extra firm, and its maker's own advice is to buy firm and add a topper to find your feel rather than buy soft. A topper is a cheaper way to adjust than a second mattress.

Two Sleepers — A topper covers the whole bed at one feel. If one side wants softer and the other does not, a half-width topper is the usual answer. Ask whether the maker will cut one.

Wool Batting — Layers of wool, hand-tufted inside a cotton sateen case. Soft and breathable; it settles with use and needs flipping. The ones we carry run from one and a half to four inches: a quilted topper at one and a half to three inches, a two-inch wool topper, and a four-inch deluxe with twice the wool.

Latex — A slab of Dunlop latex, two inches on the one we carry, wrapped in an inch of wool. Springy, holds its shape, does not settle the way wool does. The Royale puts the latex core inside four inches of wool for a five-to-six-inch topper that flips.

Wool and Latex Together — A two-inch latex core wrapped in wool and cased in cotton sateen, three inches deep, with a published firmness of ILD 25. The maker calls it medium.

Fleece — Wool woven into a cotton knit backing, about an inch deep, 33 ounces to the square yard. It is a surface, not a cushion: the look and feel of sheepskin without the hide. It also comes in travel and massage-table sizes.

What the Labels Mean — Organic wool and cotton are certified to GOTS and organic latex to GOLS. "Premium Eco Wool" is a maker's own grade, not a certification. The product page names which applies.

How Much Change You Want — One to two inches softens the surface of a firm bed. Three to four inches changes the feel. Five inches or more, like the Royale, is closer to a second mattress than a topper.

Weight — Wool is heavy. A queen Royale weighs about 70 pounds and a king 80. A two-inch wool topper is a fraction of that. If you flip it every other week, as the maker asks, weight is part of living with it.

Sheets and Height — A four-inch topper adds four inches to the mattress. Deep-pocket sheets may be needed, and a sleep system pad or a protector goes on top of the topper, not under it.

Sizes — Twin through California king on most. The latex topper we carry comes in king and California king only. The Royale starts at full. Check the size list before you fall for a build.

Flipping — Wool batting compresses where you lie. Every wool topper we carry asks to be flipped: every other week on the Soaring Heart toppers, once a week for the first few months and then every few months on the Holy Lamb quilted toppers. Latex does not need it.

Sunning — The makers we carry recommend putting wool toppers in the sun for an hour or two a side, a couple of times a year. It fluffs the wool and dries any moisture. It does not apply to latex, which sunlight breaks down.

Washing — Wool and cotton batting toppers are spot clean only. The fleece can be machine washed after a six-to-eight-month break-in, on soak and spin only, never an agitate cycle. Read the care line before you buy, because a topper you cannot wash needs a protector over it.

Settling and Scent — All wool batting settles with use; the makers say so on the page. New wool can smell faintly of lanolin for a few days.

What It Does — A cotton protector lies between the mattress and the sheets, or between the topper and the sheets, and takes the sweat, oils and spills that a mattress and a wool topper cannot be washed of. It is the only washable layer under you. The one we carry is GOTS-certified cotton, washed every one to two weeks with the sheets.

Why It Is Not Optional — The latex mattress we carry carries a 20-year warranty that requires a natural mattress protector. Skip it and the coverage ends. Its maker also warns against polyester-blend pads, which do not absorb moisture, and recommends the protector over any wool topper for the same reason.

Topper Returns — Toppers are made to order. The makers we carry take back only unused toppers in original packaging, within 30 days of the ship date, with a return authorization and a 25 percent restocking fee. There is no sleep trial on a topper. Decide thickness and fill before you order, not after.

Lead Time — Three to four weeks before a Soaring Heart or Holy Lamb topper ships, then transit. The protector ships sooner.