Toppers and Protectors

Only if the mattress still supports you. A topper changes the surface: two inches of wool or latex softens a firm bed, four or more changes the feel. On a sagging core it follows the sag. If there is a dip, or you can feel the coils, you need the mattress, not the topper.

Wool batting is soft and breathes, settles with use and needs flipping. Latex is springy, holds its shape and does not settle. Fleece is a thin, warm surface, about an inch deep, with the feel of sheepskin. The toppers we carry run from one to six inches, all made to order.

One to two inches softens the surface of a firm bed. Three to four inches changes the feel. Five inches or more is closer to a second mattress than a topper. A four-inch topper adds four inches to the bed, so check that your sheets still fit, and remember wool is heavy: a queen Royale is about 70 pounds.

It is the only washable layer under you. A cotton protector takes the sweat and spills a mattress and a wool topper cannot be washed of, and it goes over the topper, not under it. The latex mattress we carry has a 20-year warranty that requires a natural protector; skip it and the coverage ends.