I just bought a mattress that has a gel-infused memory foam top layer. what material or type of mattress cover would be best so as not to interfere with the gel properties? i know bedding can affect whether a bed is too hot, i wonder what type of materials are best for this mattress and not negate the cooling properties of the gel.
Hi cbcb,
Generally the most popular cover for a memory foam mattress would be some type of stretch knit material that doesn’t interfere with the compression of the memory foam under it and allows heat to go through it but there are also many other options and some people prefer a cover that is quilted with a more resilient material such as polyfoam so that the sleeping surface is a little more resilient and breathable and the memory foam is a little more motion friendly.
It really does depend on your personal preferences and which type of “feel” you prefer in a memory foam mattress along with the specifics of the mattress design.
The type of cover in your mattress (and the materials in the quilting if it’s a quilted cover) can also play a significant role in the sleeping temperature of a mattress and natural fibers (such as cotton, wool, or linen) or semi-synthetic viscose types of fibers (such as rayon, bamboo, tencel and others) are very good at wicking away moisture and helping to regulate temperature and some of the engineered fabrics (such as Coolmax or Outlast ) can also be a good option to help with temperature regulation.
In most cases though … a thinner stretch knit cover is the most popular choice because it has the least effect on the memory foam and provides more of an “in the mattress” feel which is what many people like about memory foam. Of course if you like a mattress then the cover that goes with it isn’t really an option but it may affect the choice of a mattress because a cover can play a significant role in the feel and performance of the mattress.
I would also be aware that the cooling properties of gel are often a secondary to its ability to improve the support qualities of memory foam and to help prevent it from sinking in too far over the course of the night (and the sleeper ending up with a back ache from sleeping out of alignment). This is why you will often see gel memory foams in the middle layers of a mattress under regular memory foam. You can read a little more about some of the factors that can help with temperature regulation in a mattress in post #2 here and about some of the technologies used to help memory foam sleep a little cooler in post #6 here. There is also more information about the different types of gel materials that are being used in memory foam and other types of foam in post #2 here.
If you are talking about a mattress protector (instead of the mattress cover or ticking that is part of the mattress itself) then there is more information about some of the different types and the pros and cons of each in post #89 here and the posts it links to) and my apologies for including information about mattress covers instead of mattress protectors 
Phoenix
thanks, Phoenix, for your answer. i did read your info re mattress protectors (which is what i was asking about). however i’m still not sure what to be looking for. it seems the protectors would cover over and therefore block or counteract the cooling properties of the gel-infused memory foam (the mattress ticking is stretchy organic cotton). is there a protector that is made for cooling gel mattresses? or which of the protectors is best for this purpose (without spending a fortune).
Hi cbcb,
Every layer or component of a sleeping system (including the mattress cover, your mattress protector, and your sheets and bedding) can affect every other layer or component so it’s really a matter of “how much” the effect may be.
When it comes to mattress protectors the choices involve tradeoffs between how they will affect the “feel” of the mattress, how they will affect the sleeping temperature of the mattress, and how important waterproof, water resistant, or moisture absorbing are to you.
For those where waterproof is important and who want their protector to have the least possible effect on the “feel” of their mattress then the thin membrane types of protectors are a very popular choice but for a few people they can affect the sleeping temperature of the mattress not because they “negate” the benefits of the gel (which is a thermal conductive material and heat would still go through the protector into the gel) but because they are less breathable than the other types of protectors and ventilation and moisture wicking is also an important part of temperature control that is completely separate from any temperature regulating properties of the gel. As you know from the previous link … there are many factors that combine to regulate temperature in a mattress not just the type of material under the mattress cover, protector, and your sheets which all have a combined effect on temperature.
Everything is a tradeoff and depends on which of the tradeoffs are most important to you and your own personal preferences.
For the large majority of people … the thin membrane types of protectors work well (especially if it uses a natural fiber or viscose material that can wick moisture) and they are happy with them even though for a few that are “on the edge” in terms of temperature because of some of the other factors involved may notice the effect of less ventilation and increased temperature compared to the other types of protectors.
Phoenix