Hi friends! I have a Helix midnight hybrid mattress that checks a lot of boxes for me, but ironically doesn’t hold quite enough heat. Which means when the A/C is pushing hard in summer or when the floors are cold in winter, I feel that coolness in my back even though I may be too hot on top. Picking an indoor temperature closer to comfortable-without-blankets has not been successful, generally since small variations in my body temperature cause me to sleep okay some nights, but wake up a bunch other nights due to the higher temperature.
I’ve tried:
- 100% Memory foam beds (too insulating)
- A thin layer of memory foam on top of my hybrid (too insulating, wakes me up)
- Cheap mattress pads (too insulating, wakes me up)
- Various blankets (sometimes works, sometimes wakes me up)
- Synthetic mattress toppers (fall asleep almost immediately, wake up a couple hours later)
- A bath towel (kind of works but still takes awhile to feel warm)
- Various clothing (hit-or-miss, tends to be too sensitive to variables like exercise and eating)
I often sleep better on Airbnb mattresses in colder environments, possibly because they’re cheaper and have less airflow? I also fall asleep easily on my couch and chair (both have a polyurethane foam inside) — again, they hold just a touch more radiant heat beneath me, while the cooler external temperature wicks away excess heat on top of me.
I’m curious what materials/layers/toppers I could try to add just a touch more radiant heat to the mattress. At some point I would consider a new mattress, but I spent months on that journey last year just to get to where I am now and would prefer cheaper mods.
Solutions I’ve considered:
- Wool topper (would it be warmer or too “temperature neutral”?)
- Polyurethane foam topper/layer (not sure what thickness to try first)
- Thin blankets with some loft, made with natural materials (would it be warmer?)
Hey there manuscriptmaster,
Welcome to the Mattress UnderGround.
Given your experience with various solutions, here are a few suggestions to consider.
First, a thicker wool topper could help, as wool naturally regulates temperature and provides warmth without becoming overly insulating. Wool is an excellent temperature regulator, but it won’t necessarily make you warmer when used as a topper. It allows air to flow freely, helping to maintain a neutral temperature by letting excess heat escape. It tends to keep you comfortable in both winter and summer. In contrast, memory foam retains heat, which can change the feel of the mattress, cause sweating, and lead to a sinking sensation—common characteristics of memory foam.
We use a 3" organic wool topper along with a wool duvet and a down comforter on top of the wool duvet (long story), and we sleep comfortably without overheating. Both the wool topper and wool duvet are temperature regulators, allowing air to circulate and trapping heat in air pockets, so you sleep closer to your body’s natural temperature.
If you’re looking to sleep a little warmer without sweating, the “Perfectly Snug” Smart Topper could be a good option. It’s a bit pricey for some, but it gets the job done. It comes with an app that lets you control the temperature on each side of the topper, you can preset options for when you want to warm up or cool down. There’s also a manual button on each side for when the phone isn’t available. The system maintains a steady temperature if set up correctly, and has some auto features for controlling the temperature while you sleep. Drawing in warm air and filtering it into the mattress it’s not an traditional air conditioner or heater, but it does a great job of providing a more controlled sleeping environment. This could be the product you are looking for.
I hope this helps!
Maverick
Thank you so much for the recommendations! Do you have any details on that wool topper? Is that semi-similar to the wool mattress pad sold by The Company Store?
My Topper was made by a company in Oregon called Natural Felt. The owner has since sold the business to another very nice business person and is now called Oregon Natural Fiber Mill. The topper is the same as the one sold at their previously owned store (she retired and an employee took over the retail store)
The new website for ONFM is https://oregonfibermill.com/
We have been working with them to come aboard TMU, but they are still transitioning with the new business.
I am assuming you are referring to this one from the company store and not the sherpa like one. Oddly enough, this one is clearly not made by the company store, it a naturepedic, which @TheCleanBedroom. sells.
Shephards Dream Sells one similar although the one I ordered a special heavy weight one which was 35lbs.
Best of luck,
Maverick
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Hi manuscriptmaster, and welcome to the Mattress Underground.
We do indeed offer the Naturepedic 3" Wool Topper. Another couple of thoughts:
A wool mattress pad can also regulate temperature, but with less financial outlay than a topper. The one I linked adds just a little bit of plushness and coziness to a mattress without being overbearing in terms of heat.
Flannel sheets can help add a touch of warmth while still being breathable. The brushed flannel holds heat just slightly better than other cotton fabrics.
I hope you find a solution that works for you. Let us know if we can help!
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Thank you both for your recommendations! I’ve done some research and want to take a couple steps back first.
First, I want to clarify the problem I think I’m trying to solve: the Helix mattress I own is too sensitive to the environment, meaning that even with the indoor temperature being the same in a very well insulated home, the mattress feels completely different whenever the weather changes. Usually, it’s cold on my back and takes hours to warm up, by which time I’ve already gotten out of bed multiple times because I can’t fall asleep because it feels like it’s draining the heat out of me, rather than maintaining a neutral temperature. If I turn the indoor temperature up, that often puts me close to the point where some nights (depending on exercise and eating habits) I sleep fine, and others I build up excess heat above me while being cold underneath. To make things even more complicated, most of the mattresses I’ve slept well on in Airbnbs tend to be cheaper “cooling gel memory foam” based, in spite of the fact my too-cold Helix mattress and my too-hot previous Wayfair mattress both claim to have the same thing. I think I would prefer to have a less sensitive/more insulating foundation below me so that I can set the temperature lower while having some more warmth below me to cue falling asleep quickly. Using blankets/sheets/mattress pads so far has tended to build up heat too quickly, or not enough (again, depending too much on the indoor temperature and weather conditions).
All of that to first confirm whether y’all think a wool topper/pad is a good solution to that problem.
Assuming that is the case, these products (especially the toppers) are big investments ($500-600) with high-risk (or no) return policies. What suggestions/strategies would y’all recommend to iterate towards a solution? Are there other, cheaper solutions I should try before considering them?
I’m very willing to spend that money if it solves the problem — I’m just looking for ways to reduce risk along the way because I’ve already thrown a bunch of money at solutions.
Thank you both so much!
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Hi again,
Based on your description of the issue with your Helix mattress feeling too cool when you first lie down, a wool topper could work well. While wool won’t generate heat, it will trap air and prevent the cold from transferring through the topper to your back.
Before purchasing a wool topper, you might want to try placing a wool or down comforter on top of your mattress as a temporary solution to see if it helps block the cold coming through. Whether you choose wool or down, you’ll want something that can trap air and insulate you from the cold, while still being breathable enough to manage moisture and prevent overheating. Rather than buying a custom, non-returnable topper, consider trying a comforter from Amazon or Costco to place under your covers. If it doesn’t fit under the fitted sheet, you can temporarily cover it with the top sheet. Just be sure the comforter is sold and shipped by Amazon to avoid third-party return issues.
Additionally, as @TheCleanBedroom mentioned, higher thread count sheets or flannel sheets may also help keep you warmer.
Wool and down comforters work similarly to a sleeping bag for camping—they keep cold air away from your body. While the outside of the bag may feel cool to the touch, the trapped air inside or the dense stitching design prevents the cold air from reaching you. In a sleeping bag, they may also use materials like Thinsulate in addition to down for extra insulation.
Because both wool and down are breathable, a wool topper is less likely to trap excess heat, as you described, depending on the conditions.
I hope this offers a helpful perspective!
Maverick
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Hi friends! Quick update, I just tried out the Naturepedic 3" wool topper from The Company Store (I’ve done business with them before and their return policy is more flexible).
I’ve only spent part of one night with it (I gave up 2 hours later), but here’s what I noticed:
- It’s super cozy in some, but not all areas. My back was delightfully warm in daytime testing but cold at night. In addition, my butt was cold which is something I don’t experience on the mattress itself
. I think areas with less compression were more comfy.
- I had tingling sensations both on my back and side with it, which makes me think it was ironically too firm.
- I’m not 100% sure why I didn’t at least fall asleep with it. Normally, standard toppers and mattress pads trap a lot of heat which immediately puts me to sleep, then wakes me up 1-2 hours later. This wool topper felt wonderfully warm (except for compressed areas), but kept me up until I had to go back to my current setup. There is, of course, a possibility that overall I was too warm to fall asleep. Man this is all so confusing!
I’ll probably try it one more time, but for next steps, I’d love your input! Ideas:
- Give that the Naturepedic uses 10.9lbs of wool for a queen size (60x80) and it seemed to be more effective in less compressed areas, I’m wondering whether a thinner wool topper or wool mattress pad would be a better or worse direction.
- I may also try some other products like down alternative (polyester fiber filled) toppers or thin layers of polyurethane foam. Any thoughts there?
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@Maverick would love your input on this! TL;DR: I’m considering solving for the firmness issue by going with a 1.5 inch wool topper, a wool mattress pad, or try out some down or alternative down toppers from somewhere like The Company Store. I do like the radiant warmth of wool — it’s possible it might have been too much, even!
I think you would like a 2" wool topper better. They do compress quite a bit. I am not big on down alternative, but a feather topper might feel better. Fortunately, for us, the wool has not made us warm while sleeping on it and under it (wool duvet insert). Wool basically will keep a nice balance of maintaining your at body temperature when under the covers, when below and/or above you.
We have a down duvet insert on the bed too, in addition to the wool duvet. Long story, but, the short version is; , my wife likes the design of the tommy bahama duvet cover and matching shams. So that has to be on the top and I bought the wool duvet and organic cotton coyuchi duvet cover (a solid color that also mattress the TB duvet). Rather than bargain for which one to use, we stuck with both. Oddly enough, we are not hot under two duvets with the wool topper below us. We could do the Scandinavian style covers, but since we are not hot and they are comfortable, we dont need to go that route.
I dont remember if we discussed your pillow selection, but a cozy comfortable pillow might complete the set up. I have a very big pillow collection, but my top choices are my horsehair, 100% wool, cozy pure baa-noodle and Tempurpedic at at the top. I recently go another wool pillow, a queen sized Brooks Brothers. It is the same manufacturer as my wool duvet. I used it last night in place of my horsehair. The feel was quite the same, although the wool was a bit more cuddling. It was a great sleep. Additionally someone like shepherd’s dream has several wool filled and wool filled and covered pillows.
A great pillow could be the final component that brings it all together.
I’m late to the party, but since we were tagged here, I wanted to mention that we have an extensive collection of wool pillows on our site. I’ll link them here:
Wool is quite durable, also - I’ve had my wool pillow for over 4 years and it is still springy and comfortable.
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