Mattress Cover Dilemma...H E L P ! ****First Post****

First I wany to say thanks for creating a website that is so informative & helpful…it is great to be able to learn & gather information without having to listen to a sales pitch at a mattress store!

I am about to purchase a new mattress(Full Size) & I am quite sure I am going with the Dreamfoam from Brooklyn Bedding on Amazon.I am however, unsure about a mattress cover/fitted sheets. I do not have any allergies to dust or dust mites.I am looking for something that will not be warm & is reasonably priced $60.00 or less. I don’t know if I really need a full cover vs a fitted sheet.I like the idea of a waterproof cover but i’m very sensitive to feeling too warm & am worried that I would feel like i’m cooking with something like the Luna cover. I don’t know if I actually need the waterproof feature either. I have no incontinence issues but do have a dog that sometimes sleeps on the bed at night. The only other consideration is that usually when I come down with a cold, I sweat profusely at night to the point of needing to change my sleepwear & bedsheet in the middle of the night. Thankfully this only happens once a year or less…I found another post listing some recommendations, but I think i’m just unsure of what I actually should be looking for (Cover vs plain old sheets). Also, I noticed that most covers I briefly looked at, offer either a 9" inch a 12" inch…a “15” or even 18" inch version. The Dreamfoam lists a 10" thickness on their mattress. which size would not be too tight or too loose on this mattress?

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks again for such a great site!

Hi NHN8IVE,

A mattress protector is different from a fitted sheet and is designed to protect the mattress from stains, body oils, and “accidents”. A fitted sheet won’t do the job of a protector.

There is more about the different choices and tradeoffs involved in post #89 here.

The least expensive of these tend to be the thinner “membrane” type but the higher quality ones should still be within your budget. If you want the tradeoff of the higher breathability and temperature regulation of natural fibers and are willing to replace waterproof with water resistance then wool would make a good choice but would probably be over your budget.

A stretch cotton protector may be a little less (although the better quality thicker ones are also fairly expensive) but you would be giving up water resistance for the sake of a nicer feel and less effect on the mattress.

There are none that have the benefits of all three that I’m aware of but for those that want or need waterproof (it only takes one larger accident with a pet to stain the mattress) then the better membrane types would probably be fine for most people … especially if budget was a primary concern. I would tend towards versions that used natural fabrics rather than synthetics though because they tend to be more breathable and cooler.

The pockets of the protectors are usually stretchy or fitted with elastic and will fit a wide range of mattress thicknesses and for the most part you should choose one that is at least several inches larger than the thickness of your mattress so that there is room to go under the mattress and its not so tight that it will come off or create a “drum effect”. They will normally list the size of mattress that they are designed for and if they don’t then the retailer will be able to tell you.

Phoenix