mattress protector advice

[brass]

Hi, I was hoping some of the members here could relate some real life experience with their mattress protector. I’d like to get a waterproof protector. I’m not overly concerned with allergy protection and don’t need a full encasement (no bed bug issues). Many people here use wool and it has its’ perks for breathing better but it’s only water resistant and quite expensive.

I’ve checked the forum and most posts talk about the types of protectors (and their purpose) but not which ones seem to actually work and that appears to be a huge issue. I was considering something non vinyl and while sleeping hot doesn’t tend to wake me, especially in summer with high humidity I would like to protect the mattress from sweat and accidental spills. (I never intend to spill my drink, but it happens lol).

There’s all different brands, Luna, SafeRest, Malouf, Protect-a-Bed etc… and they seem to range anywhere from $25-120 for a queen size. Some are thinly padded like the Sealy 300tc egyptian cotton, most are some sort of terry or velour with a polyurethane membrane. Reviews everywhere seem mixed as to whether they actually do their job. Obviously they all say they’re intended for waterproof protection, so it’s not about what type of cover to get - it’s reviews such as one person saying they spilled something and it kept their mattress dry and the very next review says their kid had an accident and soaked the mattress like nothing was there. Is it really that big of a crapshoot? Even if they offer a warranty, it’s just to replace the cover. Understandable, but if it’s getting warranted, it failed. Getting a new cover to put on a now damaged mattress is a tad after the fact (and if it failed, do you really want to trust the same brand again?)

Hoping some of the forum members have real experience with something that’s worked well for them and lived up to its’ promise. I know there are factors such as how well it fits, how crinkly it is or isn’t, how hot it sleeps…all valid concerns, but again secondary if it doesn’t protect the bed. I’ve even considered using multiple protectors in case one fails, but would rather not have a big bulky mess wrapped around my mattress.

I don’t know how it would affect the breathability of the mattress ticking (cotton/wool) and I don’t want to create a mess of it - Should I maybe Scotch Guard the top of the ticking in addition to a cover? Or if it’s a fabric mattress protector with a membrane, Scotch Guard that in addition to the membrane? It seems they all have a lot in common and washing can do damage if the water is too hot, bleach is used, too hot of a dryer…will all damage the pu lining. Going by some people’s reviews, they followed instructions to the T or used the product without even washing it and experienced major failure.

Thanks in advance for any input or personal experience anyone can share.

[phoenix]

Hi brass,

Reviews everywhere seem mixed as to whether they actually do their job. Obviously they all say they’re intended for waterproof protection, so it’s not about what type of cover to get - it’s reviews such as one person saying they spilled something and it kept their mattress dry and the very next review says their kid had an accident and soaked the mattress like nothing was there. Is it really that big of a crapshoot?

I don’t own one of the thin “membrane type” protectors so I can’t share any of my own personal experience (outside of using them in the past with no issues) but every one of them I’ve seen has had the same type of mixed feedback that you are mentioning that varies from “works great” to " completely failed" although the second is usually a much smaller percentage. I suspect that some of them are from not following care instructions but there always seem to be others that just simply failed.

There are also different types of technologies and materials used to make the semi-permeable membranes (see the last part of post #2 here) and the type and thickness of the fabric that is bonded to the membrane will also play a role in the cost and performance but the different manufacturers don’t really supply the technical details about how their membranes are made so I’ve never been able to identify whether one type is clearly superior to any of the others.

My own mattress protector is the Naturaprotect Deluxe which also has a membrane but also includes 10oz/yd of wool and you can see my comments about it here. It has seen several “accidents” (sickness and spills) but none of them have penetrated through to the mattress. I personally doubt there would have been an issue even without the membrane and if I had to do it over again I’d probably choose a wool/cotton protector such as the Dormeir that was a little thinner and doesn’t have a membrane which can reduce airflow and lead to heat retention issues for some people.

Hopefully others that see your topic will also share their experiences with the protector they own (and a forum search on specific brands may bring up some feedback as well about some of them) although it’s quite likely that if you were to receive a larger number of comments about any one of them that the feedback will be just as mixed as the online reviews.

Phoenix

[brass]

Phoenix, thanks. Yea that’s the consensus I came up with, similar protection methods and mixed results. Your mattress pad looks pretty nice and Natura makes nice pads/protectors. Once getting into wool the price definitely goes up to match the quality. I noticed the Sealy 300 tc protector/pad is a Downlite product (although imported). Does Downlite have decent products for the price? There are thicker type pads but most are poly fill and is more or less ‘fake fluff’ that I’m sure will compress quickly. Trying to avoid the puffier thicker types for that reason.

Also it hit me, regardless of the protector I know I’d mentioned ScotchGard (as kind of a catch all treatment idea) and remembered some stuff I used on my boots from NikWax. It’s not exactly water ‘proofing’ but there is a wash in repellent for cotton. I’m not usually bothered too much by chemicals, just don’t want to be sleeping on them all night either. The NikWax stuff says it’s water based, non flammable, non aerosol and free of VOCs and fluorocarbons so might be a bit safer to use on something directly under sheets. It says it should still allow cotton to breathe which is a plus and for an extra $10 or so might at least tilt the odds in my favor in case the protector fails. Any smaller spills might be more likely to bead up.

I just have this vision of trying to clean coffee or soda out of a heavy sheet of latex and desperately trying to air dry it lmao. (perhaps I should invest in a sippy cup ) Murphy’s law always prevails. (Mind you I don’t actually drink in bed, but it’s an extremely small room that forces me to navigate around the bed and my middle name isn’t grace)

[phoenix]

Hi brass,

I noticed the Sealy 300 tc protector/pad is a Downlite product (although imported). Does Downlite have decent products for the price?

Assuming you mean this one I don’t have any personal experience with them or any specific knowledge about them but I would assess them based on what they are made of and their design. I would tend to avoid mattress pads unless you want some extra padding and to change the “feel” of your mattress. As you mentioned the synthetic fibers in many mattress pads such as the Sealy can compress or break down faster than natural fibers and will tend to sleep warmer as well.

Also it hit me, regardless of the protector I know I’d mentioned ScotchGard (as kind of a catch all treatment idea) and remembered some stuff I used on my boots from NikWax. It’s not exactly water ‘proofing’ but there is a wash in repellent for cotton. I’m not usually bothered too much by chemicals, just don’t want to be sleeping on them all night either.

While each person may have a different comfort level for the amount of chemicals in the products they sleep on … Scotch Guard does use a chemical that is the cause of some concern. I’m not familiar with NikWax or what it’s made of but there is a good article here that goes into some depth about water repellant treatments and they also explain that “water based” is really not relevant when it comes to safety. The chemicals in Scotch Guard and Teflon are water based as well.

In the end these types of choices are really based on “risk management” and “best judgement” in the absence of more specific and “scientific” information that can quantify any risks involved both in terms of safety and in terms of performance.

Phoenix

[brass]

Phoenix, yea that was one of the protectors I’d considered. Many complaints are that they’re not ‘padded’ enough which tells me it’s thinner, but maybe a bit more durable than just the thin terry top with a backing. Also the skirt material was a consideration, some options people said were great aside from a paper thin skirt which tore easily. I wasn’t trying to find anything comparable to a cuddlebed type topper/pad (big and fluffy).

I can’t verify how ‘healthy’ NikWax stuff is, it’s a company based in the UK I believe and like a lot of places, they cater to the outdoor and sporting crowd with a whole lineup of various products. No clue how different they actually are, there’s formulas for everything from tents to rain gear, sleeping gear, fleece, boots, undergarments. Some people have said Scotch Guard uses fluorocarbons, their particular stuff doesn’t. Supposedly they make their formulas safe for use in the home where cross contamination can occur with food and air. Of course I’ve never seen a company say works great (btw, causes cancer and birth defects etc) so I take it with a slight grain of salt. Won’t pretend it’s the equivalent of enhancing materials with vitamins With regards to water based, wash-in products sound like they won’t clog up the wash machine (though I probably won’t risk it anyway) - vs other diy home remedies which tell how to take a wool blanket, felt it with a hot wash and wash it with lanolin. Probably works great but I’ve had personal experience with lanolin and it’s very oily - would hate to get a film of that inside my washer.

That article was a good read and that’s probably where NikWax makes it a point to tell that they don’t use those particular combinations the EPA was against - PFOA and PFOS. Their stuff isn’t as durable I don’t think, probably due to using other things which aren’t as effective/safer. It’s more water resistant than water proof and requires re-treating periodically. I was thinking it might be smart if I were to give it a try to treat the top of the mattress protector. That way if it causes any problems, it would be replacing a $40-50 cover rather than risking the mattress ticking. I’ll let you know if I end up trying it…and I suppose if I suddenly stop posting after trying it, it wasn’t a good idea

[phoenix]

Hi brass,

Phoenix, yea that was one of the protectors I’d considered. Many complaints are that they’re not ‘padded’ enough which tells me it’s thinner, but maybe a bit more durable than just the thin terry top with a backing. Also the skirt material was a consideration, some options people said were great aside from a paper thin skirt which tore easily. I wasn’t trying to find anything comparable to a cuddlebed type topper/pad (big and fluffy).

I think a lot of the comments that it isn’t “padded enough” would be from people that were looking to add some softness to their mattress. For those who wanted something that had a more “neutral” effect on their mattress they would probably comment that it had “too much” effect on the feel of the mattress but most of these would be looking for a mattress protector rather than a mattress pad so the “not padded enough” would be in the context of the expectations of people who were probably wanting to add some “cush” to their mattress and were more likely to choose a mattress pad in the first place.

I’ll let you know if I end up trying it…and I suppose if I suddenly stop posting after trying it, it wasn’t a good idea

That would be great … the feedback I mean … not the reasons you may suddenly stop posting

Phoenix

[funnygarcia]

I have the SafeRest Premium Hypoallergenic Waterproof Mattress Protector - Vinyl Free, $30 on Amazon.

It’s thin, terry top and very stretchy sides. The elastic is great, the pockets are deep enough to handle a thick mattress plus a topper. The sides are breathable and it doesn’t sound “crinkly”.
My husband had a cyst on his shoulder and back that popped open, the fluids and blood were stopped by the mattress protector.
I have been sleeping “warm”, not sure if it’s the protector or if it’s from the “naked” latex topper. However, I am sensitive to temperature. Husband has had no complaints.

Finally received a cover for the topper. I will be experimenting with the protector , decide if I want to add wool for temp regulation.
Hope that helps a little.

[brass]

funnygarcia, thank you for your input. I’m glad the SafeRest held up when you needed it to. It’s one of the protector’s I’m considering. I don’t have a whole lot of experience with protectors, one I recall several years ago was a little crinkly but it was a last minute thing. Desperately needed a bed and a family friend in trying to help had picked up a used one off of craigslist and before sleeping on it (not knowing its’ origin) made a late night run to walmart and just grabbed whatever bedbug proof cover they happened to have. Fit the bill at the time but wouldn’t have been my first choice. It may have even been vinyl backed, I really don’t recall but thankfully it didn’t give me temperature issues. I appreciate you sharing your real life experience with it and hopefully you can find something better suited to your temp sensitivity. Wool may very well do the trick, it works for a lot of people. Good luck.