Yes, the mattress protector makes a difference...

Just thought I’d write a quick post to let people here know: yes, the mattress pad can make a difference in the feel of a mattress!

We got a new Tuft and Needle 10" last week. The first night, I had on a thick, polyfill mattress pad that was on our old mattress. I woke up the next morning feeling awful, the mattress was too firm. Phoenix recommended taking off the thick mattress pad- and sure enough, it made a world of difference.

We now just have a thin mattress encaser on the mattress (for dust mite allergies) and a stretch, organic cotton mattress protector, then sheets. The cotton mattress protector is thick (like thick flannel, maybe a bit thicker, maybe even as thick as a thin towel, but the protector is not terry) but not padded. We need something to absorb sweat because my husband sweats no matter what he sleeps on, and he doesn’t kick covers off at night!

We just changed to a firmer foundation, and now I’m looking for an even thinner mattress protector than our quilted organic stretch cotton protector. If I take that off, the mattress foam of the mattress feels more comfortable. So yes, I am learning that what is on top, even thin layers, can affect the feel of foam below.

I’m now looking at the Luna mattress protectors, because they are supposed to be thin, waterproof and a fitted sheet style for easy on/off for laundering. I want to keep our cotton mattress encasement on to protect from dust mite and pollens on all sides of the mattress, but need some additional protection for sweat protection. Looking for something breathable, and thinner than I have now. The organic mattress protector we have is not waterproof, but does a good job of absorbing sweat, is breathable, and easy to take on and off for washing.

Are there any other options that will give some sweat absorption, thinner than I have now (about the thickness of thick flannel/thin towel), but not change the feel of the mattress? Not sure if I really need waterproof, but I’m afraid if I go any thinner than the protector we have now without waterproof protection, there won’t be enough absorption/protection from sweat production.

thanks.

Hi sheep123,

While I don’t own any of them so I can’t speak from direct personal experience … based on feedback from forum members and from retailers that I’ve talked with … I think that the Luna mattress protector would probably make a good choice and some of the other thin membrane type protectors that are listed in the mattress protector post and the other posts it links to here and here would probably make good choices as well. I would focus on the ones that used natural or semi-synthetic fabrics (like cotton or viscose materials) because they do a better job or absorbing moisture and if they use a jersey or knit fabric they would probably be more stretchy as well.

Phoenix

Thanks again Phoenix.

I am going to probably try the Luna, price is good and I like that it’s made in the US. I would love to know which protector is the thinnest and less likely to cause change in the foam feeling, but I know nobody has tried all of them to compare!

I saw your link to the various mattress protectors, and I have the Berkely Ergonomics one (I think)- got it at European Sleepworks 6 years ago. I really love that protector, but it’s a little too thick- and realized today, it might be causing a bit of a “drum like” feeling- it is very, very tight on the mattress. It loosens up and stretches after being on for a couple of weeks, but when first washed, it almost is too small to fit either queen mattress it’s been on.

I am still amazed at how much even a nice, cozy organic cotton mattress protector, not padded, but thick, can really change the feeling of the Tuft and Needle. This protector worked okay on the flexible slat foundation, but on the new kd foundation, the firmness level of the mattress has increased, and the foam feels the most comfortable without anything on it! I’ve been walking over the surface of the foam today, hoping to break it in a little faster. Tonight we’ll just sleep with the allergen encaser and a flannel sheet.

The all cotton allergen encasement we have from National Allergy is a little “crisp” and crunchy for my taste, even after being washed about 4-5 times over the past couple of years (3 times in the last week to try to reduce the crispness). I have their other polyester style coming for our new full guest futon, will be curious if it’s as crunchy. Wish I could get away with only one protector for the best benefit of the foam of the TN, but I really want an all encased mattress for dust mite and pollen/mold protection (DH and I both have allergies- him to dust mites), and these zipper encasers are hard to take off regularly to wash. I used to wash the organic cotton protector, at least every 2 weeks due to sweat, any less often, stains show up… I change sheets once a week. Waterproof protection is probably a good idea, I do drink coffee in bed, never had an accident, but just in case…

I don’t seem to be very good at searches, I do forum searches here and never come up with the links you provide… Thank you for all your help! And honestly, I think the Tuft and needle is really a good mattress for me and my health conditions, I have proper back support and no pressure pain, and sleeping soundly, but it’s just on the edge of being too firm to really feel comfortable (like reading comfortably in bed). If it hadn’t been for your help with the layers, and realization about mattress breaking/ body adjustments, foundations, etc, I probably would have gotten rid of the TN already, but know from this forum, that I’m still adjusting and the mattress is still breaking in…

Hi sheep123,

There are different types of membranes that are used in these types of protectors (see the end of post #2 here) but “in theory” the ones that would have the least effect on the feel of a mattress would be the ones that have a polyurethane membrane (which is the type of membrane with the most stretch) combined with a jersey or knit fabric that would also stretch. All of them have mostly positive feedback " with a minority of negative feedback mixed in with complaints usually mentioning either the effect on sleeping temperature, a crinkly “feel” of the protector, or the durability of the waterproofing or the protector itself. As you mentioned there aren’t many people who have tried them all and even if they had their opinions may be different from someone else that has tried them all since these types of products tend to generate a diverse range of opinions and feedback.

I’m not personally familiar with this product but it is a knit which means that it “should” have good stretch which would tend to have low surface tension and prevent a “drum like” feeling although as you mentioned this would also depend on how much it has to stretch to fit around the mattress. There is a picture here of the current BE mattress protector. Does yours look similar?

Unfortunately for those that are looking for allergy protection then a 2 protector system is the most realistic approach … one that is “semi permanent” to block the allergens and the other that can be easily removed and cleaned (and has the degree of water resistance that is important for each person’s criteria).

I keep a list of several hundred reference posts that I refer to and I also have a good idea of search term combinations or terminology that is more likely to find the posts I’m looking for without getting overwhelmed by hundreds or thousands of results so I have a few advantages when I’m searching the forum :).

If you are looking for an “exact term” then the site search at the top of the page can be useful because it has the option to search this way (although it doesn’t let you read the entire post to scan for what you are looking for) while the forum search brings up search results that include all the words you are searching for in any order (but does allow you to scan the entire post).

Phoenix