The Best Organic Mattress Toppers

If you're happy with your mattress, you probably aren't reading this, so I'll assume your mattress is either causing you some back pain or you're feeling the pressure points that happen when your body isn't quite suited to what you're sleeping on. In those situations, provided your mattress isn't actually sagging or needing to be replaced, a high-quality mattress topper suited to your body and manner of sleeping can indeed help.

Keep in mind that there really is no best mattress topper; there's the best mattress topper for you. A topper that's great for back sleepers might be too firm for side sleepers, and stomach sleepers might need something different. For those who sleep every which way, like me, there is both more leeway and less, since a topper needs to be comfortable in every position. The best way to find the perfect topper for you is to match the sleep surface to your most used sleeping position. When those two things align, you'll find pressure relief and start sleeping better and waking up more refreshed.

Mattress toppers are generally best used on mattresses that don't have any kind of topper. In other words, you're adding the pillow top. If you already have a pillow top as part of your mattress, adding a topper will probably end up being little too much.

Organic mattress toppers are made of organic materials (natch). The idea is to get as close to nontoxic as possible since this is something you're exposing yourself to every day.

Not all “organic” toppers and pads are equal, though. We’ve narrowed our search by sticking with companies that have certifications like the Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) and ‌Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). GOLS covers latex specifically, while GOTS can be everything from certified organic cotton to organic linen to other natural materials.

Many of these toppers and pads also have the blessing of the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, which, unlike the other, deals with the final product, making sure there’s no potentially toxic chemicals like the polyurethane foam, PFAS, heavy metals, flame retardants, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in many traditional memory foam toppers. There is also the Greenguard certification and Greenguard Gold, which set stringent limits on VOC emissions.

We also keep an eye on sustainability and how eco-friendly these mattress toppers are, though this can be hard to judge.

Wool: Organic wool mattress toppers are filled with wool batting. The batting is (usually) a sheet of wool that lays flat and won't shift inside the cover, even when you roll around on it. It is sometimes quilted between fabric, sometimes not. Wool makes an excellent topper thanks to its natural thermoregulating properties; wool manages to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. Magical right? It's also generally non-allergenic and dust-mite-proof, which makes it a good choice for anyone concerned about allergens. Wool does not mold to your body like latex, but it does have some give to it. In my testing wool is comfortable, usually quite soft, and very breathable, but it's not super squishy like down. The main difference between wool mattress toppers is the amount of wool and the way they're constructed.

Latex: Natural latex is a manufactured substance, made from rubber trees (synthetic latex is a foam made from the polymerization of petroleum). Natural latex isn't necessarily organic (synthetic latex is never organic), so pay careful attention to labeling when you're shopping for latex toppers. Additionally, you’ll frequently see two terms: Talalay and Dunlop. These are the two methods of processing rubber tree sap into latex.

Dunlop Latex: The older of the two processing methods is Dunlop, which tends to produce a firmer, less breathable latex, though this varies by manufacturer.

Talalay Latex: A considerably more complex process, Talalay yields a softer, more breathable latex, though again, the soft/firmness of any topper varies by manufacturer. Generally speaking, if you want a firm, very supportive topper, Dunlop is the word to look for. If you prefer a softer, plusher topper (think memory foam but not quite that soft), Talalay is what you’re after.

Alpaca: Alpaca wool is harvested from alpacas. Similar to merino wool, alpaca is an excellent insulator and has many of the same thermoregulating properties.