Our guide to the mattress toppers to match your sleeping needs

Whether your needs have changed, or you’re trying to find the perfect mattress to match what you and your partner find comfortable, selecting the right mattress can be fraught. Mattress toppers are a small addition that can change the way you feel about your mattress, either softening or firming up the surface to improve your comfort.
Toppers usually range from two to 10 centimetres high and sit atop the mattress. They can also work similarly to a fitted sheet, making them more difficult to shift if you’re a restless sleeper. Unlike a mattress protector, they act as an extension of your mattress to change or enhance its overall feel.
Not much is worth forfeiting a decent night’s sleep, so if you’re finding discomfort is keeping you awake, you might need a mattress topper.
Mattress toppers can be soft or firm depending on their materials and construction and can vary in thickness and size. They can also help with heat distribution if you run hot at night, or struggle to sleep in the warmer months.
We’ve picked the best ones according to need, and therefore material – so keep scrolling for the best one for you.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
What makes it the best: Sheridan is a trustworthy brand that makes excellent bedding, so you can trust it’s both durable and comfy.
This Sheridan topper is made from cotton and polyester, an affordable alternative to feather and down. However, it still has a luxurious feel with square gusseted pockets, which help with overall temperature.
What makes it the best: Specifically designed to absorb body heat and dissipate it, this is a topper that can keep you cool.
The Emma Diamond Topper from Emma Sleep is made of their ‘Diamond Degree’ foam, which absorbs heat and dissipates it from the mattress. This gives you a more restful sleep and makes drifting into deeper sleep quicker and easier. Its layers also absorb moisture, which prevents your mattress from sagging and ageing quickly. With all sizes available, you can buy this one from $399.
What makes it the best: While wool mattress toppers can be expensive, this one comes in at just $114.
Woollen toppers are used less for comfort and more for warmth. While they’re not as supportive as some other mattress topper materials, they work to absorb moisture in the warmer months and also insulate in winter, ensuring greater warmth and comfort. These are recommended for temperature-sensitive sleepers who need a pinch more comfort.
While they can be quite expensive, this one from Woolstar is just $114. It’s also allergen-free and has a fully fitted skirt to secure it in place.
What makes it the best: It has a wool and cotton side, so you can flip it over to best suit your temperature needs.
More expensive than the Woolstar option, this one from Luxton is made from 100 per cent wool pile fleece. You can buy this topper in single, king single, queen and king, with Prices ranging from $299 to $429.
What makes it the best: This mattress topper is highly affordable, with the double size costing $69.
Memory foam can be polarising – some love it, some find it odd and uncomfortable. This affordable memory foam topper gives you the chance to try it without too much investment. Memory foam toppers are recommended for couples with one restless sleeper, as they can help alleviate movement that leads to constant waking. Sinking into memory foam can also feel deeply comforting.
What makes it the best: The foam used is meant to boost softness by 38% for greater comfort.
Not only is this topper ultra-comfy, but it’s also meant to relieve pressure points in the body, reduce partner disturbance, and comes in a removable eco-friendly Tencel cover.
What makes it the best: With a firmer and softer side, you can choose which side suits you.
Offering 5cm of extra comfort and support, the Emma Flip Topper has a soft and firm side to give you the choice. With a layer of Airgocell foam to drive excess heat away from the body, you’ll also find drifting off becomes a quicker process with this topper beneath you. Grab it in all sizes with prices starting at $331.
What makes it the best: While down toppers are usually expensive, this one comes in under $100.
If your mattress is too hard, you might need a feather topper to take it to that Goldilocks level of comfort. Feather toppers can insulate in cold weather, but don’t hold heat in the warmer months, making them ideal for those who run hot. They’re also a lightweight material, so the topper won’t feel particularly heavy and noticeable beneath you. Our pick is made of 95 per cent white duck feathers and five per cent white duck down, making up 1000GSM (grams per square metre) of total filling. It’s encased in 100 per cent cotton, keeping that lightweight feeling.
Get it in a standard double size here, or check it out in single, queen, and king sizes.
What makes it the best: This topper is made entirely of goose feather and down, making it extra soft and lightweight.
Made of 75 per cent white goose down and 25 per cent white goose feather fill, this plush topper also features a sateen cover, and a stitch design that keeps weight distribution even as you sleep through the night. While this one costs $999.99, Sheridan members can get it for 30 per cent off.
What makes it the best: Innovative design gives this topper seven zones of firm and soft support to help relieve pressure points in the body.
Latex toppers are perfect for those who need something firm but dislike memory foam. While it adapts to the pressure of your body, it doesn’t sink in the same way, keeping you from that ‘stuck’ feeling as you sleep. This option from Mona Bedding is five centimetres in height, giving you just enough extra support, and comes in all sizes from single through to king.
READ NEXT: Why this weighted blanket was my best impulse buy