The 10 Best Mattress Protectors

Smooth and quiet, the Coop Home Goods Ultra Tech suits sleepers who hate the feel of a plastic sheet. A soft knit top sits on a thin polyurethane backing, so a spill beads up on the surface instead of sinking in, and stretchy sides grip deep beds. Tom's Guide picked it as its best overall protector. The mesh sides are thinner than the top, though, and they can snag or tear if you yank the cover on in a hurry.

For a classic cotton feel at a fair price, the SafeRest Premium pairs a cotton-rich terry top with a thin waterproof film. SafeRest backs it with a 10-year warranty and says it holds up to hundreds of washes. Terry is soft and quiet, but it soaks up a spill rather than shedding it, so the top stays damp until laundry day and dries slowly. It also sleeps warmer than a smooth knit cover, which hot sleepers will notice.

The Protect-A-Bed AllerZip zips around every side of the mattress, the only kind of cover meant to keep bed bugs and dust mites sealed in or out. Its zipper ends in a locked pocket that the maker says bugs can't get past, and the soft knit top is waterproof. Protect-A-Bed says it can be washed hot enough to kill mites. Fitting it means lifting the mattress, which is a two-person job, and taking it off for washing is a chore.

Cheap and simple, the Utopia Bedding Terry goes on like a deep fitted sheet and keeps sweat, spills and pet accidents off the mattress. A thin waterproof film under the polyester terry does the blocking, and an elastic skirt reaches around tall beds. Utopia says to wash it cold and tumble it dry on low, since high heat can ruin the film. Polyester terry holds heat, so it can feel stuffy on summer nights.

Worried about bed bugs after a trip or a move? The Linenspa Zippered Encasement wraps the whole mattress in a quiet polyester knit with a polyurethane barrier, and a fabric flap covers the end of the zipper so nothing slips out. It turns up often in published lab and editor roundups of encasements. It fits mattresses only up to a foot deep, and seams can tear if you force it over a thicker bed.

Shoppers who want fewer chemicals in the bedroom can start with the SureGuard Mattress Encasement. SureGuard says it holds GREENGUARD Gold certification for low emissions and contains no vinyl, PVC, phthalates or flame retardants. A cotton terry top covers a waterproof layer on all sides, and the zipper seals shut against bed bugs. It comes with a 10-year guarantee. This version suits thinner mattresses, so pillow tops need the deeper size.

The PlushDeluxe Bamboo is for people who want their protector to feel like a soft sheet. Its patterned top is viscose made from bamboo, which feels cool and silky, though it's a processed fiber rather than raw bamboo. A quiet waterproof membrane sits underneath, and a long skirt tucks around tall mattresses. Claims that it keeps you cooler are hard to prove, and no lab or reviewer has published results on this one.

Sealing a mattress against bed bugs doesn't have to cost much, as the Utopia Bedding Zippered Encasement shows. A smooth polyester knit with a waterproof film wraps the mattress, and a zipper runs around it to close it up. It lies flat and doesn't crinkle when you roll over. It's sized for mattresses of ordinary depth, not thick pillow tops, and a fully sealed cover like this one traps heat, so it can sleep warm.

Deep pillow-top beds are where the Hospitology Sleep Defense System earns its spot. This zippered encasement stretches over thick mattresses that many standard covers can't close around, and its polyurethane lining blocks liquid on every side. The polyester knit face is soft and quiet, and it carries a five-year limited warranty. On a thin mattress it bunches and looks baggy, so check your bed's depth before ordering.

Made by the mattress maker, the Casper Waterproof Protector is cut to sit cleanly on tall foam beds. Its knit top uses a fiber made from bamboo and stays quiet, with stretchy sides that hold their grip through the night. It suits buyers who want a cover from a known bed brand. The waterproof layer underneath is the same basic idea as on plainer covers, so most of the price pays for the name and the finish.