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They’re also cost-effective, saving you from splurging on a new mattress by refreshing your current one.

But why exactly is this a problem?

A woman�s hands placing a clean mattress pad on top of a mattress

Mattress toppers are 2" to 4" thick and filled with foam to provide comfort and support.

What’s the difference between a mattress pad and mattress topper?

So, what’s the difference between amattress pad vs mattress topper?

They resemble a thin mattress and often have removable or non-removable covers to encase the padding.

A hand lifts up the 3" Latex Mattress Topper by Brooklyn Bedding to try it out

Mattress toppers are 2" to 4" thick and filled with foam to provide comfort and support.

Mattress toppers come in all heights and sizes, but most are 2" to 4" thick.

They are thinner than mattress toppers, and often resemble a quilted mattress protector or a quilted bed sheet.

The thin down-alternative pad was too thin to make any difference to my too-firm bed.

Mattress topper’s corner on the corner of a grey mattress

Mattress toppers, meanwhile, are built to completely alter your bed’s firmness and feel.

There are also mattress toppers that are designed to cool down your bed as well as adjust its firmness.

The 5 signs that a mattress topper is actually a mattress pad

1.

A person is making their bed tidy and clean to establish good sleep hygiene.

The majority of mattress pads have a quilted pillow top that measures under two inches.

Mattress pads are often labelled microfiber, synthetic-filled,hollow fiber, or down alternative mattress toppers.

However, these materials aren’t dense or pressure-relieving enough to add support or body-contouring comfort.

White mattress pad in blue bedroom

Mattress protector vs mattress topper: A Nectar Mattress Protector on the left hand side of the image and a Tempur-Pedic mattress topper on the right

Brooklyn Bedding 3" Latex Mattress Topper

A hand lifts the corner of a latex mattress topper off the mattress beneath (left) and a Helix Sunset Luxe mattress on a bed frame in a bedroom (right)

A split screen of a Saatva mattress vs topper

A hand tests the thickness of the 3" Latex Topper

A blonde college student smiles while sitting on a her dorm bed topped with a Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Mattress Topper

A blonde woman laying on her stomach on Naturepedic mattress topper on mattress with rattan headboard

A cute, fluffy cat naps on the ViscoSoft Hybrid Lux Topper with an Amazon deals badge in the corner

A hand feels the temperature regulation of the SPRINGSPIRIT Dual Layer Mattress Topper.

The Sleepyhead Cooling Copper Topper on top of a bed in a bright, clean dorm room.

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