What should you cover your mattress with

Just when you thought you had all the bells and whistles for your bedding, you may need to make one more, minor investment: a mattress cover, also known as a mattress protector. 

A mattress cover serves a different purpose than a mattress topper or mattress pad. A mattress protector won’t necessarily provide added comfort, but it definitely has its own set of beneficial features that you may be interested in to keep your mattress clean and dry.

If you’re wondering whether you need a mattress cover or not for your mattress, we’ll explain all the potential benefits and give you all the shopping information you will need, but if you’re ready to purchase and want to see our top picks, we can take you there with a click below.


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What is a Mattress Cover?

A mattress cover, also known as a mattress protector or encasement, is a thin sheet most likely made of cotton or polyester that you place around your mattress. This protector cover provides an additional layer between you and your mattress that can either be tucked, fitted, or zipped to stay secure.

Why Would You Need a Mattress Protector?

Typically sheets are lightweight, and it’s easy for liquids to seep through. Mattress covers are designed to work as a barrier around your mattress, protecting it from stains or other unwanted substances including:

  • Liquid spills
  • Food crumbs
  • Bed bugs
  • Bed wetting
  • Dust mites
  • Humidity
  • Pet hair/stench

When you add this type of covering over your mattress, it not only protects your mattress from unwanted contaminants, but it also prolongs the durability and longevity of your mattress. Your mattress protector isn’t designed to give you any more comfort to your bedding, but it’s a smart investment if you want to take care of your initial investment—the mattress!

Who Needs a Mattress Cover?

A mattress cover is a smart investment for any person that could or has struggled with the above list of substances that cause damage to a mattress. A mattress cover can be particularly beneficial for families with young children, people with pets, or people who live in a humid region.

Mattress Covers for Children

Children are naturally messy, so it’s wise to prepare for the inevitable leaks and spills. Every parent should have a mattress cover on their child’s bed, not only for your random spills, but also for nighttime accidents which commonly occur while children sleep. 

Stains from bed wetting or getting sick overnight can be avoided by adding this protective layer, and it makes clean up time much easier. We recommend a waterproof mattress protector if you’re shopping for a child’s bed.

Matter Covers for Pet Owners

If you are a pet owner who invites your pet into the bed at night, a mattress cover could be highly beneficial in preventing allergies and stench. A mattress cover will help stop dog hair, slobber, dirt and accidents from seeping into your mattress.

Mattress Covers for Humidity

Lastly, if you live in a humid region, your home is liable to track in moisture. A mattress cover will prevent moisture from locking in, which will help maintain the durability and comfort of your mattress.

This is particularly important for memory foam mattresses. Memory foam is prone to expand and contract with temperature changes, so adding a protective layer can help support your mattress’s lifespan and your comfort.

Types of Mattress Covers

Mattress protectors can come in a variety of fabrics and offer several features. 

The most common fabrics that mattress covers are designed with can be waterproof, synthetic, natural, or quilted. Most covers are made from polyester, cotton, organic cotton, vinyl, or polyurethane materials.

When picking out a mattress protector, it’s important that you pay attention to the way it grasps onto your mattress. It can be fitted, zipped, or tucked, and depending on your living situation one style might work better than another.

For instance, a zipped mattress protector is known to work best for protecting against bed bugs. Fitted is the most common style of mattress cover, and tucked is the least recommended. You should also make sure your mattress cover is machine-washable so it’s easy to clean and maintain.

We did our research and found three mattress cover products that are well-respected in the market. Here are our top picks.


3 Best Mattress Covers

We’ll keep shopping simple for you and call out our top 3 picks for the best mattress covers and protectors. We’re accounting for factors like price, protection, and quality to determine which are worthy of recognition.

What should you cover your mattress with

1. Best Value – LinenSpa Zippered Mattress Encasement

The LinenSpa Zippered Mattress Encasement is priced on Amazon for only $24.99. It’s super affordable, as well as durable and comfortable. This mattress cover is designed with a soft, breathable fabric, to help you sleep cool and comfortably. Plus, you don’t have to deal with the clinkling sound and unappealing plastic-like feeling. It also is made with a waterproof membrane that fully encases your mattress to prevent stains, bed bugs, allergens, dust mites, and other contaminants from seeping in further. This fully encased mattress cover is the perfect fix for all the mattresses in your home and comes with a 10-year warranty.

What should you cover your mattress with

2. Best for Kids – SureGuard Mattress Encasement

The SureGuard Mattress Encasement is the best valued, zip design mattress cover that is on the market. The SureGuard is a waterproof mattress protector, so it’s known to protect best against moisture such as sweat, liquids, and urine. It’s designed with cotton, is 100-percent waterproof, and also hypoallergenic. “Encasement” is another term used to describe the zip design. With a super-fine zipper, bed bugs and dust mites will have no luck reaching your mattress!

The SureGuard Mattress Encasement is machine-washable and Greenguard Gold-certified. When you purchase this cover, you have a risk-free, 30-day trial and money-back guarantee. If you decide to keep it, your mattress cover will be backed for 10 years.

What should you cover your mattress with

3. Best Reviewed – SafeRest Mattress Protector

The SafeRest Mattress Protector is made with hypoallergenic cotton with a waterproof membrane back coating. This cover is a fitted sheet style design, and it’s the most reviewed cover on Amazon with over 35,000 reviews.

It helps protect against dust mites, bed bugs, and bacteria, as well as perspirations and unwanted fluids. This cover also comes with a 10-year warranty.


Anyone can benefit from a mattress cover. For a minimal investment, you’ll protect yourself from allergens, unwanted smells, and save yourself a lot of scrubbing and cleaning!

Should I put a cover on my mattress?

By adding a mattress protector, you're protecting yourself from the billions of bacteria — sweat, lint, dust mites, animal dander, mucous, soil, sand, cosmetics, food, and insect parts, to name a few — that you'd otherwise be breathing in every night.

How do I protect my mattress from moisture?

Make sure your mattress is completely dry and clean before placing it into a mattress protector. Then, tightly secure all edges and openings with tape to keep out any moisture or water. It is rare that water or pests will find their way into your unit, but you'll want to be protected just in case.

Should I wrap mattress in plastic?

DON'T: Wrap the mattress in plastic A mattress needs to be covered while in storage. This will not only prevent dust from settling on it while in the storage unit, it will also help to protect your mattress during the move. But it is important to never use plastic when storing your mattress.