I’m already fully signed-up for the temperature-regulating benefits of wool bedding as someone who feels cold when they first go to bed, but often wakes up a mess. I am glad to put it Soak & Sleep’s New Zealand Mitchell wool mattress topper To test to see if it can compete with The best mattress toppers And make my sofa bed more comfortable for guests as well as enhance my own sleep.
In short
However, the topper is slim at 2.5cm deep, and offers just a little extra soft cushioning on top of the mattress. Its limitations in the comfort department became most apparent when I tested it on mine sofa bedWhere it didn’t feel different was just putting an extra duvet under the bottom sheet.
It’s not expensive for a mattress topper at 130 pounds for a double size, but it seems like a big expense on something so thin that it feels like more considering the extra thickness. Mattress protector. However, it is well made and comes with a 5-year warranty. I also have to commend the elastic straps; This topper does not move an inch when on the bed.
Specifications
(Image credit: Soak & Sleep)
- RRP: £130, £150, £170
- Size: Double, King, Super King
- Depth: 2.5 cm
- Construction: 233TC cotton casting, 100% New Zealand wool filling
- Care instructions: Machine washable, but professional washing and drying is recommended
- Productive Sleep Trial: No
- Guarantee: 5 years
who tested
Rebecca Knight
I tested the Soak & Sleep New Zealand mattress topper in my London flat TheraPur ActiGel® Mattress from Dreams Which I share with my partner. For the past three years, I have been suffering from night sweats and overheating at night. I’ve already switched to a wool pillow and duvet, and am currently sleeping down Woolroom Deluxe Washable DuvetSo the mattress topper was the final piece of my all-wool bed set-up. Before writing this review, I have been sleeping on a mattress topper for the past four months.
My sleep statistics
sleeping position: the side
Stress Selection: medium
sleep problem: Excessive heat and back pain
Height and Weight: 5ft 6, 10 stone
Unboxing and first impressions
The Soak & Sleep New Zealand wool mattress topper came in a square plastic and fabric zip bag with handles. The topper is only 2.5cm deep, so it can be folded to fit back into the bag if you want to store it for a later date.
The topper does not require expansion time like other deep mattress toppers that come vacuum-packed. All he needed to do was shake and he could go straight to bed.
Being thinner makes the topper look like a more generous mattress protector than a traditional mattress topper. Felt like a winter duvet, but a little springier thanks to the 100% wool filling. The topper has a similar flat profile due to its quilted design that was undetectable once the bedsheet was on top.
(Image credit: Future / Rebecca Knight)
My favorite feature (besides the wool filling) was the thick elastic straps that held the topper in place around the corners of the mattress. I have had many bad experiences with mattress protectors and toppers with flimsy straps slipping off. These stripes do not budge. For the first time in months, my bottom sheet stayed firmly in place, helped by this new topper.
In the four months I’ve been testing it, despite being moved back and forth on the sofa bed when guests visit, the straps still feel secure and strong with no signs of stretching.
I was warned that a wool mattress topper can smell more ‘sheepy’ than other toppers. However, when I unpacked it, I didn’t notice any particular smell, which meant I didn’t need to take it out before sleeping on it.
(Image credit: Future / Rebecca Knight)
relax
Sock & Sleep New Zealand’s Mitchell Mattress Topper offers a ‘good layer of beauty’. That’s the best way to put it. My mattress definitely felt more comfortable with the topper on it; It added a soft, springy top layer. However, the 2.5cm depth is not deep enough to provide the extra pillowy softness that you get with some Woolroom Deluxe mattress topperWhich is also made of 100% wool, but slightly deeper at 4-5cm.
This became even more apparent when I tested it on my Haru sofa bed from Made.com. This sofa bed has a very uncomfortable bar running down the middle that hits the back of most guests. The topper alleviated this discomfort by offering extra padding on the bed; However, if you’re looking for a mattress topper to make the sofa bed more comfortable, I’d look for something thicker, like panda mattress topper, Contains memory foam and is 5cm deep and comes in a wide range Emma flip mattress topperwhich is 6 cm deep.
The Sock & Sleep mattress topper is half the depth of many other luxury mattress toppers on the market, so it struggles to compete with the level of cushioning that other toppers can provide, and it offers zero motion isolation.
But it offers comfort in other areas. Its quilted surface prevents the wool from tangling in any way, creating a beautiful, smooth and comfortable sleeping surface. The wool filling also gave me enough cushioning for my knees, hips and lower back, which helped ease any aches and pains I was having.
Temperature regulation
The main USP of this New Zealand wool mattress topper, wool is not only naturally hypoallergenic (good news if you suffer from allergies). But it also has natural temperature-regulating properties. Wool absorbs and releases moisture to help you sleep at the perfect temperature.
I switched to almost all-wool bedding a few years ago as a sleeper who often overheats and suffers from night sweats. I honestly cannot recommend wool as a sleep material. I no longer switch between summer and winter bedding because wool bedding keeps me warm in the winter (without night sweats) and cool in the summer.
(Image credit: Future / Rebecca Knight)
The topper was the missing piece of the puzzle, as I still suffered from the occasional sweaty night with my old wool bedding set-up, but after adding this topper to my bed, I never once woke up from overheating.
At one point, I naively hoped I would outgrow my night sweats. However, a few stays at different posh hotels and at friends’ houses, where I immediately started overheating in bed, were enough to convince me that this was not the case. In fact, it was just a testament to how effective the Sock & Sleep mattress topper was at keeping me cool at night.
Care instructions
Soak & Sleep recommends that you use a mattress protector on top of the topper to protect it from any spills or stains. They also suggest shaking the filling to redistribute and rotate it regularly once a week or whenever you change the sheets.
A wool topper needs regular washing – about every 6 months. However, while it’s machine washable, you need a tumble dryer to make sure the topper is bone dry after washing, as Soak & Sleep warns that even the slightest bit of moisture can cause the filling to clump. For this reason and the size of the topper, which must be washed thoroughly, they recommend having it professionally washed and dried.
I don’t have a tumble dryer at home so I was unable to machine wash the topper myself. Most mattress toppers we’ve tested either require dry cleaning or just the cover can be washed. So even though it will require a professional wash, it’s one of the easiest to care for toppers we’ve tested at Ideal Home.
(Image credit: Future / Rebecca Knight)
Value for money
While this mattress topper might be called ‘luxury’, with prices starting at £130 for a double, it’s actually a fairly affordable cooling mattress topper. In comparison, the Simba Hybrid mattress topper will set you back £314, and Woolroom mattress topper A double will cost you £269.
However, both of these toppers are about twice as thick as the Sock & Sleep wool mattress topper. Plus, both come with sleep trials, which let you test whether the topper improves your sleep before committing to maintaining it, which, sadly, the Soak & Sleep topper doesn’t.
The brand has determined that the cost per use of this mattress topper should be 4p per sleep over 2 years. It might be fine if you’re just looking for a cool sleep, but I’d consider this mattress topper more of a turbocharged mattress protector; So, for its thickness, I would say it is expensive.
Should you buy a Soak & Sleep New Zealand wool mattress topper?
Overall, I have enjoyed sleeping on the Sock & Sleep mattress topper. It has put an end to my overheating in bed and has added a lovely extra layer of luxurious cushioning to my mattress. It’s really well made and comes with a 5 year guarantee, so it’s built to last. However, I would not recommend this mattress topper if you are looking to add extra support to your existing mattress or sofa bed.
You should buy if:
- You overheat at night
- Just a thin layer of extra cushion is needed
- You have access to a tumble dryer/professional cleaner
You should not buy if:
- You need something more supportive
- You have a single or small double bed/sofa bed
- You need to be able to clean the cover regularly
