Best Memory Foam Mattress Topper (2025): Tested and Reviewed by Certified Sleep Science Coaches

According to our Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Raj Dasgupta, people experiencing frequent back pain should look for a bed that offers plenty of support to keep the spine straight and prevent misalignment. Since different sleepers have varying firmness preferences, we believe the Helix Dual Comfort mattress topper is the best choice for alleviating back pain. With a soft feel on one side and a firm feel on the other, you can choose the comfort level that suits you best. 

In terms of firmness, our tester rated the soft side a 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, making it ideal for cushioning the lumbar spine and relieving pressure around the lower back. She thought the firm side was just a touch firmer than medium-firm, so she rated it a 7 on the firmness scale. While it still relieved pressure, it provided a bit more lift at her hips.

When our tester evaluated this dual-sided topper in our studio, she rated both sides 5 out of 5 stars for support. While there was a clear difference in firmness level, she found proper spinal alignment on both sides. She said, “I had a bit more support on the firm side. I personally felt more comfortable on the soft side because I prefer more cushioning, but the firm side provides slightly more support, especially for heavy sleepers.”

Regardless of which side you choose, you should be able to find some back pain relief in all three sleeping positions. If you tend to switch between sleeping positions throughout the night, you’ll be able to do so easily on this topper. Although slow-moving memory foam can sometimes make it hard to move around, we found outstanding responsiveness on both sides of the topper, so we rated it 5 stars.

While the Helix Dual Comfort topper proved itself excellent in multiple testing categories, including 5-star scores in cooling and motion transfer, we rated its price 1 star. With a queen-size costing nearly $500 at full price, it’s one of the more expensive toppers out there. 

Yet, we rated its overall value 3 stars because, although it’s pricey, we think it’s likely to hold up for a while, and you won’t need to replace it anytime soon. ​​Our mattress topper tester rated the materials and durability 5 stars, saying, “The foam feels premium quality that will hold its shape over time. The fabric and seams feel very durable, and are clearly made to last.” Additionally, Helix offers a 100-night sleep trial period, which implies they back up the durability and quality of the product. 

For hot sleepers, memory foam is typically not recommended due to its tendency to trap body heat, which can increase night sweats. However, some memory foam can provide cool sleep due to specific infusions, such as gel, copper, and graphite, which help draw heat away from the sleeper. A great example of this is the copper infusion in the Viscosoft Active Cooling Copper topper, which I picked as the best cooling mattress topper. This infusion helped earn 5 stars for cooling when we tested it in our studio. 

While some toppers claim to be cooling, this isn’t always the case. So, our expert tester Kate Meier put the Viscosoft’s cooling abilities to the test using a thermal gun, which allowed her to measure how many degrees the topper heated up after 20 minutes of lying on it. The topper went from 75 degrees to 79.3 degrees, which is only about a 4-degree increase and earns the topper a perfect 5-star cooling rating. 

Additionally, Kate noticed a cool-to-the-touch sensation when she first lay down, saying, “It’s easily one of the coolest toppers I’ve ever been on.” This was just the beginning of a long list of features she loved about this topper. She went on to rave about the quality of the materials, which she rated 5 stars, as well as the elastic straps that secured the topper and prevented it from sliding. The corner straps felt durable and were strong enough to hold it in place without coming undone.

Kate was also impressed by how pressure-relieving the Viscosoft topper was. It provided deep sinkage around the joints, as well as excellent support regardless of her sleeping position. She ended up rating the support 4.5 stars, because she thinks this topper could make even an old, sagging mattress feel like new. While it’s on the pricier side, costing $300 for a queen, it’s still cheaper than buying an entirely new mattress, and the bed’s standout performance and quality earned 4 stars for overall value.

While this topper earned 4 stars or higher in most testing categories, it fell short in our evaluation of responsiveness, earning only 3 stars. Kate said, “Moving around on this topper may be slightly challenging. It takes about three full seconds for the topper to return to its shape.” This may cause combination sleepers to feel “stuck” in the mattress when switching sleeping positions. However, memory foam is known for its doughy, slow-moving quality, so it wasn’t surprising to see it from the Viscosoft topper.

Another callout we wanted to mention was the scent we noticed upon unwrapping the topper. Although this is normal off-gassing as the foams decompress, you may want to let it air out for a few days before using it. Kate also noticed a seam down the middle, where the topper had been folded, but this disappeared after letting it rest for a few hours.

Many shoppers are set on purchasing a gel memory foam topper — and trust me, I see why. A cooling gel infusion not only helps draw heat away from the body but also provides a deep sinkage that allows the sleeper to slowly melt in. I chose the Brooklyn Bedding Gel Swirl mattress topper as the best choice because it provides plenty of soft cushioning and pressure relief that makes a firm mattress feel softer and more comfortable.

I personally tested this gel topper and was impressed by its squishy–soft quality. Its design is pretty simple: just a large slab of memory foam offered in 2-inch and 3-inch height options. I would definitely recommend this topper to anyone wanting to add a touch of softness to their existing mattress. 

It leans just a tad softer than medium-firm, falling at a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale. Yet, the topper still provides enough lift at the hips to prevent spinal misalignment when back and side sleeping, so I rated it 4 stars for support. I think it’s just a bit too soft for stomach sleepers, who may find better support from firmer, high-density memory foam.

Since this soft topper is made entirely from gel-infused memory foam that contours to your body, it’s not super-bouncy. This makes it great at isolating motion, earning it 5 stars in this performance category. If you sleep with a partner like I do, you’ll likely appreciate the foam’s ability to absorb their tossing and turning, thus preventing you from feeling it. When my partner and I added this topper to his bed, he reported fewer sleep disturbances due to my constant movement.

When tossing and turning on this bed, I don’t disturb my partner, but I do find myself waking up when switching positions. Although the foam is great at absorbing motion, it’s slightly difficult to move around on. It performs like true memory foam, taking a few seconds to return to its original shape after pressure has been applied, so I felt slightly trapped when trying to roll over. I rated the responsiveness 3 stars because it wasn’t impossible to move, but I think people with mobility issues may struggle to push themselves into a new position.

As I mentioned earlier, this memory foam topper is infused with gel, designed to help dissipate heat. My fellow tester and certified sleep science coach, Livvi DiCicco, frequently sleeps alone on this topper and has found it to be a good cooling option. However, I’ve recently been sleeping on this topper with my hot-sleeping partner, and I’ve noticed that we heat up quicker than we used to. We rated the cooling abilities 3 stars overall because I don’t think solo-sleepers will struggle with overheating, but hot-sleeping couples may need a more cooling topper.

Read more in our full Brooklyn Bedding Gel Swirl mattress topper review.

When we asked Dr. Dasgupta what side sleepers should look for in a mattress topper, he said, “Side sleepers should opt for a mattress topper that has a plush feel and offers pressure relief.” According to him, the best material for pressure relief is memory foam, so you’re already on the right track by clicking this roundup. 

Out of all the toppers we’ve tested here at Sleepopolis, we selected the Nolah Mattress Topper as the best for side sleepers because it’s exceptionally soft, cradling pressure points at the joints where side sleepers typically place the most weight. 

Our tester Kenny Timper rated it a 5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, saying, “This topper is very soft, and I think it feels really great on your side if you need more cushioning at your shoulders and hips.” Overall, we think it’s a great addition to a firm mattress that needs a little extra plushness to make it more forgiving in certain sensitive areas.

While it provides excellent pressure relief, this topper won’t provide firm support, as you’ll likely find more sinkage than lift. Although we rated it 1 star for support, it’s still extremely high quality, earning a perfect 5-star rating for materials and durability. The entire topper has earned a GREENGUARD Gold certification, indicating that it won’t impact your indoor air quality, and comes with a 10-year warranty, which is rare to find.

Since this topper is constructed entirely out of foam, I think it’s a good option for couples, especially if one or both partners are easily awakened. When Kenny lay down on the topper, I moved between sleeping positions next to him and tried to create as much motion as possible. Even when I was practically jumping on the topper, Kenny could only slightly detect my motion, so we rated the Nolah 5 stars for motion isolation.

Like the other memory foam toppers on this roundup, the Nolah wasn’t very responsive, earning 3 stars in this category. Although Kenny didn’t struggle to transition between sleeping positions, he acknowledged that this topper provides slow sinkage that hugs the body, rather than springing it from one position to the next. 

We also don’t necessarily recommend this topper to people who sleep hot. Kenny found it more cozy than cooling, saying, “It feels like a soft, slightly warm hug.” He rated the cooling 3 stars because it wasn’t super-breathable, and he thinks people prone to night sweats likely won’t find relief from the Nolah.