Do you need a mattress protector? What the warranties say, which type does which job, and what ours cost

Do you need a mattress protector to keep the mattress warranty?

A mattress warranty covers defects in how the bed was made, such as a body impression deeper than the maker allows, one reason makers set a schedule for flipping or turning the mattress. Tempur-Pedic, for one, excludes impressions under 0.75 inch. It does not cover what happens to the cover once the bed is home. That gap is where a protector earns its price. Each of these makers puts stains on the wrong side of the line in its own warranty papers.

Beautyrest Canada posts its warranty code chart online but not the full card, so the card that comes with the mattress is the one to read. Our page on what each maker's warranty excludes covers the rest of the furniture we sell.

Merit backs the maker's warranty on every mattress we sell, orders the parts and does the repairs. A claim still goes through the maker's inspection, and a stain on the cover can end it there. SmartOne from Zucora is the extended plan we offer, and it can be added to a mattress as well. The protector still earns its place, because the maker's own claim is the one a stain can end.

Health Guard makes the same point on its own site: "Many mattress warranties are voided by stains or moisture damage". That is a protector maker talking, so the mattress makers' wording above is the part to rely on.

What a mattress protector does, and what it leaves alone

A mattress protector stops liquid, sweat, skin flakes and dust mites at the surface, then goes in the washing machine. Mattress covers come in three builds, and the difference is how many sides they seal. Health Guard puts it simply: "Generally, an encasement has six sides and fully encloses either the mattress or box spring, usually with a zipper". A protector has five sides and fits over the mattress like a fitted sheet.

Within the five-sided kind, which is most of what Merit lists, there is a second split. Some are waterproof on the top only, with a stretchy skirt that is not. Others carry the waterproof layer down the sides too. Health Guard calls its top-only kind "top-side" and its fuller kind "five-sided waterproof protection".

A protector does nothing for support. It will not fix a mattress that already sags, and it will not make a firm bed soft. If the bed underneath is worn out, our guide on telling when a mattress is finished is the better place to start.

Does a mattress protector change how the mattress feels?

A thin protector changes the feel very little, and that is what both makers print. Health Guard says its protectors are "virtually undetectable", and Ashley's listings say its waterproof barrier works "without affecting its feel". A quilted mattress pad is different by design, because it adds a layer of fill on top.

Does a mattress protector need to be waterproof?

A mattress protector needs to be waterproof if the point is the warranty. A cotton cover with no membrane catches dust, but a spill goes straight through to the mattress. Every protector in the table above is listed as waterproof and breathable.

The membrane is a thin film bonded under the top fabric. Health Guard says its newer materials "eliminate the crinkling noise often associated with older waterproof products". It also says the layer stops liquid "without trapping heat", and that is the property to look for.

Top-side or five-sided is the next choice. A top-side protector stops what lands on the sleeping surface, such as a spilled drink, a child's accident or a night of the flu. Washing the protector is far easier than cleaning a mattress after the flu. A five-sided one also stops what runs off the edge, such as a full glass knocked over near the side. Five-sided costs more: $189.00 and up in queen on Merit's pages, against $69.00 for the top-side Bamboo Plus.

"Water-resistant" on a package means less than waterproof. It slows liquid down; it does not promise to stop it. If the label only says resistant, treat it as a pad.

What can you use instead of a mattress protector?

A mattress pad is the common stand-in, and it only protects if its maker says it has a waterproof layer. HealthLink BC mentions vinyl mattress covers that wipe clean, for people managing dust allergies. Vinyl keeps liquid out, though it does not breathe the way a fabric top does. A fitted sheet alone protects nothing.

Cooling mattress protectors, and what TENCEL lyocell is

TENCEL is the brand name Lenzing, an Austrian fibre company, puts on its lyocell. Lyocell is a fibre made from wood cellulose. Lenzing describes its products as "wood-based fiber solutions" and refers to its "closed-loop production process for lyocell". Lenzing also says TENCEL Lyocell fibres are certified biodegradable and compostable.

On a protector, the Tencel layer is the top fabric you sleep against. Health Guard says its Tencel surface "feels cool, breathable, and whisper-quiet". The Tencel Dream top is 40% Tencel and 60% polyester, by Health Guard's own spec.

Health Guard's Cool Ice goes further, with a top that is 45% high-molecular polyethylene. That is a synthetic yarn Health Guard says "helps pull excess heat away". The Active Charcoal top mixes 5% Tencel and 30% charcoal bamboo rayon with polyester, and Health Guard pitches it at odour.

Do you overheat at night? Then the protector matters more than people expect, because it is the layer right under the sheet. A cover that does not breathe can hold heat against the sheet. Our guide on mattresses that sleep cooler works through the bed itself.

Allergies, dust mites and bed bugs: when an encasement makes sense

An encasement makes sense when the worry is something living in the mattress rather than something spilled on it. A five-sided protector leaves the underside open. An encasement zips shut around all six sides, so nothing gets in or out.

Do you have allergies? For dust mites, HealthLink BC's advice is plain: "Use dust-proof pillow and mattress covers made from a tight-weave fabric that keeps out dust and mites". All of the Health Guard protectors we list say they protect against allergens and dust mites. If allergies or asthma are bad enough to affect sleep, ask your doctor what else will help, since covers are one step of several.

Bed bugs are the other reason. Health Canada notes they hide "inside box springs, in mattress pads, and in night tables". It adds that they "can live from several weeks to up to a year and a half without feeding". HealthLink BC says bed bugs are not known to spread disease, though the bites itch and take one to two weeks to heal.

HealthLink BC also tells buyers to insist that a new mattress be sealed before it is delivered, and to check it before it comes inside. An encasement on a new mattress keeps it sealed after the plastic comes off.

If bed bugs are already in the home, an encasement is part of the cleanup, not the cure. HealthLink BC advises a qualified pest management professional. Health Guard's encasement page says that encased bed bugs "can live for 1 year", and that the cover should stay sealed for at least that long.

Merit has no encasement listed right now, so a call to the Duncan store is the place to start. Depth is the catch with any encasement. A deep pillow top such as the Restwell Savannah Plush, 15 inches tall by its listing, needs one cut for that height.

Mattress depth and protector fit

Mattress depth decides whether a protector stays on. A skirt that is too shallow pulls off the corners every time someone sits on the edge. Measure the mattress from its bottom edge to its top, with any topper in place, and buy a skirt deeper than that number.

Health Guard prints the skirt depth on each product. Its Bamboo Plus and Tencel Dream protectors have a 14 inch skirt in twin, twin XL, full and full XL, and a 16 inch skirt in queen and king. Its premium line of Cool Ice, Active Charcoal and Organic Bamboo has an 18 inch skirt with thicker elastic. Health Guard says those premium protectors fit mattresses up to 20 inches deep.

Other listings print a single maximum. The Ashley protectors say up to 18 inches. Health Guard's 20 inches is the deepest fit we list.

A single bed is sold as a twin in Canada, so a single mattress cover is a twin protector. The twin Premium Terry is $49.00. A twin XL is five inches longer, at 80 inches, and needs its own XL protector.

Do you put a sheet over a mattress protector?

Yes. The protector goes on the bare mattress first and the fitted sheet goes over it. Sleeping straight on a protector is fine for a night, but the sheet takes the daily wear and goes in the wash more often.

Washing a mattress protector without ruining the membrane

Washing a mattress protector the way its maker says keeps the waterproof film working and keeps the maker's warranty in force. Health Guard's care line on its protectors reads "machine wash hot, do not bleach", with a tumble dry on medium heat, no iron and no dry cleaning.

How often is the part people disagree on. Health Guard suggests "washing every 2 months, or more frequently if there are spills, accidents, or allergy concerns". HealthLink BC, writing for people controlling dust mites, says to wash bedding and mattress covers in hot water every week. If dust allergies are the reason for the cover, the weekly wash is the one to follow.

Health Guard's warranty does not cover "improper washing or care", along with normal wear and tear and commercial use. Bleach and a hot dryer are both off Health Guard's label. Two protectors per bed means one is on the mattress while the other dries.

Pillows need the same treatment, since a pillow soaks up sweat night after night. Our guide to picking a pillow by sleeping position covers the pillow inside.

A checklist for choosing a mattress protector

1. Read the mattress warranty. Check what it says about stains and liquids, and keep the law tag on the mattress.
2. Measure the depth. Include any topper, then pick a skirt or encasement deeper than the number.
3. Choose the job. Spills and the warranty need a waterproof protector. Dust mites or bed bugs call for an encasement.
4. Match the sleeper. A hot sleeper does better on a Tencel or cooling top. Anyone bothered by noise should skip vinyl.
5. Check the care label. Look for the wash temperature and the maker's warranty years.
6. Buy two. One goes on while the other is in the wash.