Next's dual-layer mattress topper promises to make your bed 'hotel-quality' – I slept on it for two weeks to find out if it delivers
Would it turn my mattress into a 'plush, hotel-quality' bed?
This dual-layer mattress topper definitely added a layer of soft comfort to my bed
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Adds a layer of softness to the bed
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Machine washable
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Doesn't offer much support
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Not the most breathable option
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No sleep trial
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Love sinking into a comfy hotel bed? It’s a hard feeling to recreate, but Next claims it’s made possible with the Next White Sleep In Comfort Dual Layer Mattress Topper.
As a sleep-product reviewer with over five years of experience testing the best mattress toppers on the market, I wanted to see if this mattress topper really delivered that hotel-bed experience.
In a nutshell
All in all, I did quite like sleeping on this topper. It has a polyester filling, and as such, I found it felt a lot like sleeping on top of a duvet. This made my bed feel snug and extra comfortable to sink into at night.
Unlike a lot of memory foam toppers I've tested, it also didn't cause me to overheat, although I did find it warmer than my go-to topper, the Woolroom Deluxe Mattress Topper. (Woolroom's is the topper I constantly return to and have on my bed day in and day out when I'm not testing alternatives).
However, some extra padding is about all this topper added to my bed. This topper isn't the one for you if you're looking for more support (the Simba Hybrid Topper remains my top choice in this case), and I definitely didn't feel it would transform a very uncomfortable mattress.
At £100 for a double, I also think it's quite an investment for an extra layer of softness. Plus, there's no sleep trial available to test it out before you commit to keeping it. I found the Silentnight Airmax Mattress Topper comparable in comfort, and that's a lot cheaper to snap up.
Admittedly, the Next Dual Layer does have a two-layered design, but during testing I couldn't really see what these separate layers added to the topper in practical terms. However, if you're seeing a benefit I'm missing, I did find this is a well-made and good-quality topper, and it could be the one for you.
Next White Sleep In Comfort Dual Layer Mattress Topper review
Specifications
- RRP: £75 / £100 / £110 / £130
- Sizes: single / double / king / super-king
- Depth: n/a
- Construction: polyester
- Care instructions: machine wash at 40ºC, tumble dry on low
- Manufacturer sleep trial: no
Attaching the topper to the bed
The Next White Sleep in Comfort Dual Layer mattress topper comes in a zip-up carry case with transparent window. This is going to be handy if you’re ever storing away your topper – if you use it on a sofa bed, or for camping perhaps.
Within the bag, the topper was vacuum packed. But unlike when a memory-foam topper unfurls, there was no need to let the topper settle for a while and no chemical off-gassing smell.
The topper has two layers that are already zipped together, and I found it lightweight enough for me to arrange it in position on the bed on my own. Then it’s just a case of fitting the elasticated straps at all four corners around the mattress. The Brook + Wilde mattress I tested it on is very thick, and the topper straps still comfortably fitted around it. Next says it will fit mattresses up to 35cm thick.
There isn’t a non-slip underside on this topper, but I don’t think it’s heavy or solid enough to warrant one. During testing, I found the topper stayed in place on the mattress thanks to the elasticated straps alone.
Comfort
Comfort is really what the Next White Sleep In Comfort Dual Layer mattress topper is all about. And it’s important to manage expectations here. Let’s talk about what this topper *isn’t* for a bit.
This mattress topper is not there to bolster the support of your mattress. It’s not responsive (meaning it doesn't have any bounce to it that can assist you in turning over on your mattress), and it doesn’t offer improved motion isolation (so if your sleep partner fidgets, this topper won't help mask their movements). If you’re looking for additional support for your mattress, I would suggest you look in the direction of the Simba Hybrid Topper or Panda Bamboo Mattress Topper instead.
However, what the Next Dual Layer mattress topper is good for is making your bed feel pillowy and sumptuous. I found that lying on this topper was very similar to lying on top of a duvet; it feels comfy and snug, but that’s where it stops. You will need a decent mattress underneath it to do the heavy lifting in the support stakes. And it definitely won’t transform a very uncomfortable mattress into something five-star.
Seeing as I found it felt more like sleeping on top of a duvet, I was also a little confused about what the dual layer is really adding. Next says, 'the dual-layer design combines a supportive base layer with a soft, quilted top layer, delivering enhanced cushioning and a plush, hotel-quality feel.'
However, the topper was so thin I couldn't really imagine unzipping the layers and using them singly. You *could*, I guess, but I think the effect on the bed would be so minimal there would be little point. The only real benefit that I can think of is perhaps it’s easier to wash since the layers separate – but we’ll come to that a bit later in this article.
Temperature regulation
As a hot sleeper, I had concerns about how good the Next Dual Layer mattress topper would be at keeping me at a comfortable temperature while I slept. Temperature can massively affect the quality of your sleep. This tends to present – especially for me – as overheating.
I was concerned about the Next Dual Layer mattress topper on this metric because it’s made from 100 per cent polyester. Synthetic fibres are affordable and easy to wash, but they’re not great at temperature regulation.
So I was pleasantly surprised to find I didn’t notice myself overheating while sleeping on this topper. It warmed up quickly from my body heat, and definitely felt warmer than my regular Woolroom Deluxe Wool mattress topper that I love. However, I didn’t noticeably struggle with how hot I got on this topper.
Care instructions
One of the selling points of this topper is that it’s easy to care for. The care instructions say to wash it at 40ºC and you can tumble dry it on low.
However, for my kingsize topper it said to use a larger-capacity washing machine drum (9kg) to accommodate the heft. And this is when the topper is unzipped. This means washing both layers of the topper separately, which is obviously extra work but does at least mean washing is possible, which isn't the case with all toppers.
As such, you’re unlikely to get all this washing and drying done in one day – or at least I didn’t manage it. This might be possible with smaller sizes where you can fit both layers in the machine at once.
It's also worth noting that although polyester is often the preferable bedding material for allergy sufferers who want to be able to blitz dust mites – the most-common house-borne allergen – bedding does have to be washed at 60ºC to really eradicate them. A 40ºC wash isn’t going to quite do it.
Sleep trial
Unlike many other mattress toppers I've tested, there isn't a sleep trial available for the Next Sleep In Comfort Dual Layer Mattress Topper.
This means that there's no opportunity to test it out on your own bed and see if it improves the feel of your mattress before you commit to keeping it, and at £100 for a double, that is quite an investment to make without any guarantees.
Value for money
As of writing, the Next White Sleep In Comfort Dual Layer mattress topper starts at £75 for a single, £100 for a double, £110 for a king size, and £130 for a super king.
To my mind, that's quite a lot of money for what's essentially a layer of polyester wadding, and I do wonder if a lot of that cost could have been reduced had this topper not been made in two layers, which require an (expensive to fit) zip.
There is a regular 'single' layer version of this topper – the Next White Sleep In Comfort Mattress Topper – available on the Next website, which costs £65 for a double, and to be honest, I think I'd opt for that one instead.
That said, even £65 is still quite a lot of money. The best budget mattress topper we've tested is the Silentnight Airmax mattress topper, which is often on sale for around £45 for a double. I found both this Next topper and Silentnight's cheaper Airmax alternative felt very similar and offer the same 'duvet' type of softening to a mattress.
How I tested
I’m Zoë, a writer who helps the Ideal Home team put all manner of products through their paces to find the top recommendations for our readers. For this review, I put the Next White Sleep In Comfort Dual Layer Mattress Topper through Ideal Home's testing process. Here are my sleep stats:
Usual sleep position: side
Tension preference: medium-firm
Sleep problems: hip pain
I tested the king-size version of the Next White Sleep In Comfort Dual Layer Mattress Topper on top of a hybrid memory foam and spring mattress. This entailed unpacking it, attaching it to my mattress, and then sleeping on the job for about two weeks to see how it fared.
What I was most interested in was the comfort of the topper, as this is what this particular topper is designed for. But I was also intrigued by whether the dual-layer design added much to the experience. And of course, temperature regulation and how easy it is to care for came into play. Lastly, value for money is always on my mind.