Sleep Away the Sniffles: The 7 Best Hypoallergenic Mattress Covers

You’ve got allergies, which means you’ve got bottles of antihistamines, a collection of steroid nasal sprays, and humidifiers aplenty — but without a hypoallergenic mattress cover, you’re missin’ out on a key way to reduce your symptoms.

Ready to ditch the dust? We’ve got you ~covered~ (sorry, had to). We dug into the latest research, searched high and low, and found the seven best hypoallergenic mattress covers of 2022.

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A hypoallergenic mattress cover acts as a shield to prevent the dust mites living in your house (yes, they’re there, no matter how hard you try to manifest them away) from accumulating in and on your mattress.

It’s a critical layer of protection between your mattress and your fitted sheet that even the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says can reduce allergy symptoms, but you do need to choose wisely: mattress covers that simply wrap around the top and sides of your mattress, like a traditional cover, are only mildly effective. Bummer.

If you really want to beat back the dust mites, you’ll need a zippered cover that encases your entire mattress — top, sides, and bottom, preventing any microscopic allergens from setting up colonies in your bedding.

Curious how we decided what made a good hypoallergenic mattress cover? Here’s how:

• Materials. Hypoallergenic covers come in a wide range of materials — we’re talking everything from plastic and vinyl to cotton and bamboo. Some of our picks are simple fabric options designed to block out dust mites and allergens. Others are full-blown mattress protectors with waterproof linings. Both are good options — it just depends on what’s best for you and your bed — so we made sure to include a range for you to choose from.
• Comfy and quiet. There’s no point in buying something for your bed that makes it harder to sleep because it’s hot as hell or makes too much noise, so all of our picks have good reviews for comfort *and* noise.
• Easy to care for. Three words: Machine washable, baby!!!
• Vetted. We put all of these products through a thorough vetting process that checks for unsupported health claims, company reputation, and shady business practices. Only brands that passed that vetting made this list.

Best overall allergy mattress cover

Mission: Allergy Premium Microfiber Mattress Encasing

• Price: $$$$
• Sizes available: crib, twin, long twin, full, queen, king, California king

An encasement-style cover that your whole mattress can fit inside is the gold standard when it comes to allergy mattress covers. With zero surfaces left exposed to the air, you can rest easy (yes, pun intended) knowing that dust mites aren’t setting up shop in your mattress.

The mattress encasing cover by Mission: Allergy features an extremely tight weave fabric, which allows air to circulate through the fabric but not much else, so if you have a severe dust mite allergy, this fully protective option — with durable seams and extra-long zippers — will not only help you feel better, but will keep you feeling better for a long time.

Reviewers love that this encasing isn’t as thick or bulky as some other options, and that they wake up feeling less itchy and irritated in the morning.

Best zipped allergy mattress cover

Protect-A-Bed AllerZip Smooth Mattress Encasement

• Price: $$$
• Sizes available: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king

Lots of people consider this polyester cover the gold standard of allergy mattress covers. The patented BugLock secure seal uses *three* zippers to block out dust mites and bedbugs, and the polyurethane backing makes it waterproof.

Bonus: It has sleep street cred. It’s been certified Asthma & Allergy Friendly by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America. Reviewers like the thickness and ease of use with this cover, saying that it’s quiet and comfy. However, many note that it isn’t built for longevity, complaining of broken zippers.

Best doctor-recommended allergy mattress cover

National Allergy 300-Thread Count 100-Percent Cotton Mattress Protector

• Price: $$$
• Sizes available: full, queen, king

If you’re worried about a polyester mattress cover being too hot or crinkly, this 100 percent cotton mattress protector should help cut down on some of those sensory annoyances. The 300-thread count cover is soft, breathable, and machine washable (plus, zippered to protect your whole mattress from mites).

Reviewers love that there’s zero nighttime sweating involved with this cover, but do complain about durability issues— zippers breaking, seams coming apart, and zippers simply being hard to… well, zip.

Best budget pick allergy mattress cover

Utopia Bedding Zippered Mattress Encasement

• Price: $
• Sizes available: twin, twin XL, full, queen

Here’s a no-frills pick with a polyester waterproof backing. That’s good news if you’re prone to spillage (no judgment). We also love the 360-degree zippers that keep mites and bugs at bay. Mr. Sandman stans, and so do reviewers: they marvel over the uber-tight, bug-free seal it creates around their mattresses. (P.S. it even fits slightly deeper, 13-inch mattresses, which is uncommon.)

Best organic allergy mattress cover

Avocado Organic Waterproof Mattress Protector

• Price: $$$
• Sizes available: twin, long twin, full, queen, king, California king

This cover protects against dust mites, bugs, and spills while minimizing your exposure to plastic chemicals. It has a 95 percent cotton cover and an ultra-thin polyurethane layer in the middle. Fans of this mattress rave about how they barely notice it once it’s on (and some adventurous souls have also confirmed it is, in fact, good protection against leaks and spills).

Best cooling allergy mattress cover

PlushDeluxe Premium Bamboo Mattress Protector

• Price: $$
• Sizes available: twin, long twin, full, queen, king, California king

If the idea of sleeping on heat-trapping polyester makes you break a sweat, try this cover. The ultra-breathable bamboo fabric will help you sleep cooler. But don’t worry, it still blocks out irritating dust mites and bedbugs. And hey, it’s waterproof too!

Peeps who’ve bought the PlushDeluxe cover confirm that it’s cool in more ways than one: they don’t sleep hot, they don’t have to worry about spills, and they don’t have to break the bank to buy it.

Best allergy pillow cover

Eco Living Friendly Evolon Allergy Pillow Protector

• Price: $
• Sizes available: standard, queen, king

These tightly woven microfiber cases have a soft, cottony texture that feels smooth and won’t crinkle. And because there’s a zipper, you know it’s keeping all the gross stuff out. Also nice: The pillowcases come in a two-pack.

Devotees of the Eco Living pillow protector sing its praises for helping them wake up refreshed in the morning, though not all reviewers are a fan of the fabric texture, so keep that in mind.

We’ve talked a lot about dust mites here, and there’s good reason for that: allergy mattress covers are a good frontline defense for people who have dust mite allergies, which the American Lung Association reports is a major trigger for people with allergies and asthma.

“Fully encased mattresses can help protect you from your allergenic exposures,” says Dr. Kathleen Dass, an allergist and immunologist privately practicing in Michigan. “They can also help prevent dust mites from reproducing or surviving; by cutting of the food supply from the dust mites (which is you!), the dust mites die.”

That said, other types of allergies — such as pollen and dander — may or may not be relieved by encasing covers.

“For an allergy mattress cover to help with pet dander, the pore size needs to be 6 microns or less,” says Dr. Dass. “And pollen may be filtered out by fabric pore sizes, but their primary dwelling space is not the mattress, so it is less likely to affect you.”

However, there are a few other nonallergy benefits to using an encasing cover, too. If you’re sharing bed with a rotating roster of guests, staying in an Airbnb, or otherwise concerned about bedbugs, fully encased covers can reduce their spread. Some mattress covers may also extend the life of your mattress a little bit, at least when it comes to protecting it from spills, stains, and leaks. (FYI: Your mattress’s warranty is typical voided if you spill on it).

Now that you’re ready to pick the best mattress cover for you, you might feel a bit overwhelmed by all the features you need to consider.

Do you need to choose an allergy cover specifically labeled “hypoallergenic”? What material should it be made from? And how do you remove and wash this thing when the time comes? We’ve got you, hunny!

Hypoallergenic

A mattress cover with a small enough pore size to filter out dust mites would be considered hypoallergenic, but just because a mattress cover acts as a barrier between you and your mattress doesn’t mean it’s automatically providing any hypoallergenic benefit.

Covers that are hypoallergenic — meaning, they actually reduce allergic reactions — should say so on the packaging, so a good first step is to look for the word “hypoallergenic.”

You can also look for the pore size of the fabric, or the micron size. Dr. Dass says the micron size for dust mite-banishing fabrics should be 10 or less.

Material

Most mattress covers are made from cotton, polyester, bamboo, or some customized blend of those fabrics. The type of material you choose is totally personal preference; they’ll all provide the same protection as long as they’re designed to seal out mites and allergens.

However, cotton is generally considered a softer, more breathable fabric that stays cooler while you sleep than polyester. It may also be quieter than polyester, which can cause a crinkling or rustling sound when you move around in bed.

It can be tempting to go for a super cheap vinyl encasement, but just remember that those are usually realllly hot, make a ton of noise, and are not the most durable.

Waterproof

A waterproof cover isn’t necessary for allergy protection, but depending on who’s sleeping in the bed, it may be a useful feature (like if you have kids or dogs regularly snoozing with you). Keep in mind, though, that a waterproof cover will nearly always have some synthetic fabric in it, which may make it noisier than a plain cotton one.

Bedbug-resistant

Bedbugs are pretty sneaky, but there are still some mattress cover features they can’t defeat — namely strong, reinforced seams, a solid micron size, and full encasement with zippers. If your mattress can defend you against dust mites it’s likely to also keep bedbugs from making their home in your bed.

Size

Most mattress covers come in at least twin, full, queen, and king sizes, though many also come in twin XL (sometimes called twin long) and California king.

One thing we’ve noticed, though, is that your options are limited if you have an extra-deep mattress or one with a built-in topper. You might have to shop around quite a bit for one that could accommodate mattresses thicker than 12 inches.

Price

Mattress covers seem to be highly subjective to individual users, so we don’t think that a higher priced cover will necessarily give you a better experience. An expensive cover could be too hot or too noisy for you, personally, while a cheaper cover could be just right.

The main thing price seems to determine is longevity. The pricier covers usually last longer (the zippers and seams hold up better) than the budget options, so if you don’t want to replace your cover that frequently, a more expensive one might save you some hassle.

Durability

Speaking of durability, we think it makes sense to read the reviews before taking the plunge on a mattress cover. If a cover’s zipper broke instantly, if the seams unraveled after one wash, or if the waterproof cover didn’t hold up when your little one had a midnight accident, you’ll likely find those complaints in the review section.

We also think it’s wise to purchase a mattress cover with some kind of return or refund policy, even if it’s just for 30 days — nothing is guaranteed, but the ability to get your money back if a product doesn’t hold up in the initial weeks of use will help you shop with more confidence.

Care

The vast majority of covers are machine washable, making it easy to keep it clean on a regular basis. But you’ll have to pay attention to whether or not your cover can be put in the dryer. Putting a “do not dry” cover in the dryer can lead to major shrinking or even reduced durability and allergy-fighting potential.

It’s also worth noting how the zipper functions, since covers that only have a zipper on one side will be harder to remove and put back on again every time you need to wash it.

Thankfully, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to correctly use your mattress cover. Strip your bed, put the cover on, then remake your bed. If your cover isn’t waterproof, try not to spill anything on it, and if possible, keep pets off the bed to prevent tears or rips.

Now, apparently you do need a degree in rocket science to wash your cover. There’s no real consensus about how often you should chuck it in the washing machine — some manufacturers say once a week, some say once every 4 to 6 weeks, and some say every few months. The simple answer is to wash your cover whenever it’s dirty — but only you can say how often that is!

There’s also not much consensus about the water temperature when it comes to washing. Allergy experts often claim that anything less than hot water won’t kill dust mites, while mattress cover manufacturers warn that hot water can degrade fabric over time, damaging your cover.

Our recommendation? Follow the directions for washing that come with your specific mattress cover. Or, when in doubt, reach out to the company (or a healthcare pro!) to get a personalized opinion.

What is a hypoallergenic mattress protector?

A hypoallergenic mattress protector covers the entire surface of your mattress with a small-weave fabric layer, barring dust mites from settling into your mattress and causing chronic allergy symptoms while you sleep. To protect you from dust mites specifically, the micron level — or pore size — of the fabric needs to be 10 or less.

What type of mattress cover is best for dust mites?

An encasement, or a zippered cover that fits over the top, bottom, and all four sides of your mattress. Traditional mattress covers only fit over the top and part of the sides, leaving dust mites plenty of opportunities to snuggle into your mattress and make you feel sniffly.

What is the difference between a mattress protector, a mattress topper, and a mattress pad?

A mattress protector doesn’t provide any sort of padding — it’s just a barrier between the mattress and its environment (including you!). A mattress topper and mattress pad are similar, but generally differentiated by thickness; pads are thinner than toppers.

A mattress pad is often attached to a traditional mattress cover to give you a little extra softness between your fitted sheet and your mattress, though they can be sold separate from the cover.

A mattress topper is usually thicker and larger, and can actually make a hard mattress feel squishy, or a coil mattress feel more like a memory foam one.

Do mattress pads protect against dust mites?

Not fully. They might reduce a little of the allergen level, but since a pad only sits on the top of the mattress rather than wrapping all the way around each side, the protection is limited.

Do allergy mattress covers also protect against bed bugs?

Typically, yes. The recommended mattress cover for bed bugs is one with durable seams and a fully zippered encasement, which is also the best type of cover for dust mite allergies. But some allergy mattress covers aren’t the encasing style, and those won’t protect against bed bugs.

What else can I do to keep allergens out of my mattress?

The University of Michigan Health recommends regularly laundering bedding every 1 or 2 weeks, keeping humidity in check in the bedroom (dust mites don’t like dry air!), and steam cleaning your mattress in addition to covering all parts of your mattress with an encasement cover.

A hypoallergenic mattress cover might be able to save you from nighttime sniffles and sneezing, extend the lifetime of your mattress, and even keep bedbugs from setting up shop in your mattress.

Our list is an A+ place to start, but just make sure you’re choosing one that’s *actually* hypoallergenic, machine washable, and gets amazing reviews for comfort, noise, and durability.