Is this the most eco-conscious way to protect your mattress? Panda London Waterproof Mattress Protector review

How many mattress protectors can claim to be cooling, biodegradable, recyclable, antibacterial, hypoallergenic, silent, super soft, waterproof, aerosol-free, ultra-thin, and non-toxic? 

I’ll answer for you, only a handful. And Panda London’s is the only mattress protector in that category that I can honestly recommend. If you haven’t guessed from the whole panda-bamboo connection, Panda London specialises in bamboo sleep essentials. The idea is, it’s naturally cooling, good for you, and good for the planet.

I slept on the Panda London Waterproof mattress to find out whether I would trust it to protect my mattress, whatever the weather, spill, or stain. And, without wanting to give too much away, here’s everything you need to know about my new favourite sustainable mattress topper. 

Specifications

Unboxing the Panda London Mattress Protector

Panda has thought about all the small touches. The topper arrives, rolled up, in what looks like plastic packaging. I’ll admit, I was surprised to see plastic around the bamboo until I read that it was 100% recycled and recyclable, of course.

The protector itself comes in a neat, white bamboo bag. Whilst you’re unlikely to need this again (you won’t want to take the protector off your bed), but it’s a touch that makes this feel really premium. And, if you ever do need to store this away, it offers a compact and neat storage option if you ever do decide to switch protectors or pack this away.

You’ll notice, as soon as you feel the protector, that it’s super soft. There’s a waterproof aspect to it, that you can definitely feel, but it doesn’t have that noise and crinkling that lots of waterproof products come with. 

Who would the Panda London Mattress Protector suit?

The Panda London Mattress Protector’s impressive set of credentials makes this suitable to a whole host of people. The naturally cooling properties of bamboo, paired with the waterproof layer, mean that this is perfect for night sweats. Whilst it won’t cool you like a fan, there’s a subtle difference in temperature (if you look for it) and, every little helps.

The other great thing about the Panda London Mattress Protector is that it's hypoallergenic and antimicrobial. So, if you have sensitive skin and put sleep hygiene at the apex of all your sleep essentials, you can't do better.

The waterproof properties make this useful for people who drink coffee and tea in bed too. I’m a notoriously clumsy drinker, but I still persist with my morning coffee in bed. We ran the Panda London through a series of tests and I managed to keep all stains (fake tan, coffee, and wine, off the mattress itself). For a £30 mattress protector, that's impressive. 

Finally, another big appeal of the Panda London Mattress Protector is its eco credentials. Knowing that your topper won’t spend 10,000 years in a landfill when you no longer need it feels as nice as the topper itself (gorgeous). Plus, even though it’s biodegradable and recyclable, it’s also really durable. You get a year warranty as well as a washing machine approval for any cleaning that you need to do. If you're still not quite sure, you have a 30-day free trial to test this and send it back. There's just no losing.

How does the Panda London Mattress Protector fit on the bed?

As with almost all mattress toppers, this is elasticated, making it easy to stretch around the sides of your bed. I ordered mine to fit my UK double bed and didn't have any trouble fitting it into place. 

In fact, the Panda London Mattress Protector claims online to be able to fit around beds as deep as 32 cm (which is extreme, even for me). I had a plush, memory foam topper on my bed, which meant that mine measured at about 25cm. There was room for me to bring the sides further around - they tucked neatly under the mattress - but the whole of the top of my mattress was covered with the waterproof material, which is the important part. 

I was surprised that the sides are polyester. I can't help but think that this is to enhance how stretchy the sides are. It's a shame because I always think polyester cheapens a product, but the rest of the composition is top-spec. 

What does the Panda London Mattress Protector feel like to sleep on?

Given that you’ll be putting a fitted sheet onto your mattress protector, you won't have skin-on-skin contact with your protector. However, it's still important that it's comfortable because you can feel it through the sheets.

Before I put this on the bed, I wanted to have a proper look at the TPU waterproof layer. Normally, waterproof mattresses have a rubbery, waxy layer that's made from plastic, or TPU, so I'll admit that I was surprised that Panda London had opted to use this. However, my perplexion was quickly silenced by a quick investigation into what Panda London's TPU is. They've got a trademarked formula that's thin, aerosol-free, non-toxic, biodegradable, recyclable, and still waterproof. I don't know what their secret it, but it's impressive.

After sleeping on the protector, I was really pleased at how quiet the Panda London TPU later was. It didn't crinkle or rustle, no matter how much I moved. I would put a large part of the success down to the teddy bamboo-cotton texture on top. The website says it is hypoallergenic and moisture-wicking, which is nice and hygienic. You don't feel that though. In reality, it's like sleeping on a thin, fresh towel. It’s nice to lie on, but not too insulating. Bamboo is well established as one of the best materials for hot sleepers since it dissipates heat away from your body really efficiently.

I was testing this during a (rare) heatwave in the UK and I think it did help, especially in comparison to plusher, quilted mattress toppers. I did pair this with Panda London’s bamboo sheets to try and maximise the coolness of my bed and it helped. It’s not going to cure your night sweats and I still threw my duvet off me in the night, but the fact that I even started by sleeping under a duvet speaks to the cooling qualities of the Panda London Mattress Protector in the first place.

How waterproof is the Panda London Mattress Protector really?

When a mattress protector claims to be waterproof, this is normally in the context of night sweats, coffee spills, and wine incidents. These aren’t quite as extreme as our tests, but we like to know exactly how much a mattress topper can handle before we tell you that it really is water resistant.

I have a series of three different liquids that I spill 500 ml of onto the topper: water, wine, and coffee. Not only did the Panda London Mattress Protector keep my mattress bone dry, it was also easy to wash and clean up after too (more on that later). 

It felt strange emptying a Pyrex jug of liquid onto my topper, but it worked effectively. Some of the top material absorbed the water, making it damp, but I actually think that's quite important. Before it started absorbing the water, it was running (dangerously quickly) towards my carpet. I gave each liquid a few minutes to soak into the material, waiting to see if it leaked through and it didn't.

Now, I’m not recommending that you pour red wine over your sheets, but if you do, you won’t need to panic about your mattress underneath. It’ll be clean and dry. 

How do you clean the Panda London Mattress Protector?

Even though this is antimicrobial, for the sake of your sleep sanitation and health, you should wash it every two months. After pouring coffee, wine, and water all over mine, it needed to be washed a lot sooner. 

Panda gives you some simple care instructions for when you do clean your topper: wash it at 50 degrees, using a natural detergent if possible. I use Ecover and it cleans as well as any other brand. Try to avoid bleach, since the fibres are delicate. This does mean that tougher stains, such as my red wine, didn't lift out very easily. However, you can be grateful that it doesn't seep through onto your mattress topper or mattress itself.

It's nice to know that you won't need any fabric softener. It might sound a bit cheesy, but in the case of bamboo, nature is your fabric softer. This only gets more and more delightful every time you wash it, trust me. 

Should you buy the Panda London Mattress Protector?

If you put sustainability at the top of your credentials, the Panda London Mattress Protector is a must have. Given that it’s free from just about every nasty you can think of and packed with environmental pros, it’s the mattress topper I would buy if I had the pick of the lot.

If you’re on a budget or looking for something a little more plush, there are plenty of other options though. You can find all our tried and tested favourites in our buying guide to the best mattress protectors.