The Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement is the answer to all your mattress issues

The Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement covers all bases: spills, stains, bed bugs, hot flashes. If you want to buy something that will keep your mattress in pristine condition, this is the one to shop.

All mattresses need to be protected from sweat, spills, and dead skin. Some need protection for worse (bed bugs, dust mites, and other mishaps) and, in those instances, only the best mattress protectors do.

I had been looking for cooling mattress protectors when I stumbled across the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement. Not only is it a great way to get rid of bed bugs, but it will also keep you cool. I put it through some of our tough tests to find out whether it really is a good way to get a cooler night of sleep.

Specifications

Unboxing the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement

The Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement comes in some very simple packaging. It's wrapped in a soft plastic bag, which isn't recyclable with your normal bins, but some supermarkets will take these in their plastic bag recycling bins.

Once this was out of the packaging, I was impressed by a number of features. Firstly, the texture of the encasement feels a lot less like the traditional, plastic-y, waterproof that I'm used to. It was soft and flexible. In fact, you wouldn't even guess that it is waterproof. It's also a lovely, crisp white colour. The sheets did have a few creases on, but these stretched out once this was on the bed.

Who would the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Protector suit?

The Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement is naturally designed to tackle flea and bed bug issues in your home because it zips around the whole mattress, top and bottom. If you know that's likely to be your home, because of geography or some fluffy friends, this will be a life-saver.

This is also a great bet for those who want to give their mattress maximum protection. I threw everything at the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement: wine, coffee, water, and this didn't seep or stain anything underneath. It's a low-maintenance way to preserve your mattress.

My only reservations are for hot sleepers. Whilst this is cooler than any other mattress encasement, it's not as breathable as the Tempur Cooling Tencel or Panda London Bamboo Protector. Those come with their own drawbacks, but if you're looking for a cooling, breathable, refreshing option, this is the one you want.

How does the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement fit on the bed?

I had a 5cm mattress topper on my bed, so it was 32 cm deep. That's very thick for the average mattress, but I think it's important to test our mattress protectors on beds with toppers on, since people who care about protecting their mattress, probably also care about mattress and sleep health, hence the topper.

The Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement neatly hooks around all the corners of the bed and then you will need to zip the underneath on. There is a hinge of material connecting the two, so you can't fully unzip one from the other. Without the elasticated corners, getting this to stay in place whilst zipping the underside on can work up quite a sweat. You'll need to lift the mattress up, whilst tucking the encasement underneath. It's not particularly hard work, but it does warrant more sweat than the average mattress protector.

What does the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement feel like to sleep on?

I hardly noticed the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement on the mattress as I slept. It's main job is protecting from spills and stains, so that's not the sort of thing you feel when you sleep. However, as I've mentioned earlier, waterproof mattress toppers can feel very waxy and plasticy. This was wonderfully flexible and soft to sleep on. In fact, it was just like any other protector.

I've put this down as the best cooling mattress encasement, because it was refreshing to touch. Soak & Sleep has designed this to feel breathable and refreshing. Whilst I didn't feel that it actively cooled me, it certainly helped to keep my bed fresh, especially since it's waterproof, which isn't particularly well known for breathability.

How waterproof is the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement really?

The Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement promises to protect your mattress from any spills and stains, even if you don't intend to make them. In my tests for this, I poured 500 ml of coffee, 500 ml of red wine, and 500 ml of water onto the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement. I left it for a few minutes - the kind of time it would take to curse, jump out of bed, run down to the kitchen, search for paper towels, run back upstairs, and soak up the stain.

In that time, the topper's material absorbed some of the moisture, but most of it sat on top. Whilst that bodes well for keeping the topper clean, it did mean that the water, in particular, started to form a channel that quickly made its way towards the carpet. It never actually made it off the bed, but if there's such a thing as being too waterproof, I think this is it.

How do you clean the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement?

You'll want to clean your mattress topper every 3-4 weeks, or sooner if you end up making a mess on it. Luckily, in the case of the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement, this is easy. Its washing instructions recommend running a normal 30° cycle to clean the topper. I'd also add that it's a good idea to use Ecover or Method, since these are gentle laundry detergents that won't be too harsh on the fibres of your clothes.

Soak & Sleep also says that you can tumble dry this on a low setting, but I would air dry or use heated airers wherever possible. Again, this will be much more gentle on the fibres, keeping your encasement in better condition for longer.

How does the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement compare?

The Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement is really one of a kind. It's the best mattress encasement that I've tested in terms of what it feels like and how effective it is at protecting the mattress. However, what it lacks is breathability.

If you're not concerned about bed bugs and you don't need your mattress fully zipped up, I'd recommend taking a look at the Panda London Waterproof Mattress Protector. This is impressively waterproof, plush to sleep on, and it's crafted from bamboo. It's breathable, cool to touch, and reasonably priced.

Should you buy the Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement?

Soak & Sleep Anti-Bed Bug Mattress Encasement is one of the best cooling mattress protectors if you need to protect the entirety of your bed. It'll stop any pests, big spills, and stains from damaging your mattress. However, if you wanted a more breathable, sustainable protector, Panda London's option is worth looking into.

How we test

At woman&home we take our testing process seriously. Sleep is incredibly personal, so we always try to cover a range of different sleep styles and needs in our reviews.

We research the best cooling mattress protectors on the market, looking for the latest and greatest releases. As soon as we find one that we think you'll love, our team of experts will call it in to test in our own home.

I've tested all the best cooling mattress protectors because I'm a hot sleeper. I'll sleep on them in the hot weather, I spill water, wine, and coffee on them, and then check the mattress underneath. I'll also talk about how it fits on the bed, what it feels like, and then what it's like to clean.

After that, I'll compare the protector to other models on the market, letting you know whether you're getting good value for money as well as where there are opportunities to have a little too. I'll also come to a conclusion on whether you should buy it and who it suits. That way, you have a comprehensive idea of what's out there.