If you want to shield a mattress from spills, potty training accidents, or pet messes, we recommend the SafeRest Premium Mattress Protector.
After 240 hours researching and testing 14 protectors, we found the SafeRest did the best job at keeping our mattress dry, while also feeling comfortable to sleep on.
And after multiple washes, it retained its waterproofing better than almost any other protector we tried.
Our pick
SafeRest Premium Mattress Protector
This inexpensive fitted mattress protector is one of the few that stayed fully waterproof through our tests. It’s comfortable to sleep on and inexpensive.
The SafeRest Premium Mattress Protector is one of the few protectors we tested that never failed, staying completely waterproof through 10 cycles of washing and drying and two leak tests. It’s affordable and highly recommended in user reviews (and from our staffers who’ve owned it). We think it’s great for a child’s bed, and we recommend having at least two on hand to swap out if needed. The cotton/polyester terry top is a little noisy and it’s scratchier than pricier quilted protectors, but we don’t think that’s a big deal because it goes underneath the sheets, not against the skin. The SafeRest comes in twin to California king sizes.
Also great
Priva Ultra Plus Sheet Protector
If you want something that’s easier to put on and take off the bed, the Priva Ultra Plus outperformed other mattress pads we tested.
Although fitted protectors are better at staying put on the bed, waterproof pads are easier to add or remove and simpler to wash because they’re smaller. Of the three we looked at, the Priva Ultra Plus Sheet Protector is the only pad that aced our leak tests. Available in three sizes (none as big as a twin mattress), it’s a great option if you need concentrated leak protection for one side of the bed. The Priva is backed with vinyl, and though the manufacturer says the vinyl is phthalate-free, we were unable to get independent, third-party verification of this at the time of this writing. For children and pregnant women, we recommend the polyurethane Linenspa protector.
Also great
Though it’s not as effective at fending off leaks for as long as the Priva pad, the Linenspa Waterproof Sheet Protector is backed with polyurethane, which doesn’t pose the potential developmental health risks that vinyl does, so we think it’s a better bet for kids and pregnant women. It stayed waterproof through some of our testing, but will need to be replaced more frequently than the Priva (probably at least once during a child’s potty training years). The Linenspa is comfy to sleep on, comes in three sizes, and is convenient to have on hand for intense, short-term needs, like potty training, sick days with kids, or travel.
