10 Best

Bed Bug Mattress Covers

of September 2023

Bedbugs are amazingly resilient. If you have bedbugs, and you think that just starving them out is an option, you’re in for a surprise. They can go hundreds of days without a blood meal! In the meantime, they can hide in your mattress or box springs, waiting for the opportunity to bite. Fortunately, here are covers that are impervious to bedbugs. There are mattress covers that cover your mattress from all sides, and zip closed. You can also get similar bedbug-proof covers for your box springs as well.

These covers will not only protect you from bedbugs. They are so tightly knit that they will even protect you from dust mites, which can also be a cause of allergies. These mattress covers can also protect your mattress from spills, accidents, and sweat. And instead of plastic mattress covers, we’ll see that they’re made from fabrics such as cotton, polyester, or even bamboo. They won’t feel any different than sleeping on a typical bedsheet!

We’ll go through some of the best bedbug-proof mattress covers. They’re usually machine washable and can be dried in a typical dryer as well. Whether you need it while traveling, or for your home, you’ll see that they offer convenient protection!

How do bedbugs get into my new mattress?

Bedbugs usually hitch a ride from luggage, clothing, or other fabrics that you bring into an infected area, such as when staying at a motel or hostel. When you bring these infected items home, you can unsuspectingly infect your own mattress. Bedbugs are amazingly resilient, being able to hide in crevices for days until they are aroused by sensing a breathing, warm-blooded host.

How does a bedbug mattress cover work?

• Prevents infestation: A bedbug mattress cover is a protective cover that is designed to keep bedbugs and other pests from infiltrating your mattress. The cover is made of a material that is thick enough to prevent bedbugs from penetrating the surface, while still allowing air to circulate through the mattress. If it’s a mattress cover that encases tightly wraps around the entire mattress and zips closed, it leaves no openings for bedbugs to slip in.

• Helps you detect an infestation: If you already have an infestation, a clean, white cover will help you detect bedbugs that are already hiding in your mattress.

• Keeping them from biting you: Using a bug-proof cover can help trap any remaining bugs inside, preventing them from laying more eggs and spreading further throughout your home. It’s important to note that while a bedbug mattress cover can be an effective tool in combating these pests, it should always be used in conjunction with other methods of extermination such as steam cleaning or hiring a professional pest control service.

Looking at the Best Reviews Guide’s list of mattress covers, we can see that there are mattress protectors, and box spring encasements:

• Mattress protector: There are mattress covers that enclose your mattress from all six sides and zip closed. The SafeRest Zippered Mattress Protector has a “micro-zipper” with very close teeth so that it closes hermetically, leaving no gaps for bedbugs to get through. There’s also a Velcro flap that seals the end of the zipper (where the moving part of the zipper is situated when fully closed). That ensures that bedbugs can’t get out of your mattress, even when they’re in their first nymph stage (when they just exited their egg case)!

SafeRest Zippered Mattress Protector

• Box-spring encasements: There are encasements that enclose your box spring (that goes into your bed frame, under your mattress). An example is the SureGuard Twin Size Box Spring Encasement. It also has a Velcro flap that you fold over the zipper to seal it closed.

SureGuard Twin Size Box Spring Encasement

These covers enclose your mattress or box springs entirely, from all six sides. There are also partial covers that serve more as protectors.

• Top-only protector: This has an elastic band that fits around all sides of the mattress. It provides a waterproof barrier for the top of the mattress to protect against spills, or someone with incontinence. But they won’t be effective against bedbugs.

• Five-sided protector: This fits on the top and entirely covers all four sides of your mattress while leaving the bottom exposed. It won’t be impervious to bedbugs, though.

Here are some customers’ impressions about the bedbug mattress cover that they bought:

• Also can go over a mattress topper: You can also slip your bedbug cover over a mattress with a mattress topper. Mattress toppers help preserve your mattress as well, by preventing it from sagging over time. These mattress covers are wide enough so that they can accommodate a mattress topper as well.

• Quiet: One problem with plastic mattress covers is that they make crinkling sounds as you twist and turn on them at night. These cloth mattress covers are all quiet, no different than sleeping on a bed sheet.

• Better than foggers or traps: A customer who suffered greatly from bedbugs said that mattress encasements were more effective than the various foggers and traps. Bedbugs are able to even hide in the wood of your bed frame, where they can lay eggs. A mattress encasement will ensure that bedbugs won’t be able to get into your mattress, or get out if they’re already there!

Here are some features and options to look for when choosing a bedbug mattress cover:

• Materials: Mattress enclosures come in a variety of materials. You’ll see some brands are made of terry cotton (SafeRest), polyester (Utopia), and bamboo (Slumberfy). They all are breathable materials, that won’t cause you to feel sweaty and uncomfortable, as is common with vinyl or PVC mattress covers. Some, such as the Utopia Bedding Zippered Mattress, also have TPU backing, to prevent liquid from leaking into the mattress.

Utopia Bedding Zippered Mattress

• Laundering instructions: These bedbug mattress covers are typically machine washable. You can remove them from the mattress in around 60 seconds (usually together with a friend), and throw them into the wash. They can usually also be put into a dryer on a low-heat tumble dry cycle.

• Sizes: Take note of the size of your mattress, so that you select the correct bedbug mattress cover. Typical sizes are Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen-size, King-size, and California King-Sixe. You should also notice what type of depth you need for your mattress protector. There are mattress covers that will cover mattresses ranging from 9” to 12” in thickness, and other mattress covers that will cover mattresses ranging from 12” to 15” in thickness.

Final Verdict

Mattress encasements can help you detect if you have bedbugs, and lock them inside your mattress if you know that they’re camping inside. These mattress covers are available for every size mattress, and you can get one for your box springs as well. There’s no reason to suffer from a bedbug infestation! A good mattress cover can protect both you and your mattress!