We Asked Hundreds of College Students for the Best Mattress Topper — The Winner Feels Like “Sleeping on a Cloud”

See all the dorm must-haves — from mattress toppers to storage — that real college students swear by for making your space cozy and functional. Check out the full list of Dorm Therapy Awards 2025 winners!

A mattress topper is one of those items on your dorm shopping list that you will probably debate if you really need. You could skip it, save a little money, and just throw your sheets right on top of the dorm-provided mattress. But chances are, that dorm mattress that’s been in your room for who-knows-how-long will not be super comfortable. Speaking from experience, I absolutely loved my mattress topper, and used it for two years. I felt like it truly transformed my dorm bed from an old mattress to a cozy bed that I enjoyed sleeping in almost as much as my bed at home. 

If you decide a topper is worth your investment, you can take a look at the best dorm mattress topper that college students recommend. Plus, you’ve got options when it comes to your budget for this dorm bed upgrade. 

Dorm Therapy is dedicated to helping students at every point of their college experience, and that includes shopping for their dorm! We’re a website powered by real college student contributors (who have recently experienced dorm living) and experienced editors, creating service-first content about navigating life at school and sharing vetted product recommendations for dorms and college apartments.

We went straight to the source to determine our winners for the Dorm Therapy Awards 2025, surveying more than 360 college students and recent grads to learn about their absolute favorite products that they used in their dorm. 

For the winning mattress topper, we first looked at how many students recommended specific products, and we chose the two most popular picks. These happened to be the same product in different sizes! We then took into account the average ratings of the respective mattress toppers — students rated their recommendations on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a product they loved and would “definitely recommend.” Even though a greater number of students had the runner-up, the winner was still a very popular pick and rated much higher, so it got our top spot. 

The most highly-rated mattress topper from our college student survey respondents was this plush memory foam 3-inch topper that has a cooling gel infusion. (For both mattress toppers, students mentioned that they can move around as you sleep, so you might want to consider securing it with bed straps.) With a 9.4 average rating, students had such great things to say about this product, we’ll let them speak for themselves. 

• “I LOVED this mattress topper! It is a cheap price compared to some name brands, which have toppers that are close to $200. I would say the quality is better than name brand. It is so soft and it made me sleep better than my own bed back home. It’s also memory foam so I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud.” —Allison M., Stephen F. Austin State University, Class of 2028
• “Really thick and comfy; [it] molded to my body. I’ve been using it two years in a row, no complaints at all. Great quality has lasted a really long time and won’t need to replace.” —Brianna F., Roger Williams University, Class of 2027
• “It’s thick enough that I can’t feel the springs in the bad mattress the school provides. It’s also a reasonable price.” —Julia L., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Class of 2026
• “The three inch topper was very pillowy and cushioned. When paired with a mattress protector it stayed in place well.” —Abigail C., Savannah College of Art and Design, Class of 2024

If you’re looking for a more affordable option, the winning topper also comes in a less expensive 2-inch version. Though it’s not as plush as the 3-inch version, students still raved about how cozy this topper is and gave it an 8.4 average rating. Students also loved the cooling gel in the topper that keeps the bed from getting too hot. 

• “This thing is insanely comfy. It feels like sleeping on a cloud, but not the kind that swallows you whole. You still get support, especially around your lower back and shoulders. I noticed a difference after the first night. No more tossing and turning or waking up sore.” —Ava P., Texas State University, Class of 2028
• “Perfect size, affordable, something I still use regularly (I am about to start my junior year of college!)” —Valerie P., College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University, Class of 2027
• “Super comfy!! I loved it, fit perfectly, and the price is super great.” —Claudia B., University of Oklahoma, Class of 2028