Highest Rated Hypoallergenic Mattresses for Allergy Sufferers for 2023

Yes, mattresses can indeed trigger allergies. While grass, dust, and pollen are common offenders for sneezing and wheezing, your mattress can trap a host of allergens with the potential to irritate your air pathways and even affect your health long term.

Four main mattress culprits often cause allergies:

1. Fecal matter from dust mites – This is incredibly gross but a reality in many innerspring mattresses. Dust mites are tiny, and you can’t see them without a microscope, so don’t expect to notice them in your bed. These feed on the flakes of your skin and other organic matter, and they thrive in humid conditions. Their hard shells and feces can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms¹.
2. Chemical components – Regulations encompassing the required use of a fire retardant combined with the tendency of some companies to cut corners by using cheap, synthetic materials mean you’ve got to be on the lookout for a mattress that’s made with the right stuff.
3. Mold and mildew – If you live in a moisture-rich environment or are a sweaty sleeper, it could lead to the growth of copious amounts of mold and mildew, both of which cause allergies and asthma.
4. Pet dander – We love our pets, but if you’re allergic, letting them sleep in bed with you could worsen the problem. The issue could intensify if your pets spend time outdoors and pick up all the other environmental allergens. You may need to leave pets out of the bedroom.

If you’d rather not go to this extreme, consider training your pet to sleep on its own bed inside the room, or if you think that it's time for an upgrade, you can get a new mattress with features that take allergies and asthma into account.

Being congested, sneezing, and having itchy, watery eyes or a constantly running nose are all bound to keep you up at night. People who are congested find it nearly impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position as their sinuses drain from one side to the other.

Feeling itchy, whether it’s the eyes or the roof of the mouth, can also cause enough discomfort to prevent restful sleep. For some, these allergy symptoms are seasonal and temporary, but for those sleeping on a mattress that’s triggering the allergies, the problem can last year-round and lead to chronic sleep deprivation.

Being up at night with allergies naturally leads to fatigue during the day. To make matters worse, many people take allergy medication. Unless you get a non-drowsy formula, these over-the-counter solutions could cause even further sleepiness.

Allergies, also referred to as allergic rhinitis, are linked to sleep apnea². Specifically, the type that patients tend to experience is OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This condition occurs when the muscles in your throat relax to the point where it closes off or obstructs your breathing airway.

The result is being jerked awake to trigger or remind your body to resume breathing. Some patients report being conscious of waking up, while others don’t realize they’ve been roused out of sleep. People with sleep apnea can be woken up anywhere from half a dozen times per night to hundreds.

Allergy sufferers are prone to sleep apnea because the congestion narrows the airways, making it more likely to wake up due to the inability to breathe.

In general, sleeping on your back is considered one of the healthiest sleep positions. Unless you have allergies, that is. Sleeping on your back can narrow or block your airways³, making it that much more difficult to breathe with allergies. It’s also the most likely position to trigger sleep apnea episodes⁴.

Sleeping on one’s side may be the best choice, though if you’re feeling congested, you run the risk of having to switch positions as your sinuses drain from side to side.

Get More Info: How to Sleep on Your Side

Another thing you can try is sleeping in a slightly upright position. This might allow for better sinus drainage, which should help alleviate your symptoms. If you try this position, consider using a supportive neck pillow to prevent your neck from flexing unnaturally to one side as you move into the deeper stages of sleep.

There are a few options that work best. Look for sheets that can be washed in hot water. Many labels caution against that and suggest warm water. However, hot water is best for sterilization and eliminating critters.

Also, look for tightly woven fabrics like microfiber. Again, this prevents any unwanted pests from burrowing.

View Our Full Guide: Top Rated Sheets

The most important factor to consider with your pillows is moisture avoidance. Also, seek out natural fabrics like wool, cotton, and latex. Not only are they naturally hypoallergenic, but they also wick away moisture. Some people may be allergic to either wool or latex.

If so, choose the pillow type you’re not allergic to, or play it safe with organic cotton.

Read More: Best Pillows Guide

If you're allergy-prone, a hypoallergenic mattress cover is a great idea. They can stop dust mites, and therefore allergies, in their tracks by creating a barrier between you and any mites in your mattress. Without access to their food source, the mites will die.

Another benefit of a hypoallergenic mattress cover is that if you’re allergic to any part of your mattress (latex, for example), the cover shields you from the material that could cause a reaction.

This is a huge tip to sleep better with allergies. HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. In layman’s terms, these filters trap all the gunk floating around in your bedroom. Things like pollen, pet dander, smoke, and even dust mites get trapped in the filter and stop circulating around the room and into your respiratory system.

In addition to being effective at battling indoor allergies, they’re also reasonably priced. There are fancy options ranging from 500 to 1,000 dollars, but you can also find highly ranked brands at less than 100 dollars.

There’s a delicate balance between the air that’s too dry and a moisture-rich environment that promotes the growth of mold and mildew. If you live in a dry climate, consider a humidifier, but make sure to clean it regularly. On the other hand, if you’ve got a room with too much moisture, a dehumidifier may be what you need to combat mold and make the air easier to breathe.

Get More Info: Best Humidifier for Asthma

You may not be allergic to your pet, but their fur can trap all kinds of triggers from the outside world. For example, if they walk outside, they’re tracking in dirt and pollen. You’ll want to wipe their paws before they enter the house.

Also, make sure you brush your pets regularly. Not only is this necessary for their health, but it helps rid their fur of the allergens that keep you up at night. Because they carry all that on their fur, it’s often best to remove pets from the bedroom entirely, especially during peak allergy season.

Some enthusiastic pet lovers have mixed feelings about this tactic. If that sounds like you, you can try the other options first and then relegating to them to another part of the house only if needed.

Looking for more info? Check out our complete guide to sleeping with pets.

You’ve heard of overly meticulous people ironing their jeans, but have you ever considered vacuuming your mattress? It may seem over the top, but this method works wonders in reducing allergies. It helps remove dust mite feces, and dead skin cells.

We also strongly suggest changing your sheets once per week. If you’ve got a particularly intense case of allergies, you may even want to change your pillowcase daily. Not only could this reduce your allergy symptoms, but it will also feel like you’re climbing into a new bed each night.

As a reminder, wash your sheets on hot and dry them on the highest setting possible. Check the label before you do so. If your current sheets can’t handle those temperatures, get sheets that can. It turns out that warm water kills less than 10% of dust mites, but hot water should kill a much higher percentage!

Need more details? Read how often should you wash your sheets in our complete guide.

Have you ever noticed that spicy foods clear out your sinuses? The same effect can be observed with some essential oils, like peppermint and eucalyptus. These oils contain anti-inflammatory properties⁵, which help reduce nasal congestion.

As an added benefit, peppermint essential oil rubbed at the temples has been shown to reduce headaches⁶.

Interested in exploring further? Follow our guide to the best essential oils for sleep.

Natural materials tend to be best for asthma. Chemicals, additives, and dyes may trigger an attackattack and make breathing more difficult. Materials that work well are:

• Bamboo: naturally resists dust mites, mold, and mildew
• Silk: has the same properties as bamboo but feels softer
• Cotton: resists moisture buildup and breathes well
• Wool: wicks away moisture and resists dust mites

Check Out Our Full Comparison: Bamboo vs. Cotton Sheets

Latex mattresses can have significant advantages for allergy sufferers because the material is naturally resistant to dust mites, bacteria, and mold—all things that can stir up a reaction.

Even though latex mattresses are more resistant to dust mites, they’re not completely immune. If there’s a food source to be found on the surface (i.e. your dead skin cells or pet dander), dust mites will still feast away. However, latex is less likely to attract them in the first place.

The best insurance against dust mites in a mattress is to keep it clean by vacuuming it regularly and washing your sheets weekly in hot water.

Read More: How To Remove Dust Mites from your Mattress

It's possible, but people with latex allergies can typically sleep on latex beds without issues. According to research, most folks with latex allergies⁷  experience minor skin irritations from direct contact, so you should be fine with a bed that’s wrapped in flame retardant “sock” and an outer cover.

If your reaction to this material is severe, synthetic latex may be a safer bet. Either way, you should seek your doctor's opinion before purchasing a latex mattress.

Yes, but with one caution. Cheaper memory foam mattresses have a habit of off-gassing. This is when the chemical compounds that make up the mattress break down and create an odor. While this odor hasn’t been linked to any long-term health risks (yet), it has been known to trigger allergy symptoms.

Therefore, if you’re buying a memory foam bed, make sure you choose one with certifications like CertiPUR-US® and OEKO-TEX®. The recommendations we’ve provided in this guide have qualities that should be beneficial for allergy sufferers.

Need more info? Find out more about toxic materials in foam beds here.