Mattress Protector vs Mattress Pad

Three products, three jobs, and the words get used interchangeably almost everywhere. That is a problem when you are buying protection, because the difference between a protector and an encasement is the difference between a spill guard and a bed bug barrier. Here is what each one actually does.

Mattress pad

A pad is quilted. It adds a soft layer between the sleeper and the mattress, and on a waterproof pad that quilting sits over a membrane that stops liquid reaching the mattress. It attaches with anchor bands or a fitted skirt, so it covers the sleeping surface and nothing else. Pads come off the bed and go through the wash the same way sheets do.

Buy a pad when the mattress is uncomfortable, or when you want spill protection with some cushioning. A pad will not stop an insect and does not pretend to.

Mattress protector

A protector is thin. There is no quilting and no cushioning, just a barrier layer, usually fitted like a sheet so it wraps the top and the sides and leaves the underside open. It changes nothing about how the bed feels, which is the point.

Buy a protector when the mattress is fine and you want it to stay that way. Incontinence, kids, pets, guest rooms, anywhere a liquid accident is a question of when rather than whether.

Mattress encasement

An encasement is a zippered box. It goes over the entire mattress and closes, so all six sides are covered, including the bottom and the corners. That total enclosure is what makes it a pest barrier: a bed bug cannot reach the mattress from outside, and anything already inside cannot get out to feed.

The zipper is where cheap encasements fail, because a standard zipper leaves a gap at the pull big enough for an insect to pass. Our BedBug Solution® encasements close that gap with the patented BugStop® Seal, U.S. Patent No. 8,413,276.

Buy an encasement when bed bugs are the concern, whether you are treating an active problem or protecting a property that turns over guests. An encasement stays on the mattress permanently and is not part of the weekly laundry cycle.

Side by side

Which one do you need?

Bed bugs, confirmed or feared. An encasement, on the mattress and the box spring both. Nothing else on this page will do it. Start with the Elite if the bed is guest-facing or you want a quiet knit, or the 6-gauge vinyl if you are protecting volume and price matters more than feel.

Spills, accidents, incontinence. A fitted protector if you want the bed to feel unchanged, or a quilted pad if you would also like it softer.

Allergies and asthma. The cotton encasement for a breathable barrier with no plastic, or the Elite if you need the allergen barrier and waterproofing in one.

Buying for a property. Hotels, student housing, healthcare and senior living almost always specify encasements on the mattress and the box spring, then a launderable pad on top that housekeeping changes between guests. See wholesale and bulk pricing for case packs.

Can you use them together?

Yes, and on a commercial bed it is the normal setup. The encasement goes on first and stays on for the life of the mattress. A pad goes over it and comes off for laundering. The encasement protects the asset, the pad protects the encasement and handles the day-to-day. Doubling up on waterproof layers is the one combination worth avoiding, since a waterproof pad over a waterproof encasement adds heat without adding protection.

Common questions

What is the difference between a mattress protector and a mattress encasement?

A protector covers the top and sides of the mattress like a fitted sheet and leaves the underside open. An encasement zips completely shut around all six sides, including the bottom. Both can be waterproof. Only the encasement is a bed bug barrier, because a bed bug simply walks under the open edge of a protector.

Do I need a mattress pad if I already have a protector?

Only if you want the bed to feel softer. A waterproof protector already blocks liquid, so a pad adds cushioning rather than protection. Many commercial properties use both anyway, because the pad takes the wear and goes through the laundry while the protector or encasement stays on the mattress.

Which one actually stops bed bugs?

Only a zippered encasement. It has to seal on all six sides, and the zipper has to close completely, because a standard zipper leaves a gap at the pull that an insect can pass through. Our BedBug Solution encasements use the patented BugStop Seal, U.S. Patent No. 8,413,276, to close that gap. Encase the box spring as well as the mattress, since bed bugs harbor in both.

Can I use a mattress pad and an encasement at the same time?

Yes. The encasement goes on first and stays on for the life of the mattress, then the pad goes over it and comes off for laundering. Avoid stacking two waterproof layers, though. A waterproof pad over a waterproof encasement traps heat without adding any protection.

Are all mattress encasements waterproof?

No. Waterproofing and bed bug protection are separate features. Our vinyl and BedBug Solution Elite encasements are waterproof. The AllergyCare cotton encasement is a woven allergen barrier with no membrane, so it breathes and is not waterproof. Check the specification rather than assuming that a zipper means a liquid barrier.

How do I know which depth to order?

Measure the height of the mattress on its own, without the box spring or the bed frame, and choose the closest depth. Encasements are sold by depth as well as by size, and a depth that is too shallow will not zip closed. If you are between two depths, size up.