Written by Tony Klespis, Staff Writer
Not everyone needs a thick, slow-moving memory foam mattress topper to make their mattress just right. Some only need one to add the finishing touch of a soft, plush layer to create the ultimate sleep experience. If the latter sounds like you, then the Brooklinen mattress topper is one to consider.
In my unbiased Brooklinen mattress topper review, I’ll cover everything you need to know about this topper from the popular online brand. I’ll go over my testing and sleeping experience with it, its materials, price, and much more.
Brooklinen Down Alternative Mattress Topper
The Brooklinen Down Alternative topper uses a microgel fiber that mimics the plush feel of down without using animal products.
Brooklinen Mattress Topper Overview
Here at Mattress Clarity, we’ve reviewed a number of Brooklinen’s products. From its Classic, Luxe, and Flannel sheet sets to the down and down alternative pillows, we’ve found Brooklinen is a brand dedicated to making high-quality bedding products.
Overall Rating
The brand only makes one mattress topper, the Brooklinen Down Alternative mattress topper, for those who want to add some additional comfort to their mattress. Here’s a quick overview of the topper before we get into the nitty gritty:
| Who Should Get the Brooklinen Mattress Topper? | Who Shouldn’t Get the Brooklinen Mattress Topper? |
| People who want to add some padding to their mattress | People who want a thick topper |
| Shoppers on a budget | Fans of memory foam toppers |
| Stomach sleepers | Side sleepers who need pressure relief |
Brooklinen Mattress Topper Firmness & Feel
Because toppers are intended to change your mattress’s feel and firmness, let’s cover these categories first for the Brooklinen mattress topper.
What’s the Brooklinen Mattress Topper’s Firmness?
I would classify this topper as more of a mattress pad. It’s not incredibly thick and, because of that, I thought that this topper was incredibly soft and plush. This is pretty common for down alternative mattress toppers.
I tested this mattress topper on top of the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress. At Mattress Clarity, we rate a mattress’s firmness on a scale from one to 10, with 6.5/10 being medium-firm. The Midnight Luxe falls right at medium-firm. With the Brooklinen mattress topper, I didn’t notice much firmness adjustment.
The Midnight Luxe already has a plush memory foam top, so the Brooklinen topper didn’t make it feel any softer. If you have an innerspring mattress like the Saatva Classic mattress, however, you might feel a little more plushness on top. I would say this topper will adjust a mattress’s firmness, at best, by about half a point.
What Does the Brooklinen Mattress Topper Feel Like?
This topper offers a thin layer of down alternative to the top of your mattress. Just like how it feels in pillows, down alternative feels soft and plush. If you put this topper on your mattress, you’ll get more of a pillow-top look and feel to your mattress. This makes it a good pick if you have a mattress that’s nearly perfect, but could benefit from a little bit of cushioning on the top.
Sleeping on the Brooklinen Mattress Topper
To start my testing, I quickly switched between the three sleeping positions to see how the Brooklinen mattress topper felt in each. Since this is a rather thin topper, almost more akin to a mattress pad, it added some slight cushioning and a pillow top feel, but most of what I felt came from the top comfort layer of the Helix Midnight Luxe (which was what I tested the topper on).
Starting out on my back, I felt fairly comfortable here. Thanks to the Midnight’s plush top I got a good amount of body contouring. The topper added some slight cushioning, but while resting on my back, it was largely unnoticeable that I was on a topper.
Moving on to my side, I still felt comfortable, but again it was thanks to the Midnight Luxe. Side sleepers who need to significantly soften their mattress might not get what they need with this topper. I felt little pressure here, but for those that have mattresses with thin comfort layers, I doubt this topper would provide enough pressure relief.
Moving to my stomach, I felt my hips sink in, but again that was because of the Midnight. If you have a mattress that’s much firmer, but want some additional plush comfort, this is a good option for stomach sleeping. But if your mattress is already medium-firm or soft, I don’t see this topper adding any additional support.
30-60 Min Nap with the Brooklinen Mattress Topper
I’m naturally a side sleeper, so I tested this topper out on my side for my nap test. The nap test helps me assess a few different factors. From how hot or cold the topper will feel when I get out of bed to how easy it is to move around on it, the nap test is our most true-to-life test we perform.
As someone who can’t stay in one position for the entire night, the Brooklinen mattress topper made things easy to move around on. The Midnight Luxe has a thick comfort layer that some might sink into, so if you toss and turn like I do, this topper might help you feel less stuck.
I’m also a hot sleeper, and after about an hour I didn’t really notice any hot spots developing, nor did I feel like I had to change positions to a cooler side of the bed.
As I’ve mentioned, though, this topper is more like a mattress pad, so it didn’t really soften the mattress I was testing it out on. It slightly changed the feel of the memory foam comfort layer and it was easy to move around on, but if you need something to significantly soften your mattress, this isn’t the best choice.
Average-Weight Sleepers – 130 lb – 230 lb
Average-weight sleepers who have a memory foam mattress that’s a bit difficult to move around on might see benefits from the Brooklinen mattress topper. Because this topper doesn’t significantly soften a mattress, back and side sleepers who don’t want to feel stuck in their beds should find this easier to move around on.
Average-weight stomach sleepers who want to add a pillow top feel to their mattresses should find just that, so long as their mattress is firm enough to support their hips. If your mattress is too soft, this topper won’t offer enough support.
Heavyweight Sleepers – Over 230 lb
As a heavyweight sleeper myself, I don’t really recommend this topper to people who are like me. Especially if you’re a heavyweight side sleeper who needs to soften your mattress. This topper won’t offer enough pressure relief on a firm mattress. Heavyweight back and stomach sleepers who prefer firm beds but want a plush down alternative layer on top should get some additional comfort here, however.
RELATED: Best Mattress Toppers for Heavy People
Lightweight Sleepers – Less than 130 lb
Lightweight back and stomach sleepers should enjoy this topper. Because of how thin it is, it’s ideal for those who have an almost perfect mattress, but want a pillow top feel for some extra cushioning. Side sleepers with firm mattresses should look into getting a thick memory foam topper to get the pressure relief they need.
Brooklinen Mattress Topper Construction
Let’s take a look at the materials that go into the Brooklinen mattress topper.
Cover
The bulk of this topper’s cover is made out of 100% cotton. This topper fits on your mattress like a fitted sheet, and both the top cover and the skirt are made out of cotton. This cotton feels slightly crisp and breathable so it shouldn’t trap too much heat. The bottom layer of the cover is made up of a waterproof barrier.
The pockets are 18” deep, meaning they can cover taller mattresses, about 15” tall, comfortably.
Comfort Layer
Inside the cotton cover is a microgel down alternative material. To keep the fill evenly distributed, the cotton cover is sewn through into a grid pattern (also called a baffle box), which prevents lumping and clumping of the material.
Topper Height
Brooklinen doesn’t list a topper height for the topper, but it’s roughly one inch thick.
Brooklinen Mattress Topper Size Options & Price Chart
Take a look at our chart below to learn more about the Brooklinen Mattress Topper’s price points and size options. Note: Prices do not include discounts.
| Size | Price |
| Full | $109 |
| Queen | $129 |
| King | $145 |
| California King | $145 |
Brooklinen Down Alternative Mattress Topper
The Brooklinen Down Alternative topper uses a microgel fiber that mimics the plush feel of down without using animal products.
Brooklinen Mattress Topper Performance
Let’s cover a few more performance details you should know about the Brooklinen mattress topper.
Sleeping Hot or Cold
While there aren’t any specific cooling innovations going into this topper, after my nap test, I didn’t notice the topper trapping a lot of heat. I think this is because the topper isn’t super thick to begin with, so it’s not like I was sinking into the topper, where my body heat could be reflected back. Cotton is fairly breathable as well, so hot sleepers generally shouldn’t worry about overheating here.
Durability
With good care, the Brooklinen mattress topper should last around three years. While it’s not very thick, the down alternative filling shouldn’t fall too flat, and you won’t have to worry about sagging. Plus, being machine-washable means it’s easy to clean and you can fluff it up in the dryer.
Off-Gassing
Because this topper isn’t made with memory foam, it didn’t need to expand once I took it out of the packaging. I will say, it was pretty wrinkly once I took it out of the packaging. But because this is already going under a fitted sheet, this shouldn’t be much of an issue in terms of how it feels or performs on your bed. This topper is ready to go once you unpackage it.
Cleaning
The Brooklinen topper is completely machine-washable. Brooklinen recommends washing it in a cool or cold water cycle and then tumble drying on low heat. There’s no suggestion on what kind of detergent to use, but a mild detergent should work fine. I also would not recommend using bleach, as most brands don’t recommend washing products with bleach.
Allergens
While not listed as a hypoallergenic product, down alternative products are usually recommended for those with allergies. This is because down alternative will not trap allergens like down can. Coupled with the fact that this is a washable topper, you’ll be able to eliminate dirt and dust mites that way as well.
Company Policies
Here’s a quick rundown of the policies Brooklinen offers on all orders.
Warranty
Brooklinen offers a limited one-year warranty on all products.
Sleep Trial
Most Brooklinen products have a 365-day return window. So you’ll have an entire year to determine if the Brooklinen mattress topper is a perfect match or not.
Return Policy
If you do end up returning the Brooklinen mattress topper, there is a $9.95 return shipping fee that will be taken from your refund amount.
How Does the Brooklinen Mattress Topper Compare to Other Toppers?
Let’s see how the Brooklinen mattress topper stacks up to two other popular toppers from Parachute and Dreamfoam.
Brooklinen vs Parachute
Down alternative is named such because it’s a synthetic replacement for down feathers. Parachute’s down topper (also called a featherbed) is full of down and feathers, and boasts a 5” thickness to boot. If you’re dealing with a firm mattress and want to surround yourself with a giant down pillow, this is a great choice for side and back sleepers, and fans of down.
However, the Brooklinen mattress topper will work better for stomach sleepers who have a firm bed, but want to add a thinner, pillow top layer to the top of their mattress. This topper is more like a mattress pad, so it only adds a little bit of extra comfort to the top of a mattress. If you’re on a budget, and need something with easy care, the Brooklinen topper is the way to go.
| Who Should Get the Brooklinen Topper? | Who Should Get the Parachute Topper? |
| Stomach sleepers | People who need to significantly soften a mattress |
| People who need a machine-washable topper | Fans of down toppers |
Read our full Parachute mattress topper review.
Brooklinen vs Dreamfoam
Many of us are familiar with toppers that are a single piece of foam that we fit under our fitted sheet. These are often quick, cheap fixes for mattresses, so if that’s all you need to soften a mattress, the Dreamfoam topper is a solid choice because of that. Not only that, it has a gel swirl running throughout the foam so it won’t trap heat like other foam toppers.
The Dreamfoam topper will work best for side sleepers who need some additional pressure relief on their beds. But if you’re mostly a stomach sleeper, or are a combination sleeper of sorts, you may want to check out the Brooklinen topper. Because it’s much thinner than the Dreamfoam, and it’s made of a down alternative, it won’t soften your mattress by much. But it secures to your mattress like a second fitted sheet and makes your mattress easy to move around on.
| Who Should Get the Brooklinen Topper? | Who Should Get the Dreamfoam Topper? |
| People who want to secure a topper to their mattress | Fans of memory foam toppers |
| Stomach sleepers | Side sleepers |
Read our full Dreamfoam mattress topper review.
Brooklinen Mattress Topper FAQs
Is two or three inches better for a mattress topper?
I would consider two to three inches the sweet spot for mattress toppers. But deciding which one is best for you depends on a few factors. When picking the thickness for your mattress topper, you should consider your sleeping position and body type. Side sleepers and heavyweight individuals do better with thick toppers, while back and average-to-lightweight sleepers do better with thinner toppers.
Stomach sleepers might not need a topper at all considering they do best with firm mattresses to keep their hips elevated. Thin toppers like the Brooklinen mattress topper are the way to go if you do want a topper.
What if I don’t like my Brooklinen mattress topper?
You have 365 days to make exchange or return decisions on this topper. Brooklinen offers refunds on all orders, but a $9.95 shipping fee will be deducted from the amount should you choose to send the topper back.
Should you size up your sheets if you have a mattress topper?
You shouldn’t need to get a bigger size set of sheets if you have a mattress topper. However, because toppers add height to your mattress, you may want to make sure you have deep pocket sheets, which we have a full round up for. Luckily the Brooklinen mattress topper is thin enough that your current fitted sheet should still fit comfortably around your bed.
