Is An IKEA Mattress Protector A Smart Purchase?

Whether you spent $200 or $800 on your current mattress, it's in your best interest (for the near and long-term future) to protect it as best as possible. Mattress protectors can take the worry and work out of keeping your mattress safe — and not using one is a mistake that can ruin your mattress. Kids, pets, food, and general wear and tear can give your mattress a run for its money and once enough grossness has permeated through the cover, redeeming the mattress may be futile. Furniture retail giant IKEA offers a number of mattress protectors, but the company's underwhelming performance in the mattress department leads to questions about whether buying an affordably priced protector from them is a smart choice. 

IKEA offers eight mattress protectors, all of which are under $70 (some as cheap as $18). Generally, the mattress protectors from IKEA are well-reviewed (GRUSNARV and ROSENVIAL are two of IKEA's best-selling mattress protectors). Numerous models offer waterproof capabilities, which could be an ideal option for families with younger children or those who want their mattresses to stay in great condition for as long as possible. If affordability is a top priority, IKEA could be a great place to look.

Feedback on IKEA mattress protectors is mostly positive, although specific models perform better than others. SOTNÄTFJÄRIL, for example, has 4.3 stars. Many customers love the elastic bands that easily slip over the four corners, but some individuals state that this particular protector gets bunched up under the sheets. For a more secure mattress protector, the VIPPVEDEL is said to fit snugly over the mattress and not move around. The ROSENVIAL is one of the best-loved protectors from IKEA and contains cooling properties ideal for individuals who feel too warm at night.  

Regularly washing your mattress protector is important and cleaning your IKEA protector on laundry day is straightforward: simply read the tag for temperature instructions (many are washable at high heat, to kill off any dust mite populations), wash, dry, and return to your mattress. Even if your mattress isn't an IKEA product, mattress protectors from the Swedish retail giant are versatile and can work with other brands of bedding, making them a practical purchase. Remember to always check the measurements of your particular mattress, though, because there is always the chance that an extra thick mattress will struggle to accommodate a standard mattress protector.

Although IKEA's mattress protectors are generally well-reviewed, not every consumer will be happy with them. There is no denying that IKEA can compete on price, but measuring performance in long-term quality and material transparency may be a fuzzier process. Discerning consumers interested in high-end or specialty materials (such as exclusively natural or organic fibers), will be unimpressed by IKEA's offerings. Their mattress protectors — like many other brands — contain synthetic fabrics, namely lyocell and polyester, and you won't find any organic offerings on their site. While IKEA's brand states that they don't use harmful chemicals in their textiles, their mattress protectors lack OEKO-TEX certification — a third-party certification that tests every part of a product for harmful chemicals.

Another reason to choose a different brand over IKEA is the sheer number of product offerings. Though IKEA has a handful of products in the category of mattress protectors, they have nowhere near the number of offerings you would find if you branched out to other brands across sites like Amazon. To put it more concisely, IKEA presents some good basic mattress protectors, but consumers who prefer more options would be best suited to looking elsewhere.