The Amazon Basics Mattress Protector is so cheap − but does the performance match the price?

The Amazon Basics Mattress Protector is a jack of all trades and master of none. For a little less than $30, it should protect your bed from spills and stains, but it lacks any special features to set it apart from the crowd.

As an H&G sleep expert, I'm part of the search to find the world's best mattress protector. For the sake of a fair fight, I assess each mattress protector against the same criteria: comfort; cooling; waterproofing; and the all-important cost. The Amazon Basics Mattress Protector is perfectly functional, but it doesn't really excel in any area.

I tested the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector for three months last summer. Although I wouldn't recommend it for nightly use in your master bedroom, it's a great budget buy for use in your guest bedroom. You could save even more money on the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector when you shop the mattress sales.

Amazon Basics Mattress Protector review

This article should tell you everything you need to know about the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector, from who it suits to what it costs. To give you the fullest possible picture of what it might be like to use this product, I've compared my findings with verified customer reviews.

Amazon Basics Mattress Protector Specifications

Who would the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector suit?

• Buyers on a budget: retailing for $26.99, the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector is highly affordable – just don't expect the performance to outstrip the price.
• Anyone afraid of bed bugs: after months of testing, I can confirm that the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector is the best mattress protector to combat bed bugs, as well as dirt, dust, and dander.
• Anyone with a guest bed: if you've taken the trouble to invest in the best mattress for a guest room, then you should spend another $30 to safeguard it from sweat, spills, and stains. The Amazon Basics Mattress Protector offers six-sided mattress protection for your overnight guests.
• Anyone looking to move or store their mattress: the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector is more of a mattress encasement, offering a 360° shield from dust and dirt.

What's it like to sleep on the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector?

To be honest, I couldn't wait to finish testing the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector and go back to my old faithful, the Sijo TempTune Cooling Mattress Protector. I slept on the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector during a heatwave: since it's made from polyester, it didn't do me any favors when it comes to keeping cool.

For the first few nights of testing, I could feel the polyester fabric through the sheets. I could feel the ridges of the protector, hard and plasticky, through my super-soft fitted sheet. Once the mattress protector flattened out a little, it didn't feel so bad, but that was strike two against cooling and comfort.

Then, there was the noise. Polyester has a synthetic composition, which means it makes a sort of squeaking sound as it moves. Even though the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector sits tight to the bed, the snug fit doesn't stop the sound of friction with every toss and turn.

On a more positive note, the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector is waterproof. When I poured a cup of water onto my mattress protector, the water sat on top of the surface, as rain does on an umbrella, and I was able to mop it up without anything seeping through.

Getting the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector onto my bed was no easy task. This is a full mattress encasement, which means it wraps underneath the bed and around the sides, as well as on top. I had to lift my mattress enough to slip it inside the case, then run around to the other side and fit the next corners. The whole process could have been a lot quicker with an extra pair of hands, so I suggest you ask a friend or family member for help.

How does the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector rate online?

The Amazon Basics Mattress Protector boasts a 4.6 average star rating from more than 8,000 verified customer reviews. Happy customers praise the quality and durability of the mattress protector. One reviewer has consistently bought the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector for the last 10 years and writes: 'We've enjoyed years of reliable, sturdy, and effective covers that stand up to dogs, rambunctious kids, and the test of time'.

There are a smattering of more mixed reviews. Some sleepers argue that the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector is too tight to fit deep-pocket mattresses and several other shoppers noticed the unpleasant squeaking noise you get when you move around in bed.

Should I buy the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector?

It all depends how much you're prepared to spend on a mattress protector. If all you want is something cheap to keep your bed clean and dry, then the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector would do the job. However, I'd say that other mattress protectors offer a better balance of quality and cost. For example, the Saatva Waterproof Mattress Protector costs six times as much as the Amazon Basics Mattress Protector, but it's made from natural materials for top-quality cooling and waterproofing.