Let’s start by explaining how mattress protectors and mattress pads are two different, yet both useful tools to enhance your bed and mattress.
A mattress pad is usually a quilted, thick piece of fabric that sits on top of your mattress under your sheets and bedding. A mattress pad can only protect your mattress from external factors such as bacteria, dust, and allergens to a certain extent.
It is mainly a piece to add to a bed in an effort to create a more comfortable sleeping surface.
A mattress pad is a temporary solution to a mattress that is not your ideal level of comfort or perhaps to enhance a mattress that has been used for some time.
If you have a new mattress, you likely don’t need a mattress pad, regardless of the type of mattress (i.e., spring, foam, etc.).
Unlike a mattress pad, a mattress protector is a valuable and necessary element that can help maintain your mattress’s quality and its cleanliness.
Like a mattress pad, a mattress protector lays on top of your mattress, under your sheets. It fits your bed similar to the way a fitted sheet does.
However, a mattress protector is most commonly use to do exactly that–protect your mattress from liquids, dust, bacteria, sweat, and dust mites.