Encasings for mattresses and pillows can help against allergies – but there are a few important points you should keep in mind. With recommendations from Stiftung Warentest & helpful tips for buying.
Encasing covers for mattresses are primarily intended to protect allergy sufferers against dust mites.
- But how good are these covers, how do they work and what are the alternatives?
- Those who suffer from allergies are always looking for ways to improve their quality of life.
I have researched for you whether encasing covers for mattresses can actually help you, or whether they are just expensive extras that have little effect.
In the article you will find detailed information as well as some selected product recommendations. Among other things, it’s about the questions
- How do encasing covers for mattresses work?
- How effective are encasings?
- Which products are recommended for allergy sufferers?
Here is an overview of the individual chapters of the article:
I am sure that after reading this, you will be able to better decide whether it is worthwhile for you to buy encasing covers for mattresses. I have also put together some interesting alternatives for you.
If you are looking for a quick recommendation, you can take a look at these encasing covers:
Here we continue with the actual guide.
Index
What are encasing covers for mattresses?
The term encasings refers to covers for mattresses that offer allergy sufferers special protection.
Sooner or later, house dust mites will inevitably nestle in the mattresses of our beds. Allergy sufferers are extremely sensitive to their faeces.
The main idea of the encasing is to avoid direct contact between the mattress and the person.
The special protective covers have such a fine structure that even the millimeter-sized mite droppings cannot penetrate them.
The effect is promising: since there is no direct contact, there is no allergic reaction. At least that’s the theory.
Note : Encasing comes from the English verb “to encase”, which means “to cover or to encase”. Encasing covers are known as protective covers for mattresses.
There are also encasings for pillows, mattress toppers and duvets.
What to look for when buying
If you have understood the principle of the encasing covers, it is also relatively easy to understand the most important quality features of this product.
The denser the structure of the encasing, the better it protects people from house mites.
You should pay attention to these quality features when buying an encasing cover:
- Passage size maximum 0.5 micrometers
- Breathable materials
- durability
- Low in pollutants
In the following I will go into more detail on the quality features mentioned:
The opening size of the encasings is decisive for the effectiveness of the cover.
According to experts, protection against allergic substances is only guaranteed if particles that are larger than 0.5 micrometers cannot penetrate the protective cover.
Tip : Before buying an encasing cover for mattresses, be sure to ask about the passage size of the material.
Since the structure of the covers is very tight, people who tend to sweat while sleeping can have problems.
- Make sure that the materials used are breathable so that ventilation of the bed and mattress remains guaranteed.
- Some encasing covers lose their protective function over time due to regular washing.
For this reason, it is advisable to check whether the manufacturer gives guarantees or information about the durability of the encasing is available.
Chemical agents are often a cheap alternative to high quality encasings. Instead of a fine structure, chemical solutions are used to protect against mites.
However, these can lead to allergic reactions just like the actual allergy pathogens.
They also damage some materials in the mattress itself – natural latex mattresses , temperature- regulating gel mattresses and the comfortable mattresses made of visco foam are particularly sensitive.
To be on the safe side, you should buy pollution-free encasing covers.
Who needs encasings?
When it is written that encasings are primarily recommended for allergy sufferers, many forget that over ten percent of the German population suffer from allergies.
That is well over eight million people.
Anyone who suffers from frequently recurring conjunctivitis, frequent tearing of the eyes, sniffing, sneezing attacks, coughing or waking up with itchy stitches after sleep may be allergic to house dust mites.
Reading tip: This is how you can correctly identify mite bites .
Millions of house dust mites frolic in our beds.
- These are tiny and their excretions, which are responsible for most allergic reactions, are even smaller.
- A good protective cover (encasings) must therefore not be permeable to such small particles.
Together with thorough and regular cleaning, you can actually reduce or completely prevent allergic reactions.
But: They are not a miracle cure – depending on the severity of the allergy, they can only mitigate the negative consequences.
Personally, I’ve had great experiences with encasings like this: since I’ve been using them in my bedroom, my allergy symptoms have improved significantly.
A couple of the following points are required for optimal effect:
Care and handling
In order to maintain the effect of encasing covers, you should wash them regularly, but no later than every three months.
It is of great advantage if someone other than the allergy sufferer takes off the covers and puts them in the washing machine.
Note : after a while, after washing, the effect of the encasing covers may decrease. Pay attention to information about the shelf life when buying.
It is advisable to cover both beds in the bedroom with encasing covers for mattresses, even if only one partner suffers from allergies.
In addition to using protective covers, you should also generally clean the room thoroughly on a regular basis and – depending on the frequency of the complaints – possibly obtain additional covers for pillows and duvets.
What do the protective covers cost?
Fortunately, there are already relatively cheap encasing covers.
Even proven products are available in stores for well under 50 euros. The price depends on both the quality and the size of the protective cover.
When the Stiftung Warentest tested encasings for mattresses, the products that were offered by large department store chains (Quelle, Galeria Kaufhof) in particular failed the test.
Tip : look for branded products when buying. It’s worth paying a few euros more for better quality.
The best encasings in comparison – My recommendations
In this chapter I have put together some really recommendable products for you.
- In the Stiftung Warentest for encasing covers from 2017, four out of twelve models failed qualitatively.
- Instead of protecting against house dust mites, these were rated as deficient and ineffective.
Other models were not breathable or simply uncomfortable for users.
So when buying your mattress cover, make sure you look for quality and, if possible, tried and tested brands.
Inexpensive: Blumtal mattress covers for allergy sufferers
Many very positive reviews prove that a good encasing for mattresses does not always have to be expensive.
The Blumtal mattress cover for allergy sufferers is available on many websites for well under 50 euros.
You can choose to order this model in the sizes 90 × 200 or 140 × 200 centimeters. 100% mite protection is guaranteed, and the materials are also breathable.
The cover is washable at 95 degrees and you can even dry it in the dryer afterwards to use it again quickly.
Top quality: allsaneo Premium Encasing
A special microfiber fabric ensures that this cover not only protects perfectly against house dust mites, but also allows soft and comfortable sleep.
The materials used meet Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and the covers have received multiple awards in tests for mite protection covers.
You can wash the allsaneo encasing covers up to 95 degrees and dry them in the dryer.
Best seller: Third of Life mattress protectors
With almost 1000 reviews on amazon, this bestseller has many satisfied customers.
- The double bed mattress protector in size 180 × 200 centimeters is also convincing in terms of price.
- In addition to the mite protection, the encasing cover offers breathable materials and is washable at 90 degrees.
You can also select covers for other mattress sizes online.
In contrast to the covers presented above, which encompass the entire mattress, this encasing cover works like a fitted sheet, so it is open on the underside. This can reduce the protective function.
Alternatives
As already mentioned in the text, there are also special protective covers for duvets and pillows in addition to encasings for mattresses .
If you suffer from severe allergies, it is advisable to cover all parts of the bed with protective covers.
Allergy experts even recommend a drastic bedroom renovation.
If you buy new mattresses and bedding and encasing them directly, you prevent dust mites from nestling in the mattress or bedding right from the start.
If a mite infestation does occur, the protective covers prevent you from coming into contact with the allergens.
Here are some product recommendations for other encasing covers:
Encasing cover for pillows from allsana
A special pillowcase for allergy sufferers measuring 80 × 80 centimeters. The allsana brand produces very different protective covers for beds.
Blumtal mite pillow cover
Blumtal also has inexpensive offers for encasing covers for pillows , such as this double pillow set. The size of the pillow is 40 × 80 cm, 100% mite protection and breathable materials underline the quality.
Tauro duvet cover
This model is a good choice if you want to provide your duvet cover with an encasing cover in addition to your mattress and pillow.
In this link you will find further recommendations and a detailed guide to bed linen for allergy sufferers .
Ultrasound as an encasing alternative?
There are also ultrasound machines that are said to drive mites and other pests out of a room.
However, unlike, for example, adequately tested ultrasonic toothbrushes , there are no scientific studies that confirm this theory.
Chemical mite protection
Mite sprays are another alternative to protective covers. However, since the chemicals used in most sprays can also cause allergies, these are not recommended.
For the same reasons, you should not use covers that have been treated with chemical elements.
When buying protective covers, make sure that they are free of harmful substances and, if possible, meet Oeko-Tex Standard 100.
Home remedies
Tried and tested home remedies for house dust mites include hot washing or freezing.
However, these means are not really realistic for mattresses and are only suitable for pillows and duvets .
In addition, the killed mites can cause allergic reactions again after washing or freezing. The success is therefore very short-term.
Conclusion: high-quality encasings offer allergy sufferers protection from dust mites
My research has shown that good encasing covers are actually a good protective agent for allergy sufferers and can prevent sleep disorders .
If you look for quality when buying, many of the mite protective covers for mattresses available on the market can actually help to significantly reduce allergic reactions.
Well-proven models are also available for relatively small amounts, for example from amazon.
If you suffer from allergies, I would definitely recommend that you try out encasings for mattresses and bedding in addition to regular thorough cleaning of your bedroom.
I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.