Best Allergy Mattress and Pillow Covers: 8 Picks to Compare

What AAFA says about mattress and pillow covers

• AAFA's dust mite page says to cover mattresses and pillows in zippered allergen-barrier covers, which it describes as made of a material with pores too small to let dust mites and their waste product through, and to look for a Certified Asthma & Allergy Friendly mattress or pillow cover.
• Covers do not replace washing. AAFA says to wash sheets, blankets and throw rugs weekly in water at least 130°F, because even with covered mattresses and pillows, dust mites can still live in your bedding.
• AAFA also says to vacuum a mattress every 1 to 3 months, or more often if you do not have fully enclosed mattress allergen-barrier covers, and to replace pillows every 2 years and mattresses every 10 years.
• Certification is thin in this category. At time of writing, AAFA's certified list for mattress encasings and pads shows one product, the SIJO AiryWeight Eucalyptus Mattress Protector, and its pages for pillow encasings and protectors and for waterproof bedding each say there are none certified in the U.S. The other covers below rely on their makers' dust mite statements, which we cannot verify.

If allergy symptoms are severe or persistent, see a doctor. Covers are a way to reduce exposure, not a treatment, and this guide is shopping research rather than medical advice.

Encasement, protector or pillow cover: what to check before you buy

• Zip-around or fitted. A zippered encasement closes the mattress in on all six sides. A fitted-sheet-style protector, like SIJO's, covers the top and sides with elasticated corners. AAFA's vacuuming advice refers to fully enclosed covers.
• Depth. The picks list different maximum depths: Protect-A-Bed's linked encasement is for 11 to 18 inch mattresses (the brand also makes one for 6 to 11 inches), AllerEase and Utopia say up to 15 inches, Hospitology says 12 to 18 inches and SIJO says up to 20 inches. Measure your mattress, including any topper, before you choose.
• Size. Each button goes to the exact size named in the pick (a Queen mattress, a standard pillow). Other sizes are separate listings, so check the size on the page before you buy.
• Care labels differ. Protect-A-Bed says to machine wash in hot water (130°F), while the Utopia listing says only to machine wash and tumble dry on low. Follow the label on the cover you buy, and wash your sheets hot as AAFA advises.
• Waterproof is not the same as allergen-proof. Most of these covers are both, according to their makers, but the waterproof backing is for spills and the fabric barrier is what matters for dust mites.

8 picks and who each one suits

1. Protect-A-Bed AllerZip Deep Pocket Mattress Encasement, Queen

   Best for: A Queen mattress 11 to 18 inches deep that you want fully zipped in.

   The listing describes a six-sided zippered waterproof encasement that protects against bed bugs, dust mites and spills, fits mattresses 11 to 18 inches deep with stretch corners, and is machine washable in hot water (130°F). Protect-A-Bed's page names a patented BugLock zip closure and says the encasement is lab-certified dust mite and allergen barrier proof; that is the maker's statement, and AAFA's certified list does not name it.

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2. Protect-A-Bed AllerZip Pillow Protectors, Standard 2-Pack

   Best for: Anyone covering standard-size pillows to go with a mattress encasement.

   The listing says the two protectors are 20 by 26 inches, have a zip-around closure with a waterproof layer, and are machine washable in hot water (130°F). Protect-A-Bed's page says the protectors block allergens and that washing at 130°F kills dust mites and allergens. Queen and King sizes have their own listings.

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3. SIJO AiryWeight Eucalyptus Mattress Protector

   Best for: Warm sleepers who want the one mattress cover AAFA names on its certified list and accept a fitted style over a zip-around.

   AAFA's mattress encasings and pads list names this protector, and SIJO's page calls it certified asthma and allergy friendly, with a lyocell surface, a waterproof backing, OEKO-TEX certification and pockets for mattresses up to 20 inches deep. SIJO's design is fitted-sheet style, not a zippered encasement. At time of writing, Amazon's results for that name showed SIJO's temperature-regulating mattress pad, a different product, and no matching new listing, so this button is a search.

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4. Utopia Bedding Zippered Mattress Encasement, Queen

   Best for: A Queen mattress up to 15 inches deep when you want a plain zip-around cover.

   The listing calls it a six-sided zippered encasement, bed bug and dust mite proof, with a 360 degree wrap-around zipper, TPU waterproof backing on all sides and knitted polyester fabric. It says to machine wash and tumble dry on low heat. The dust mite statement is the seller's own.

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5. AllerEase Maximum Waterproof Allergy Zippered Mattress Protector, Queen

   Best for: A Queen mattress up to 15 inches deep, if you prefer a familiar allergy-bedding brand.

   The listing calls it a zippered mattress encasement with a soft top fabric backed by a waterproof layer, hot-water washable, for queen and king mattresses up to 15 inches deep, with a lifetime warranty. The listing's bullet points do not spell out a dust mite barrier claim, so read the full listing if that is your main reason for buying.

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6. AllerEase Premier Zipper Pillow Protector, Standard/Queen 2-Pack

   Best for: Pillows that fit standard or queen sizes, if you want a temperature-balancing fabric.

   The listing says the tightly woven fabric is designed to keep household particles from collecting in the pillow, that the protectors have a zipper and are machine washable, and that the brand has a lifetime limited warranty. It also uses the phrase "allergist recommended," which is the brand's wording and not a certification.

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7. Hospitology Products Mattress Encasement, Queen

   Best for: A Queen mattress 12 to 18 inches deep when you want a zippered cover with a longer warranty.

   The listing describes a zippered, waterproof, bed bug and dust mite proof encasement with a lab-tested waterproof barrier on all six sides, a polyester knit fabric, machine-washable care (tumble dry low) and a 5-year limited warranty. The listing gives the size as 60 by 80 inches for 12 to 18 inch depths.

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8. Utopia Bedding Zippered Pillow Protectors, Standard, 4-Pack

   Best for: A household with several pillows to cover in one purchase.

   The listing describes a set of four 20 by 26 inch pillow protectors with an auto-lock zipper, a TPU waterproof layer and machine-washable fabric, and says they help block bed bugs, dust mites and dust. The dust mite statement is the seller's own; AAFA's list shows no certified pillow protectors in the U.S. at time of writing.

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Frequently asked questions

Do mattress and pillow covers help with dust mite allergies?

AAFA's dust mite page lists zippered allergen-barrier covers for mattresses and pillows among the steps that reduce dust mite exposure. It also says dust mites can still live in your other bedding, so covers work best with weekly hot washing and humidity control, not alone.

How often should I wash an allergy mattress or pillow cover?

Follow the maker's care label. AAFA's weekly 130°F advice is for sheets, blankets and throw rugs. Protect-A-Bed says its covers can be machine washed in hot water at 130°F, and the AllerEase listing says to machine wash hot and tumble dry on the lowest setting.

Do I need a pillow protector if my mattress is already encased?

Yes, AAFA's advice covers both: its dust mite page says to cover mattresses and pillows in zippered allergen-barrier covers, and an AAFA article says pillows are one of dust mites' favorite homes. A mattress encasement does not enclose your pillows, and AAFA also recommends replacing pillows every 2 years.

Is a waterproof cover the same as an allergy cover?

No. Waterproof describes the backing that stops spills. AAFA describes an allergen-barrier cover as one made of a material with pores too small for dust mites and their waste to pass through. Most picks here are both, according to their makers, but check the listing for each claim.

How we chose

This guide is desk research. We compared the Amazon listing and the maker's page for each cover with AAFA's dust mite page, its pillow protector article and its certified product lists. We kept zippered encasements and pillow protectors in common sizes, plus the one fitted protector that AAFA names, and left out covers whose listings or maker pages we could not check. We did not test any of these covers; the notes describe what each listing and maker says, and the dust mite claims for most picks are the makers' own.

Listings, sellers and sizes change quickly. At time of writing (October 29, 2026), every "Check price on Amazon" button on this page went to an exact Amazon listing for the product named, new and in stock; the SIJO button is a search because we could not confirm a matching listing. Prices are not shown because they change. Confirm the size, mattress depth and seller on the listing before you buy.

Related guides

• Air purifiers for dust-mite allergies: what a purifier can and cannot do for dust mites.
• Dehumidifiers for every room: AAFA says to keep home humidity between 30 and 50 percent.
• HEPA vacuums for allergies: vacuums with sealed HEPA filtration.
• Air filters for allergies: furnace and HVAC filters for the whole house.
• Air purifiers for pollen: HEPA purifiers sorted by room size.
• Boll and Branch sheets review: a sheet option to launder weekly.
• Brooklinen Luxe Sateen sheets review: another sheet option to launder weekly.