We have a sleep number bed and ordered one of those AFter the craziest thing happened. It got below freezing here in tn , our upstairs bathroom pipes froze , I took a shower up there since my dh was using the MBR bath . I didn't know of course the pipes were frozen . We left to go to mall , movies , dinner and grocery shopping . Gone all day long ! Came home , pipe had burst in upstairs bathroom , flooded the floor , thru master ceiling and all over bed. There was so so much water , the entire downstairs was in about 2 inches of freezing water . When we opened the front door it was completely surreal . Our poor dog was on the couch with a horrified look on his face ! And the bed was right below the pipe , like a giant faucet had turned on above it . Oh was it a mess and a month before things were normal .
So we get another sleep number with this pad. It dosnt creek or make a plasticy sound like some . Have a new puppy , doing great with his training . I put him up on bed 2 days after putting pad down . He decided in middle of playing to just panic and pee ! Right there that pad paid for itself . The bed would have never been clean from that otherwise .
2 great examples of why I am thankful to have that 200$ mattress pad !
Of course it never would have stopped the bed from being ruined under the pipes . But all it takes is one accident , and you wish you had one ! :)

I rent my house, so I have mattress protectors on the queen beds, both the box springs and the mattresses, and then I have a mattress pad over that. they're nylon, and i got them at Building 19, cheap. It's like this. But I don't want to sleep on plastic or nylon, so I have a cotton/wool matters pad over it.

From Overstock.com

If you are worried about mites you should use a UV wand to kill them. Mere imprisonment may not keep them from doing their mischief with allergies.

I purchased one that the mattress recommended without it they would not honor their warranty. It had a rubbery backing and it was so hot I had to take it off. I hated my new mattress till I took it off. I only use a regular mattress pad now.

We just got two twin XL matresses and as Jeannie said if you want the warranty you get the pads. We were lucky and didn't have to pay for them as we'd mentioned we had first looked at the big furniture mart next door and the small Serta store gave us a better deal. Even gave us a set of very nice sheets too.
The mattress pads are not noisy at all.

KSWL, my gd has reallllly bad allergies with enemy number one, we just discovered, being dust mites. Looked on many a site, but have never seen the UV wand's mentioned. Please !. More information!! We're pretty desperate for help. She gets so sick.
TIA
Marti
Please excuse this semi - hack.

Never mind kswl. I checked it out on Google and read a nytimes article. Seems they are impractical to use on large area like a bed. Lots of negative reviews.
Thank you, anyway.
Now back to mattress covers!

I don't use a mattress protector. Mattresses are build to be somewhat permeably and to absorb sweat. A protector is like layer that doesn't allow the mattress to do so.

We put a new mattress cover on our new mattress. After suffering with heat issues for 2 years we finally removed it. Relief. The cover repelled water, was not waterproof but it sure reflected heat back to us. We decided it was worth the risk to the mattress to be able to sleep comfortably.

Just something to consider.

My allergist recommends mattress covers for certain allergies. I believe they are particularly good for dustmites. Something like shown above that completely covers and zips up. Just like pillow protectors (which we use). We use a mattress pad that is waterproof. Has a vinyl backing. I think it is quilted to the cotton covering. It doesn't make any noise, isn't hot and we have used it for years. I don't remember where I bought it, it wasn't expensive and I am a bit sad, because yesterday, while changing the bed I thought to myself that I need to replace it.

We don't have children (or grandchildren), our pup is completely housebroken (she does sleep on the end of the bed), but I do think about illness or just some kind of accident. We have always had a waterproof cover on our mattress.

I use the Protect-A-Bed Waterproof Cotton Terry Mattress Protector. I bought it from QVC. I like it very much. I don't even feel that it is there and it doesn't make a sound when you turn in bed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Protect-A-Bed Waterproof Cotton Terry Mattress Protector

Absolutely use a mattress protector. We use one for allergens and liquid resistance, but not the full on plastic waterproof kind. I've never heard of wanting your mattress to absorb sweat. Body oils, fluids, and sweat will contribute to breaking down the mattress foam and materials over time, as well as encourage mites, breed bacteria, and make it smell. A mattress can nearly double in weight after years of sweat, skin shedding, mites, etc. It's gross to think about, but it's true. Most mattress companies require a protector to keep the warranty valid. One stain and they void the warranty. A protector and mattress pad are used because they can be washed or even completely switched out for new on a yearly basis, whereas a mattress is too expensive for such.