PFAS in Mattress Protectors, Why Every Waterproof One We Graded Scores Badly

This category produced the starkest result in our bedding data, and it is not a ranking. Of 154 graded products filed under mattress protectors, 141 grade 30 out of 100. Every single product we graded that is marketed as a waterproof mattress protector scores 30 out of 100, across Casper, Avocado, Helix, Brooklinen and Brooklyn Bedding. The protectors that grade well do so by not being waterproof at all.

That is the finding, and it is worth stating plainly before any product names. Waterproofing a fabric means applying a barrier or a durable water-repellent finish, and durable water-repellent finishes are one of the best known routes for fluorinated chemistry to reach a consumer textile. None of the brands here names the chemistry used. So this article is less a list of picks than an explanation of a trade-off you cannot currently avoid by shopping harder within this category.

Summary comparison table

Product	PFAS grade	Verdict
Organic Textiles Organic Mattress Protector 2-Pack	Excellent, 75/100	Cotton and natural fibers, no waterproofing disclosed
Brooklyn Bedding Mattress Encasement, Twin	Excellent, 75/100	Polyester and cotton encasement with a standard zipper, no DWR described
Parachute Vintage Linen Bed Cover	Excellent, 75/100	100% linen with no reported coating, a bed cover rather than a protector
Brooklinen Deep Pocket Mattress Protector, Queen	Poor, 30/100	Polyester with a water-resistant and stain-resistant treatment
Brooklinen Deep Pocket Mattress Protector, Full	Poor, 30/100	Water and stain-resistant treatment, chemistry undisclosed
Brooklinen Waterproof Mattress Protector, Waxed Linen Cover	Poor, 30/100	Waxed linen cover with a waterproof backing
Brooklyn Bedding Deep Pocket Mattress Protector, Twin	Poor, 30/100	Polyester and cotton blend with a durable water-repellent treatment
GlacioTex Mattress Protector by Helix, Twin	Poor, 30/100	Polyester blend with a DWR coating our record describes as likely fluorinated
Casper Cal King Mattress Protector	Poor, 30/100	Waterproof and stain-resistant coating, chemistry unspecified
Avocado Organic Waterproof Mattress Protector	Poor, 30/100	Organic cotton and poly blend with an unspecified waterproof barrier
Avocado Organic Waterproof Mattress Protector, Twin XL	Poor, 30/100	Fabric with a waterproof barrier layer that is not described

How we graded these

Every grade in this article is a model-based estimate built from publicly available materials disclosures, manufacturing descriptions and brand documentation, not a lab test performed by our team. A high score means lower concern based on reviewed sources, never PFAS-free and never safe. No product in this category carried published independent lab data, and no brand here made a public no-PFAS statement we could record. Across the graded products the most common recorded concern by a wide margin was PFAS in a waterproof coating, followed by PFAS in a water-resistant coating, coating degradation with particle shedding, and VOC off-gassing from polyurethane backing. You can compare any specific product using our PFAS product finder.

One thing to know before you shop this category

Most of the well-graded products filed under mattress protectors are not protectors. They are mattress toppers, which are padding rather than a barrier, and a topper does nothing to keep liquid off a mattress. We are not presenting toppers as protectors here, and if you need protection from spills, a topper is not a substitute. Of the products in this category that grade 70 or above, only three are genuinely protectors, encasements or covers, and none of those three is waterproof.

The Excellent tier, 75 out of 100

Organic Textiles Organic Mattress Protector 2-Pack is described as organic cotton and natural fibers with no waterproofing disclosed. Pros include the absence of any described barrier layer or repellent finish. Cons are important here, since our own record notes the grade holds only if the fabric is genuinely untreated, and the brand does not publish a statement confirming no DWR finish was applied.

Brooklyn Bedding Mattress Encasement, Twin is a polyester and cotton blend encasement with a standard zipper and no water-repellent treatment described. Pros include that a full encasement addresses dust mites and bed bugs, which is a real reason people buy in this category, without needing a coating. Cons include that the same brand's deep pocket protector, which is treated with a durable water-repellent finish, grades 30.

Parachute Vintage Linen Bed Cover is 100% linen with no reported coating. Pros include the simplest materials story in the category. Cons include that this is a bed cover rather than a protector, so it is solving a different problem.

The Poor tier, 30 out of 100

Eight waterproof or water-resistant protectors share the same grade, and they share the same reason. GlacioTex Mattress Protector by Helix is recorded as a polyester blend with a DWR coating that our record describes as likely fluorinated, which is the most specific note in the group. Casper Cal King Mattress Protector and both Avocado Organic Waterproof Mattress Protector listings carry waterproof or stain-resistant barriers whose chemistry is not specified.

The Avocado listings are worth separating out, because organic certification of the cotton says nothing about the barrier layer bonded to it. An organic fiber claim and an undisclosed waterproof coating can sit on the same product, and in our model the coating is what drives the grade.

Brooklinen accounts for three of the eight, in queen, full and waxed linen versions, all described with water or stain-resistant treatments. Brooklyn Bedding Deep Pocket Mattress Protector completes the group with a stated DWR treatment. There are no pros to highlight from a PFAS grading standpoint on any of these. The con is the same throughout, a repellent or barrier finish exists and no brand names what it is made from.

What to avoid

• Any mattress protector marketed as waterproof, water-resistant or stain-resistant where the brand does not name the coating chemistry, which in our data is all of them.
• Treating an organic fiber claim as covering the coating. Both Avocado listings pair organic cotton with an undescribed waterproof barrier and grade 30.
• Assuming a brand grades consistently. Brooklyn Bedding appears at both 75 and 30 depending on whether the specific product carries a DWR treatment.
• Buying a mattress topper when you need a protector. Toppers dominate the well-graded end of this category and provide no liquid barrier at all.

If you are looking at the wider bedroom, our mattresses and upholstered furniture categories cover related products with their own grading, and flame retardants and VOC off-gassing are covered on our flame retardants and VOCs pages.

Our pick

Based on available materials and data, there is no waterproof mattress protector in our database we can point to as a lower-concern option, and we would rather say that than name a least-bad coating. If a barrier is not essential to you, the Brooklyn Bedding Mattress Encasement is our pick at 75 out of 100, since a zippered encasement handles the dust mite and allergen case without a repellent finish. If you want natural fibers and no barrier at all, the Organic Textiles Organic Mattress Protector 2-Pack carries the same grade, with the caveat that the brand does not confirm the fabric is untreated. If waterproofing is non-negotiable, our data cannot currently point you to a good option, and a washable barrier you replace regularly may serve you better than trusting an undisclosed coating. These are estimates built from disclosed materials, not laboratory proof, and no product here is being called PFAS-free or safe by us.

FAQ

Is every waterproof mattress protector a PFAS risk?

Our data cannot say that, and it does not. What it shows is that every waterproof or water-resistant protector we graded carries a barrier or repellent finish whose chemistry the brand does not disclose, and our model treats an undisclosed repellent finish as unresolved rather than assuming it is fluorine-free. That is a statement about disclosure, not a laboratory finding that any specific product contains PFAS.

Does an organic certification cover the waterproof layer?

Not in the products we graded. An organic fiber claim describes the textile, while the waterproof performance comes from a barrier or coating applied to it. Both Avocado listings in this article pair organic cotton with an unspecified waterproof barrier and grade 30 out of 100 for that reason.

Is a mattress topper a reasonable alternative?

Not for the job a protector does. A topper adds padding and provides no liquid barrier. Most of the higher-graded products filed in this category are toppers, which is why we separated them out rather than presenting them as picks.

Should I be worried about health effects from a lower-graded protector?

Any discussion of PFAS and health in our guides describes association, not proven causation, and grades measure estimated chemical concern based on materials and disclosure, not a medical risk assessment for any individual. If you want to reduce potential exposure at home, cross-reference products using our PFAS product finder alongside categories like mattresses.