Encasements

by nobugsonme on June 10, 2008 · 0 comments

If you have bed bugs, I recommend encasing your mattress in a high-quality encasement that is designed and tested to keep bed bugs in. If you do not yet have bed bugs, an encasement is a good preventive measure for keeping bed bugs out of your mattress.

A good encasement will:

Keep bed bugs in your old mattress inside the encasement and away from you;
Keep bed bugs from infesting a new mattress;
Ensure any new bed bug activity is outside the encasement, and therefore more easily spotted.

You need to encase both the mattress and the box spring (if you have one). You should obtain encasements before the pest control operator comes to treat your home, but I recommend not putting them on until treatment occurs; many PCOs will want to spray your mattress before it is encased.

While encasements are available at all kinds of retailers (and from many pest control operators), they are not all alike.

Richard Cooper has performed tests comparing six encasements which were being marketed for protection against bed bugs: Protect-A-Bed AllerZip with BugLock Zip, National Allergy Elegance, National Allergy Classic, Mattress Safe, CleanRest and Bed Wetting Direct. You can watch the videos and read more about the tests here.

To summarize, in the first experiment, Cooper found that all six encasements kept first instar nymph bed bugs (the smallest life stage) from escaping through the zipper teeth of the encasement.

In the second experiment, only three encasements (Protect-A-Bed, National Allergy Elegance, and Mattress Safe) kept first instar nymphs from escaping from a completely closed zipper end stop (the place where the zipper closes). National Allergy Classic, Bed Wetting Direct, and Clean Rest encasements failed this second test.

And in the final experiment, only one of the encasements, Protect-A-Bed’s AllerZip, kept bed bugs from escaping even if the zipper was not completely closed. This gives added protection, since even if the zipper is open by one to two teeth, bed bugs will be kept in.

In fact, Cooper says in the third video (here) that the Protect-A-Bed encasements have to be opened 3.5 inches or more in order for bed bugs to escape. Otherwise, the BugLock (TM) design feature keeps bed bugs in.

I personally had to purchase an encasement years ago, when this information was not available (and in fact some of the brands mentioned were not yet available). I went through three $10 vinyl encasements from Target before I realized that they ripped easily and were not a good solution. I then used a National Allergy Classic.

However, based on the test results mentioned here, I would now recommend the Protect-A-Bed AllerZip model with the BugLock (TM) zipper. This article about bed bug-proof mattress encasements from the Wall Street Journal describes the tests the Protect-a-Bed AllerZip encasements were put through:

It’s important to buy a good-quality cover, one with a zipper that stays in place and doesn’t have large gaps between the teeth, scientists say. The Protect-A-Bed, made by JAB Distributors Inc., of Northbrook, Ill., uses a zipper with tiny teeth and a “bug lock” system, a fabric channel with foam backing that keeps bugs inside even if the zipper pulls open slightly.

In developing the Protect-A-Bed, JAB first tested fabric to make sure bugs couldn’t bite through (they couldn’t), then hired an independent lab to put starved, live bedbugs inside the zippered covers and tempt them with a human leg at regular intervals. For the lab test, JAB made three-foot-long test replicas of its encasements, with foam serving as “mattresses.” No bedbugs escaped during the monthlong test, and the company says the full-size versions it sells are made to the same standards as the models.

You can click the link below to shop at Protect-A-Bed. Since we have an affiliate relationship with Protect-A-Bed, your purchase via the links to Protecct-a-Bed below also supports the running costs of Bedbugger.com, at no additional cost to you.

You can click here to buy Protect-a-Bed Allerzip encasements.

We also have an affiliate relationship with NorthShoreCare, which sells Protect-a-bed Allerzip mattress, box spring, and pillow encasements, as well as BugZip products and Climbup (TM) Interceptors.

Click the banner below to order. NorthShoreCare offers Bedbugger readers free shipping if you enter code BBFREE in the coupon code box at checkout. Right now, enter code BBFREE at checkout instead to get a free BugZip drawer liner and free shipping on your order from NorthShoreCare!

We also have an affiliate relationship with National Allergy. If you choose to buy a National Allergy Elegance encasement there (or a vacuum or other items), you can get 7% off an order up to $174.99, or 10% off an order of $175 or more, simply by shopping through the links to National Allergy below. Again, your purchase helps support Bedbugger.com at no additional cost to you.

This is the National Allergy Elegance Line of mattress encasements and pillow encasements.
This is the link to shop for National Allergy vacuums.
This is a 100% cotton blanket from National Allergy, which Nobugs would recommend. It can be washed and dried.

Click for a discount on National Allergy BedCare Elegance mattress covers