Pillow and mattress protectors are an affordable way to greatly extend the life of pillows and reduce wear on mattresses. They go on before the fitted sheet or pillowcase. The current versions of these items use laminated fabrics that feel and behave just like cloth. They keep the pillows like new, limit mattress wear to compression damage, and wash up like regular bedding.

I started using these when I had a baby. It's been four years, and I haven't needed to replace any pillows or my mattress.