I can’t express how much I love this mattress protector. I bought 2 for my son’s twin bed 4 years ago and they were instantly my favorite mattress protector.Then I had another baby and bought another, to keep another spare.Then I bought one for my own bed, because that’s how much I love this mattress protector. They’re absolutely silent, they’re soft, not a single one has shrunk in the laundry, and they do the job they’re supposed to do! Zero leaks. In fact, I just bought a backup for my bed (5th of this mattress protector in my house), for the nights my kid wets MY bed at 10:30 pm and I don’t want to do a load of laundry (i.e. me right now ?)!!Goodness knows how much we spend on mattresses, so I recommend that everyone buy this. Maybe two, maybe five like me ?Ok, so I have two elderly cats. One of whom has behavioral issues from the trauma of my Gram's death (same, same, dear kitty). So when she gets mad at you for whatever percieved slight against her, she will pee on your things. Lately it has been my bed.Thank the Gods that I had the presence of mind to buy this Red Bamboo mattress protector, because otherwise my memory foam bed would be R U I N E D. Seriously, this thing is god-tier protection, and maybe one of the best purchases I ever made.Specifics:1) Durability. It seems pretty durable so far, been through three cycles of being peed on and then washed, and no breakdown of materials, pilling, staining that I can see. It's still out-of-the-box pristine.2)Effectiveness. Works like a champ. Absolutely no seepage, moisture, etc ever made it to my mattress.3)Silly crap people on here seem to moo on and on about. No, it is not noisy. If your princess and the pea, goldilocks lookin' self has a noise complaint about this, you are going to complain about all the other mattress protectors too. Get some earplugs or enjoy your jacked up stained bed.For everyone else, I'm a light sleeper, I wake up at any noise or slight change in my environment. Not once has this mattress protector made so much as a rustle.No, it doesn't have a funny smell. Well, ok, fresh out the box it does, but I let mine air out a few hours while I got the weekend chores done, put it on the bed that night, and we were good to go. Before any of you start with "oh but I'm sensitive!" No. No, you are not. My nickname was "The Hound". I have a nose so good I can detect individual ingredients in fragrances and food. I can track a human being through a building. I can tell what gender you are, and what type of perfume, shampoo, deodorant, and laundry detergent you use from a sniff.All of that to say that the complainers on here aren't that sensitive. I am, and I'm saying that the scent from this mattress cover is a non-issue.In closing, if you're looking for a frickin outstanding mattress protector to keep your expensive investment safe, get this one. It's blessed by the Pope (Fenderson).Let me start by noting that this is only my second time using a waterproof mattress protector so I have little to compare it to. I've always used a mattress pad or padded mattress topper. The other protector I have is a cheaper version, picked up at a local C-21 store, and being used for a guest mattress. It's plastic-like, makes my back sweat, and tore while being slid on. Now to the Red Nomad. My priorities when I bought this were to comply with the warranty on my new memory foam-cooling gel queen mattress, and to avoid humidity build-up or staining on the top of the mattress. My concern was that being waterproof, it would feel hot and lead to sweating. Unlike my other protector, the Red Nomad doesn't slide over the mattress and protect all sides. Like a fitted sheet, it simply pops over the top and the elastic underneath pulls it tight. I've slept on it for a week and have noted that it is not causing me to sweat. I can notice it's slightly warmer feeling than without it on. Not enough to sweat though, but not as cool as using nothing. It's thin enough that you can feel the coolness of the actual mattress, but not so thin that you can feel the pattern of dimples sewn into the mattress itself. My only real grievance is that the protector slides around on top of the mattress. My mattress is 12 inches thick. When I change position in bed, the fitted top sheet and protector both slide with me, folding and bunching under my back. Not a nightmare, but something I really don't like. It's a relatively noiseless fabric but seems a tad too loose on my 12" depth. Since I like tight sheets, hotel style, I'm headed out to buy a set of sheet straps (mattress suspenders) to keep it in place.Final word? Not sure I can say using this protector is as comfortable as an absorbent cotton mattress pad or nothing at all, but it does what it's intended to without being noticeable. I didn't want this protector to provide any added comfort. I just wanted it to be as unapparent as possible, which for the most part, it is. The downside is the sliding and bunching I suppose are the tradeoff on having a deep pocket protector that fits as many depths as possible.Update: BB&B trip, $4, mattress corner straps. Big improvement and worth the effort.I purchased the Cal. King bc my huge mattress is not not a standard shape. The deep skirt around the pad fits pretty well and keeps the pad anchored. The bottom layer definitely feels like a waterproof plastic-type fabric, but there is zero noise or crinkle to it. The sleep surface is soft and comfortable. My hot-sleeping partner and I both sleep comfortably and well with this protector in place. And now my very expensive mattress is protected, so I sleep even better.I don't plan to wash this item more than 2x/year, unless I have to, so even if the waterproofing wears off after some washes, I think it will be fine for the next couple of years.Nice but not as plush as I was expecting from the description and other reviews. Nice quality though.Good price and nice feel.