This is a really nice mattress cover, much nicer imo than other types, particularly for our purposes. I'm really glad I found it! We bought this "College Dorm Unbleached Cotton Mattress Cover, Twin Extra Long" to both cover my son's dorm mattress and to, hopefully, enclose both it and a 2" memory foam topper, helping to keep both clean but also in the hopes of helping to keep the sheets etc. on the bed! (sheets and all bedding tended to come off very easily) Fyi: Though many in my position may have given this 5 stars, I'm usually pretty picky and normally only give 5 stars for something really exceptional. Being that I haven't found another similar item for dorm mattresses that fulfilled our purposes this well (especially for this price) I may consider giving it 5 stars in the future. For now, we have not had it long enough to rate its durability but so far I am pleased w/its quality and it did work out very well for the reasons I bought it. Another plus was that it arrived very quickly, within a few days. I also really appreciated that the measurements were given in the description. Many do not list them and I've noticed lately that some companies are no longer actually using specific twin XL measurements; opting for a generic "twin/twin xl", in-between measurement. (update: this product has held up very well and imo is a very good value and an item that is difficult to find in this configuration. So I have updated to 5 stars)For those who may be considering this for some of the same reasons or interested in knowing more:We've had various allergy, quilted and waterproof types of mattress covers/pads etc. at home and have also attempted several different ones on dorm mattresses over the years, including ones from a company that deals in dorm bedding etc. "guaranteed to fit the dorm mattresses and to last for 4 years". Most of our past items did fit on the dorm beds but even though they may fit, have good elastic all the way around etc.; due to the materials, nothing wanted to STAY on my son's beds at school. (All of your attempts at comfort, separating yourself from, or protecting, a mattress etc. aren't very useful if all of your bedding comes off the minute you use it!) So I was actually looking for some kind of good strap system etc., all the while wondering that if they did actually work and not end up ripping the bedding etc., if my son would use (and not lose) them when (if? lol) it comes time to change the sheets.In the meantime, my son had also mentioned that his mattress had been pretty uncomfortable last year (he can sleep on a rock) he would be in the same room as before; so was then also looking into some kind of topper but again was concerned if it would be one more thing to end up on the floor, bunched up to the side etc., not to mention more money down the drain. I had considered the allergy type encasements to protect it but they can also be expensive, many are not exactly 'college strength', don't hold up to washing and can be REALLY quite deep these days. Unless you happen to find one that is shallower, they can leave A LOT of extra material on a dorm mattress. They're also often slippery; that and all the extra material...not much help in keeping sheets on.Not really having time or desire to mess around doing alterations on expensive items and/or more expense and guess work about fit and materials of different covers, whether different straps might work etc. (straps that, w/shipping, cost $25-$30, that a college kid might lose or may be thought to be fun to use for some other purpose.) when I saw this cotton encasement, I thought this just might be the answer to our dorm bedding woes. Besides hopefully helping to keep any 'under bedding' in place (therefore solving most of the problem of everything coming off the bed) being cotton, it would likely be much more comfortable (and quieter) than other materials (and not have weird odors/off gassing) and should hold up well to washing. While it would not be much protection from moisture, it would still help with keeping any toppers, pads etc. underneath, clean without defeating the comfort factor of those items. But I suspected it would have another added bonus...that being cotton and not slippery like other cover materials, it might have a little 'grip' and also help the sheets stay on. :DI wasn't sure if this encasement @ 9" deep would be deep enough to cover the mattress and a 2 inch topper w/o smushing it down, especially if there was any shrinkage. We didn't know the exact depth of his current mattress at school; but we did remember that it was a bit deeper than the one from the prior year. We were guessing it was about 7" but I figured that even if it wouldn't enclose both comfortably, it wasn't that expensive and it might still assist in keeping things from slipping around. Thankfully, all of my surmising was correct! I can't promise that you will be able to enclose every dorm mattress and a memory foam topper etc. in it; but for us, it worked out perfectly! Was a great fit and no more sheets etc. coming off the bed the minute you even sit down on it!As for the cover itself: the cotton is nice, seemed to be a good thread count - not thin or weak, seams were straight, square and well stitched. As good, new, woven cotton will be, the material was slightly stiff; I washed and dried it ahead of time. (pretty sure both on hot, figuring it might be washed that way in the future) Since we did not put it on a bed before washing and I didn't think to measure it after, I'm not totally sure about shrinkage but if there was some, I don't think it was much. It came out of the wash pretty much the same way it went in w/no noticeable distortion of seams, zipper etc. It was however very wrinkled after washing and drying. This was also not at all unexpected for a large 100% cotton item, especially when new; I mention it in case this is a concern and for those who might desire a 'perfectly' made bed as the wrinkles might show through. I may have considered ironing it if I had had more time but my son certainly didn't care; so I just smoothed it out the best I could and it looked fine once it was on the bed.All in all, we are very happy with this item. As stated earlier, we haven't had it long enough to know the durability of the material, zipper, seams etc. The zipper may not be the `best' zipper out there and I maybe would have liked to have seen it go along a whole side for ease of putting it on, instead of just at the end. But my son had put his bed completely together w/o assistance, by the time I got there in my vehicle w/the rest of his things. Being that he was also including the memory foam topper and another mattress pad inside of it and has never put an encasement on a mattress before, it must not have been too difficult even for one person and w/the zipper only being at the end. He said it worked great and had no problem and it all looked good to me; looked to be a very good, smooth fit. He is also not the most gentle on things; but I can say the zipper held up to the 1st installation. ;) (one possible advantage of the zipper being on the end might be that if it does happen to break, it may not as adversely affect its usefulness as it would on the side) My son loves it and is very happy with the whole set-up. (and I'm a very happy mama knowing that all the effort and money spent on various bedding items is finally working out!) Hope that helps someone! :)Here are a few other products that we have found to be particularly durable and/or useful for college.Pretty much indestructible! Worth every penny!Dorm Shower Caddy - All Black - by Saltwater CanvasThese or similar. Handy to use on bunks as well as over door.These are very inexpensive - Set of 6 for $6.95 free shipping.(not a huge deal if they don't make it back home)White Over The Door Hook Set of 6! or similar