Best Pillow Top Mattresses [Review]

When shopping for a new mattress, a pillow top mattress might sound like a cozy idea. But picking out the right mattress can be slightly overwhelming. After all, mattresses aren’t cheap, and you want to make sure you’ve made the right choice.

But the good news is that when you know what to focus on, going home with the pillow top mattress of your dreams is easier than it might appear.

In this pillow top mattress review, you’re going to read about five amazing products and their key features. Plus, you’ll discover the pros and cons of sleeping on a pillow top mattress.

What Is a Pillow Top Mattress?

There’s a good reason why pillow top mattresses have become so popular: the extra padding on the top that looks like another pillow was sown to the mattress itself. This noticeable extension gives you great support and comfort – the two most important features mattress buyers are looking for.

There are several different styles of pillow top mattresses:

• Summit top
• Box top
• Euro top
• Euro Pillow Top

But those differences are just in the way the stitching is applied to the pillow top. In the main, all of these types of pillow tops provide the same functionality. The most popular style is probably the Euro Top because the price to comfort ratio is excellent.

Pillow Top Mattress Review

1. Saatva Classic Pillow Top Mattress

The Saatva Pillow top mattress has a nice tufted organic cotton cover and feels very soft to the touch. The eco-friendly soft foam is quilted into the cover. This US-based company also goes the extra mile when it comes to the sustainability of their products. Every Saatva mattress features coils made from recycled steel rods.

The company uses durable steel coils in the bottom layer of the mattress. And unlike pillow top mattresses made just from foam, the coils give your body that extra support when you sleep. The middle layer of the mattress is made with micro-coils that work really well when it comes to motion isolation. This feature is particularly useful for people struggling with back pain.

With Saatva Classic you get the Euro pillow top style, which includes several soft foamy layers. If you’re in the market for a slightly firmer pillow top mattress, this could be exactly what you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Great for all sleeping positions because there’s just enough bounciness and that springy feel, which is great for people who don’t like to sink too deep into their beds.
• It works so well for heavier sleepers, adapting to the curves of the body, making you feel cozy
• There’s a lot of pressure relief, with the two sets of coils allowing for extra breathability, due to excellent airflow.
• Offers great value for future shoppers because the ratio of quality and price is just right.

Cons:

• Some sleepers might find it a bit too firm for their taste, especially if they’re of a smaller frame.

2. Avocado Green Mattress

The Avocado Green mattress is a hybrid made from all-natural latex. The cover is made from organic cotton, and just underneath you’ll find the layers of latex. In addition, there are punched holes on the side so the entire latex layer is very well ventilated. If you’re a hot sleeper, you don’t have to worry about getting too hot sleeping on this cool mattress.

The great thing about an Avocado Green mattress is that you can get it with or without the pillow top. It’s your choice. The extra pillow top layer will cost you $300 more, though. As with most high-quality pillow top mattresses, you get a great balance of fluffiness and support.

When it comes to sleeping positions, back sleepers would most likely find it satisfactory, whilst stomach sleepers might find it too soft, side sleepers, however, are probably going to love it.

That said, a heavier back sleeper might find it to be exactly what their body needs for a good night’s rest. And what about motion transfer if you’re sleeping with a partner? Generally, latex isn’t that great when it comes to motion transfer, but if you’re snoozing on Avocado green, your sleep isn’t going to be disturbed when someone lays next to you.

Pros:

• If you’re planning on purchasing a high-quality and costly pillow top mattress, this would be an excellent long-term choice.
• When it comes to firmness, it’s somewhere in the middle – and that’s what most pillow top mattress buyers are looking for.
• It’s very breathable, which means it can help with night sweats and anyone who runs pretty hot when they sleep.
• You can choose different pillow tops. This versatility is something the Avocado Company is known for, and it’s always great to have more choices.

Cons:

• This is one of the more expensive pillow-top mattresses on the market, and for some, it’s just not in their budget.
• Perhaps lighter people might find it to be too soft, but overall, it accommodates people of all sizes pretty well.

3. Nest Bedding Alexander Hybrid Mattress

If you’re looking to buy a mattress online, Nest Bedding has one of the best mattress selections around. Known for making very comfortable bedding, pillows, and mattresses, their best pillow top model is the Alexander Hybrid. Construction-wise, it’s made out of layers, starting with the support foam at the bottom. Then you have a solid and supportive pocket coils layer, followed by the smart flow support foam, and then the TitanChil foam.

And finally, you get the pillow top that’s made from gel memory foam quilted under the cover. And the cover itself looks very nice, but unfortunately, it’s not removable. You can clean it with a damp cloth and mild detergent only. But it does have an excellent phase change cooling feature integrated.

Pros:

• It’s a premium quality pillow top mattress.
• The Nest Bedding company gives you a lifetime guarantee for this amazing mattress. That’s so much more than most companies offer, even those that sell costly mattresses.
• And you also get something called a Lifetime Comfort Guarantee too. This essentially means that even when the trial period is over, you can ask for a different, more comfortable mattress, and the company will accommodate you.
• Several options are available when it comes to firmness. You can choose anything from plush to luxury firm.
• Their medium firmness model is one of the most popular around. In the main, because it’s suitable for all sleeping positions.

Cons:

• The non-removable cover could cause some real inconvenience. Especially if you’re used to washing the mattress cover regularly.

4. Saatva HD Luxurious Mattress

This Saatva pillow top mattress is specially designed for heavier people. It’s a little over 15” tall, and the cover is made from breathable cotton. It’s tufted, and underneath, there’s a thick layer of Talalay latex. This means that you can expect exceptional airflow. Just below the latex, there’s the memory foam layer and support foam.

Overall, this is an extremely durable pillow top mattress – an investment that’s bound to pay off. In particular, back sleepers are going to enjoy it because the lower back and hips sink in just the right amount. Side sleepers might be less satisfied due to the added pressure on the shoulders. Stomach sleepers are likely to find it very comfortable, with a lot of support.

Motion transfer is relatively decent here, even if latex isn’t the best material for motion absorption. This pillow top mattress has excellent edge support, so you won’t feel like you’re about to roll off the bed in the middle of the night.

Pros:

• Great for people 300-500 lbs. And that’s the most important advantage of Saatva HD. People who are over 300lbs. often have a hard time finding a quality mattress that’s comfortable.
• It has very strong and supported coils, so it provides a lot more support than most mattresses in the same category. It’s of particularly good design if you’re struggling with lower back pain because it has excellent lumbar support.
• Saatva HD mattress looks luxurious and has a gorgeous design, which conveys that premium hotel feel. Pair it with a set of Boll and Branch sheets (full review) and you will feel like a royal.

Cons:

• Light-to-medium weight sleepers might not enjoy it that much, because it wasn’t designed with their needs in mind anyway.

5. WinkBeds Mattress

Would you like to have a luxury hotel mattress in your own bedroom? Of course, that sounds like a dream. Well, WinkBeds pillow top mattress is as close as you can get to that amazing feeling. It’s incredibly well built and excellent for all sleeping positions. In addition, it provides incredible comfort and support.

When it comes to construction, from the bottom up, it starts with supporting foam, and then a significant layer of pocketed coils. Next come the micro-coils, and at the very top, you get a luxurious two-inch Euro Pillow top quilted under the cover.

And the cover itself is made from Tencel, which means that it’s eco-friendly, incredibly soft, and looks amazing. However, the cover isn’t removable, so the only cleaning option is manual cleaning with a cloth and some detergent.

You can buy this mattress in pretty much any size, including California King size. If you need a pillow top mattress for two, the edge support is okay, but not fantastic. But that’s only an issue if you’re getting a smaller size bed, like a queen size.

Pros:

• This beautiful mattress is handmade in Wisconsin, US, and the company takes a lot of pride in their manufacturing process.
• Premium hotel quality and design. It’s meant to make you feel like you’re on a long vacation when you fall asleep.
• Great for sleepers of all sizes and sleeping styles, including a combination sleeper.
• Tencel-made cover means that it offers a lot of breathability and moisture-wicking properties. And it’s also very soft and plush.

Cons:

• It doesn’t come cheap, and it’s probably even a bit overpriced considering the construction. However, the design and comfort make up for it.

Advantages of Sleeping on a Pillow Top Mattress

Regardless of how pricey a pillow top mattress can be, it’s usually much cheaper than a memory foam option. However, they’re also much healthier because they rarely contain any chemicals. In terms of other factors to consider, a lot of side sleepers tend to pick the pillow top mattress because it does a fantastic job with pain relief in the shoulders and hips.

The plush comfort is a winner when it comes to this type of mattress. It truly is like you’re sleeping on a large pillow. Sure, you can pick the firmness type, but overall, they’re meant to make you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud. And depending on the brand, they do offer quite a bit of motion isolation. So, it’s a good option for couples who don’t want to spend too much money on a mattress.

Also, there are some myths about pillow top mattresses. For example, just because it has more layers of foam on the top, doesn’t mean it’s going to be better for you. The quality of the foam material is what matters. Also, more coils don’t automatically mean more support. The question to ask yourself is what kind of metal was used to make the coils.

Disadvantages of Sleeping on a Pillow Top Mattress

Well, the one thing that most users complain about is durability. Perhaps that’s why it’s best to look for a brand that offers a comfort guarantee. The pillow top tends to sag as well and might change the shape and the feel. That’s why it’s imperative not to go for the cheapest option you can find.

Pillow Top Mattress vs. Pillow Top Mattress Pad

To avoid common confusion, let’s distinguish between these two items. The pillow top mattress is a whole new mattress, whilst the pillow top mattress pad is just a layer of extra comfort you place on your old mattress. A pillow top mattress pad, or just mattress topper, is quite cheap and can be an excellent improvement for your old bed. There are many sizes, brands, and different quality pads as well.

Choosing the Right Pillow Top Mattress

This pillow top mattress review covered five extremely high-quality products that have made many users happy. The good thing about pillow top mattresses is that they’re suitable for most types of sleepers, but side sleepers are particularly partial to them.

And since this type of mattress isn’t generally designed for heavier people, we included the Saatva HD that’s specially designed for them. But note that it will work great for people of all sizes too. It’s one of the best pillow top mattresses on the market for sure.

The WinkBeds luxurious pillow top bed is also a wonderful choice to make all kinds of sleepers happy. And that Tencel cover makes it extra special. You can also pick the firmness level you want, and that’s always a winning feature.