Best Pillow Top Mattress

As a mattress tester and writer, I always want to give you the most detailed, thorough info possible. However, I’m also just a regular shopper, and knowing that real people actually tested a product makes me feel way more confident. My team and I built and refined our hands-on testing process using years of experience. After testing more than 1000+ mattresses combined, we know exactly which features matter most for your sleep. These include firmness, pressure relief, support, cooling, and motion transfer.

Using what we’ve learned over the years, we describe how a mattress actually feels. This helps our readers know what they’re walking into before they buy.

Sharing how a mattress feels is a great way to give shoppers easy-to-understand info with a personal touch. However, gathering hard data using our specialized pressure mat—which creates color-coded heat maps of our bodies—helps back up those impressions. We use tools like the pressure mat, heat guns, and seismograph apps to check whether our instincts line up or clash with the numbers.

When testing is wrapped up, each performance category gets a score between 1 and 5. Those numbers are then averaged for one overall rating. The mattresses chosen for combination sleepers stood out in responsiveness and motion isolation.

Sleep is a big part of our overall health. Therefore, we work closely with medical experts like Dr. Raj Dasgupta and Dr. Shelby Harris as a key part of our testing and decision-making. Their guidance on sleep health and bedding shapes every review we write and helps us track down the best mattresses out there.

“A good mattress will keep your spine aligned while you sleep,” said Dr. Harris. “Your sleep position, body type, and personal preferences for feel and materials all play a role in which mattress will work best for you. You also want to think about cost, convenience, durability, whether or not you share the bed, and any sleep concerns you deal with regularly — sleeping hot, back pain, and so on — and look for mattresses designed to address those specific needs.”

Our crew of certified sleep science coaches pick the top mattresses for sleepers.

Our full process also digs into how a bed performs in other ways, like how cool it stays, how well it absorbs motion, and more. We measure these details using fancy tools (think heat guns and pressure-mapping pads) along with honest feedback from testers of all sizes and firmness tastes.

Once all the scores are in, we crunch the numbers using a weighted formula to get the bed’s total score. That overall rating is a solid clue about its general quality and always lands somewhere out of five.

As we narrow down which mattresses make our final list, we only keep ones that earn at least a 3.5 out of 5 overall. Even if a bed shines in one area, we won’t recommend it if it doesn’t hit that minimum bar.

• 1000+ mattresses tested in person
• 30+ data points collected for each bed
• 6 Certified Sleep Science Coaches on staff
• Expert input from our Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Raj Dasgupta (MD, FACP, FCCP, FAASM).
• 40,000+ readers who bought a new bed based on our recommendations

Pillow-top beds need to have a solid base layer that keeps your spine lined up the way it should be. I focused on models that strike that balance between the soft, cushiony top and the sturdy foundation that holds you up comfortably all night long.

Pillow-top mattresses basically scream luxury, which usually means they don’t come cheap. When I review them, I look at how much real value people are getting for what they spend so I can suggest good picks for every price range. The ones on this list fall between $1,332 and $2,634 for a queen.

A truly plush, high-end pillow-top mattress should be built from stuff that lasts. I paid close attention to beds made with strong foams, steady coils, or hybrid builds that hold their shape and stay comfy for the long haul.

To see how well a mattress eases pressure, we use something called a pressure map test. It involves laying a special mat across the bed and then lying on it in a few different positions. The mat spits out a digital heat-style image showing where your body’s feeling relief and where it’s taking on extra pressure in each position.

Our medical advisor, Dr. Ryan Desai, recommends, “Go for a medium-soft to medium-firm mattress made from high-quality stuff like memory foam or latex if you want top-tier pressure point relief. Things like zoned support, motion isolation, and cooling features are all solid bonuses to keep in mind.”

A lot of people tend to heat up at night. Luckily, plenty of mattresses now come with cooling tech or breathable designs. Beds with coils usually sleep cooler since the coils let air flow through freely instead of getting trapped. All-foam mattresses can hold more heat, but that can be balanced out with cooling gels or covers made to stay cool to the touch.

We also use a thermal gun to test how well each mattress regulates temperature. We record the bed’s starting temp, then lie on it for 5 minutes, and measure it again afterward to see how much it warmed up. A rise of less than 5 degrees means awesome cooling, 5 to 10 degrees means solid cooling, 10 to 15 degrees means it’s okay, and anything over 15 degrees means the cooling could use some work.

Support, in general, is about how balanced and aligned your body feels while lying on the bed. You want that sweet spot between lift and give that keeps your spine in its natural, gentle S-shape. While support doesn’t match firmness exactly, firmer mattresses usually offer more of it, which is why we like to make sure these soft pillow tops have a strong base underneath.

We test support by lying on the bed in all sleeping positions, taking note of its firmness and overall feel. Even though we don’t give a specific score for this, our testers jot down how comfortable and supported they feel in each position to figure out which types of sleepers will get the best experience from each mattress.

We check motion transfer to figure out how much you’ll notice movement from one side of the bed to the other. If you share a bed with someone who shifts around all night, you’ll definitely want a mattress that can soak up that motion. Low motion transfer—or solid motion isolation—helps you stay asleep no matter what’s going on next to you.

My fellow testers and I test motion transfer in a few different ways. For the first motion test, I lie on the bed with a teammate, switch through sleeping positions, and see how much they feel me move. We trade places, taking turns rolling around while the other stays still, to get a sense of how noticeable partner movement might be.

Next, my teammates and I put a full glass of water on the bed and see how much the water ripples when we move around. If the glass barely moves or doesn’t at all, that’s a clear sign the mattress does a great job at blocking motion—exactly what you want.

The last one’s the seismometer test. A seismometer is basically a gadget that records vibrations from movement. The bigger the spikes on the graph, the more shaking and the higher the motion transfer. For this test, we drop a 10-pound steel ball from heights of 4 inches, 8 inches, and 12 inches, then measure how much disturbance each drop causes with the seismometer.

Edge support is a big deal, especially if you share your bed or like sprawling out to the sides. Pillow-top mattresses usually have softer edges because of those fluffy comfort layers. However, some versions add reinforced sides, giving extra firmness and stability all around the rim of the mattress.

This matters because weak edges can make your bed feel smaller than it actually is, especially if you or your partner like sleeping close to the edge.

Pressure relief is one of the biggest perks of a pillow-top mattress. The upper layer is often made from cozy stuff like memory foam or plush polyfoam that molds to your shape and eases up tension in spots like your shoulders, hips, and lower back.

If you deal with soreness or pressure in those areas, this kind of mattress might be a solid match. However, it’s key to pick the right softness level so you don’t sink too deep—especially if you’re on the heavier side.

If you’re sharing a bed, motion isolation becomes super important so your partner’s movements don’t wake you up. Pillow-top mattresses—especially ones made with memory foam—usually do a great job here by soaking up movement instead of letting it travel across the bed.

However, some innerspring pillow tops don’t do as well at blocking motion, so if you’re a light sleeper, make sure the mattress you’re eyeing has some kind of motion-control design built in.

The stuff a mattress’s made of really shapes how it feels and looks. Depending on your height, weight, how you like to sleep, and what your body needs for rest, one kind of mattress might just suit you better than another. Here’s a quick, no-fuss rundown of what to keep in mind about each type.

Latex

Latex has a springy, bouncy feel with a touch of sponge-like give. Its quick response keeps you from feeling stuck the way memory foam sometimes does, making it easier to move or flip positions. Latex tends to stay cooler than most foams, which makes it a solid pick for a sleepers who overheat or wake up sweaty. It’s also a natural material tapped from rubber trees, so it’s a good fit for people who have breathing sensitivities or want something eco-friendlier.

Latex beds usually give a firm, supportive surface that helps stomach sleepers keep their spine straight and avoid sinking too much. If the latex is too firm, though, it might not cushion enough, which can leave your chest or hips feeling sore or tense after a night’s sleep.

Memory Foam

Memory foam beds mold closely to your body and tend to ease a lot of pressure. Though old-school memory foam was famous for trapping heat, newer versions sleep cooler thanks to bigger air pockets in their design. The feel, firmness, and thickness of memory foam change depending on the brand, model, and price point. In general, moving around on memory foam takes a little more effort than on other materials.

Memory foam beds do a great job of hugging your shape, which helps take pressure off key areas and keeps the spine lined up right for sleepers. The downside is that memory foam can let your body sink too far down, which might throw your spine out of line and cause stiffness in your lower back or neck.

Innerspring

Classic spring mattresses use a framework of steel coils throughout the bed. Coils usually create a firmer, springier feel and offer solid support, though they can also spread movement more easily. Pocketed coils do better with motion control since each coil is wrapped separately in fabric.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses mix and match materials like coils, foams, and latex to blend support with comfort. They’re made in all kinds of firmness levels, from soft and plush to extra firm.

Hybrid beds often hit a nice balance between structure and cushioning. They offer enough firmness to keep a sleeper’s spine aligned, while still giving a little softness around the hips. Depending on the hybrid’s design, though, some may sink too much or create pressure points if the top layer is overly soft, which could mess with alignment and cause hip or back pain.

Your ideal firmness level really depends on how you sleep. But if you’re not sure where to begin, most folks tend to feel comfy on a medium-firm mattress. When we test mattresses, we rate each one on a firmness scale from 1 to 10—1 being crazy soft and 10 being rock-hard. We usually land around 6.5 for that universally comfortable medium-firm feel.

“Sleeping on a mattress that’s either too stiff or too mushy for your position can cause serious pressure spots and long-term aches,” says Dr. Dasgupta. “It’s crucial to choose a firmness that fits your sleeping habits, weight, and day-to-day lifestyle. If your spine isn’t lined up right, your hips, lower back, or shoulders can sink out of alignment and cause pain.”

Check out our mattress firmness guide if you want more details on picking a firmness that actually feels right for you.

Most mattresses run somewhere between six and 14 inches thick. Latex and memory foam beds usually lean thinner, while hybrids and innerspring ones tend to be beefier because of all those coils inside.

Most folks like their mattress to land in that 10-to-14-inch sweet spot. Sleepers tipping the scale past 230 pounds might want a chunkier mattress that gives deeper compression support. Some slimmer beds pull it off with fancy foams or a super-thick comfort layer that can hold its own against a bulkier mattress, but overall, thicker ones usually hold up better and feel more solid than thinner ones.

Body weight plays a big role in what kind of mattress feels right. As Dr. Harris explains, “People who weigh less will usually think a mattress feels firmer than someone heavier would.”

Lighter sleepers (under 130 pounds) often go for softer beds that cushion the body without swallowing them up. Average-weight sleepers (between 130 and 230 pounds) usually do best with something in the medium to medium-firm range for balanced support. Heavier sleepers (over 230 pounds) tend to need firmer or hybrid mattresses that keep them lifted and supported through the night.

Your sleep position also shapes what firmness works best. Side sleepers, who need a little extra give for the shoulders and hips, usually prefer a softer bed—around a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale. Back sleepers need proper spinal alignment, so they feel best on a medium-firm mattress—about 6.5 out of 10. Stomach sleepers, on the other hand, need something firmer—around a 7 or higher—to keep their hips from dipping too low and throwing their spine out of line.

Mattress prices are all over the place depending on what they’re made of and what extra features they include. For example, hybrids tend to cost more than most other types. Add-ons like motion isolation, adjustable firmness settings, or eco-friendly materials can also bump up the price tag.

Most queen-size beds range from a few hundred bucks to a few thousand, depending on build and quality. For context, the mattresses in this guide cost between $1,319 and $2,499 for a queen, before discounts. Generally, anything under $1,000 for a queen feels like a steal—but that doesn’t always mean top-notch quality. Check our value score or read other reviews to gauge how durable and comfy a bed really is.

Check out those lists for wallet-happy options.

• Best Mattresses Under $1,000
• Best Mattresses for the Money
• Best Cheap Mattresses
• Best Queen Mattresses

When shopping for a mattress, you’ll wanna stick with brands that treat their customers right—with good warranties, free shipping, and nice long trials. Nobody wants surprise fees when testing a new bed. To save you the trouble, we dug into the warranty, trial, and shipping info for all these beds.

Warranties: A warranty is basically the brand promising your bed won’t fall apart under normal use. It’s also a hint at how durable it is. Every company’s warranty is different, but we suggest sticking with 10-year to lifetime ones. Cheaper beds usually have shorter coverage, but that doesn’t always mean they’re bad deals. Just keep it in mind when comparing price, quality, and expected lifespan.

Shipping: The coolest part of buying online is having the bed show up right at your door. We made sure each one here ships free. Some brands offer “white-glove” delivery for extra cash—they’ll hand-deliver it, carry it to your room, unbox it, and take your old one away.

If you’re shopping across borders, shipping can get pricey, so we also checked out some top mattress picks to make things easier.

Sleep Trials: Trials are a must—they let you test your new bed for a set time before you’re stuck with it. Usually you get anywhere from 30 to 365 nights to figure out if it fits your sleep style and return it if not. For side sleepers, this is your shot to see if it eases pressure in the right spots and feels comfy enough for you and your partner.

You should be able to spot-clean a pillow-top mattress as needed. It’s also a good idea to use a mattress protector to reduce the chance of stains. Keep in mind that sometimes using the mattress without a topper can void the warranty, so it’s worth checking the terms first.

It totally depends on what the mattress is made of. Latex usually hangs in there longer than your standard polyfoam or memory foam, and steel coils tend to outlast all three. So, make sure you really check out what’s inside the bed before pulling the trigger.

Unfortunately, no. Like the name gives away, a pillow-top mattress is designed with that cushy top layer sitting on, well, the top. Flipping it upside down would mess up the whole design. But you can spin it 180 degrees to help keep it from sagging over time.

The extra foam layers up top give you instant softness and a bit of that cozy sink-in feel, which can be a lifesaver for anyone needing deep pressure relief around the shoulders, hips, or lower back.

I’d say rotate your mattress 180 degrees. You can also slide a flat piece of plywood under the sagging spot to give it more structure and even things out. None of the beds in this roundup actually need a box spring, but if you like, a slatted frame can totally do the trick.

Pillow-top mattresses can give just enough cushion to fill in your lower back and take pressure off your hips, which can be super helpful for easing back pain. However, make sure your pillow-top mattress has a sturdy base layer that keeps your body properly supported and aligned all night long.

Pillow-top mattresses usually hold up for about 7 to 10 years, depending on how they’re built. Stronger support layers and better-quality materials tend to keep them comfy and in good shape for longer.

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