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Pillow top mattresses are especially recommended for side sleepers. They’re generally more affordable than other mattresses, but they may not be as long lasting.

There are scores of pillow top mattress brands and models on the market, with a wide range of prices. Many well-known brands have similar features at different price points.

Here are 10 mattresses and tips to consider when opting for pillow tops.

Pillow top vs. Euro top

Pillow top and Euro top mattresses are similar, and sometimes the names are used interchangeably.

But Euro top mattresses may be made from more expensive materials. Also, Euro tops are sewn into the mattress base with side panels that provide more mattress edge support than pillow tops do.

A pillow top mattress has a thick layer of padding on top that makes it feel extra plush. It’s often marketed as similar to mattresses used in luxury hotels.

The mattress underneath the pillow top is usually an innerspring or hybrid of layers that provide firmness or support. The nonremovable pillow top adds a cushioned layer that adjusts to your body’s contours.

The padding can be made from many materials, including:

  • latex
  • polyurethane foam
  • gel (memory) foam
  • cotton
  • down
  • polyester

Mattress materials

  • Foam and memory foam mattresses: all-foam and often made of more than one layer; popular bed-in-a-box materials
  • Innerspring mattresses: rely on layers of metal coils, often with a padded surface layer
  • Hybrid mattresses: a combination of coil springs and layers of foam and other materials

There’s a bewildering number of pillow top mattresses on the market, and many have similar features. We picked the 10 mattresses here by considering:

  • sleep expert recommendations
  • organization recommendations
  • consumer reviews
  • terms of manufacturer warranty
  • ease of ordering and returns
  • quality of materials
  • special features, such as pressure point support
  • range of budget options

Descriptions below are for queen-sized mattresses.

Pricing guide

Pillow top mattresses come in a wide range of prices. Prices also vary by size and special features.

Here’s our guide:

  • $ = under $500
  • $$ = $500–$1,000
  • $$$ = $1,000–$1,500
  • $$$$ = $1,500–$2,000
  • $$$$$ = over $2,000

Saatva Classic

Saatva Classic pillow top mattress
  • Price: $$$
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
  • Height: 11.5 inches or 14.5 inches
  • Firmness: plush soft, luxury firm (medium), firm
  • Mattress type: innersprings with Euro pillow top
  • Return policy: 120-day home trial

The Saatva mattress is rated No. 1 on the Consumer Advocate Organization’s list of best mattresses. Its 40,000 online reviews give it 4.9 out of 5 stars.

Saatva is made in the United States. It uses organic cotton and CertiPUR-US certified foam in the Euro top. It features extra support in the center of the mattress to extend the life of the mattress and support proper spinal alignment, which can reduce back pain. The Saatva HD model has extra support for people with more weight.

White glove service, setup, and old mattress removal are free. The most popular model is the Saatva Luxury Firm.

Shop for the Saatva Classic mattress online.

Wayfair Sleep 12-inch firm hybrid mattress

  • Price: $
  • Sizes: twin, full, queen, king, California king
  • Height: 12 inches
  • Firmness: firm
  • Mattress type: hybrid with pillow top
  • Return policy: 100 days

This mattress-in-a-box has a polyester-filled pillow top. The support system is a hybrid gel foam layer over pocket coils. The breathable gel is for comfort and to help disperse heat.

The Wayfair mattress has more than 3,300 five-star online reviews from certified buyers and 84 one-star reviews. Many reviewers note that it’s a “great mattress for the price.”

Complaints include that the mattress sagged after a short time, wasn’t firm enough, and was hot sleeping.

Wayfair recommends airing the mattress for 72 hours before use.

Shop for the Wayfair Sleep 12-inch firm hybrid mattress online.

Modway Jenna

  • Price: $
  • Sizes: twin, full, queen, king, California king
  • Height: 13.5 inches
  • Firmness: firm
  • Mattress type: hybrid with pillow top
  • Return policy: Amazon return policy

The Jenna pillow top has a quilted polyester top that’s over 1 inch of memory foam and 3 inches of egg crate foam. The support layer has 10-inch individually wrapped coils. The wrapped coils are designed to limit motion disturbance.

Shipping is free, but you do the setup.

The Jenna has 2,141 reviews, averaging 4.5 stars. About 77 percent of the reviews are five stars, and 5 percent are one star. This is the best-selling pillow top mattress on Amazon.

The most common customer complaints are:

  • The mattress began to sag after a short time.
  • It’s not for people with more weight.
  • You could feel the springs despite the padding.
  • It wasn’t firm.

Shop for the Modway Jenna 14-inch innerspring mattress online.

Serta Luxe

  • Price: $
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
  • Height: 11.5 inches
  • Firmness: plush
  • Mattress type: hybrid with pillow top
  • Return policy: 120-day home trial

The Serta Luxe pillow top mattress combines breathable memory foam and gel foam for a plush top over wrapped coils. The fiber layer has antimicrobial properties to keep it odor-free. The foam is CertiPUR-US-certified.

There’s an extra foam rail on the edges to give support. It’s advertised as cool, soft, and supportive.

The Luxe line has several models, including a Euro top. A cooling upgrade and a support upgrade are available at an increased cost.

Serta has been making mattresses since 1931 and is the largest U.S. mattress company. Today you can buy Serta mattresses in a store or order online.

Delivery is free, but white glove service is on pause. You’ll have to unbox the mattress when it’s delivered to your door.

Shop for the Serta Luxe mattress online.

Dreamfoam Willow 12-inch Euro top latex mattress

  • Price: $$
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, full XL, queen, short queen, king, California king, split California king
  • Height: 12.5 inches
  • Firmness: soft, medium, firm
  • Mattress type: latex with Euro pillow top
  • Return policy: 90-day home trial

Dreamfoam mattresses are easy to customize or adjust since the pillow top is a zippered area padded with a removable foam layer.

The Willow 12-inch, formerly called the Ultimate Dreams Euro top latex mattress, features a 3-inch Talalay latex foam layer in the pillow top. You select the firmness level. Your choice will be shipped to you direct from the factory.

The quilted Euro top cover is made from bamboo fibers, which are durable, breathable, and soft. It’s also antibacterial and removable. The support layer is latex.

Dreamfoam has been in business since 1995 and is considered a leader in latex and memory foam mattresses. Its sister company is Brooklyn Bedding.

This mattress and Dreamfoam get high marks for:

  • comfort
  • motion control
  • heat dissipation
  • edge support
  • customer service

There may be an initial off-gassing odor when you set up the mattress.

Shop for the Willow 12-inch Euro top latex mattress online.

The WinkBed

  • Price: $$$$
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
  • Height: 13.5 inches
  • Firmness: soft, luxury firm, firm, plus
  • Mattress type: hybrid with Euro top
  • Return policy: 120-day home trial

WinkBed has two layers of zoned, individually wrapped coils that give extra support where your body is heavier. The pillow top has gel-infused foam for cushioning. WinkBed is also reinforced around the edges to provide a stable surface when you sit or sleep near the edge.

The individually wrapped coils provide motion isolation so that it’s comfortable for two sleepers. The coil configuration also provides air circulation for better temperature regulation.

WinkBed is available online and at a few brick-and-mortar stores. Shipping is free via UPS, but you must set it up yourself. There are additional fees for white glove service and for old mattress removal.

Shop for the WinkBed online.

Helix Midnight Luxe

  • Price: $$$$
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
  • Height: 13 inches
  • Firmness: soft, medium, and firm
  • Mattress type: hybrid with pillow top
  • Return policy: 100-day home trial

The Helix Midnight pillow top uses memory foam in the top, covered with Tencel, a breathable fabric. The wrapped coils are zoned for extra comfort around the shoulders and hips while keeping the spine in alignment. This makes it especially comfortable for side sleepers and popular with people looking to reduce back pain.

The coil configuration is symmetrical, so the mattress can be rotated 180 degrees.

The Helix Midnight is available online and at some affiliated showrooms.

Shipping is free via FedEx ground, but you provide the setup. White glove service is available for an additional fee of $149, plus $75 for old mattress removal.

Shop for the Helix Midnight Luxe mattress online.

The Avocado Green Mattress

  • Price: $$$$
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
  • Height: 13 inches
  • Firmness: medium soft, medium firm, and firm
  • Mattress type: hybrid with Euro pillow top
  • Return policy: 365-day home trial

Avocado’s 19,784 reviews give it a 4.5-star rating on average.

Consumer Reports recommends its durability as excellent and also notes that it’s excellent for the average back sleeper.

The Avocado mattress is made in California from certified organic products, including wool, cotton, and latex from its own farms.

The American Chiropractic Association endorsed this mattress through its independent review program.

The mattress has a 2-inch latex Euro top over the cotton, wool, and latex layers that cover the coil supports. It’s needle-tufted to improve durability.

Zoned, floating coils help evenly distribute weight, relieve pressure points, and reduce motion transfer. It’s nontoxic and doesn’t have chemical flame retardants or adhesives.

A vegan version without wool is available.

The Avocado mattress is shipped free via FedEx. White glove service is $199, including assembly and old mattress removal.

Shop for the Avocado Green Mattress online.

Simmons Beautyrest Black L-class medium

  • Price: $$$$$
  • Sizes: twin XL, full, queen, king, California king
  • Height: 13 inches
  • Firmness: medium
  • Mattress type: hybrid with pillow top
  • Return policy: 100-day home trial

Simmons is a well-known brand that’s been in business for more than 140 years.

The pillow top on this Beautyrest model is made with a combination of gel foam and memory foam. The support layer has pocketed coils.

Two upgrade options are available at increased cost: A cooling upgrade has carbon-infused memory foam that helps you sleep cool, and a pressure-relief upgrade adds more memory foam.

White glove service and setup service is free, including old mattress disposal.

Some consumers complain of sagging and heat retention after 3 years. But 70 to 72 percent of consumers report satisfaction, according to a Best Mattress Brand review.

Shop for the Simmons Beautyrest Black L-class medium mattress online.

Royal Pedic Premier Natural Cloud Pillowtop

  • Price: $$$$$
  • Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, custom
  • Height: 15 inches
  • Firmness: customizable
  • Mattress type: innersprings with layers of wool, cotton, and latex, with Euro top
  • Return policy: varies by seller

According to company history, Royal Pedic began in Los Angeles in 1946 making expensive mattresses for celebrities, including U.S. President John F. Kennedy and basketball star Wilt Chamberlain.

The Natural Cloud Pillowtop is Royal Pedic’s top-of-the-line mattress. Each mattress is assembled in California with all-natural materials and hand-tufting.

The pillow top is covered in soft organic cotton. The cushioning is made with organic cotton, wool, and Talalay latex.

What’s unique about this pillow top is that it has a pillow top on both sides of the mattress, so you can flip it over to rotate it.

Royal Pedic mattresses are sold at select stores and online.

Shop for the Royal Pedic Premier Natural Cloud pillow top mattress online or find local stores.

Buying a new mattress can take a hefty bite out of your budget. But it’s a worthwhile investment given the amount of time you’ll spend on it.

Pillow tops have a different feel from other mattresses. If possible, you may want to try out some in a store to get an idea of how they feel. Also trying different models will give you a sense of how soft, medium, and firm are distinguished.

Here’s a general guide of factors to consider when mattress shopping.

For pillow top shopping, here’s a short list of questions to consider:

  • How much do you want to spend?
  • Will the mattress fit on your existing frame?
  • Are you more comfortable on latex, memory foam, or other materials?
  • Will you need to buy new bedding to fit the mattress height?
  • Is the mattress hypoallergenic?
  • Does the mattress suit your sleep pattern (back sleeper, side sleeper, etc.)?
  • Will the mattress support your weight?
  • Is the manufacturer reputable?
  • Are environmental concerns important to you?
  • What’s the cost of delivery, setup, and old mattress disposal?
  • Can the mattress be returned?
  • What are the complaints from purchasers?

An alternative to consider is buying a good-quality pillow top mattress topper to add onto your existing mattress or other new mattress.

Pillow top mattresses are known to be less long-lived than other mattress types. Basically, the material in these mattresses gives way and sags over time.

About 30 percent of pillow top mattress owners report that their mattress sagged within 3 years of use, according to popular sleep website Sleep Like the Dead.

6 ways to prevent or fix mattress sag

  1. Rotate the pillow top mattress monthly, 180 degrees, head to foot.
  2. Try to redistribute the pillow top filling by hitting it with a broom handle.
  3. Put a plywood board under the mattress to reduce sag.
  4. Try a “mattress helper,” a patented device that props up the mattress where it sags.
  5. Try a pillow top “topper” on top of the pillow top.
  6. If you notice sagging early on in your trial period, consider returning the mattress.

It’s a good idea to try out a pillow top mattress in person to make sure it’s what you want before you buy. Pillow tops can help cushion aches and pains, but the mattresses don’t always last as long as non-pillow tops.

Most popular pillow tops have lots of good reviews and a much smaller number of one-star reviews. Keep in mind that the good reviews are often written soon after the initial purchase, when the mattress feels comfortable.

The good news is that most brands have warranties and return policies, so if you’re not happy with your purchase, you can return it.