What is a Pillow Top Mattress: The Ultimate Guide in 2023

Are you looking for the perfect mattress to help reduce back pain and improve your sleep quality? Have you heard of a pillow top mattress, but aren’t sure whether it is right for you or not?

A pillow top mattress is a type of mattress that has an extra layer of cushioning on its surface. This cushioning provides extra comfort and support, helping you to find the most restful night’s sleep possible. It also can help those who suffer from chronic pain by providing more cushioning for these pressure points.

In this article, we will explore what makes pillow top mattress, benefits, disadvantage and why need to use pillow up mattress. After reading this article, you should be able to make an informed decision about whether a pillow top mattress is best for your needs.

Table of Contents

How are Pillow Top Mattresses/beds made?

Let’s talk about where pillowtop mattresses came from and how they are made. The pillowtop is made up of two different parts.

Pillow Top Mattresses

Support Section

When the pillow top is sewn right on top of the support, this makes a two-layer mattress. You have a nice mattress that only has one side, but everything else is fine. The support part of a mattress can be made of pocket springs, foam, suspension springs, or cage springs.

Pillowtop Section

Pillow Tops are made from both synthetic materials like polyester and natural materials like wool or latex. Usually, this is a very soft layer that makes you feel like you can “sink right in.” A good comparison would be a feather or down mattress topper, which sinks right into the bed and makes you want to get comfortable. Most of the time, this pillowtop is not tufted, which can cause fibers to move around and make the surface rough.

Pros and Cons for Pillow top mattress

There are pros and cons to pillow-top mattresses. Depending on what you like, pillow tops can be soft or firm. Let’s look at some facts that might affect your decision.

Pros

1. Comfy and Convenient

Pillow tops make beds more comfortable. The innerspring or pocketed coils that make up the bed’s base give it a cloud-like feel, while the different materials that make up the top layer give it a light, fluffy, and soft feel.

Pillow top beds are more comfortable right out of the box. Even without a memory foam top, pillow tops are supportive and comfortable right out of the box.

2. Less Off-Gas

Luxury mattresses of the same quality might smell bad for weeks or months. Customers say that the average pillow top does not have a bad smell.

3. Affordable

Pillow top mattresses cost about 30% more than regular mattresses, but they are much cheaper than most memory foam or hybrid mattresses that offer the same level of comfort. The price of a pillow-top mattress is high.

4. Pressure relief

Pillow top mattresses are known for good sleep. These mattresses provide great hip and shoulder support and alleviate back and joint pain for side sleepers. Their pressure-point relief is excellent.

5. Can Merge Softness and Support

The top layer can offer softness and support to an innerspring mattress. Many individuals choose beds with support and comfort.

Cons

1. Slight Bulkier

20% more weight goes into pillow toppers than mattresses. Tougher to manage or turn, at times.

2. Needs Rotation

Rotation is necessary. Turn pillow toppers regularly. Flip them only if the mattress has a two-sided pillow top. Rotating the bed makes it last longer and relaxes you more.

3. Sagging

A big problem with pillow tops is that they sag. Wear and tear and weight press down on the materials in the top layer. Back pain could be caused by big sags.Wear and tear and weight compress the upper layer materials. Large sags might cause back pain.

4. Not Good for Overweight People

Heavy people lack support and comfort. Heavy persons should consider different options for the best support.

5. Fitting Sheets

Your sheets or bed frame might not fit on a pillow-top mattress. Even though sheets are now stretchy, a pillow top may be deeper than your mattress. Your sheets might be too small for it.

Mattresses may not suit your bed frame. If you need a new mattress pad, sheets, or frame, this can add a lot to the price.

6. Less Reliable

Customers say that pillow-top mattresses wear out more quickly. This is not true. Research is still going on at this point.

7. Restricts Air-flow

Pillow top mattresses hold heat. Many people find that the pillow top is warm. Pillow-top mattress sleepers were more likely than regular mattress sleepers to report this problem, at 8% each. Most foam cushion tops keep heat in.

side sleeper with pillow top mattress

Is A Pillow Top Mattress Necessary?

A Pillow Top Mattress is not necessary for good sleep. Many people choose to sleep on firmer surfaces and find that this is better for their back health and overall comfort during the night. A pillow top mattress does offer a softer, more luxurious sleeping experience, but this may not be the best choice for everyone. 

When considering a new mattress purchase, it is important to think about personal preference and what mattress most accurately fits an individual’s sleep needs in order to identify the best option for them.

Is a pillow top mattress good for side sleepers?

A pillow top mattress is fantastic for all sleeping positions, including side sleeping.

You can get the pain relief you need while sleeping in any position because they provide continuous support. Pillow Tops are most commonly attached to innerspring mattresses. Because of this, you can enjoy the benefits of both the coil system’s support and the extra comfort provided by the foam layers.

It’s critical to have a mattress that works for your preferred sleeping position, but other sleep gear is just as crucial. Best side sleeping pillows should be used in combination with a pillow top mattress.

Is A Mattress with A Pillow Top Good or Bad for Your back?

Yes! Pillowtop mattresses provide full-body support. The back support of these mattresses is different.

Pillow top mattresses are made with extra padding sewn onto the top. When this layer is made of memory foam, it’s best for your back. Memory foam molds to your shape and changes as you move. It’s often used for back pain.

What Size Sheets Are Needed for Pillow Top Mattress?

In Pillow top mattress the Extra padding can make these beds taller, which might not work with regular sheets. Deep-pocket sheets fit mattresses with pillow tops.

Deep-pocket sheets come in three different depths: 7 to 14 inches (normal), 15 inches, and 16 to 22 inches. You can measure the depth of your mattress or ask the person who sold it to you. Make sure to get sheets that fit your mattress (twin, full, queen, king, etc). Check the thread count, the material, and how long the sheets will last before you buy them.

What Is A Tight Top Mattress?

A tight top mattress is a type of bedding with a continuous layer of firm cushioning material that does not have extra layers or padding stitched to the top. It offers consistent support and is usually firmer than other mattress types due to its lack of traditional pillowtop, quilting, tufting, or other layered accents.

Wrapping Up

Instead of investing in a Pillow top mattress, we recommend picking up a good quality pocket sprung mattress and topping it off with a 2-3-inch-deep topper that meets your specific needs.

The pieces stay together on a good mattress protector. Turn, twist, and turn the mattress and topper each on its own. making the most use of them.

Jessica
Author: Jessica

Jessica is a lover of both life and gardening. She loves to share his passion for both on social media. He often posts about his latest gardening projects, as well as tips and tricks for others who might be interested in starting their own gardens. She also frequently posts about the different aspects of his life that he enjoys, from spending time with friends and family to exploring new places.

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