Top Mattresses For Comfort and Style
Maybe you’re not quite ready for a new mattress, or maybe your old one has lost its comfort. The right top mattress can bring a new life to your bed.
Pillow top mattresses have extra padding sewn to the top of the mattress cover. They are usually comfortable, but not suitable for all sleeping styles.
Support
A mattress topper is an inexpensive way to give your bed a comfortable makeover. It is placed directly on top of the mattress and is held in place with straps. They can vary in thickness from about an inch or two to as thick as eight inches or more. Thinner ones don’t usually offer much extra support or cushioning, but they can help hide lumps and bumps in your current mattress.
Memory foam conforms with the body and relieves pressure points. It also offers good motion isolation so that partners will not be disturbed as much by each other when changing positions in bed.
This topper comes in six sizes and is made from sustainably cultivated natural latex in the U.S. It’s breathable, helping to keep the sleep surface cool and dry. It is encased with a cotton cover which looks and feels luxurious. It is hypoallergenic and washable, and resists mildew and mites. It comes with a generous warranty.
Comfort
This mattress is built with foams that create a plush feel and medium amount of body contouring. It provides a solid support that can promote spinal alignment and relieve back pain. It’s great for those who sleep on their backs, stomachs, or sides.
Flip it over to choose between the firm or soft side. It’s made with a layer of softer memory foam and a layer of firmer latex, so it’s ideal for all types of sleepers.
Comfort varies by person and can be hard to quantify, but this mattress has plenty of positive feedback from our team, including anecdotal evidence like waking up without back pain or never sweating through sheets. It’s also affordable and comes with a generous trial period. It doesn’t provide the same comfort as an all-foam mattress and tends towards compression around the edges. To properly cover the mattress, you’ll need a fitted sheet with a deep pocket.
Durability
A pillow top mattress is one with a thick, soft layer that is stitched or glued to the mattress’ outer cover. It is usually between 2 and four inches thick and made from a variety of materials.
The cushioned top helps to reduce pressure at key points such as the hips and shoulders. It also distributes weight evenly for a better night’s sleep. This is particularly important for those with shoulder, back or hip pain.
Unfortunately, pillow top mattresses have a tendency to sag over time. This is often unavoidable, but rotating the mattress every few months can help prolong its life. Also, pillow top mattresses tend to be deeper than standard mattresses, so it’s important to select sheets that can accommodate the additional cushioning.
Value
The Allswell is the latest mattress-in-a-box from Walmart, and it offers great value at $699 for a queen. It’s a hybrid bed with layers of temperature-regulating foam and copper-gel-infused memory foam. It’s not as plush as top ten mattresses, but it is still comfortable for most people.
It also has a very good edge support for a foam mattress. It comes in a variety of sizes including California king, and a huge 80 by 76-inch King for heavyweight couples.
As Tom’s Guide’s mattress expert, Claire is responsible for all sleep product testing for the site. She has years of product-testing experience and is a certified sleep coach to help readers find the best beds for them. She formerly covered home and bedroom buys for Real Homes, and has also written for The Spruce, Apartment Therapy, and Livingetc. She loves helping readers solve their sleep problems and wind down well at night. Her favorite mattress is the Nest Bedding Alexander Medium Firm.