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 are padded mattresses with extra padding sewn on top of the mattress cover. They’re typically comfortable but not suited for every sleeping style.
Support
A mattress topper can be an inexpensive way to make your bed more comfortable. 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 provides good motion isolation, meaning partners won’t disturb each other as much when changing positions in bed.
This topper is available in six bed sizes and is made in the U.S. using natural latex that’s sustainably farmed. It’s breathable, helping to keep the sleep surface cool and dry. It’s encased in a cotton cover that looks and feels luxurious. It is hypoallergenic and washable, and resists mildew and mites. It is backed by a generous warranty.
Comfort
This mattress is built with foams that create a plush feel and medium amount of body contouring. It offers solid support that promotes spinal alignment and can help relive back pain. It’s a great choice for back, stomach, or side sleepers.
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.
It’s hard to quantify comfort, as it varies from person to person. However, our team has received many positive reviews about this mattress, including anecdotal feedback like never having back pain when waking up or never sweating through the sheets. It is also affordable and comes a generous 30-day trial period. However, it doesn’t have the same cradling feel as an all-foam model and tends to compress around the edges more than some other mattresses. You’ll also need a deep fitted sheet to properly cover it.
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 especially important for people with back, shoulder or hip pain.
Pillow top mattresses tend to sag with time. It is difficult to avoid this, but rotating your mattress every few months will help extend 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.
Claire is Tom’s Guide’s expert on mattresses. She is responsible for testing all sleep products for the website. She has years of experience in product testing and is a certified Sleep Coach to help readers find their perfect bed. 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.