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 will breathe new life into your bed.
Pillow top mattresses are padded mattresses with extra padding sewn on 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 sits right on top of your mattress, held in place by 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 to the body, providing comfort and pressure point relief. 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 comes with a generous warranty.
Comfort
This mattress is made with foams which create a plush feeling and a 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 has a layer made of softer latex and a layer made of memory foam.
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’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. You’ll also need a deep fitted sheet to properly cover it.
Durability
A pillow top mattress has a thick layer of soft material that is glued or stitched to the mattress 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. It is difficult to avoid this, but rotating your mattress every few months will help extend its life. Pillow top mattresses are usually deeper than standard mattresses. It is important to choose sheets that will accommodate the extra 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 isn’t as plush as the top ten mattresses but is still comfortable enough for most people.
It has excellent edge support for a mattress made of foam. 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 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 Nest Bedding Alexander medium firm.