Best Pillow Top Mattresses for 2024

Our mattress testing experts have tested over 200 mattresses and counting. We are very good at testing beds and rating them based on what the average person needs and values. When testing, we consider a few key factors that help us judge each mattress.

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Firmness and feel

Let’s start with the two most important factors when it comes to mattresses: firmness and feel. You can think of firmness as how hard or soft the mattress is. I know what you’re thinking, who wants a hard mattress? A lot of pressure relief isn’t always the best option for everyone, but some people, like stomach and back sleepers, need a firmer mattress with more support to keep their spine aligned at night. Side sleepers, on the other hand, benefit from a softer mattress that provides pressure relief for their shoulders, hips, and knees. We rate firmness on a scale of 1 to 10, which equates to terms like “medium” or “medium-firm.”

The feel is the other big thing we notice right away. How does the pillow top mattress feel when you lay on it? Does it have the feeling of sinking memory foam or a more neutral foam that bounces back quickly? For pillow tops specifically, we look at how thick they are and what they feel like to the mattress. The firmness and feel of the mattress is mentioned in every review.

Performance

We consider several performance factors when testing the best pillow top mattresses. The first is edge support, or how structured the perimeter of the mattress is. Testing this is as simple as sitting on the edge of the bed and assessing how supportive it is. If we feel like we’re going to fall off the mattress from sitting on the edge, then it doesn’t have great edge support.

Motion isolation is important if you sleep with a partner who tosses and turns or has a different sleep schedule than you. We test this by placing a glass of water on the mattress and rolling it around to see if it tips over. We also know how well the mattress distributes heat and regulates temperature.