A lot of people sleep badly at night, just because they sleep on the wrong mattress, or their pillow is not comfortable or supportive enough for them. It’s a really common problem with thousands of people suffering neck pain, headache, bad mood, or tiredness during the whole day. Every person in this world has different sleeping preferences, and sometimes, we need a few years of seeking, until we are able to find exactly what we need.
Today, we will focus on the pillow-top mattresses, that are made for those who want a fixed elevation below their head, as the most comfortable choice for them.
A pillow-top mattress is not different from a regular mattress. A good option for those seeking a comfortable mattress that provides better support than memory foam or latex. These are pocket coil or innerspring pillow-top mattresses.
An extra padding layer is sewn on top, which is the key difference. The pillow top is minimal 2” thick and designed to offer comfort. The complaints regarding the shifting of pillow tops have been corrected. Today, pillow tops seem much better.
How do pillow-top mattresses get constructed?
The pillow top mattress gets constructed in two parts.
- Support section – The pillow top gets stitched to the support part directly to create a twin-tier mattress. Support parts can be foam, pocket springs, cage springs, or suspension springs. It’s a really good and economical choice initially, but the durability is often questionable because the stitches can get loose as time goes by.
- Pillow top section – Pillow top surface will include any kind of material like foam, latex, polyester, down, etc. Usually, this is a super soft layer that offers an instant sink feel allowing sleepers to snuggle in the topper. A great and durable solution, but you will still have to invest more money, in order to get a quality product.
Many brands employ adhesive to attach layers but make sure to choose a hand-tufted one. Unlike stitched processes, glue can break over time.
Padding or cushioning materials
Several padding materials can be used to attain a soft contouring surface, which typically gives the feel of the pillow top.
Polyurethane foam – Polyurethane is used in layers of the mattress. It gives a lot of comforts and enhanced durability but also suffers from little heat retention.
Viscoelastic foam – It is intended to contour your body shape and give luxurious enveloping comfort. In the past, viscoelastic material caused heat retention problems. Manufacturers heard consumers’ complaints and started to innovate better variants like gel foam.
Latex – Organic latex is a high-end material because it yields better response and consistency when used. Generally, less heat gets accumulated and is more eco-friendly.
Polyester – The cheap and less durable cushioning material. It compacts and hardens over time.
Other fillers – Wool is a breathable material and adds perfect softness to the pillow top. Organic cotton is the best cushioning material because it offers physical comfort, allergic protection, and ventilation. Goose down offers long-lasting softening as you can periodically plump it and regain its original shape.
Types of pillow-top mattresses
Multiple sizes of pillow-top mattresses are available including full, king, queen, and twin. You can read more about it here. Common types of pillow-top mattresses are innerspring and airbeds.
Airbeds – Any components or airbeds can be swapped, even pillow tops. The top is not attached permanently to the airbed, so the existing top can be peeled easily and a net one added. Replacement costs may not be covered under warranty. Moreover, the airbed pillow top can be flipped or rotated to enhance its lifespan.
Innerspring – Alternatively, the innerspring pillow-top mattress is attached permanently, so replacing is either not possible or very difficult. Unlike airbeds, an innerspring mattress needs to be completely replaced, if the pillow top loses its comfort. Find out if replacing or repairing the cost of pillow tops in spring mattresses is covered or not, while buying. There are few manufacturers, who have added pillow tops on the front as well as the back of the mattress. It allows flipping the mattress on both sides of the pillow top, thus the lifespan of the overall mattress increases.
Valuable and beneficial features of pillow-top mattresses
Purchase of a new mattress is confusing because the mattress world is flooded with a plethora of options. Different forms of mattresses are being introduced to fulfill a variety of comfort levels ranging from regular innerspring mattresses to innovative technology like memory foam or gel foam or latex foam.
However, pillow-top mattresses signify the peak of luxury in the bedding sector because of the comfort and affordability it offers. Besides the luxury it offers, sleepers can also reap its other valuable benefits.
Is the pillow-top mattress good for my neck and back?
This model of mattress is made to ease the tension for the side sleepers, which means, it provides enough support to your neck and back. But, also can be great for those who sleep on their back. Also, people who suffer from mild sleep apnea can improve the quality of their night’s sleep with the best mattress material. It’s not a huge elevation, but it’s still pretty functional.
Most of the time, the pillow-top mattresses are made of firm and cooling materials, to maintain a proper body temperature at night. That means you will sleep comfortably even in the summer.
Does this mattress last forever?
Sadly, you can’t expect huge durability, because of the way this mattress is composed. But, we are sure that you can use it for up to seven years, or sometimes even more. Anyway, the durability depends on the regular maintenance, but also on your sleeping habits, and your bodyweight too. The good thing is that you can once invest in a mattress, and then repurchase the top layer, if needed.
Removable pillow-tops
You have an option to buy a removable layer, that you can easily wash and maintain. Also, you can adjust the firmness as needed. That means, you don’t really need to buy a whole new mattress, but you can invest in the removable layers of foam. This is one of the best options to save money and improve your night’s sleep. Many people even bring their tops when they need to sleep in another house. Also, if you have guests often, you can use these removable tops to prevent mattress damage over time.
Conclusion
As you can see, you have a few available solutions. You can order a stitched or glued pillow-top mattress, or you can invest in removable layers, with different levels of elevation, firmness, and thickness. And we assure you that it’s completely worth it, because everyone deserves to sleep well at night, no matter if it’s a warm summer night or a cool autumn evening.
