Euro Top vs. Pillow Top Mattress: What’s the Difference?

The Organica is our green twist on a Euro top mattress, with pillowy wool and crisp cotton establishing the immediate feel of the mattress. Anyone who’s seeking a pillow top mattress or a natural bed that will deter allergens can benefit from sleeping on this mattress.

As we mentioned, the cover fabric is organic cotton to maintain a cool, dry feel all night long. Underneath is wool, which serves to establish a mattress without fiberglass and creates a touch of gentle, temperature-neutral cushion.

The primary comfort and transition come from two layers of latex foam, a material that relieves pressure like memory foam while staying cool and resisting impressions and sagging.

The core of the Organica is pocketed coils on a base of latex foam for added support. By wrapping the coils inside the Organica, we limit the motion transfer that can occur with a traditional innerspring mattress. The coils that form the perimeter of the bed are thicker to create edge support.

The Amerisleep Organica, like all Amerisleep mattresses, ships free and comes with a 100-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty.

Many seek a pillow top or Euro top mattress for a mixture of softness and springy support, but you don’t have to buy a pillow top mattress to enjoy that feel. Our AS5 Hybrid offers a hug-like sensation with responsive foams and buoyant pocketed coils.

The top layer of the AS5 is our Bio-Pur® plant-based memory foam, a conforming material that feels plush to the touch, yet also offers coolness and responsiveness. It gently gives way to the body yet supports its every curve, helped by the underlying foam layer of Active Flex, a material named for its flexible, reactive feel.

The support core of the AS5 Hybrid is pocketed coils on a firm foam base, providing a springy feel that adapts to the body. The coils along the sides of the mattress offer edge support.

We also have the classic AS5 memory foam mattress, excellent for sleepers who want to save by choosing a pure foam mattress.

The AS5 Hybrid includes free delivery, a 100-night sleep trial, and a 20-year warranty.

How to Choose Between a Euro Top Mattress and Pillow Top Mattress

As mentioned above, Euro top and pillow top mattresses have unique benefits and drawbacks. If you are having trouble choosing between the two, consider your preferences surrounding the following.

• Softness: Pillow tops are generally softer than Euro tops because the absence of material between the add-on layer and mattress cover allows sleepers to sink further into the bed. This also results in superior contouring and pressure relief—a good choice for anyone with painful pressure points.
• Motion isolation: Euro tops are thicker and better at absorbing your or your sleep partner’s movements before they transfer across the bed. Euro tops may be the best option for anyone who frequently tosses and turns, and they make great mattresses for couples because they’re better at isolating motion than regular pillow tops.
• Durability: Euro tops are more durable than sewn-on pillow tops because they are stitched beneath the cover, making them flush with the edges of the mattress and thus, less likely to flatten, sag, or shift.
• Aesthetic appearance: Euro tops blend in with the mattress and may be more aesthetically pleasing, especially after extensive use.

Other Factors to Consider

As previously mentioned, pillow tops can be crafted from memory foam, latex foam, wool, or fiberfill—all of which possess different feels. The composition of your pillow top will affect the overall motion isolation, contouring, durability, and breathability of your mattress.

Pillow Top Material

In this section, we will discuss how commonly used pillow top materials affect the above features on a bed.

Memory Foam Pillow Top

Memory foam maximizes pressure relief because it only reacts to heat and pressure. This means it will cushion and carry the heaviest parts of your body, such as your hips and shoulders, making it a good choice for sleepers with painful pressure points.

Memory foam pillow tops also succeed as mattresses for motion isolation. When sleepers move at night, the memory foam will absorb their motion before it reaches the coil support core and transfers across the bed.

These qualities make pillow tops made from memory foam best for side sleepers needing relief near their hips and shoulders, anyone with back pain, shoulder pain, or hip pain, or light sleepers with a frequent-moving sleep partner.

However, a common complaint surrounding memory foam is its tendency to retain body heat. Although today’s market offers a variety of more breathable options, traditional memory foam is dense, making it difficult for air to flow freely through the material.

Latex Foam Pillow Top

Latex foam is slightly firmer than memory foam. Latex can be composed of natural latex, synthetic latex, or a blend of the two, but natural latex is the best option. This is because it is harvested from the sap of a rubber tree, eco-friendly, and sustainable. Natural latex’s lack of synthetic materials also makes it more breathable, but let’s talk about its feel.

Latex is a form of rubber and is naturally bouncy and dense. While its bounce-like nature increases responsiveness, it does not isolate motion as well as other foams, especially when combined with springy coils. Its density proves durable, but also creates a firmer feel best for heavy sleepers.

The sustainability, resilience, and sturdiness of natural latex foam is best for eco-conscious consumers or heavy sleepers yearning for a slight increase in softness and pressure relief.

Wool Pillow Top

Pillow tops made from wool are softer than both memory foam and latex foam. Wool is similar to memory foam when it comes to pressure relief. However, it lacks support. The support you receive will come solely from the core of your mattress, and although soft, wool does not contain any properties fit to isolate motion.

However, it is sustainable. It comes from the coat of a sheep or goat and acts as a natural insulator, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It is also extraordinarily durable. This durability tends to increase the price of products containing wool.

These types of pillow tops are best for sleepers wanting a significantly softer innerspring mattress.

Fiberfill Pillow Top

Fiberfill is a blend of polyester and other synthetic materials meant to mimic down, or feathers. The use of synthetic materials makes fiberfill less breathable than other products. These types of pillow tops are also the least durable and most likely to flatten or sag.

Like wool, fiberfill does not contain contouring abilities, but its soft feel will still adequately relieve pressure from your hips and shoulders.

Pillow tops made from fiberfill are a good option for anyone seeking a soft, supportive, and affordable mattress.

It should not go without saying—the construction and material of a pillow top alone does not make a mattress right for you.

While a pillow top can certainly complement a mattress, the firmness level, support core, and material of your entire bed is better fit to meet the needs of your unique sleeping position and body type. Therefore, these components will have a more significant impact on the quality of your sleep than pillow top type.

FAQs

Can pillow top mattresses be flipped?

Pillow tops are only sewn to the surface of the bed, so flipping your mattress will require you to sleep directly on top of a rigid coil support core, resulting in discomfort. Instead of flipping your mattress and sleeping on the coils of your bed, rotate your mattress 180 degrees once every three months to even out wear and tear.

To “rotate” a mattress, you simply turn the mattress so the foot of your bed becomes the head of your bed and vice versa. Consistently rotating your mattress will curb sagging by preventing profound body imprints from you and your partner’s sleeping position.

What type of sleepers should use pillow top mattresses?

Pillow top mattresses are best for side sleepers because they offer extra cushion. Since side sleepers place a majority of their body weight on the hips and shoulders, they usually enjoy the extra comfort of a pillow top more than back and stomach sleepers. Instead of pillow tops, back and stomach sleepers usually like to sleep on firmer mattresses. We typically recommend latex and hybrid mattresses for these sleepers.

Are memory foam or pillow top mattresses better?

Memory foam mattresses are composed of more durable materials, lasting about 4 years longer than pillow top mattresses. Given their improved durability, memory foam mattresses are also much more expensive than pillow tops.

While memory foam mattresses outlast pillow top beds, it is difficult to determine either as better because each has a unique feel designed to meet the needs of different sleepers. The mattress you select will come down to your particular circumstances and preference.

For instance, most pillow top mattresses have an innerspring support core, much firmer and more responsive than memory foam, making them the bed best for heavy sleepers seeking a soft yet supportive mattress. On the contrary, memory foam conforms to sleepers’ bodies to a greater extent than pillow tops to optimize relief and provide a bed fit for sleepers with painful pressure points.

How thick are pillow top mattresses?

Mattress brand and type can affect the height of your bed. Most mattresses range from 8 to 14 inches thick, but a pillow top can add 2 to 4 more inches.

If you are interested in measuring the thickness of your mattress, simply place the beginning of a tape measure at the lowest seam of your mattress and extend it to the highest point, or where you lie. The number of inches represents how thick your mattress is.

If you have a pillow top mattress, completing this measurement is important to do before buying bedding because the added mattress thickness may call for larger sheets.

How long do pillow top mattresses last?

Pillow top mattresses have a significantly shorter lifespan than every other type of mattresses, lasting an average of 3 to 5 years. Although Euro tops fare better than pillow tops, both are essentially non-removable mattress toppers. The construction, material, and density of pillow tops are not designed to sustain years of use, alone.

However, because you cannot remove pillow tops, you are forced to endure a flattened surface and sagging edges once the pillow top wears out; or, the alternative is to invest in an entirely new bed. Although a pillow top tends to deteriorate much faster than other mattress types, shopping for one with warranty coverage inclusive of sagging may prove beneficial to the above scenario. It will also more than likely prevent you from buying a low-quality pillow top lasting even shorter than expected.

Conclusion

If you are shopping for a bed and find every mattress feels too soft or too firm, consider a Euro top or pillow top mattress. These types of beds add an extra layer of plush cushioning to firmer feeling mattresses to increase soft comfort without diminishing support.

However, Euro top and pillow top mattresses vary in construction, and therefore, feel. To make the best choice, consider what’s most important to you in a bed—additional softness and pressure relief or cushioned support and longevity? This will help you find the most comfortable mattress for you.

For instance, although both tops will enhance the cushioning of your bed, pillow tops are sewn to the top of the mattress cover, leaving more space for sleepers to sink into, resulting in generous pressure relief. Euro tops, on the other hand, are attached beneath the mattress cover and better reinforced by the layers below it, providing softened support and durability.

Once you have determined what you prefer in a mattress, one of the two pillow top beds will surely equip you with your preferred balance of soft and supportive.