When it comes to selecting a new mattress, the process can become quite overwhelming with the countless options to choose from. There’s traditional spring, foam, and several different hybrids of the two, but there’s also pillow top and Euro top.
And when it comes to the latter two, they both are intended to provide sleepers with a plush yet supportive mattress to sleep on, but what’s the difference between them? Euro and pillow top mattresses contain an additional layer of padding to increase comfort, but the application of this layer differs, creating a slight variation in feel and appearance.
Both mattress types have their own set of unique traits and features to help better your sleep, so we’re to help you decide which one is best for you. Check out our breakdown of what to look for when choosing between a pillow top and Euro top mattress.
Pillow Top Mattress
You might be asking yourself, what exactly is a pillow top mattress? Pillow top mattresses have an extra layer of padding sewn directly to the top of the mattress cover to provide more cushion and comfort. If you’re having trouble picturing it, imagine a giant pillow resting on the top of your bed, hence the name “pillow top.”
Pillow tops can be found on all types of mattresses, but are most common on beds with naturally firm support cores, like innerspring coils. This is because the extra padding enhances the softness and cushioning of spring beds to provide pressure relief for heavier body parts, such as the hips and shoulders.
Designed with contouring in mind, pillow tops are generally crafted from softer materials, like memory foam, latex foam, wool, or fiberfill. Here are just a couple of benefits from choosing a pillow top mattress:
- Can drastically improve the softness and contouring abilities of an innerspring mattress.
- The extra layer creates a barrier between the coil support core when you sleep.
- Relieves pressure points without sacrificing the support of an innerspring bed. (This also maximizes spinal alignment and decreases back pain.)
Euro Top Mattress
Now that you know what a pillow top mattress has to offer, let’s examine how Euro top mattresses compare. Euro top mattresses are technically a type of pillow top because they have additional padding to enhance softness. However, they differ from standard pillow tops because the extra layer of padding is stitched beneath the mattress cover rather than sewn to the top.
Euro tops also eliminate the gap found between the extra layer and mattress cover in conventional pillow tops. No gap in material means less room for sinking, resulting in a thicker more supportive mattress. And like pillow tops, Euro tops are made from a type of foam, wool, or fiberfill and are commonly found on innerspring mattresses to enhance cushion and pressure point relief.
Euro top mattresses offer many different benefits, but here are just a few more to note:
- Strong support from the bottom layers of the mattress because they lie directly above them, making them less likely to shift out of place.
- Protected by the mattress cover, increasing durability.
- Designed to be even in width with each layer of the mattress, offering better edge support and a cleaner look.
How to Choose Between the Two
As mentioned above, pillow top and Euro top mattresses have many unique benefits. But how do you know which one is right for you? If you’re having trouble deciding, consider your preferences around the following factors:
- Softness: Pillow tops are generally softer than Euro tops because of the absence of material between the add-on layer, and the 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 you 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, plus 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 and less likely to flatten, sag, or shift.
Pillow top and Euro top mattresses are each great at helping us ease into a restful sleep at the end of the day; both offering their own set of unique characteristics that really make them stand out. When it comes to choosing between the two, there isn’t a “better” choice, it’s all just a matter of your personal preference.
If you have any questions about purchasing a new pillow top or Euro top mattress,