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Pillow-top mattresses are known to provide a comfortable sleep surface right from the very first night.

Often spotted onluxury beds, even the word pillow-top sounds sumptuous.

A pillow-top mattress in a bedroom

Extra seams add more areas of weakness

What is a pillow-top?Its worth noting that the term isnt used consistently across mattress brands.

We’re talking about a true pillow-top here.

For all of our top recommendations, head to our roundup of thebest pillow-top mattresses.

A close-up of a pillow-top mattress

Extra seams add more areas of weakness

Over time, the pillow-top will start to sag.

Durability isnt an issue across the board.

We recommendreplacing your mattress every seven to 10 years, and a good quality pillow-top can last that long.

A man sits with his back to the camera on an old, sagging mattress

The pillow-top also introduces more seams to a mattress.

As seams can tear and break, more seams equal more areas of weakness.

If you plan on moving the mattress to rotate it, for example go carefully.

A person sleeps happily

Because of this, the pillow-top tends to be firmer at the center and weaker at the perimeter.

For betteredge support, look for a hybrid with reinforcement around the perimeter.

None of ourbest mattresses for bigger bodieshave a true pillow-top (but some do feature Euro-tops).

Instead, youll need to invest in a set of deep sheets, and possibly replace your mattress protector.

While not a major issue, it’s something to keep in mind.

Pillow-tops are generally used on hybrid or innerspring mattresses, to add some extra cushioning to the supportive bed.

2 reasons to buy a pillow-top mattress

Its not all bad with a pillow-top mattress.

Below, weve rounded up a few reasons why you might consider this mattress style.

However, its worth mentioning that this isnt exclusive to pillow-top mattresses.

Many of ourbest luxury mattresspicks have a pillow-top or a Euro-top.

But you dont need a pillow-top to recreate a hotel feeling in your own bedroom.

Instead, consider adding one of ourbest mattress toppersto your current mattress.

This can provide a similar premium finish at a much lower cost.