For that feeling of instant comfort, pillowtop mattresses are in a league of their own. Soft, sumptuous and unquestionably luxurious, these premium models promise an unrivalled night’s sleep – if firmness is no issue. In February's issue, Furniture News is getting cosy with the pillowtop market – what’s hot, what’s available, and what its future might look like …
Simply put, a pillowtop is a bed on a bed – more specifically, a topper on a mattress, multiplying the comfort layers to offer a deeper, more enveloping sleep surface.
Typically comprising a padded layer atop a traditional mattress, pillowtops are known for their unique comfort and feel, offering a different level of pressure relief and a more luxurious experience for consumers that prefer their bed soft.
Pillowtops are sometimes criticised for that softness, which will not suit everybody. Due to their construction, they cannot generally be turned over to prolong their lifespan, and often have a tendency towards settlement in the areas under the most pressure. Due to all those extra components, they typically come at higher prices than their non-topped counterparts.
Yet pillowtops continue to perform well for many of the nation’s biggest bed brands. Their expense, which could be perceived as a weakness in a somewhat straitened economy, seems to be no barrier to purchase when so many consumers are taking their sleep more seriously, and willing to trade up when presented with a higher-quality option.
And the format is evolving. Many manufacturers are working hard to make pillowtops more affordable, while others are providing models with removable tops for easier cleaning and replacement, or creating alternative designs – such as Sealy’s Posturepedic EuroTop, which offer a similar look and feel to a pillowtop, but with arguably greater durability.
Pillowtops took pride of place on many stands at last year’s NBF Bed Show, proving that there is plenty of life in this well-established format, and that the instant tactility it provides is hard to top (pun intended).
This month, Furniture News asks various leading pillowtop purveyors about the state of the market, what’s so special about their star model, and how they see demand evolving in the segment. Sharing their thoughts this month are: Amy Curtis (marketing director, Sleepeezee); David O’Mahoney (sales director, Relyon Beds); Mark Cort (group commercial director, Hypnos Beds); Fara Butt (director, Shire Beds); Ross Thurston (sales and marketing director, Millbrook Beds); and Nick Booth (MD, Harrison Spinks Beds).
Pictured: Mardi Gras, Harrison Spinks
