What’s a Euro Top Mattress?

There’s a lot to love about innerspring mattresses. They’re cool, bouncy, lightweight, and easy to move. On the flip side, one of the worst things about innerspring beds is their lack of cushioning and support in the comfort layer. The good news is a Euro top can solve this issue.

Euro tops can offer plushness and contouring power that an innerspring mattress might not otherwise have, increasing your comfort and improving your sleep without you needing to switch to a latex or memory foam mattress. In this post, we’ll go over what a Euro top is, its advantages and drawbacks, and if it could be right for you.

Euro Top Mattress

A Euro top mattress is technically a type of pillow top mattress, which is a mattress (normally an innerspring mattress) that has an additional layer of padding sewn onto the comfort layer. Unlike a regular pillow top, Euro top cushioning is sewn into the mattress cover rather than on top of it. This adds plushness without changing the look of the mattress.

Sewing the added padding under the cover keeps the extra cushioning even with the sides of the mattress and offers better edge support than a standard pillow top. It also gives the mattress a more consistent and sleek look because it eliminates any indentation that might occur with placing the cushioning on top of the cover.

Euro Top Materials

Euro tops can be made of several high-quality materials, each with its own advantages and drawbacks.

Latex Foam

Natural latex foam is made by processing the sap from the rubber tree. Pure organic latex is one of the most eco-friendly bedding materials around, and it’s comfortable to boot. Latex foam mattresses are highly responsive, so if you like a lot of bounce, it might be for you. It’s also naturally cooling for hot sleepers.

On the flip side, latex doesn’t isolate motion as well as memory foam, so traditional innerspring mattresses combined with latex Euro tops won’t reduce motion transfer at all. Latex also doesn’t contour as well as memory foam.

Memory Foam

Originally developed by NASA to cushion and support astronauts through their launch and re-entry, memory foam has since become one of the most popular bedding materials on the market—and with good reason. Memory foam can contour like no other material can, compressing under your weight, rising to meet your body, and conforming perfectly to your shape. This offers unbeatable support and pressure relief.

If you enjoy the feel of having your body hugged while you sleep, a memory foam mattress is probably up your alley. However, if you sleep hot or like a lot of bounce, a memory foam Euro-top may not be your speed. Memory foam tends to retain more heat than other fills, and it’s also not as responsive, taking longer to regain its shape than latex.

Fiberfill

Fiberfill can also be referred to as alternative down since it’s a mix of polyester, rayon, and other synthetic materials made to imitate the feel of natural down. Fiberfill pillow tops are great for relieving pressure, but they don’t offer anywhere near the support of latex or memory foam. They’re also less durable than foams and not as breathable as cotton. Really, the only advantage of a fiberfill Euro top is its price. Fiberfill is often the most budget-friendly option for those not looking to spend too much money.

Cotton

Cotton Euro tops offer pressure relief and added plushness, but like fiberfill, they don’t offer a lot of added support. However, if you’re just looking for a little additional cushioning without adding a lot of warmth to your bed, cotton might be perfect for you. Its fibers encourage airflow and don’t retain a lot of heat.

Wool

Wool is a great material for a Euro top if you love sleeping warm and cozy. It’s also great for pressure relief, providing similar cushioning to memory foam. Like cotton and fiberfill, wool is not a supportive material, so if you’re looking for additional support on top of what comes from your mattress’s core, wool may not be for you.

Pros and Cons of Euro Top Mattresses

Euro tops are perfect for sleepers who want additional support on top of the mattress, but they do have a couple of downsides. On the one hand, Euro tops offer you a plush feel like what you’d get from a memory foam or latex mattress. On the other hand, Euro tops can add to the price of a mattress, and if you like the air circulation that comes with an innerspring, Euro tops may not be for you because they cut down on airflow.

Pros

• Provides extra support and cushion
• Offers a sleeker look than standard pillow-top mattresses
• Improves contouring and pressure relief
• Makes innerspring plusher and more comfortable

Cons

• Ups the price of an innerspring mattress
• Reduces breathability of coil mattress

FAQs

What’s the difference between Euro pillow tops and regular pillow tops?

Regular pillow-top mattresses are different from Euro tops in one key way: the extra layer of padding isn’t sewn underneath the cover of the mattress. Standard pillow tops are sewn directly on top of the mattress cover. This makes them look almost like an attached topper because the gap between the mattress and its pillow top is clearly visible.

Do Euro tops ever come on other kinds of mattresses besides coil?

A Euro-top can come on all kinds of mattresses, but they’re usually found on innerspring beds. Latex, memory foam, and hybrid mattresses all have their own foam comfort layers, meaning a Euro or regular pillow top would be redundant.

Hybrid mattresses are more likely than pure foam mattresses to come with a pillow or Euro-top. Like innerspring mattresses, hybrids also have a coil support layer. Unlike coil mattresses, however, hybrids have a built-in foam top layer of at least 2 inches in thickness (though it’s often more). Any type of pillow top would go above this foam comfort layer to form a plush combination of foam and pillow top material.

Can I flip my Euro top mattress?

You should never flip any pillow top. If you flip a Euro or standard pillow top mattress, you’re inverting the correct layout of the mattress, putting the comfort layer at the bottom and the support layer at the top.

You might not be able to flip a Euro top, but you can and should rotate it. Instead, just rotate the mattress from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed once or twice a year. When it comes time, turn it back. This will help keep your mattress from sagging in the spots where it bears your weight.

Which is better, a Euro top or a memory foam mattress?

Your choice of a Euro top or a memory foam mattress really depends on what your personal preferences are and whether you prioritize support and pressure relief or responsiveness and air circulation. Memory foam mattresses might be warmer and less responsive than an innerspring with a Euro top, but no pillow top will compare to a memory foam mattress’s support. The contouring ability of a memory foam mattress can’t be reproduced by just adding a Euro top made of memory foam.

Is a Euro top the same as a mattress topper?

Euro tops are sewn under the cover of the mattress, and even regular pillow tops are still sewn on top of the mattress cover. However, a mattress topper is just additional padding that is not attached to the mattress at all. A topper comes in the same range of materials that Euro and pillow tops do, and it will have a similar feel, but you can buy it separate from the rest of the mattress.

Bottom Line

If you’re into the temperature and the feel of an innerspring mattress, but you want an extra layer of cushion, a Euro top might be up your alley. A Euro-top offers you the classic feel of an innerspring mattress combined with the support and cushioning of softer materials. If you’re looking for bounce, circulation, and support, a Euro top mattress could be the perfect choice for you.