Pillar Mattress Review: 25 Year Mattress Expert Gives 9.2/10 For Best Comfort, Pressure Relief
My Pillar Mattress review takes a look at this generous, 15″ tall pocketed coil hybrid with 3 thick layers of gel foam, memory foam, and cooling graphite foam. It sells for $1799 in queen size.
It’s available in two degrees of firmness, including Medium Soft (I tested this model), and Medium Firm. Purchase of The Pillar Mattress includes a lifetime warranty, and a 120 night no questions asked trial period.
Right off the bat, the Pillar Mattress has a substantial and luxurious feel, and since I’m a side sleeper, the body contouring and pressure relief was something I immediately like about this American made option.
I’m always on the hunt for a quilted, extra “poofy” pillow top component, as long as the mattress doesn’t cave in or isn’t difficult to turn on. Because the pocketed coil system on The Pillar Mattress has firmer coils along the edge (and in the torso or hip area), there is no sensation of sliding off or collapsing into the middle of it.
One of the features we will discuss is the use of graphite infused memory foam in The Pillar Mattress, which effectively removes body heat and prevents hot spots. It also keeps odor at bay through the years, is anti-microbial, and doesn’t pack down.
How The Pillar Sleep Mattress Performed In My 10 Point Test And Evaluation
We tested a queen size Medium Soft Pillar Sleep Mattress and I’d describe it as having a medium level of firmness and softness, with a loftier and more cloud like feel than a traditional innerspring mattress.
One of the first things I noticed during my Pillar mattress review was the generous amount of foam layers, situated above the 8″ pocket coil system. The coil section contains specific zoned areas including stiffer coils in the vicinity of your hips and lower back, minimizing compression and rutting.
I found it to be excellent for edge of the bed sitting, and noticed that while lying on my side of the softer sample we requested, that my spine alignment was kept straight. This is likely due to the firmer zoned torso area where the coil tension is higher in the middle, preventing your back from being bowed.
Pain is often created while you sleep, especially on a mattress that does not have proper spine alignment to keep muscles relaxed and calm while you sleep. For the most part, it’s what’s at the bottom of a mattress that contributes most to back support and as close to straight and level as you can deliver.
The Pillar Sleep Mattress is made using CertiPUR-US®, a certification program administered by a non-profit organization. Although a lot of online manufacturers these safer foams in a lot of mattresses, it does cost more to use them, they are made in the USA, and controls over the quality and ingredients are much more controlled. Here’s a list of the harmful products that are dramatically reduced by using CertiPUR-US® foams:
- Made without PBDEs or the following Tris flame retardants: TCEP, TDBPP, TDCPP or TEPA
- Made without mercury, lead, and other heavy metals
- Made without ozone depleters
- Made without mercury, lead, and other heavy metals
- Made without formaldehyde
- Made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million)
- Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million)
Let’s review the specific characteristics of The Pillar Sleep Mattress. The results were derived from real time critical testing in a bedroom environment using a mattress protector but no sheets. The room temperature was kept at 68°F during night time sleeping evaluation. Scoring was based on objective and subjective interpretations of each data point.
Note: The Pillar Sleep Mattress is delivered in compressed and vacuum packaged form, rolled in protective layers of polyethylene plastic. After unfurling and positioning the mattress on a platform (you can place it on any continuously flat surface, even slats) it takes about one hour for the mattress to return to original factory size.
The box is easily manageable with one or two people. A queen size weighs 95 lbs, and a king Pillar Mattress weighs in at about 108lbs.
Once you receive the mattress, remove from box by tipping it out, unfurl the plastic sheeting and the mattress will begin to reconstitute back to its original factory size.
I recommend a full 24 hours before use to allow the mattress to take on air and fully expand. Allow 10-12 business days after the day you place your order to receive your mattress.
Test Results And 9.2 Out Of 10 Score
| Characteristic | Performance |
|---|---|
| Overall Comfort-10 | Excellent– supportive, good body contouring, outstanding softer option |
| Pressure Relief-9 | Excellent-6″ of specialized foam on top of zoned pocketed coil system |
| Enhanced Cooling-8 | Optional cooling fabric on outer quilted top ($200 upgrade, thumbs up) |
| Motion Transfer–9 | Very Good– optimized pocket coils absorb motion, little or no motion transfer |
| Ease Of Turning–9 | Excellent-despite softer feel, no digging your way out, easy turning |
| Edge Support–10 | Superb– easy transfer in and out, no sliding off due to stiffer perimeter coil |
| Intimacy–8 | Excellent– good for snuggling too, just the right bounce factor |
| Value vs. Cost–10 | Excellent- 50% less expensive than luxury brands, $1799 in queen |
| Detectable Odors–9 | Very minimal– for few days, disappears quickly (24-36 hours) |
| Components–10 | Quilted PillowTop , 4″ Memory/Support Foam, 8″ Zoned Pocket Coil Unit |
Overall Comfort: I’d describe the Pillar Sleep Mattress medium soft model as perfect for side sleepers and for anyone seeking pressure and pain relief. It’s about 20% softer than most other pillow top innersprings I’ve tested, so expect it to be feel more immersive. For combination sleepers who change position from back to side, it’s ideal. If you are a belly sleeper however, and need a firmer option, simply order the medium firm model to get a better customized fit.
Pressure Relief: Compared to a lot of hybrid mattresses that contain multiple layers of foam placed above a pocketed coil unit, The Pillar Sleep Mattress scored highly, primarily because of the use of correct density of the memory foam, graphite infused foam, and the high resiliency support foam. These layers have to be of sufficient density to keep from mashing down, while at the same time, remain buoyant and flexible.
Enhanced Cooling: My sample included the upgraded GlacierICE fabric on the outer pillow top covering. This material has a cool to the touch feel using PCT (phase change technology), which removes body heat by absorbing it and converting it to colder temperatures. The feel is immediate and noticeable, and I’d say The Pillar Sleep Mattress is a good option for hot sleepers, though you can check out some other options to review if you suffer from post-menopausal heat flashes or medical conditions.
Motion Transfer, Ease Of Turning, And Edge Support: On the medium soft version, while the immersion level was substantial and I felt the mattress really contouring well around my body, I felt uplifting and buoyant support blow. This allowed me to turn easily (I’m a side sleeper and back sleeper that moves around A LOT) without waking up. I slept a solid 7 hours on the Pillar Sleep Mattress without waking, and felt more refreshed than I normally do on my Tempur-Pedic, which is substantially firmer.
The quilted pillow top, along with the two underlying memory foam and graphite foam layers help to reduce motion transfer, making this option great if you are a restless sleeper with a partner, or if you sleep with active pets during the night.
Intimacy: For couples who snuggle, we noticed no immersion or sinking in that required tunneling or digging your way out of the middle of the mattress. I’d say there’s a limit for this mattress weight wise of about 250lb. per person, with a combined weight limit of 500 lbs. For sex, it’s a great option because of the embracing and hugging feel you get from the mattress, which can also help stabilize a bit better during really aggressive sex. The only downside is the slickness of the covering, though I’d recommend using a mattress protector and 300-500 thread count cotton sheets for better grip.
The Serta Black Hybrid Mattress, as an example, designed in a very similar fashion, sells for $2499 in queen, with no discernible advantage.
Value Vs. Cost: Scoring a 10 for this data point, I took into consideration prices for a variety of similarly designed hybrid foam and coil mattresses. At $1799 in queen, The Pillar Mattress comes in at a considerably lower price point while offering components that I’d expect to find in luxury category mattresses, and perhaps resort style mattresses. The Serta Black Hybrid Mattress, as an example, designed in a very similar fashion, sells for $2499 in queen, with no discernible advantage.
Detectable Odors: One of the more common complaints I receive from potential mattress customers is whether or not a mattress will have a particular chemical odor upon arrival. In the past, memory foam mattresses had a strong chemical smell that would take weeks to disappear. Because The Pillar Sleep Mattress uses Certi-PurUS foams that do not contain many of these high VOC (volatile organic compound) chemicals, there is not significant odor after unpackaging.
A thickness of 2″ for each layer is common practice used by mattress designers, but Pillar combines 3 separate 2″ layers to provide a total of 6″ which is highly effective at pressure relief. Gauging just the right cake recipe when designing a mattress that relieves pressure requires a thorough understanding of foam densities. You can read more about ILD and foam density here, if you like.
Components Used: Three layers of specialized foam are used in the section above the pocketed coil unit, including a layer of graphite infused memory foam, a layer of pressure relieving foam, and a denser layer of high density support foam. The outermost covering that is the body contact surface comprising the quilted pillow top is a blended cotton/rayon material which is hypo-allergenic.
