Bamboo Infused vs. Pillow Top

Bamboo Infused

A bamboo infused mattress has one of two of the following properties: its cover is made of bamboo or it has a layer of foam that is infused with bamboo (generally bamboo charcoal) which provides added cooling similar to gel.

As there is a lot of hype around bamboo as a natural ingredient, there have been multiple brands that have included this ingredient for added product awareness.

However, it is important to know that bamboo infused memory foam and bamboo covered foam mattresses are still made of polyurethane, a synthetic blend of organic compounds that has a tendency to off-gas. If you are susceptible to lung issues, please do additional research on the quality of foams before purchasing.

Pros: Bamboo covers provide a cooler sleeping surface and bamboo infused memory foam similarly breathes better.

Cons: Off-gassing and durability problems with lower quality foams still exist despite being infused with bamboo.

Pillow Top

A pillow top is a surface layer of soft material that is stitched and packed into the cover. This provides a soft as a cloud feel to the surface of the mattress.

There are multiple types of pillow tops, though the most popular recently is a memory foam pillow top. A memory foam pillow top has a thin layer of soft memory foam that is stitched into the cover. Though memory foam is a popular material for pillow tops, you can also find them with latex, cotton, cashmere, wool, or goose down/feathers.

Pillow top mattresses generally have spring support systems in the middle of the mattress, though there could be a pillow top on a memory foam mattress as well (it is just not very common).

Pros: A plush feel on the top of the mattress that pillows the body on top of the support layers.

Cons: The pillow top alone will not make a good bed -- the materials used in the pillow top and the rest of the mattress can sag or have issues if they are lower quality.

Learn More About Bamboo Infused

Learn More About Pillow Top

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Material Scores

Overall Score:
Bamboo Infused: 8.9/10
Pillow Top: 8.9/10

Comfort:
Bamboo Infused: 9/10
Pillow Top: 9/10

Softness:
Bamboo Infused: 9/10
Pillow Top: 9.4/10

Cooling:
Bamboo Infused: 9.1/10
Pillow Top: 8.2/10

Hypoallergenic:
Bamboo Infused: 8.8/10
Pillow Top: 8.5/10

No Odor:
Bamboo Infused: 8.7/10
Pillow Top: 8.8/10

General Support:
Bamboo Infused: 8.7/10
Pillow Top: 8.3/10

Eco-Conscious:
Bamboo Infused: 8.9/10
Pillow Top: 8.5/10

Price Value:
Bamboo Infused: 9.2/10
Pillow Top: 8.3/10