Egg crate foam can be any type of foam where one side has an 'egg crate' shape. The purpose of this kind of foam is two-fold. It tends to be more responsive and distributes weight better than a thick layer of foam, and also it has cooling advantages because of the air flow that it provides.
Egg crate foam can be either memory foam or reflex foam, which are both blends of polyurethane foams and could be prone to off-gassing and odor.
The egg crate foam is generally found in the top comfort layers of the mattress, though they could be used in the base layer as well.
Pros: More response and more airflow than flat foam layers.
Cons: Comfort is entirely dependent on the quality of foam -- lower quality foams can be uncomfortable and break down faster.
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.
Overall Score:
Egg Crate Foam: 9.2/10
Pillow Top: 8.9/10
Comfort:
Egg Crate Foam: 9.2/10
Pillow Top: 9/10
Softness:
Egg Crate Foam: 9.4/10
Pillow Top: 9.4/10
Cooling:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.9/10
Pillow Top: 8.2/10
Hypoallergenic:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.9/10
Pillow Top: 8.2/10
Odor:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.6/10
Pillow Top: 8.8/10
General Support:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.9/10
Pillow Top: 8.2/10
Eco-Conscious:
Egg Crate Foam: 8.9/10
Pillow Top: 8.2/10
Price Value:
Egg Crate Foam: 9.2/10
Pillow Top: 8.2/10
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