Pillar Sleep Mattress Review

January 8, 2024 Update – On December 12, 2023, we received an email from a reader explaining that Elm Sleep (sister brand of Pillar Sleep) was not responding to email requests from the Elm Sleep customer requesting a refund. On December 14, 2023, and December 19, 2023, NapLab sent emails to our contact at Elm Sleep requesting information about the incident. Elm did not reply to our emails. On December 21, 2023 we sent an email to our contact at Pillar Sleep requesting information. Pillar Sleep did not reply to our email. As of January 8, 2024, neither Elm Sleep nor Pillar Sleep has responded to any of our 3 emails. Customer support, trial periods, and refund policies are essential, as they reduce risk for sleepers purchasing a new mattress. At present, Pillar Sleep and Elm Sleep’s customer support experience is such that we cannot recommend them.

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In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

Note: The Pillar mattress is available in two firmness levels, medium soft and medium firm. We tested the medium soft version.

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and value of the mattress. Testing categories include:

Test	Rating
Cooling	Excellent
Sinkage	Moderate
Motion Transfer	Moderate
Response Time	Extremely Fast
Bounce	Moderate
Edge Support	Exceptional
Sex	Excellent
Pressure Relief	Exceptional
Off-Gassing	Excellent
Company	Excellent

Cooling performance on the Pillar Sleep mattress was excellent. During our tests, I felt no significant heat retention around my body. The hybrid design, poly foam usage over memory foam, and copper-infused foam all help to work together to keep sleepers cooler.

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

We tested the version with the standard cover. However, an upgraded cooling cover (GlacierICE) is also available.

Based on the description, the cooling cover sounds like a high-performance phase change fabric.

These types of covers generally have a cool-to-the-touch feel, but will gradually lose that coolness as you remain in one spot. However, as you move and change positions during the night you’ll find that initial cool feel every time you move to a spot you haven’t recently laid on.

All that to say, these types of covers do make a notable cooling difference.

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 91.8°. From minutes 0 to 1 the temperature declined by 5.5°. From minutes 0 to 5 we saw a reduction of 8.2°.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

Based on our objective data, subjective experience, and analysis of the design / material I am confident that most sleepers will find the Pillar mattress to be comfortably cool.

If cooling is critically important to you then the upgraded cover is probably worth it.

The Pillar Sleep mattress has a moderate level of pressure point sinkage. In our tests, we measured a sinkage depth of 2.21”. This is just north of the average of 2.20” (based on all of our tests to date).

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

Pillar has an incredibly balanced type of sinkage and body contouring. It allows the body to moderately sink, creating great pressure relief. However, it does so without any excessive hug or a “stuck” feeling.

The feel leans in the direction of more traditional coil mattresses and other high-performance hybrids with quilted euro tops. It notably contains no memory foam or any foams that behave like memory foam. As a result, it’s able to avoid the sharp body contouring that memory foam often creates.

The Pillar has a moderate level of motion transfer. In our tests, we measured 10.60 m/s² of acceleration range. This is 2.76 m/s² more motion than the average of 7.84 m/s².

The foams and eurotop don’t absorb and disperse energy as readily as many other types of foam do, especially memory foam and poly foam which have more viscoelastic properties.

The level of motion transfer is documented in the video below.

This type of foam performance in combination with a pocketed coil base creates the environment for the moderate motion transfer we recorded in our tests.

If we examine our motion transfer charts, which visualize our accelerometer data, we can see the highest spikes from 0 to 0.14 seconds.

Motion drops after 0.14 seconds, but remains spiky until returning to near zero levels around 0.70 seconds. The motion duration is far from the best, but also far from the worst. The best mattresses disperse energy within 0.3 seconds, while the worst may take up to 1.5 seconds.

Overall motion transfer performance leaves something to be desired. It’s not high, so many sleepers may find it perfectly fine. However, it’s also not the absolute best we’ve tested either.

The Pillar Sleep mattress has an extremely fast response time. In our tests, we measured a mostly recovered response time of 0.2 seconds and a fully recovered response time of 0.8 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

Both of these are faster than the average. Based on all of our tests to date, we have measured an average mostly recovered response time of 0.45 seconds and an average fully recovered response time of 0.89 seconds.

While a full material recovery isn’t quite at the same level as the mostly recovered time, it’s still more than fast enough for a vast majority of sleepers. I do not expect Pillar’s responsiveness will be of issue for most.

The Pillar mattress has a moderate level of bounce. In our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 8.61”. This is 1.56” less bounce than the average of 9.62” (based on all of our tests to date).

In general, I like to see 8-12” of bounce height. This range is a sweet spot that maximizes benefits while minimizing the negatives.

Pillar is on the lower end of my ideal range, but still remains within it. At 8.61” of bounce Pillar has enough to make it easy to move around and improve sex, while not being so high as to create excessive motion transfer issues.

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

Edge support on the Pillar mattress is a bit of a mixed bag. While sitting edge support was exceptionally good, the lying edge support left something to be desired.

In our sitting edge support tests, we measured a sitting sinkage depth of 2.75”. This is 1.56” less sitting sinkage than the average of 4.31”. When it comes to sitting sinkage I like to see 4.0” or less. Pillar easily hit and exceeded the sitting support I hoped for.

The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.

That said, lying edge support wasn’t as good. When lying directly on the edge of the mattress I just didn’t feel tremendously well supported. The relative softness of the cover, combined with a sloping cover design at the edge, creates a little too much softness at the absolute edge.

As a result, when lying on my back I felt that the portion of my back nearer the edge was notably angled down compared to the portion of my back nearer the middle of the mattress, which had better support.

The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.

While lying on my side the edge support was notably better. A large part of this performance may simply be due to the relative softness of the mattress, as the medium-firm version of the mattress will likely provide better edge support.

Our sex rating formula looks at 5 different factors weighted based on their importance.

All factors are not equal in terms of significance, but each plays an important role.

Three of the most important factors are listed below with the associated testing scores:

In addition to the factors above, there are two other we consider as well, including pressure relief and cooling.

Here’s a look at the breakdown of how these 3 factors rank within the full formula:

We use the scores from all factors, plugged into the formula above, to derive a sex score for each mattress.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score
Bounce	60%	9.7
Edge Support	20%	10
Noise	10%	10
Pressure Relief	5%	10
Cooling	5%	9.5

For the Pillar Sleep mattress, these individual factors generated a sex score of 9.8.

This mattress has moderate levels of bounce (8.61″ total) and excellent edge support. These two factors alone make up 80% of the sex score and are critically important.

Pressure relief on the Pillar mattress is exceptionally good. During our tests, I felt zero pressure point build up at any point.

Every once in a while I come across a mattress where I am genuinely and fully relaxed while testing. Pillar is one of those mattresses.

During my tests, I lie on my back for 15 minutes straight without changing positions. Even during that extended test the mattress just created a fantastic feel, one that you don’t want to get up from.

The mattress uses 4.0” of comfort material and 2.0” of transitional materials. This combination does a fantastic job of creating the softness, comfort, and pressure relief, while also easing the body into the support layers.

Overall, I was exceedingly pleased with the pressure relief performance.

Right out of the box, the Pillar Sleep mattress had a strong smell. That being said, it smelled for just 3 days.

Leaving all bedding off of the mattress can help expedite off-gassing if you’re sensitive to those strong odors.

As a company, Pillar Sleep offers good terms and conditions. Their mattress comes with a 120-night trial period and a lifetime warranty. Shipping and returns are both free if the mattress ends up not working out for you.

Company Factor
Trial Period	120 nights
Warranty	Lifetime
Shipping	Free
Returns	Free
Country of Origin	USA

For most sleepers, this is a sufficient amount of time to decide if the mattress is right for you.

The Pillar Sleep mattress is available in three firmness configurations—medium plush (4 out of 10), medium firm (6 out of 10), or a split firmness which offers both firmness levels (one on each side of the mattress).

For this review, we tested the medium soft version.

Not sure which firmness is right for you?

As a general rule, lightweight sleepers will likely prefer the medium plush while heavier sleepers will need the support of the medium firm. The table below can help you determine which firmness is best for your needs.

Support on the Pillar Sleep mattress is exceptionally good. During our tests, I felt well-supported in all sleeping positions. This mattress has such a thick profile and robust materials that I don’t get the feeling that my body is anywhere close to pushing this mattress to its maximum level.

With 15” of total materials it’s a type of mattress that should easily support up to 300 pounds.

In addition, the mattress uses a zoned coil unit. Zoned coils create more support in the middle of the mattress, helping to create improved push-back and support for the heavier parts of your body.

Lastly, Having 4.0” of comfort material with a 2.0” poly foam transitional layer before the support layers creates a fantastic balance of softness, comfort, and support.

Overall, I think the Pillar mattress would be a solid pick for almost any sleeper, regardless of sleeping position or body weight.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes

Given the high quality foams / coils and mattress design I do not foresee any support issues for the vast majority of sleepers.

Design

The Pillar Sleep mattress is a hybrid mattress with a 15″ thick profile and with options for two different firmnesses.

Materials

In total, there are 5 layers on the Pillar Sleep hybrid. From top to bottom, these layers include:

• 2.0” quilted cover
• 2.0” copper poly foam* (see note)
• 2.0” poly foam
• 8.0” pocketed coils
• 1.0” support foam

Note: The website says the top layer of comfort foam below the quilted cover is a graphite-infused poly foam, but the foam in our mattress was a copper poly foam. Not sure why there is a discrepancy here. It’s possible we received an earlier version of the material design.

The Cover

The cover of the Pillar Sleep mattress is a 2.0″ quilted cover. It has a plush feel with diamond-tufted accents. Both firmness options have the same cover.

This mattress also has the option to upgrade to an advanced cooling cover. Pillar calls it their “GracierICE Cover”, which remains cool to the touch and helps limit heat retention.

Adding the cooling cover adds $200 to the total cost of the mattress.

The Comfort Layer

The comfort layer includes four 1.0″ layers of foam. There is 2.0″ of a copper-infused poly foam followed by a 2.0″ poly foam.

On the Pillar Sleep website, the copper-infused foam is called a graphite cooling foam, rendered as gray instead of the orange foam we tested.

In our experience, both graphite and copper are used in foams to enhance cooling performance. I’m not exactly sure why there is a discrepancy, but worth noting.

That said, whether it’s graphite or copper foam I expect performance will be similar.

Below the cooling foam, is the poly foam layer, which acts more like a transitional layer between the comfort layer and the support layer below.

The Support Layer

The support layer is made up of 8.0″ pocketed coils with a 1.0″ high-density support foam below. Each of the coils are individually encased in a thin fabric that helps reduce sound and limit motion transfer as well.

Product Evolution

The Pillar Sleep mattress was launched in 2022. Since its release, there have been no major changes to the design of the mattress

How is the Pillar Different?

This mattress is priced at $1799 for a queen with a standard cover or $1999 with the GracierICE cooling cover.

It’s certainly nice to have the optional cooling cover as that is not something that all mattresses companies offer.

Compared to the average hybrid, which is priced at $1298, Pillar Sleep with a standard cover is 15% more expensive than the average hybrid (when you use the $300 off promo code) or 31% more expensive if you opt for the cooling cover (with promo code).

At 15″ thick and with a 4.0″ layer of comfort material, the Pillar Sleep is designed to be a luxury hybrid, which often comes with a higher price tag.

Overall performance of 9.71 also outperforms the average mattress that we test (average performance of 9.51). So while the Pillar is more expensive than average, it’s performance and material quality is also a notable step up as well.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the Pillar Sleep mattress is the right pick for you? Check out these three other top-rated alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the Pillar mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.