Pillow top mattresses offer extra comfort and softness and add a feeling of extra luxury to your bed. However, they also add extra depth to your mattress, which means that standard sheets – especially fitted sheets, may not fit properly. This leads to an obvious question, how to buy sheets to fit a pillow-top mattress?
The answer is, in most cases, you will need to shop for a special type of sheet known as deep pocket sheets. These are, as their name suggests, deeper than standard bed sheets and can accommodate the extra depth a pillow top mattress adds.
To complicate things a little, both pillow-top mattresses – and pillow to mattress toppers – can be found in different depths, ranging from seven to 22 inches. This means before you begin to shop for sheets, you will need to measure your mattress to help ensure a good fit. How to do this accurately, along with a number of other tips for choosing the right size sheets to fit a queen pillow-top mattress – or any other size come to that matter – is what we are going to take a closer look at here.
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What is a Pillow Top Mattress?
If you have not invested in one yet, or about to begin shopping for one, you may be wondering what exactly the differences between a pillow top mattress and a standard affair are.
A pillow-top mattress features an additional layer of padding sewn on the top of the mattress to improve its plushness and comfort. These layers might be created using one – or more – of a number of different materials including cotton, wool, down, fiberfill, memory foam, or latex.
For those who do not want to invest in a new mattress just yet but want to add some of that softness that a pillow top mattress offers a pillow top mattress topper is something well worth considering. These feature similar materials as a pillow top mattress and serve the same purpose, but are stand-alone items designed to sit on top of your bed. They still add that extra depth though, calling for special bedsheets.
Do Pillow Top Mattresses Need Special Sheets?
In most cases, yes. If you are going to make use of a fitted sheet – which most people do – then it is a must that you look for a deep pocket option, as a standard fitted sheet just will not fit properly.
As you shop, you will find two basic versions of these sheets: a 15″ deep pocket option and a variety of extra deep sheets that can range in ‘height’ from 17 to 22 inches.
A good example of a versatile, high quality deep pocket bedsheet set is this offering from HC Collection. These sheets are crafted from high thread count brushed microfiber – which makes them super soft and easy to launder – and fit mattresses of up to 16″ in depth.
Click here to see this deep pocket sheet on Amazon
What Size Sheets Fit A Queen Pillow Top?
In terms of size, but not height, a standard queen mattress in the US measures 80″ x 60“, so you will need to ensure any sheet set you consider can accommodate that.
In addition, you will need to factor in extra height for a queen pillow top mattress and that can be anywhere from 15 to 22 inches.
We happen to love the microfiber bed deep pocket bedsheet range from SONORO Kate. It offers both a standard deep pocket option – for pillow top mattresses up to 16 inches, and then an extra deep pocket version of the same high-quality sheet set that can accommodate queen pillow top mattresses of up to 22″ in height. They are soft, durable, and come in a wide range of colors at an affordable price, so what is not to love?
Click here to this bed sheet on Amazon
Will a King-Size Fitted Sheet Fit a Queen Pillow Top Mattress?
A standard king-size mattress in the US measures 80 x 76″, so technically yes, but they will not fit properly.
Sheets that are too large, even if you fold and tuck them, will bunch up and slip as you move in your sleep, which is not at all comfortable and may lead you to be woken up in a tangle of too large bedsheets!
To prevent this, take the time to shop for a bedsheet set that is especially designed to fit your queen pillow-top mattress.
How to Take Measurements for your Pillow Top Mattress?
Measuring your pillow-top mattress is key to being able to buy sheets for it that fit. Sheets that ride up, will not go on at all or are too big and bulky make getting a comfortable night’s sleep harder, very counterproductive considering a better night’s sleep is what you doubtless had in mind when you bought your pillow-top mattress.
1. To begin, strip your pillow top mattress of any existing sheets or comforters.
2. Using a flexible tape measure – or that handy dandy measuring app most iPhones feature these days – begin by measuring the height of your mattress, from the bottom, where it rests on its box spring, platform, or other support, to the apex of the pillow top. This is the most important number to watch when buying deep pocket sheets.
3. To find the length of the mattress measure from the head of bed to the foot, and to find the width from one side of the mattress to the other. You will find in the US that most sheet sizes will be listed in inches, but it will not hurt to convert your measurements into metric as well in case you find some European or Asian deep pocket sheets you love, as these will almost certainly be sized in centimeters.
If you make use of a pillow top mattress topper on a standard mattress then adding a fitted sheet will help everything stay in one place better and avoid pillow top shift. To make sure you buy the right size follow the measurement process we just outlined but add an extra inch to the height measurement, to allow for that extra little gap that will exist between your topper and your mattress.
What is the best material for sheets?
To help you choose the material for your bed linen – you need ask yourself: Are you a hot or cold sleeper? Do you have any allergies? Do you prefer soft sheets or crisp sheets?
Here are the main fabric and sleeper suitability.
Cotton: Super breathable so suitable for hot sleepers. Easy to care for, long lasting. Choose thread counts between 400 and 500 TC.
Polyester: Durable and affordable. Not the most eco-friendly option out there.
Bamboo: Breathable, organic, eco-friendly – great for all seasons and hot/cold sleepers.
Tencel: Super breathable, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly, however they’re pricey.
Linen: Super breathable, organic and for all-year round use, pricey.
Silk: Great for hot sleepers, gentle on the acne-prone skin, naturally hypoallergenic but pricey.
Flannel: Very soft, easy to care for and best suitable for colder temperatures.
Microfiber: A man-made synthetic, inexpensive, can feel as soft and breathable as cotton can be used all year round, and easy to maintain. Some sleepers may find it too hot to sleep on during the warmer months.