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mattress guides

What Is A Plush Mattress? How Soft Plush Mattresses Really Are

plush mattress

Choosing a mattress often becomes a challenge because when you start doing some research, you surprisingly find out that there are latex mattresses, foam mattresses, hybrids, mattresses with pocketed coils or innerspring systems, extra-firm, soft, medium-firm, and many other types of mattresses in the market.

Yes, it seems pretty confusing at first, but you can understand classification if you learn a bit more about all types of mattresses. In this guide, we are going to talk about plush mattresses, materials they are made of, people who’ll love them, and people who’ll hate them. Wonder what does plush mattress mean? Then keep reading! 

woman on plush mattress

What is plush mattress?

Let’s start with the types of mattresses. We’ve mentioned some in the beginning, and the most common types are latex mattresses, memory foam mattresses, innerspring mattresses, and hybrids. Basically, that’s all, and as you can see, there is no “plush” on the list.

The thing is, plush refers not to the type of mattress but rather to the firmness level. There are extra firm, firm, medium-firm, and soft mattresses, and plush is softer than soft. In this case, the word ‘plush’ is synonymous with ‘extra soft’ or ‘cloud-like’.

Who may need a plush mattress? It works best for the following types of sleepers:

  • People who weigh less than 130 lbs. Petite sleepers are likely to love ultra-soft, plush mattresses. They are light enough for their bodies to stay on the surface of such mattresses without sinking too deep. In their case, a plush mattress is super comfortable, super conforming, and pressure relieving.
  • Side sleepers. People who sleep on their side also need a soft mattress that relieves pressure and provides a cushion for their shoulders and hips. 
choosing plush mattress

However, we’ve also mentioned that there are people who are likely to hate plush mattresses. Who are they?

  • People who hate that slow sinking feel and look for extra firmness and support
  • Heavier sleepers
  • Back and stomach sleepers 
  • People who sleep too hot
  • People who toss and turn a lot at night and need a bouncier mattress

Plush mattress is probably the comfiest mattress, but as you can see, it doesn’t mean that it fits for all people. It may seem that you are lying on the cloud at first, but if you are a stomach or a back sleeper, you’ll soon find out that sleeping on the cloud without any extra support can turn out to be not as great as it seemed. Still, side-sleeping is the most common type of sleeping position, so a lot of people are likely to love plush beds. 

Choosing the best soft plush mattress—Top 2 options

best soft plush mattress

Here are some great plush beds that suit most sleepers looking for the highest level of comfort. If none of these models seem good for you, just take a look at the models produced by other manufacturers—there are tons of great soft mattresses in the market. Still, these 3 examples illustrate what you can expect both in terms of costs and features.

Best plush mattress modelsHelix Sunset LuxeSaatva Classic Mattress
Price For A Twin Mattress$999$887
Price For A Queen Mattress$1,749$1,695
Why ChooseA plush mattress with a coil system that provides extra support, great airflow, and breathability, doesn’t trap as much heat as other super-soft mattresses3 firmness levels, including plush soft, incredibly breathable, made of high-quality materials, 2 layers of coils—pocketed coils and single coil unit for outstanding support
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Again, there are cheaper soft mattresses, too. What’s special about these two? As you can see, both models have a coil system and remain extra plush, so you’ll get the highest-level comfort and great support at the same time.

Firm versus plush mattress: Which one is better?

The truth is we can’t and shouldn’t compare them. There is no single type of mattress or firmness level that would be better in all terms. Every sleeper should choose a firmer or a softer mattress considering the following criteria:

  • Their weight—the harder the sleeper, the firmer the mattress
  • Sleeping position—plush for side sleepers, highly supportive for back and stomach sleepers (there are exceptions—both models that we’ve briefly described above are hybrids that provide great support and remain plush due to ultra-soft upper layers)
  • Temperature—if you sleep hot, you won’t like sinking in a mattress, so a firmer bouncier option will probably be better
  • Movement—if you toss and turn a lot at night, sinking can become a problem, too

As you can see, good old rules work in this case, too. Consider your expectations and priorities—that’s the only way to find a perfect mattress.

Euro top vs plush vs pillow top: Koala knows the difference

euro top pillow top difference

Pillow top mattress is an innerspring or a hybrid mattress with the soft comfort layer on top of the mattress. Euro top, in turn, is a subtype of pillow top mattress—the only difference between them is that in the case of Euro top mattresses, that top layer, the padding, is stitched beneath the cover, which allows to level this plush layer with the edges, prevent sinking, and eliminate the gaps. This is an improved version of pillow top mattresses that have that padding sewn to the top of the mattress.

Can a Euro top mattress or a pillow top mattress be plush? Generally speaking, yes, they can if the top layer, that added padding is soft enough to give that plush feel. Are all Euro top and pillow top mattresses plush? No, not at all—all such mattresses have the coil systems inside, padding may be not too thick or not too soft, so a mattress can be, for example, medium firm.

Conclusion

So, what is an ultra plush mattress? It’s the softest existing mattress (about 3 out of 10 on the scale of firmness where 10 is the firmest mattress possible). Should you buy it? If you are a petite side sleeper, it’s likely to be perfect for you. Just consider your sleeping position and preferences, and decide if you really need it.

F.A.Q.

What does ultra plush mattress mean?

This is the softest mattress in the market, softer than soft and medium-firm mattresses. It has about 2-3 out of 10 points on the firmness scale where 10 is the most firm mattress and 1 is the cloud-soft surface.

What is the difference between plush and pillow top mattress?

Plush mattress is an extra soft mattress. This can be a hybrid, a pillow top mattress, or a memory foam mattress—in this case, the softness is the only criteria. A pillow top mattress is just a hybrid or an innerspring mattress with an extra soft comfort layer on top. Can it give that ultra-soft feeling of a plush bed? Yes, it can. Do all pillow tops fall under the category of plush mattresses? No, there are a lot of medium-firm pillow-top mattresses. 

What is a medium plush mattress?

A medium plush mattress has about 4 out of 10 points on the firmness scale, where 10 is the firmest mattress. It’s much softer than most mattresses in the market (most beds are medium-firm, 5-7 out of 10) but not as soft as ultra-plush mattresses (2-3 out of 10).

How firm is a plush mattress?

A medium plush mattress is about 3 out of 10 on the firmness scale, where 1 is the softest mattress and 10 is the firmest mattress. In other words, it’s not firm at all—this is nearly the softest mattress.