Best queen pillow-top mattresses under $400

Top pick: Crystli 14" Queen Pillow Top Hybrid — a true pillow-top hybrid in a box, so it's the safest match for a soft-top feel without paying for a brand name. Best if you want the classic pillow-top cushion over coils.

Who the others suit:

• Isabella 14" Hybrid Pillow Top — the budget route if you want the most mattress for the least money; innerspring with a pillowtop, and it works on an adjustable base.
• Sealy Response Premium Pillow Top, Queen — pick this if you'd rather have a recognized brand and a traditional showroom-style mattress.
• Sealy Posturepedic Pillow Top Queen Hybrid — the step up in support and build if you want a firmer, more supportive pillow top.
• Queen Rose 14" Hybrid — a hybrid with strong owner ratings, but it's a euro-style top rather than a true pillow top.

Skip the Novilla, VIPNOW and Avenco if a pillow top is a must — they're hybrids or eurotops, not pillow tops.