Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress review: sink into an incredibly comfortable mattress

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress: Two-minute review

The Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top Mattress is one of the softest mattresses I’ve ever slept on, and as long as I slept on my side (and sometimes on my back), I enjoyed deep restful nights of sleep. If you compared it to the mattresses in our best mattress buying guide, you’d quickly see that the Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top is an expensive luxury buy. The hybrid mattress has an incredible amount of memory foam and includes free white glove delivery – which may explain the price. 

I tested the mattress in all the major areas and found that while the motion isolation is not the best for those who sleep two to a bed, the edge support is fantastic and the cooling capabilities are above average. In terms of comfortability and pressure relief, this mattress soars, just as long as you sleep on your side. It’s too soft for stomach sleepers and some back sleepers, as it’s a five or six on a 10-point firmness scale.

We consider it one of the best luxury mattresses around, as well as one of the best pillow-top mattresses. 

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top review: Price & value for money

• A luxury mattress
• A queen can cost between $2,699-$4,899
• Three mattress classes plus pillow top option 

The Beautyrest Black mattress is a premium mattress. However, within the Beautyrest brand, the Black mattress is the second most expensive mattress in the lineup, just below the Black Hybrid. 

Prices for the mattress depends on the 'class', firmness, and/or whether it has a pillow top. There are three classes – the L-Class, C-Class, and K-Class – with K-Class being the most expensive because it has the most memory foam and a pillow top. I tested the K-Class Plush Pillow Top, the most expensive Black mattress. 

It appears that the Black mattress is regularly on sale. 

• Twin XL size, L-Class: Firm MSRP – $1949 (normally sells for $2,249)
• Full size, L-Class Firm: MSRP – $2,229 (normally sells for $2,529)
• Queen size, L-Class Firm: MSRP – $2,399 (normally sells for $2,699)
• King size, L-Class Firm: MSRP – $2,999 (normally sells for $3,299)
• Cal King size, L-Class Firm: MSRP – $2,999 (normally sells for $3,299)

Above, we shared the base prices of the brand’s lowest class of mattress, the L-Class, in relation to different sizes. Below, we’ve shared the additional costs of different classes, firmness, and pillow top upgrades. For instance, if you want a C-Class queen-size mattress, you’d add an additional $1,000 to the cost of the Queen-size, L-Class firm mattress which is $2,399, on sale. The C-Class queen-size mattress would thus be $3,399. 

In relation to my testing, the queen-size K-Class Plush Pillow Top costs $4,899 (normally sells for $5,100). 

• L-Class Medium: +$300 
• L-Class Pillow Top: +$600
• C-Class: +$1,000
• C-Class Pillow Top: +$1,400
• K-Class Firm Pillow Top: +$2300 
• K-Class Plush Pillow Top: +$2500

At time of writing, all the Black mattresses are $300 off and there isn’t any indication the sale is going away anytime soon. The sale doesn’t include any specific freebies. While customers do receive White Glove delivery service with a purchase of any Black mattress, that type of service is always included in the price and not a special deal. Stay informed about sales of your favorite mattress brands by keeping TechRadar’s mattress sales guide on hand – or consulting one of our dedicated guides during shopping events such as the 4th of July mattress sales.

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress review: Specs

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress review: Materials and design

• Hybrid mattress with memory and gel foam, latex, and nanocoils
• K-Class has the most memory foam
• Option to add a pillow top

This is one of the best luxury mattresses we've tested, with a suitably complex and decadent design to match. The Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress that I tested has 10 times more memory foam than the L- and C-Class Black Mattresses. As a hybrid mattress, the K-Class has 2,000 nano coils that are designed to offer more comfort, pressure relief, and support. Directly above the coils are layers of self-response latex and a layer made of cashmere, alpaca, and silk. The former is to provide support to hips and shoulders, while the latter assists in airflow and breathability.

In the layers closest to the surface, there are layers of SurfaceTouch Gel Memory Foam and Beautyrest Gel Memory Foam. Both assist in pressure relief and contoured support. Above those layers is a plant-based cooling technology layer for heat regulation. The pillow top is filled with another layer of memory foam.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress review: comfort

• Medium-soft sleep surface with a sink-in feel
• Most comfortable in a side or back sleeping position
• Feels more supportive with two individuals in bed

The sleep surface of the Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress differs depending on whether you’re sleeping alone or with another person. Solo sleepers, like me, will feel like they’re sinking into the plush pillow top, but it’s not in an uncomfortable way, like old mattresses that have a dip. Rather, I felt a mix of support and almost a hug-like experience on different parts of my body. It made for a comforting swaddled sleep experience throughout the night. When I placed a 15-lb. weight in the middle, it sunk about 3/4ths of an inch. 

I am a diverse sleeper who likes to sleep mostly on my stomach or back, and occasionally on my side. However, I found that for most of the testing period, I could only sleep on my side. Occasionally, I fell asleep on my back, but there was not enough support for my hips and spine to sleep on my stomach. I don’t usually like something as plush and as soft as this mattress, so I was pleasantly surprised that the mattress did not cause any aches or pains and did a decent job in terms of pressure relief. More importantly, I felt like I slept more soundly and undisturbed more often on this mattress than on some of the others I’ve tested. 

I did test the mattress with another person in bed with me, plus I received feedback from my parents who visited me during the testing period and slept on the Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress. The weight of all the testers, including myself, ranged between 150-190 lbs., and we all felt most comfortable sleeping on this mattress on our sides. When two people sleep in the bed, their weight seems to offset the other, so that you don’t sink as far down as you would if you were sleeping in the bed alone. With another person in bed, I felt like I could more comfortably sleep on my back. I should note that when one person gets out of the bed, the other will feel themselves sink slightly down. 

In my opinion, the Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress is a 5 or 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale. It may be the softest mattress I’ve ever tested, and yet, it offers good spinal alignment for side sleepers and possibly for some who sleep on their back. 

Comfort score: 4 out of 5 

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top Mattress review: temperature regulation

• Decent temperature regulation 
• Plant-based cooling technology provides 18% more cooling power 
• Did well with temperature regulation when two people slept on mattress

Overall, I felt that the mattress did well in terms of regulating my temperature at night. Every Beautyrest Black mattress has a layer of plant-based cooling material right below the surface. It’s meant to enhance heat dissipation and provide up to 18 percent more cooling power. The hybrid design and a layer of silk, alpaca, and cashmere helps with airflow too. 

I did get warm a few nights during testing, but I’m not convinced that it was entirely because of the mattress but was due in part to my heater. This mattress was tested during January and February so for the most part, I felt quite cozy and snug. I’d be curious to see if I had the same experience during Texas summers. 

My parents slept in the mattress during the testing period and did not overheat or feel uncomfortable in terms of temperature during the night. 

Temperature regulation score: 4 out of 5

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top Mattress review: motion isolation

• Scored below average during our motion tests 
• Pillow top may be the cause of poor motion transfer capabilities
• Thick pillow top layer firms slightly when two people sleep in bed

I tested the mattress’ motion transfer capabilities by placing a wine glass in the center of the mattress and dropping a 15-lb. dumbbell 4, 6, 10, and 25 inches away. The wine glass didn’t move when I dropped the dumbbell 25 inches away but shook heavily when I dropped the dumbbell 10 inches from it. When the dumbbell was dropped four and six inches from the wine glass, it toppled over. This is the only mattress I’ve tested where the wine glass has fallen over completely during this test, which is why I’ve rated its motion isolation capabilities below average. 

I also had someone lay in the bed with me to get a sense of the motion isolation and I could feel them move more than I would’ve liked. Also, when the other person got out of the bed, I sunk further into the mattress almost immediately. This mattress may not be the best choice for those who hold motion isolation as the most important aspect. 

 Motion isolation score: 3.5 out of 5 

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top Mattress review: edge support

• Great edge support around the full perimeter of the mattress
• Felt fully supported sitting on the side and getting in and out of bed

The Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress’s edge support is top notch. No matter where I sat along the edge, I felt supported. I never felt like I would slip or roll off the mattress even when I slept close to the edge, and getting in and out of the bed was easy. The 16.5-inch height helped with this too.

To test the edge support, I placed a 15-lb. weight along the sides and at the corners of the mattress. It sunk only half an inch and stayed firmly in place. 

Edge support score: 5 out of 5

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress review: setup

• Free white glove delivery required scheduling with local delivery service
• Mattress was unrolled and wrapped in plastic 
• No issues with off-gassing

Beautyrest only offers free White Glove delivery service and a 2-4 week shipping estimate. It took three weeks for my Beautyrest Black to be delivered to my home. I was sent a link to schedule a delivery time with a local service company. The only day they had available was about two weeks out from when I received the link. I had to schedule a specific time that I would be home and able to receive the mattress. 

On the day of delivery, I was contacted by phone and text by the local company. Two men unloaded the mattress which was unrolled and in a plastic bag. They then carried it into my house. The Beautyrest Black mattress is very heavy so even cutting away the plastic and removing it from the mattress was a struggle and slow going. 

The mattress was already fully inflated upon arrival, but because it was loaded in the truck standing up, I allowed it to lay flat on the bed for the entire day so the materials could shift back into place. I slept on the mattress that night. Lastly, I’m happy to report that I didn’t notice any off-gassing smells upon removing the plastic or anytime thereinafter. 

 Setup score: 4 out of 5 

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress review: customer reviews

• 181 reviews resulting in a score of 4.3 out of 5 stars
• Reviews are a combination of all Beautyrest Black classes
• K-Class reviewers seemed overwhelmingly satisfied

There are 181 reviews of the Beautyrest Black mattress on the Beautyrest site. However, the reviews are not separated by the different classes or upgrade options, which does skew the results in my opinion. The L-Class and C-Class Black mattresses are significantly different than the K-Class. Most of the lower star ratings are from people who bought and slept on C-Class mattresses and called it “too firm.” 

I searched among the reviews for those who tested the K-Class mattress and I only found about nine reviewers that specifically mentioned the K-Class by name in their review. All those reviewers gave the mattress four- or five-star ratings and raved about its comfort and plushness, noting that it felt like the pillow top was “hugging” them as they slept. 

The only negative feedback I think is best to mention has to do with reviewers who bought a Beautyrest Black mattress with a pillow top (I couldn’t always tell what type of class they bought because most reviewers didn’t mention that). Some customers noted that the pillow top was far too soft for them and that it caused back and hip pain or contributed to a sinking feeling into the mattress they didn’t like. Not all sleepers will be able to sleep on such a plush pillow top which is important to keep in mind. 

Should you buy the Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress?

The Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress is probably the most expensive mattress I’ve tested. Whether it’s worth buying will entirely depend on what’s most important to a customer.  Side sleepers will likely be satisfied with this mattress as it offers a soft sleep experience that is still supportive of your hips and spine. Unfortunately, it’s too plush for stomach sleepers and possibly some back sleepers. 

Couples will find that the weight of another person firms up the pillow top and offers some back support for back sleepers. However, as this mattress’ motion isolation capabilities are below average, you’ll need to be okay with feeling some movement when your partner fidgets or gets in and out of bed. 

The edge support is phenomenal and the hybrid design and layer of plant-based cooling technology resulted in good airflow. The free White Glove delivery service is a nice perk especially considering the price, but I’m slightly concerned that the limited warranty is only 10 years, as it makes me wonder how well the materials will hold up over time.  

If you’re a side sleeper whose main objective when buying a mattress is plush cloud-like comfort, the Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillowtop is worth the buy. You’ll be satisfied and experience a deep, restful sleep like I did. 

Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress review: also consider

DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress
A Beautyrest Black mattress will put a dent in your wallet, so if you’re looking to save some money, go with the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress. This hybrid mattress creates a cloud-like sleep experience and has better motion isolation features. 
Read our DreamCloud Mattress review

GhostBed Luxe Mattress
The GhostBed Luxe is similar to the Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top mattress in how it feels plush and soft and is better designed for side sleepers. However, there is no question that the GhostBed Luxe Mattress does a better job when it comes to temperature regulation and motion isolation.
Read our GhostBed Luxe Mattress review

PlushBeds Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress
We don’t want to leave back and stomach sleepers out of the mix, which is why we suggest the PlushBeds Botanical Bliss Organic Latex Mattress. This all-organic latex mattress has some softness to it but provides far more support. Even better – it’s entirely organic and free of harsh chemicals. 

How I tested the Beautyrest Black K-Class Plush Pillow Top Mattress

I tested this mattress for three weeks between January and February, the coldest time in North Texas when temperatures were dropping to the 20s and 30s (Fahrenheit) at night. The mattress was covered in microfiber sheets and a thin comforter. My parents also stayed with me a few nights during this time and slept on the mattress. In addition to receiving their feedback, I ran tests to assess the softness, edge support, and motion isolation of the Beautyrest Black mattress.