Hi SkyP,
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in and around the New York City area (subject to the quality/value guidelines I linked in my last reply) are listed in post #2 here.
I would be especially cautious about knowing the quality/density and durability of the materials in any pillowtop mattress because if the pillowtop uses lower quality/density and less durable materials (which is very common in the industry) they are especially likely to soften or break down much more quickly than most other types of mattresses. This would be much less of an an issue if the materials in the pillowtop are higher quality/density and more durable materials. The weakest link in a mattress that is most subject to softening and foam breakdown is almost always in the top layers of the mattress.
I would also be aware that there are some mattresses that don’t have a pillowtop that may be just as soft as a pillowtop mattress (the softer layers are inside the main cover instead of being attached to the mattress as a pillowtop) and there are also pillowtop mattresses that are firmer than non pillowtop mattresses because they use firmer materials in the pillowtop so it’s always important to make sure you do good testing for PPP to make sure a mattress is a good “match” for you.
Adding a softer topper to a firmer mattress can also have a similar effect to a pillowtop and also has the advantage that you can replace just the topper if it softens or breaks down before the deeper layers in the mattress or if your needs and preferences change over time without having to replace the entire mattress.
Phoenix