Just curious if anyone has experince yet with the Dr. Scholls pillows specifically the Technogel pillow line. Ive always been a person who really likes a FIRM like brick hard sort of pillow i dont like to float or sink down much. These pillows i tried at a mattress store seem to fit the bill in back and side sleeping.
Technogel Anatomic i believe was the model i looked at. They are pretty spendy but seem nicer to me than alot of the latex and foams i tried although i was very happy with the feel of a rejuvenate pillow i tried i just couldnt find the perfect 1 for back and side sleeping. It was perfect for 1 or the other but not both the technogel seemed really good for both.
When my new mattress comes the retailer is supposed to be bringing by some Eads Brothers gel type pillows for us to try as well no obligation to buy. I thought this was pretty cool of them since they didnt have them instock the day we were in the store. I have no experience with this brand either so anyone have experience with them as well?
I’m actually glad that you mentioned these because the last time I looked on the Technogel neither the mattresses or the pillows were even available to test within reasonable driving distance of where I live but when I just looked on the Technogel site the pillows will be available close to me shortly after Thanksgiving (according to Sleep Country USA who will be carrying them).
I’ve had several conversations with Healthy Back though about them and they have told me that in spite of their price that their customers seem to really like them and for those who “really” like them they aren’t balking at the price when they test it out. It seems to sleep very cool (and most people are even more sensitive to the feel and temperature of a pillow than a mattress) and they have told me that it’s more popular than the Technogel mattresses themselves.
Hopefully others that have tried it or better yet slept on it will see this and provide a report. I know I’d be just as interested as you are … at least until I can test it for myself
While there are some differences between different gels (just like there are differences between different types of memory foam, polyfoam, and latex) … they would generally share the same characteristics of durability and heat conduction which is what makes them desirable and “worth” the more expensive (vs gel infused foams) price tag for some people . In my view …the “brand” is never as important as the material in the product … whether it’s a mattress or a pillow.
Thanks too for your feedback on the Technogel. How did you find it as far as feel and responsiveness compared to other materials (other than it was good for both sleeping positions and seemed quite firm to you) and how did you find it for temperature?
As far as coolness at first i was turned off by how cool it did stay. After about 10 mins it seemed a bit less cool or i just got used to it not sure as it never really got warm. The gel did seem to mold to more as my body relaxed i had a feeling in a better warmed bedroom vs a show room it would be even better. Maybe flanel covers if it was to cool? Responsiveness seemed pretty good its alot like a memory foam what little impression is there if any seems to right its self quickly. Honestly i cant really recall it allowing an impression it has a very firm feel but not uncomfortably so. Im going to go lay on them some more this coming weekend i believe. Denver Mattress has them locally.
Comparing it to any of the other pillows i tried it really dont compare at all. I know that sounds odd but its in a totally different ball park. Other gel/foam pillows have more give and seem to act more like a foam bed. The Technogel dont respond like that. The latex pillows have more bounce to them so they also dont respond the same. This pillow really has neither characteristic. It also weighs a ton so if you are a root around sleeper its not going to move much if at all.
When I have the chance to test them I will post as well to see how our experience compares.
I’ve linked your post to a post in the pillow thread that mentions the Technogel pillow so that people who are interested can read about your experience.
Im going to really test these for the site now. I just purchased the Technogel anatomic for myself and my wife got the technogel deluxe. I cant really tell why its called anatomic when they have a contour version as well. The store only has the anatomic style. The pillows came in a neat little box that im sure adds 20 bucks on the price with a warranty foldup explaining thiings like DONT cook the material in the dryer ect.
The pillows were vacuum sealed in a tight wrapper but upon removal didnt exhibit any noticeable odors and im a nonsmoker so i have a sensitive nose. Also the bit they were squashed down went away immediately, plumping up to “normal” size in appearance. The nifty fold up says air for around 12 hours i dont see a reason you would have to at this point.
On a side note we tested the icomforts, isocool, rejuvenate, a couple other latex models i forgot the names and i think an isleep pillow or something tempurpedics, all were different materials. Pure memory foams contour and non. Latex contours and nons. Memory foams with latex and gels ect. Out of all the pillows we tested the Technogels did hit the mark with us. Also the temps in the store today were noticably warmer than last time and the pillows were not nearly as cold. My earlier theory about a warmer place making them more comfy seems to apply.
With the warmer store room temps the pillows still remained comfortably cool to the touch so a definately plus im thinking for the cough wifes night sweats =)
You’ve certainly done a lot of pillow testing and I’m grateful for your Technogel feedback.
I wish I could buy every product I’m curious about (I’d probably be sleeping on a different mattress and pillow every night :)) but it’s great to see when the members here write such great reports.
How do you find it in terms of response (on a scale of materials like latex being more bouncy or springy and memory foam being more motion deadening and stable). I think you’ve answered any questions about it’s sleeping temperature (or at least how cool it feels) although I’d also be interested on how it performed over the course of the night.
Its closer to memory foam on response. Not quite as deadening as memory foam though but still very stable and supportive. You still feel more on the surface less sink i guess. No where near bouncy like latex. Tonight will be the first night on it so ill know more tomorrow. We also picked up the Isocool mattress protector. When we grabbed the 2 pillows i was told pickup something else for a discount the math added up to being 20 bucks for the mattress protector which is usually 99 so it seemed like a decent deal. Ill report on that as well.
After sleeping on the pillow all night i think im in love. I never knew a pillow could be so nice. Ive always used just department store cheapo pillows this changes my mind instead of waking up tossing and turning, between the new mattress and pillow i slept like a baby. I wish i could say more about the pillow directly but i slept great so not to much. Maybe after my wife and i chat ill find out i didnt snore as much or something i can add lol. Oh i normally sleep near 8 hours for a full restful feel im closer to 6 right now and feel the same.
All in all if you dont mind a firmer pillow feel these pillows are pretty nice. I do still sleep on my side and my back but i have no pain and i feel real good. My wife is a pure side sleeper almost so the pillow she has looks a little taller when you put them side by side. As of right now shes on the side she always prefers to sleep on i dont recall noticing her on her back, which she only does when her neck hurt from side sleeping at night.
My wife whos been having neck and shoulder pain even after the new mattress woke up today with no pain. The pain had been less on the new mattress but her pillow was killing her. The support of these Technogels is amazingly great so that must have been the ticket for her. So far we are very happy with our recent purchases. Both of us liked the mattress cover as well it was chilly at first but warmed up as we slept where it was comfy. I didnt notice anything out of the ordinary so it seems to function as intended and it will protect the mattress (my main concern).
I just thought to add this as a side note my wife is allergic to just about everything. These pillows are not bugging her. We are limited in usage of down, wools, ect so this pillow shouldnt bother those with all sorts of allergy issues.
Update on the technogel pillows. My wife and i have some 400 count Velvet royal sheets that weve been using and the technogel pillows will warm up since the cotton is heavier its like the heat stays trapped a bit more from our heads. When we changed and used our bamboo sheets the pillows stay more towards body temperature all night once the initial coolness warms up.
I have to say so far this is by far the best investment we could have made these pillows are amazing and i give them a 2 thumbs up. Ive tried a couple more pillows since buying these latex and bamboo even nothing comes close to the technogels. Expense almost made me not purchase them however im glad i did. I feel quality wise they will hold up for a good number of years and sleep quality is superb.
Lol np i also have a Z malouf high loft plush i bought for my semi to replace my old walmart junker i like it but its almost to plush im wishing id of gotten the firm version. Technogel is way better after owning both. I wont however pay the gel pillow price for on my semi as i dont own it im a company driver and sometimes i have to leave my truck for others to use. Never know whats left when you return lol.
I have to admit though the Z pillow is pretty good once you get used to the bounciness of it.
Thanks for relating your experiences about cotton and bamboo bedding and Technogel pillows. I may need some new pillows after my new mattress comes in a few days- and I definitely intend to get new sheets and was wondering about bamboo - I use all cotton now and have for years.
I do everyone realizes now just how much polyester cases and sheets can heat things up; I have disliked them for decades and to me they have no use in pillowcases and sheets. Even my mostly cheapo pillows of the past have cotton covers as does my latest pillow, a myPillow. I don’t know yet how cool myPillow will stay this summer.
Bamboo sheets tend to crawl all over and also wrinkle very easily. However they excel at comfort and coolness I love them. Our cotton sheets stay planted more when you root around. Our fitted sheet on the bamboo’s usually end up pulled to my wife’s side more because she’s a sheet hog lol.
I had a Z pillow arrive today (low loft firm) and tonight will be my first night sleeping on it . . . that is if I can tolerate the smell. I unboxed it about 4 hours ago and left it in the bedroom. Just now I walked in there and the whole room smells like latex. Very strange because my Flexus Comfort latex mattress didn’t do this.
I don’t have any personal experience with either pillow but the differences between them will really come down to two things. The first is any difference between the materials in each pillow and the second and most important is any differences between them in terms of how they feel and how well they keep your head and neck in good alignment in all your sleeping positions.
In terms of the actual materials … it’s not really possible to make a direct comparison because they don’t provide the information you would need to make these types of comparisons. It’s certainly possible that the formulation of the gel in each of them is different and/or that one uses more gel than the other one. It’s also possible that the specific design of the gel layer in one may provide more airflow or be more comfortable to you than the other one. Both of them also appear to use memory foam as the main core of the pillow and neither one of them mention the density of the memory foam they are using. Higher density memory foam would be more durable and is generally more costly but density isn’t directly related to the properties of the memory foam so you may prefer the feel or response of either one over the other.
In terms of how they feel or perform … a suitable pillow is an essential part of good alignment for the head and neck and upper body because the gap between the head and the mattress and the curve of the cervical spine needs to be supported just like all other parts of the spine. Like mattresses though … there are certain “needs” that depend on body type and sleeping positions (and on the firmness of the mattress you are sleeping on) but with pillows, personal preferences play a more important role because the face is much more sensitive to textures, temperature, smells, and other more subjective “feel” based properties of a pillow. There is more about choosing pillows in the pillow thread here and the other topics and sources of information that it links to that may be helpful as well.
Better sleep shops will often have samples of their pillows available for you to try (they should be in a pillowcase and not a plastic wrapping) so you can try different types of pillows and pillow materials in person and use your own personal experience rather than just “theory” or other people’s experiences to help you decide on the types of pillows and pillow stuffing you tend to prefer but the only way to know whether a pillow you haven’t tried before a purchase will work well for you will be based on your own personal experience when you sleep on it.
The soft solid gel in both of them would be a good thermal conductor and would have a cooler “hand feel” and would also be the layer closest to your skin (outside of the pillow cover) so it may be enough to offset the tendency of the memory foam underneath it to be more insulating and sleep warmer for some people. Some people also don’t like the feel or firmness of the soft solid gel but only your own personal experience can tell you how you feel about a specific pillow regardless of whether anyone else likes it or not.
Hopefully some of the members that have tried the pillows you mentioned will see your post and share their comments about them or about other similar pillows they have tried but it’s unlikely that out of the thousands of pillows on the market you would find a member that has tried both of the pillows you mentioned and compared them directly. Of course I would always keep in mind once again that their own needs and preferences or their experience on any particular pillow may be very different from your own.
