Is pillow firmness entirely subjective or can you deduce a ācorrectā firmness based on your style & statistics? Iām looking at the Z by Malouf latex pillows. Iām a mostly side-sleeper with broad shoulders and a medium latex mattress - from that I can conclude that chances are Iāll be more comfortable with a high loft pillow. But Iām not sure whether to get plush or firm?
I do think it is very subjective, but I was in a similar situation nearly two years ago, and ended up with the Z high loft pillow in the firm configuration. I tried the plush but felt that I āsunk inā too far. The firm pillow held me head in what felt like a more natural position. It is also dependent on the mattress. When on a latex mattress, I feel I need the extra height. On an inner-spring mattress, I would use a lower-loft pillow.
It is two years later, and it still works very well.
John
Hi JohnnyO,
It would be a combination of subjective preferences (how a pillow feels) along with more objective requirements (keeping your head and neck in good alignment in all your sleeping positions) which would vary based on the type of mattress you have and the body type and sleeping style of each person.
While you would be able to choose a pillow that in very general terms was āin the rangeā based on specs, this may still not turn out be a good choice when it comes to the specific needs and preferences of each person and the only way to know this would be to sleep on in.
I would agree that the high loft would have the best chance of success but I donāt know which of the two firmness options would work best for you. I also have a Z by Malouf and am mostly a side sleeper with average-wide shoulders and a softer mattress and I chose the high loft soft because I donāt like firmer pillows and it also works well for me although I currently sleep on a shredded latex pillow which is softer yet.
Phoenix
I saw this thread pop up and couldnāt resist putting my two cents in!
First off, I have tried many pillows over about the last 15 years- most of them are in the closet. When a guest comes, I am able to ask if they want firm, medium or soft, etc :lol: There are 8 pillows in that closet, most poly fill, most cost over $30ā¦
Iāve tried latex (taladay I think, not shredded), and memory foam (thankfully a friend let my try hers), didnāt like either of those. I like feather, but DH seems to snore more on feather, so we removed feather about 3 years ago.
My favorite pillow (polyfill) from I donāt know where itās from, is about 7 years old, lumpy (which I donāt mind) and I wanted to replace, but couldnāt find the exact pillow online. This one has been washed a couple of times, and always has an allergen blocker cover on it.
On a whim one day, while in Target last summer, I ended up getting an inexpensive pillow to try out (around $12), sick of paying a lot of money for pillows and being disappointed. And itās become one of my favorites! The pillow has an organic cover, and says it blocks allergens, but at this price, I donāt quite buy that, so I still have an allergen cover on it.
We are having guests next week, and much to my frustration, many of the pillows in the closet have become musty (moldy) smelling. We moved to a damp area 7 years ago, this is new for me. We just had to get rid of my favorite futon after we came home from a trip and it smelled moldy.
Iām off to Target this week to buy a few more of their organic cotton polyfill pillows to replace the musty guest pillows (I guess I could wash them, but donāt have the energy or time before guests arrive)- my DH likes this pillow too- so Iām hoping the guests find them
comfy too.
this is the pillow: http://www.target.com/p/aller-ease-down-alternative-organic-pillow-standard-queen/-/A-14448264#prodSlot=_1_6
And I have an all cotton allergen protector on it. The cover is not organic, but National Allergy does sell an organic version too. This is the one I have: http://www.natlallergy.com/all-cotton-allergy-pillow-covers.html
I just ordered more pillow protectors for the guest area, and Iāll be putting more āDamp Ridā moisture control units around. I have them in the clothing closets and they work well, but need to get them in the other closets, disappointed to have the guest pillows smell moldy, and the futon ruined. Iām thinking of putting a Damp-Rid cup under each mattress, our new polyfoam mattress and the new cotton/foam futon. Hopefully that will keep musty smells out of the pillows and futonā¦
I have been looking for a pillow for a side sleeper, namely myself. Has anyone tried the Charter Club Latex Foam Pillow? I just tried it in a Macyās store where itās on sale for $47.99 plus an extra 15% off if you buy it online and use the code" SUPER by 4/12/2015; although, Iām sure Macyās is always having a sale. I tried one for like 1 minute right before the store closed and thought it was niceā¦
Lauren Ralph Lauren Latex Fusion Memory Foam PillowI also tried the , which is also on sale for $74.99ā¦ Iām sure when youāre thinking pillows, Ralph Lauren is the first thing that comes to mind. I liked this pillow and thought the latex/memory foam combination was interesting but I think I prefer something firmer; not sure I like the sinking in feeling, but I probably need more time to make a better assessment.
Being a side sleeper, I was intrigued with the Sensorpedic Bounce Foam Gusseted Pillows that I found online. I may go back to see if I can try one of these. I donāt think Iāve ever tried a Gusseted Pillow so Iām intrigued. Itās on sale for $41ā¦97 and it says it comes with a 15-year warranty.
I might be more interested in the Totillow Pillow if I could find a price on their website. Am I just overlooking it?
Any side sleepers have experience with any of these pillows or even a Gusseted Pillow in general?
Hi electricrelish,
I donāt have any personal experience with any of the pillows you mentioned and a quick search didnāt turn up any feedback on the forum about them either but hopefully any of the members that have used any of them will see your post and share their comments and feedback about them.
The Sensorpedic pillow sounds more like it uses one of the newer generation of polyfoam materials (see post #2 here) and doesnāt sound like memory foam at all.
I checked the Totillow site as well and clicked on the order now button on this page but it just leads to the same page and I also donāt see any prices anywhere on their site. It also says āTotillow Down Synthetic Posture Pillow now offered at AMAZON.comā but itās not currently available there.
According to the cached Amazon page here and the Kaboodle site here they were selling for $79 when they were available.
Phoenix
36 years trying to find the perfect pillow, still searching. The latest one is a shredded latex from AZ Mattress Company. Not sure about it yet, but after 2 nights, I am not in love.
Has anyone tried Chiroflow pillows? Good/bad?
This summer I tried quite a number of pillows. I updated almost all my beddingā¦ I couldnāt part with a 10 year old Scandia down neck roll pillow. Itās still fantastic! However, itās now double encased in dust mite covers.
I added an Empress Silk Silk filled Pillow Silk Charmeuse Cover - Standard, Silx Silk Filled Double Fill Pillow, Boudoir and my new favorite pillow an Obasan Saguenay 1.0 ā Organic Wool Pillow for my head.
The silk pillows are firm. They started out too hard for me, but over 2 months they have become softer and softer. The Empress Silk pillow is great for back sleeping. Itās about 2 inches thick when I lie my head on it. I feel like it supports my neck really well. The travel size Silx Filled pillow is just a great little pillow if I need a little more loft. And I love silk. I love. The combo of the two after breaking in is starting to become really comfy for side sleeping. But I still prefer the wooly one more for side sleeping. i actually swap pillows depending on if Iām on my back or side. I never found a single pillow over the years which could do it all.
I tried a Pure-Rest Organic Wool Woolie Ball Fill Pillow and a Holy Lamb Wooly āDownā before The Obasan. For me, the Obasan has a malleability and cradling effect that the others lack. How? For me I feel like my head is resting on a cloud but being kept perfectly still by the force of the wool. Perfect for side sleeping. I love it for back sleeping too, but I prefer the silk just a tiny bit more. The other wool pillows arenāt bad, but the other two donāt make me want to exclaim heavenly. I also like the cover and the wool puffs best of all in the Obasan. After two months It still feels really cuddly and supportive. It replaced an 8 year old down Pillowā¦ Ha, this is so subjective.
The Obasan Pillow only took two days to arrive from the time I ordered it. All the way from Canada to the US. Shipping was free! Considering how long natural bedding companies can make you wait for a pillowcase I found this detail astoundingly nice. It made me really happy! It has a zipper like the others, so you can remove wool if you want, It requires a little daily maintenance. But itās actually fun. i like fluffing a wool pillow like this for a minute or two everyday, Obasan said it could last up to 6 years with proper care which entails putting it in a dryer with tennis balls every so often and placing it in direct sunlight at least 1 time a year. How I hope it lasts!
Finally, I tried Berkeley Oxygen, Savvy Rest medium Talalay and an Obasan Saguenay 2.0 ā Shredded Organic Rubber Pillows. I personally am not a fan of latex pillows - shredded or sculpted - for my head. My head is transformed into an unwilling bouncing ball. I actually got awful neck pain sleeping a whole night on any one of the three. I feel like I can never just relax into the latex. I always feel like itās pushing back at me. There is a consolation however,I love them under my knees to relieve back tension (absolutely wonderful). I used to use a Buckwheat Pillow or a micro bead pillow under my knees ā but latex is far and away the best. I wish I had used them in the past for this purpose!
Hi mattress maven,
Thanks for taking the time to share all your pillow feedback ā¦ I appreciate it 
Phoenix
Iām ordering a CPAP pillow made with buckwheat hulls and shredded foam for my sleeping pillow. Anyone familiar with a wedge pillow? There are so many, Iām not sure which one to order. I think it would be nice for watching TV.
Hi Quickstrike,
Hopefully some of the members here that own one will see your post and share their experience.
While I donāt use one myself so I donāt have any personal experience with sleeping using wedge pillows ā¦ I would suggest that if you plan to use a wedge pillow for sitting up and reading or watching TV that it provides suitable back and lumbar support when you are sitting up and isnāt only designed for elevating your head a little when you are lying down to help with breathing, snoring, acid reflux, or some of the other reasons that some people may choose or need to sleep with their head elevated a little.
Phoenix
Hello,
I am new to this community.
I am side sleeper with no health conditions or chronic pain.
I just sleep very HOT.
Has anyone tried Obasan Pillows from Ottawa, Canada?
Are they really good or just another expensive marketing ploy?
This is the pillow I am thinking of gettingā¦
http://obasan.ca/shop/saguenay-5-0/
Thanks,
Mike
File this under the, āyou actual mileage mar varyā category:
This pillow appears to be similar to one from Savvy Rest that Iāve used. It has a different feel from the all shredded latex version. To me it feels more ābreathableā and not quite as dense as the all-latex version. My pillow also has two cotton covers, plus my pillowcase, which all affect air flow. Iām a warm sleeper and this pillow works fine for me, but this is my own personal and subjective opinion.
Jeff Scheuer
Mattress To Go
Hi Mikey604,
I would echo Jeffās comments.
While I donāt have any personal experience on your specific pillow I have also tried similar pillows with a combination of wool and shredded latex pillow stuffing encased with organic cotton and they would tend to be very breathable and temperature regulating (in both directions).
As Jeff also mentioned ā¦ adding wool to shredded latex would result in a different and less resilient (springy) āfeelā compared to a pillow that only used shredded latex.
It also has the ability to customize the amount of fill in the pillow so that it can be customized to suit your individual needs and preferences.
A pillow with shredded foam materials or wool is also more āscrunchableā than a pillow that has more solid materials so that you can adjust the loft and firmness of the pillow when you change sleeping positions.
For the benefit of others that are reading your post Iāll add the same general comments as I did in reply to your other post about pillows that have a soft solid layer on top of memory foam.
[quote]In terms of how they feel or perform ā¦ 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 ā¦ there are certain āneedsā 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 āfeelā 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 ātheoryā or other peopleās experiences to help you decide on the types of pillows and pillow stuffing you tend to prefer but the only way to know for certain whether a pillow you havenāt tried before a purchase will work well for you and how you will like it will be based on your own personal experience when you sleep on it.[/quote]
Phoenix
Just throwing my two cents in here.
I have tried every price level of what Iād call āregularā stuffed pillows, and never really ended up liking one more than the other.
Recently, I picked up one of those āNormalizerā pillows that my chiropractor recommended, to try and help with some old back and neck problems.
So I thought Iād share my experience with it.
First of all, itās a foam pillow, with whatās supposed to be a cooling and moisture wicking cover.
On both fronts it seems to work well.
I donāt really know how to describe it, but itās not āpsychologically comfortableā if that makes any sense.
You canāt bunch it up under your head, and itās not all cushy and soft. You canāt really sleep with your arm under the pillow (which is something I sometimes do), or cuddle up with it. Itās just not that kind of pillow.
Itās not ānormalā despite its name.
From an ergonomic perspective the pillow really works well.
It provides support under your neck, and helps to keep your spine in alignment over the course of the night.
Took a lot of getting used to, but Iām starting to like it. It helps me sleep better.
Will I keep it over the long haul? The jury is still out on that one.
But I do know that no other pillow has provided the same level of head and neck support overnight that this one does.
I wouldnāt recommend it if you sleep face down though. It has a different shape if you flip it over, to account for that style of sleep. But honestly, I donāt find that position very comfortable.
Hopefully that helps anyway.
Hi JustPassingThru,
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Normalizer pillow ā¦ I appreciate it
Phoenix
Iām new here!
Just try this Tri-Core Cervical Pillow, Full Size, Standard Firm Most comfortable Orthopaedics pillow. Supports well I also recommend this site Our 5 Best Memory Foam Mattresses : Updated 2022 for more ideas of memory foam pillow for side sleepers.
Hi mauricedudeley,
Your post has been deleted as it violates the promotional rules of the forum, specifically linking to advertising and promotional sites. Please refrain from future posts like this, as those too will be deleted and your site posting privileges will be revoked.
Phoenix
Does anyone have any experience with the Berkeley Ergonomics Gummi (shredded latex) pillow?
I tried the Nest Bedding Easy Breather latex pillow, and while it is both supportive and soft, I donāt like the idea of the poly fill mixed in the with the latex.
Iām also trying a Wool Bolus pillow (from Soaring Heart) but adjusting the fill and still not sure if itās right for me. I love the idea of an all-wool pillow, but I find it lumpy and not as contouring as Iād hoped.
I recently switched from being a life-long stomach sleeper to now sleeping on my back and side. Itās still growing pains making the adjustment, but I knew I couldnāt keep sleeping on my stomach without long-term damage to my lumbar region.
Any suggestions for your best Latex pillows would be appreciated! I see some people are proponents of the LaNoodle. Would like to hear more.