Z Malouf Pillows

Hi Phoenix,

I wanted to pick your brain about pillows, specifically the Z Malouf ones. I purchased the Z Malouf Zoned Latex Firm High Loft pillow but have had a few problems with it. I did sleep pretty well on the pillow but overtime it warped on me. It still works well as a pillow but the shape is deformed. I am not sure if that is an issue with the pillow or perhaps it is too high which caused the weight of my head to warp it? Either way I can now exchange the pillow for a different one so I am trying to decide what to choose from this company. Since I have a free pillow from them I will test out another one before I move on to another company.

In case it matters I have a latex mattress topper on top of a Tempurpedic mattress. You were extremely helpful in my purchases!
I am a side sleeper, 5’2 and about 120 pounds. I have not tried the low loft because I am afraid from what I read it would be too low for me to use. Even using the High Loft Pillow I still sometimes get a little shoulder pain/numbess so I think I will stick with High Loft unless you have any thoughts on why Low Loft might be a better choice?

In this post:https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/pillows
I read that you sleep on a Z Malouf Zoned Latex High Loft Plush, is this still the pillow you use? Do you have any other thoughts on the pillow different than in this post?

Would you say that the latex pillow from Malouf is a better choice over The Malouf Dough memory foam? I am specially looking for a pillow that will (a) give me the support I need as a side sleeper. I do suffer from migraines/neck pain so I need great support. (b) Less chemicals (c) Cooler, I believe that Latex sleeps cooler than memory foam?

Also after looking over some reviews on Amazon it seems that the Latex pillows get better reviews overall. So I am thinking of trading my High Loft Firm for a High Loft Plush but again appreciate any thoughts you may have

Thank you,
Jacalyn

Hi udoknowjac,

[quote]I am a side sleeper, 5’2 and about 120 pounds. I have not tried the low loft because I am afraid from what I read it would be too low for me to use. Even using the High Loft Pillow I still sometimes get a little shoulder pain/numbess so I think I will stick with High Loft unless you have any thoughts on why Low Loft might be a better choice?

In this post: www.themattressunderground.com/mattress-...es/1780-pillows.html
I read that you sleep on a Z Malouf Zoned Latex High Loft Plush, is this still the pillow you use? Do you have any other thoughts on the pillow different than in this post?

Would you say that the latex pillow from Malouf is a better choice over The Malouf Dough memory foam? I am specially looking for a pillow that will (a) give me the support I need as a side sleeper. I do suffer from migraines/neck pain so I need great support. (b) Less chemicals (c) Cooler, I believe that Latex sleeps cooler than memory foam?[/quote]

My current “favorite” pillow is a lanoodles latex pillow that can be “scrunched” and is softer than a solid latex pillow although I do still like the Malouf as well. If I was choosing one of their lanoodles pillows today I would probably choose the version that is customizable so you can adjust the fill and the height of the pillow. I am always on the lookout for different pillows since there are many more available than I’ve tried and my pillow preferences change from time to time.

The type and thickness of a pillow that works best for any particular person depends on their body type, their mattress (and how far their shoulders sink in), their sleeping position and the softness of the pillow which all work together to keep your head and neck in good alignment in all your sleeping positions. With pillows your personal preferences will also play a much bigger role even than a mattress because it is so close to your face which is very sensitive to temperature, texture, response, and “feel” so I’m not really “qualified” to suggest particular pillows for someone else when preference plays such a significant role.

The pillow thread you linked and the other sources of information along with the other pillow topics that are linked in post #3 in the topic have much more information that can help you choose the type of pillow that you may prefer but outside of your actual “needs” in a pillow which have too many variables to predict except on a very generic basis (see post #13 here) … most of a pillow choice is really about personal preference.

My fiance sleeps on a biogreen memory foam pillow which she prefers over latex and she uses it in the thinner configuration.

Latex is generally cooler than memory foam but neither one of us has any temperature issues with our pillow.

Phoenix

Phoenix,

Thank you for your quick reply. Since I have a free pillow as an exchange from Malouf I want to give them a try again. If I continue to have issues than I will certainly look into the other companies you mentioned. I know there are most likely better quality and better pillows out there but I think it’s worth giving them another try.

In regards to the Malouf Pillow was it the High Loft Plush that you had? Do you have an opinion on the Plush Latex versus the Firm? Are the Latex pillows from Malouf are more “natural” than their memory foam? I have cancer and I am trying to limit my exposure to chemicals as much as possible. When I purchased my Latex Topper I recalled that you mentioned certain criteria to look for such as made in the USA, and checking the type of latex (Sorry I cannot remember all the details). Do you have any thoughts or information on the Latex or Dough Memory foam that Malouf uses? Would love your thoughts on this if possible. Just wondering if their latex is natural and a better choice in my circumstances than the type memory foam they use.

Thank you for your help

Hi udoknowjac,

Yes it was the plush. I chose the plush because I thought it would be a better “match” for both me and the mattress I was sleeping on and keep my head and neck in better alignment than the firm and because I believed I would like it better (you can see my comments about why I chose it in post #3 here and in post #4 here).

Yes … natural latex (rubber) is sourced from a milky liquid that comes from a rubber tree so it is a more natural material than memory foam which is made mostly from petrochemicals. There is more about the “safety” of different materials that can help you answer the question of “how safe is safe enough for me?” in post #2 here and the posts it links to.

Phoenix

Thank you very much!

Hi - I couldn’t find a place to start a new thread on the forum, so I’m jumping into this older forum as I’m curious about understanding the difference between a few different Z Malouf pillows.

I am 6’2" 220lbs, with broad shoulders, and I am learning to become a side sleeper after decades on my stomach. I’m moving on from a shredded memory foam pillow to a latex model for greater head/neck support (I have a torn labrum in one of my shoulders leading to lots of neck soreness). I was interested in the Z Malouf latex models and was curious about which filling choice would be best for me.

I think my ideal pillow would have a high loft, with a small amount of “give” before firming up the support. Think an over-stuffed down pillow, but without all of the sinking. The site descriptions for these models suggest they would all work for back/side sleeping, so I was looking to understand their differences. These are my assumptions…

Zoned talay latex: firmest and most spring
Shredded latex: more give than the zoned
Shredded Latex w Gelled Microfiber: the softest and least supportive

If anyone could provide any guidance, I would appreciate it. The other pillow I would be considering is a LaNoodle

Hi - I couldn’t find a place to start a new thread on the forum, so I’m jumping into this older forum as I’m curious about understanding the difference between a few different Z Malouf pillows.

I am 6’2" 220lbs, with broad shoulders, and I am learning to become a side sleeper after decades on my stomach. I’m moving on from a shredded memory foam pillow to a latex model for greater head/neck support (I have a torn labrum in one of my shoulders leading to lots of neck soreness). I was interested in the Z Malouf latex models and was curious about which filling choice would be best for me.

I think my ideal pillow would have a high loft, with a small amount of “give” before firming up the support. Think an over-stuffed down pillow, but without all of the sinking. The site descriptions for these models suggest they would all work for back/side sleeping, so I was looking to understand their differences. These are my assumptions…

Zoned talay latex: firmest and most spring
Shredded latex: more give than the zoned
Shredded Latex w Gelled Microfiber: the softest and least supportive

If anyone could provide any guidance, I would appreciate it. The other pillow I would be considering is a LaNoodle

Hi misterawesome,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum! :).

Thanks for the post, moving from stomach to side sleeper, big difference for shoulders / neck, etc. Additionally, i am familiar with the pillows you mentioned, but more on that later in the post.

Regarding selecting a pillow, the situation is the same as selecting a mattress, in that there are far too many variables involved to be able to select a pillow for you. However, I can certainly make some suggestions that may be helpful.

There are even more options in pillows I think than in mattresses, and most of us have been guilty at one time or another of purchasing some “less than stellar” offerings at department stores. There is a pillow thread here, and it links to many good posts about pillows and the different materials commonly used.

The key, of course, is to maintain a more natural cervical/upper thoracic alignment, but not all of us have what many physicians might describe as “normal” curvature in this region.

For sleeping on your side, it is imperative to maintain a pillow of sufficient enough thickness and substantial enough in filling to not collapse and have your head sink too much laterally. When you sleep on your back as well as your side, you generally want the pillow to be a bit thinner so that you’re not sleeping with too much forward flexion. That is why “shapeable” pillows (ones with filling that can be moved into different levels of thickness) are popular for people who sleep on their side and back. Down, shredded foams (latex, polyfoam and memory foam), buckwheat hulls, kapok, wool, silk, synthetic fibers, and flax seed are just a few of the offerings in this category. Additionally, many of these styles of pillows are available with an inner casing that allows accessibility to the fill to allow removal of the fill material in order to customize thickness.

One tip for side sleepers is to place a large pillow or body pillow in front of you and rest your free arm on this pillow. This takes some of the stress off of the neck/shoulder complex. Additionally, you may wish to experiment with placing a pillow behind your shoulders when sleeping upon your side. This allows you to lean back slightly against the pillow, effectively abducting your scapula and rolling your shoulder joint forward a bit, and this can also help relieve some stress for you.

In the end, it does come down to quite a bit of experimentation, but you’ll want to be sure that you’re considering a product using more durable materials.

Of the three pillows mentioned, and given your height weight, the zoned latex pillow is probably the closest to one that would give you the support needed, the other two are more in the shapable pillows and is hard to gauge how they will do for you. The Malouf zoned is a talalay latex pillow, but the zoning is really a marketing issue and any “talalay latex pillow” will do the same thing and if you search some of our trusted members you will find Talalay latex pillows, quite possibly at better prices.

Let me know if you find anything that works for you, or if you have other questions.

Thanks again
Sensei

Thanks for this thorough and thoughtful reply, Sensei. I was initially concerned that a full (ie, not-shredded) latex pillow would be too springy for my preferences but I may have to try High Loft Plush version. It is currently on sale via Mattress Firm, but I was surprised to see the description describe the pillow as being ideal for stomach sleepers. This seems like a misprint considering the high loft??

Two other quick questions:

For a cheaper latex option, I was considering the Sleep on Latex pillow, as I live in Chicago and have both their mattress and topper. Is there any quality trade-off between Malouf and SOL, or would they be considered to be in the same quality class?

The other model I am considering is the K-Lex pillow. At least in pictures it appears to be softer than a latex pillow (based on images looking the the case isn’t fully stuffed). I’m curious if anyone has had first hand experience to compare the fill/density of the K-Lex vs Latex

Hey misterawesome,

You are very welcome, thanks for the post.

The Z Malouf pillows are good quality, but I believe the SOL latex is pillow is Talalay latex made by Talalay Global, and many people would argue this pillow would be better than Malouf. Malouf’s latex mfgr. partner in China is very good and they make a lot of product variations, but there is no data to say its “latex pillow” is better quality than the SOL.

Be careful on the Mattress Firm Hi-Loft plush latex pillow. I could not find the exact link for this pillow, but if its Talalay made by Talalay Global, and they chose the “plush” version, this would most likely be too soft for a side sleeper. Talalay Global makes three firmnesses, plush medium, and firm. It’s the Talalay “medium” density that is best suited for side sleepers. The firm Talalay is not sold very often and may be a bit too firm.

There are some comments about the K-lex pillow on this K-Lex pillow thread. I also checked out the website and this looks to be in the similar construction and category as the shredded latex pillows.

As I have mentioned before, pillows are a very personal choice for people and even though I personally “love” the Talalay medium pillow, it could very well be too springy for you…one can never tell for sure.

Thanks again, and let us know if you have any other questions or comments.

Sensei

I side-by-side tested two latex pillows:

  • Z Malouf High-Loft Plush (ordered through Mattress Firm)
  • Sleep on Latex

I did not sleep on them, just laid on them, but will be returning both of them as they were too squishy/giving for my needs. Between the two, the Z Malouf was my preferred. But I see your point, Sensei, about the comparability between the two brands, despite the SOL being significantly cheaper.

The search continues: next, I am going to try the SOL High Loft Firm and compare it against the Nest Easy Breather Natural pillow.

I’m curious - does anyone have any experience with both the High Lift Firm and Plus models from Malouf? I’m interested for a relative comparison between the two models. I realize this is all subjective, but I would give the the Plush a 8/10 on the squishiness/give scale and interested to see how the Firm may compare.

I recently purchased an Obasan shredded latex pillow since as a small side sleeper with wide shoulders I couldn’t find a solution with my current assortment of pillows :slight_smile: From reading the great information here I realised that part of my problem was that my head wasn’t sufficiently supported by my pillow(s). I’ve always loved the softness of downs and some synthetic fillings but the problem is of course that while you sleep your head drops down towards the mattress which leads to neck and shoulder aches. The latex pillow felt extremely firm to me at first but I have no trouble falling asleep with it and it maintains its loft much better throughout the night. I wish I had had a chance to try a solid latex pillow but it would have to be the perfect thickness I guess. If I want more support with the shredded latex I just shake the filling down towards one end and if I want more support under my neck I can shake the filling at that end towards the bottom in a few seconds. Not perfect in terms of feel but acceptable and function is very good.

Hey misterawesome,

Thanks for the update on the pillow trial. I totally understand your issue with the hi loft plush. I don’t know the weight specifications of the Malouf hi-loft firm, I have tried the Talalay hi-loft plush, medium, and firm from Talalay Global, which is very similar in size and density of the Malouf pillows. Some times the retailers or distributors call the “medium” a firm, to make it different than the plush.

From my perspecitive, the Talalay hi-loft firm is much much firmer, and the medium is the one that most side sleepers use. Did you confirm if the SOL was a Dunlop process pillow or a Talalay pillow? I will be curious how the next two stack up against each other for your fit.

Thanks again.
Sensei

Hi Demeter,

I looked at the Obason shredded latex pillow and I also noticed that they promote the fact that the filling can be adjusted. It seems that the shredded latex filling that came with the pillow is still not firm/thick enough to prevent your head from sinking too much which can cause misalignment and soreness in the neck and upper body area. I guessing from your post that this is the case as you notice you may require just a little more height. The shredded latex is very good as you described in your post:

You also make a good point about having the “solid latex pillow” being the “perfect thickness”…also keep in mind that latex usually comes in different firmnesses, so the softer will compress more thus allowing a consumer’s head to be held at a different height….but generally speaking the latex pillow may be same height for soft, medium and firm.

Thanks again for the update. and let us know if you have more questions

Phoenix