The Big Oneã‚â® Contour Gel Memory Foam Pillow Reviews
The research
- Why you should trust u.s.
- Who should use memory-cream pillows
- How we picked and tested
- Our favorite shredded-foam pillow: Nest Bedding Like shooting fish in a barrel Breather Pillow
- An affordable unmarried-slice foam pillow: Weekender Gel Memory Foam Pillow
- A luxurious layered-cream pillow: Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Pro + Cooling Pillow
- A supportive contoured-foam pillow: Ecosa Pillow
- Care and maintenance
- What to look frontward to
- The contest
- Sources
Why you should trust us
I personally prefer memory-foam pillows. As a side-sleeper I like a fair amount of height and a very firm pillow to keep my shoulders and artillery from getting sore, and in testing for this guide I had some of the better nights of sleep I tin can remember. I likewise co-wrote our primary guide to bed pillows. Our picks are the pillows I would spend money on myself.
Who should use memory-foam pillows
Memory-foam pillows (shredded foam, solid foam, layered foam, or contoured) are best for people who slumber on their side or back and don't become enough support from down and down-alternative pillows. We don't recommend most memory-cream pillows for stomach-sleepers unless you can customize the fill or you specifically need more pinnacle. Although some of these pillows are adjustable, almost of our picks are pretty lofty; in our testing, the extra-business firm, extra-high support didn't feel comfortable to most stomach-sleepers.
Dr. Jonathan Kirschner of New York Metropolis'due south Hospital for Special Surgery told united states of america that, when choosing a pillow, you should maintain your trunk'due south natural alignment. "In the cervix nosotros have a natural bend called the lordosis," he said, "and you lot want the pillow to accommodate for that." In testing I've found that the most supportive pillows brand my head feel similar it's comfortably floating and non pulled in any one direction. If you like the feel of retentiveness foam but demand a smaller, softer pillow (in our test panel stomach-sleepers and side- and back-sleepers with smaller frames tended to have this preference), we have more options in the Competition section. To run across the pillows we tested with other fills (as well every bit more options in shredded foam, our testers' favorite style), read our primary guide to bed pillows.
How we picked and tested
Comfort: Nosotros looked for pillows with good neck and shoulder support, and we ruled out most pillows that acquired overheating. Retentiveness foam can experience hotter than down and down-alternative pillows, though, and then in some cases we considered pillows with groovy support that felt a piddling warm.
Construction: As with all pillows nosotros've tested, nosotros looked for strong stitching forth the seams, we noted the quality and thickness of the outer encompass, and we judged the encompass'due south ability to protect the cream inside. We also checked the cream to see if information technology was delicate.
Return policy and warranty: Determining whether a pillow is a good fit takes a few nights, so we looked for generous return policies (from 30 to 100 days) from the companies whose pillows we recommend. Only i of our recommended pillows—from Tempur-Pedic—doesn't offering returns, just unlike the others, it'southward available to try in stores. Most of our picks also come with 3- to six-year warranties (which mainly cover manufacturer defects).
In 2019 nosotros tried a total of xviii memory-cream pillows in shredded, solid, layered, and contour styles. We've tested shredded-foam pillows for several years for our main pillows guide, merely this was our beginning time considering all styles of foam pillows. Afterward conducting get-go-round testing that eliminated the least comfy models, we had a panel of six testers (representing side-sleepers, dorsum-sleepers, tummy-sleepers, and some combo sleepers) spend a few weeks sleeping on the 14 remaining pillows. Going by their notes on comfort and breathability—and building on our years of shredded-foam pillow testing—we made our picks.
Our favorite shredded-foam pillow: Nest Bedding Like shooting fish in a barrel Breather Pillow
Our choice
Over the years, nosotros've tried more than 100 pillows—blimp with down, downwardly alternative, and foam—with dozens of sleep testers. And the Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow has consistently been one of the most popular among dorsum- and side-sleepers because of its firm but soft support, its adjustable shredded-cream fill, its high-quality materials, and Nest Bedding'due south decent return and warranty policies.
Nosotros've been recommending the Easy Breather since 2016. This pillow is comfy and house, offer neck support that doesn't cause pain. Nest redesigned the Easy Breather in 2021—making information technology the third version of this pillow we've tested—and it's now completely motorcar-washable and even so our favorite shredded cream pillow. Information technology'southward the top-ranked shredded-foam pillow among our side- and back-sleepers, scoring higher than the Xtreme Comforts, Leesa Hybrid, and Sleep Number ComfortFit Archetype pillows. We also found that our testers near universally preferred the experience and support of shredded foam to that of solid, layered, or contoured cream.
One of our favorite features of shredded-foam pillows over other retentiveness-foam pillows is their adjustability. Although you can choose from iii heights on the Tempur-Pedic pillow or add foam sheets to the Ecosa pillow, neither is equally customizable as the Piece of cake Breather, from which yous tin remove clumps of fill to get a loft that feels but correct for you. The 2021 version contains all the foam in a zippered, all-cotton fiber inner pouch that tucks within the outer cover. As with past versions, with this one you can remove clumps of the shredded foam until you get the loft just right (and mayhap save those pieces in a handbag for time to come adjustments); we think this makes it the about flexible of our memory-foam pillow picks.
The Piece of cake Breather's thick Tencel-blend cover is softer than the covers on our other memory-cream pillow picks, with a stippled surface that masks the slightly lumpy texture of the shredded-foam fill. Compared with other shredded-cream pillows we've tested, the Easy Sabbatical as well has less of a chemical smell when you starting time open the parcel (it dissipates in a day or and so).
The Easy Breather comes with a 30-day return policy (only save the original packaging for returns), which should be long enough for you to brand sure it's the right choice, plus a ii-yr warranty covering manufacturer defects. Tempur-Pedic offers a longer warranty and Ecosa offers a longer return policy, but Nest's protection is still better than what we've seen from about competitors in our years of pillow testing. Nest also has xiii showrooms, so if y'all alive near i you might be able to attempt this pillow in person.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
If you find this pillow to be too lofty, you can arrange it past removing some fill up, but the procedure can be messy. Some of our testers have said that when they've washed this, the fill has left dusty clumps of foam everywhere. They withal love the Easy Sabbatical's adjustability, though, and nosotros retrieve information technology'due south worth the temporary mess—keep a vacuum handy.
An affordable single-piece foam pillow: Weekender Gel Memory Foam Pillow
Budget choice
The Weekender Gel Memory Foam Pillow was the highest-rated solid memory-cream pillow for our testers, and it's ane of the cheapest cream pillows we tried. It's the perfect selection if you want a low-run a risk fashion to try a memory-foam pillow for the beginning time, or if you know yous don't like the experience of shredded foam. The Weekender's foam feels less high-tech and engineered than that of our other picks—information technology reminded me of the inexpensive cream you can buy at sewing and craft stores. Information technology doesn't offer equally much resistance to the head and neck (what helps keep them elevated and aligned), but for near of our testers it got the job done.
I tester praised its "cushiony softness" and noted that it was just the right thickness for her shoulders. It's not as tall or as business firm as the Nest Bedding, Tempur-Pedic, and Ecosa pillows, simply another tester, who has a small frame and mostly prefers low pillows, withal constitute information technology too high. It might exist a good choice if yous prefer a medium-elevation pillow.
It's available in standard (which we tested), queen, and king sizes. Our testers were divided on the quality of the quilted outer cover—some idea it felt cheap, others noted it was cool and soft—but when it'south inside a pillow case, nosotros don't call back you lot'll notice. The cover fits the pillow tautly and is removable for easy washing. From a style perspective, we thought the dissimilarity piping looked cute. The Weekender comes with a 3-year warranty, and if yous buy through Amazon, you lot take 30 days to return it.
A luxurious layered-cream pillow: Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Pro + Cooling Pillow
Upgrade pick
The Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Adapt Pro + Cooling Pillow (mid-density), with its three layers of foam, is the highest-quality cream pillow nosotros tried—it molds to the shape of your head and neck and is ameliorate than the Easy Sabbatical at keeping its shape throughout the night. The outer comprehend is also cooler and ameliorate quality than annihilation else we tested.
We tried the mid-density version—the pillow also comes in a "hi" height that consists of a single block of memory foam and a "lo" version with thinner layers within—and the foam was firm but spongy, so our heads and necks were cradled only didn't sink. When squeezed, the foam inside returned to its original shape faster than that of any other retentiveness-cream pillow we tried, so we think this pillow will probably hold its shape and provide comfy support for longer than any of our other picks. When you remove the cover, this pillow looks like solid foam, simply dissimilar about solid-cream pillows, which are flat rectangles, this i is rounded and overstuffed. That's because of the "micro cushion" layer sealed within the memory foam, which gives information technology more resistance, extra loft, and a rounded shape. It's the only memory-foam pillow we've tried fabricated with layered sheets of solid cream, and information technology'south specially comfortable if you demand a lofty, dense pillow to go on the bend of your neck properly aligned.
It's the but one of our picks that's sold widely in stores (the Easy Breather is available in Nest showrooms, but only a handful of them exist nationwide), and because Tempur-Pedic will have returns only if the pillow is defective or damaged from aircraft, we recollect you should try it out in person. For this kind of money, information technology's worth the actress footstep. Information technology does come up with a five-twelvemonth limited warranty.
The cover is cool and polish, and it fits the foam inside perfectly, with less bunching and excess material around the edges than on other pillows we tested. It's ane of the few pillows I've tried with cooling technologies (in this example, the proprietary cover fabric) that actually worked through the night. Information technology's a big pillow, though—information technology's alpine and fat, and it comes in only queen and king sizes, unlike our other picks. If a lower, squishier pillow works all-time for your neck and body shape, this 1 is not for you.
A supportive contoured-cream pillow: Ecosa Pillow
Besides great
Ecosa Pillow
Best contoured memory-foam pillow
Height-adjustable and curved to provide targeted cervix back up, the Ecosa was the best contoured pillow nosotros tested. It'south pricier than others we recommend, merely it's the favorite of our back- and side-sleepers who struggle with pain.
Buying Options
If you demand focused support for your neck muscles or struggle with any kind of upper-body pain (including headaches), the contoured Ecosa Pillow might assistance you go a better night'southward sleep. Its raised curves are more rigid than the fill of our other memory-cream picks, and it keeps its shape—your head doesn't feel as molded into the cream as with our other picks—only also stays squishy and then yous don't feel similar yous're sleeping on a brick.
Our experts accept told us time and fourth dimension once again that a good pillow should work with the natural contour of your neck, and the Ecosa's shape sits right against the neck to direct support its arc. We tried three contoured pillows, and the Ecosa was the well-nigh comfy and supportive of the neck. I'k a side-sleeper prone to stiff arms and shoulders, and this was my favorite memory-foam pillow (though it did cause me a bit of overheating). I also reached for it while battling sinus headaches. In our testing, a back-sleeper with chronic cervix problems also preferred the Ecosa to other memory-foam pillows, and she chose it over another contoured pillow she had been using. Information technology comes with two sparse sheets of cream that y'all can add together inside the cover to heighten the pinnacle, and in our tests we found that Ecosa's guidance on the number of layers to use was fairly accurate.
The breathable, zippered cover of the pillow is nice quality, besides. Information technology's soft to the touch and hugs the contours of the pillow well, so there's no bunching equally you shift in the night. As with all of our picks, the cover is removable and washable. Ecosa says the pillow has a layer of activated charcoal to give information technology antibacterial properties, merely we didn't test for that nor practice we put a lot of stock into antibacterial claims.
Although the surface has a bumpy texture that split our test panel, it'southward less lumpy, and more uniform, than the shredded foam of the Nest Bedding pillow, so information technology may crave less of a transition if yous've previously been sleeping on downwards or down alternative. The Ecosa has a 100-night render policy, the longest of any pillow we recommend. It does not come with a warranty, whereas our other picks exercise.
Care and maintenance
Nosotros've talked to some textile experts who said you tin can wash shredded-cream pillows (though non single-piece foam pillows) in a washing motorcar without removing their stuffing, simply most manufacturers practise non recommend it. The redesigned 2021 Like shooting fish in a barrel Breather is the only shredded cream pillow we tested that tin can be washed, due to the new inner pouch that holds all the cream (Nest does not recommend washing older models). Washing them could void the warranty or affect the ability to return pillows you've purchased. We also retrieve information technology'southward possible that washing foam filling could impairment it, cause mold if it'south non stale thoroughly, or maybe impairment your washer and dryer (if the stuffing leaks). Our safest suggestion is to wash foam-pillow covers merely.
You can remove single-slice or shredded foam from its comprehend (you'll need a big basket or bag to concord the shredded cream, as information technology expands quite a bit when you lot scoop it out). Always check the cleaning instructions on the label, only generally we recommend washing the cover in common cold water and drying information technology on low rut to prevent any damage. Brand sure the cover is completely dry before restuffing information technology.
What to expect frontwards to
Nosotros'll be testing European Sleep Works' Oxygen Pillows this year. We like that y'all tin pick both a custom density and pinnacle, giving you lots of dissimilar options to customize (unlike our Tempur-Pedic pick, which combines both meridian and density into three options). We yet think the Nest Easy Breather gives you lot the most precise customization, since you tin can add and remove the fill up to discover a perfect fit, simply nosotros're looking forward to trying out a solid foam option.
The competition
Notable contenders
Shredded foam
The Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Ultimate is our upgrade pick for back- and side-sleepers in our primary pillows guide, and information technology'due south a fantastic option if yous don't like the mess of removing shredded foam. In this guide we recommend only our top memory-cream pillow option in each mode (shredded, solid, layered, and contoured), but this Sleep Number model is the next-all-time later on the Easy Breather. It has three sealed envelopes of shredded foam within a soft cover, and yous can remove these pouches to conform the loft for your needs.
The Xtreme Comforts Shredded Memory Foam Pillow (standard) is our upkeep pick for side- and back-sleepers in our main pillows guide, and like the Piece of cake Sabbatical it has been a recommendation of ours since 2016. It typically costs more than twice the toll of the Weekender solid-foam pillow, but it'south loftier and also has adaptable fill up—information technology's consistently pop among testers. It was our former acme choice, but half of our test Xtreme Comforts pillows in 2019 had a strong chemical olfactory property that didn't misemploy; if you finish upwards with a smelly one, you may have to supervene upon information technology. We too tried the Xtreme Comforts Slim Sleeper Shredded Retentivity Foam Pillow, the aforementioned pillow with less fill, but we found that people who preferred a flattish pillow liked down options more, and that people who wanted a pillow with more support needed more loft.
In 2 years of testing, side-sleepers have liked the Sleep Number ComfortFit Pillow Classic a lot, and it ranked in the eye of the pack for dorsum- and tum-sleepers. But no one in our testing liked it meliorate than the Nest Bedding Easy Breather or the Xtreme Comforts.
Solid foam
The Malouf Z Zoned ActiveDough Pillow is thinner than the other solid-foam pillows we tried, simply ane of our smaller-framed testers (a side- and back-sleeper who prefers retentiveness foam to other fills) gave it the highest ratings. It's cool to sleep on, and the outer cover is loftier quality, only the foam is a little more delicate than that of our picks—be careful when taking it out of its encompass, because it tears easily. Information technology'due south also smellier than well-nigh other retentiveness-foam pillows we tried, so y'all need to air information technology out for a mean solar day or two earlier using it. Just if y'all're looking for a supportive just squishy pillow and demand something thinner than almost memory-foam options, this pillow is splendid.
The Tuft & Needle Original Foam Pillow was the favorite solid-foam pillow in testing with our stomach-sleeper. The company told usa information technology isn't technically fabricated of memory foam (it's an open-cell foam), and possibly that's why our tummy-sleeper found it more supportive than the memory-foam options nosotros tried.
If yous like foam pillows only prefer something with less acme, the Leesa Pillow is another option to consider. Like the Tuft & Needle, it isn't made of memory foam simply of open-cell foam, but in testing our tummy-sleeper and our side-dorsum combo-sleeper who preferred low pillows found the Leesa soft and supportive. 1 tester noted, "It feels the most like a 'regular' pillow, just with more support."
The remainder
Shredded foam
If you like the squishy feel of down culling but need firmer, loftier support, y'all might like the shredded-latex and down-culling Saatva Pillow. Every bit a side-sleeper who likes a tall, firm pillow, I chose the Saatva as my overall favorite in 2019 testing, as it was softly supportive and cloudlike. The shredded Talalay latex core is surrounded by downward-alternative fill, and you can remove the core—although one of our slumber-testers tried this and found that the resulting pillow wasn't supportive at all. Most of our testers didn't similar the texture, which was soft but not as squishy every bit a plain down-culling pillow.
The Langria Luxury Bamboo Zilch Cover Bed Pillow is the least-expensive shredded-foam pillow we've tested. Information technology was comfortable for such an affordable pillow, just it didn't score as high in our tests as the Easy Breather, the Sleep Number ComfortFit Ultimate, and the Xtreme Comforts pillow.
Nest Bedding's Easy Breather Natural Pillow is a version of our favorite pillow, the Easy Breather. It has an organic-cotton comprehend and is made with shredded latex foam instead of memory foam. It smelled a bit when it arrived, but that scent faded after a few days. It didn't feel as comfortable as the original Easy Sabbatical during our first round of testing, so we didn't meet a reason to sleep-exam both.
Solid cream
The classic Pillow Cube and the Pillow Cube Pro are advertised for side-sleepers only due to their pinnacle and shape. The classic version comes in ii thicknesses, 5 inches and 6 inches, whereas the Pro version is also available in a four-inch height. Nosotros tested the Pro, and though i of our sleep testers thought it was fine ("I practise similar that the support of the pillow starts lower down my cervix than it would with a traditional pillow, and then I'm probably going to stick with it for a while—but it definitely hasn't changed my life"), it gave me a headache later on well-nigh 10 minutes of utilise. The company explains in a video how to pick the correct pillow height; both of our testers fell between sizes and ordered down. We think the addition of one-half-sizes in the time to come would assist buyers get a more than accurate fit and forestall pain. One of the experts nosotros interviewed for our upcoming standalone Pillow Cube review, Dr. Akhil Chhatre, director of spine rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins, thought adding a 3-inch size and a 7-inch size would allow this line to fit a wider range of people. Figuring out whether you tin can return or exchange this pillow if you try it and get the wrong height is also disruptive—the FAQ section on the home page has data that differs from what'due south on the site'southward returns and exchanges page. Afterwards our picks, the Pillow Cube is the side by side-best solid-cream pillow we've tried, simply it'southward hard to get the sizing right, and we're not confident y'all can easily render your pillow.
We tried the Royal Pillow, which is made with the aforementioned regal, jiggly "Hyper-Elastic Polymer" equally the top layer of the Purple Mattress we tested. As with the Purple mattresses, our testers didn't answer well to the sensation of lying on the gel-like foam. The pillow is very flat and very heavy. Our breadbasket-sleeper thought it was supportive but merely couldn't get past the feel.
Contoured
Although the Therapedic TruCool Memory Foam Contour Pillow has the same shape as the Ecosa Pillow, it didn't offering enough support for u.s.. One tester got a headache with it during the night, and another woke up with a crick in her neck. The materials also felt much lower quality.
The Epabo Profile Retentivity Foam Pillow has a concave dip in the eye for your head and cervix and is thinner than the Ecosa and Therapedic contoured pillows nosotros tested, simply information technology didn't requite our testers enough support.
This article was edited by Daniela Gorny and Christine Ryan.
Sources
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Jonathan Kirschner, MD, RMSK, physiatrist at New York City'south Hospital for Special Surgery, phone interview, March iv, 2019, email interview, April 23, 2019
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Rebecca Robbins, sleep consultant at The Benjamin, phone interview , May 7, 2018
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Sean Bergman, master marketing officer at PureCare, phone interview , October 27, 2015
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Michael Breus, PhD, psychologist and American Academy of Slumber fellow, interview
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Terry Cralle, RN, sleep industry consultant, phone interview , October 27, 2015
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Shannon Maher, banana professor of dwelling products development at the Fashion Constitute of Engineering , phone interview , October 26, 2015
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-memory-foam-pillows/
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