Memory foam pillows

Post by **Sam** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 7:26 pm

Well, I have tried sleeping on Tempurpedic pillows before but my neck was always so far above horizontal. Been using down pillows for years, and the bad thing is that within a year, the body oils permeate the down, even though I was it. So my head is flat against the mattress and the down covers one nostril, and I can scrunch it up and sleep on my back. Wife has been having neck and shoulder aches lately with her down pillow.

So we are trying some Sleep Innovation pillows from Kohls, one with the neck roll and the other a conventional-shaped pillow. On first blush, the neck roll one is very comfy for me. It has a cooling chamber set up to it, but it is less dense, maybe 2.5 pound foam if I read correctly. The conventional pillow makes my neck sit up higher when I lay on the back or stomach, and I think it is 4.0 or 5.0 pound foam.

So, I wonder, does this stuff compress over time, like the down pillows do? If so, then the conventional foam pillow will work eventually, and the neck roll pillow will flatten more.

I have tried latex pillows, but they leave my neck up too much, and fiberfill and buckwheat. I have tried to sleep more on my back but I dont get the deep sleep like I do when I start on my tummy and pass out.

Suggestions?

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:11 pm

I worked 6 months at a mattress and furniture company. ALL foam materials will eventually compress to some degree.
I despise temperpedic and foam materials because of the extreme HEAT they create.
Goose down is a superb insulator because of it's loft ( ability to hold air) and it's ability to drape around the body. It loses both with the accumulation of body oils and physical compression. Down can be carefully cleaned with a very soft soap and cold setting on a delicate wash cycle or hand washed. To resore loft a low cycle with no heat AND the addition of a golf ball ( enjoy the noise) followed by a vigorous shaking will return it to near new.

Seamaster · Post by **Seamaster** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 4:22 am

I've had a Tempur bed since 2006 and I'd never go back to a traditional mattress. If my house burned down today, it'd be the first thing I would replace, despite costing a king's ransom.

I actually find the Tempur pillow even more important than the mattress. I've been seriously considering investing in Tempur's travel pillow, as I spend many nights a year in hotels on business and find it difficult to go back to regular pillows.

Other "memory foam" products are nothing like Tempur, in my experience.

YMMV, of course.

jww · Post by **jww** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:10 am

Pillows are always problematic for me. I currently am sleeping on an Orbus Form product which has a more stiff/dense core. I augment this pillow by putting my buckwheat travel pillow on top of it -- it helps keep my neck straight and reduces my snoring somewhat as well (although still not enough to suit my wife :

).

I tend to keep a pillow for a couple of years, then replace it.

ChemErik · Post by **ChemErik** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 8:39 am

Pillow are always a tough issue for me. I've had the best luck with memory foam, but to keep them from deteriorating, I always keep them in an quality allergy cover. Something about the oils in my head will destroy most pillows in about 6 months without a cover, but I'll get 2-3 years by using one.

Post by **Sam** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 7:02 pm

Well, here is what I did. Took the memory foam pillow back. Tried out several different down and then down alternative and polyfill/fiberfille, Ralph Lauren included. Basically indistinquishable except how they would bounce your head up and the amount of fill, typically 17 ounces to 24 ounces.

Tried the Isotonic side sleeper and that is the one I took home. Still a conventional looking pillow but not as dense as the one I took back. Still denser than the contour pillows with the neck roll, which may be the third one I try if this one does not work.

They have one that has half memory foam on one side and then a microfiber filling on the other, basically half the thickness of say the conventional memoryfoam. But really, it is not all that much different from the poly fills when you try them out, except that the memory foam may not totally squish flat like the down one does. That might be a third one to try also.

Post by **Sam** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 5:16 am

Welling, washing a down pillow had no effect. First five minutes felt great but after that, nothing, flat as ever.

The Isotonic Side Sleeper with memory foam, well, if one could take a carving knife and slice off about half, then that would be great. What it does is it tilts the top part of my head up every so slightly, so that makes it feel like it is on a great incline. Back wise, might work okay, but face, no way. Side seems to be perfect though.

I think my next venture is to get the half memory foam, half stuffing of some sort (microfiber something or other) and maybe have the best of both worlds - the underlying support- halfway- of the memory foam and then the flatness of the stuffing.

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/bedandb ... Pillow.jsp

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/persist ... Pillow.jsp

Post by **Sam** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:50 am

Well, I can not sleep with any memory foam pillow. Tried one with the neck roll. After sleeping 48 years on my face, I am getting back pain about half way up and on one side mostly. The the lower back at times just above the crook where the legs connect (buttocks, lol). On the face, a memory foam pillow makes me rest higher, as if my head is inclined. On my back, sure it supports my neck very, very well, either with a neck roll or without, but either the top of my head is elevated above horizontal or even worse, there is a dip down. That and I am not really getting to the deep sleep when on my back.

So I took four dead down pillows to the dry cleaners with instructions to cut them open and stuff one pillow into another one, making two super-sized and stuffed pillows. My thinking is that it will be bulky when it is fluffed out, but as my head rests and the oils again compact the down, at least there will be more of the down in the pillow case even if squished flat by my head and offer more support than what i have now.

And it is on to latex and maybe synthetic down alternatives now.

jww · Post by **jww** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:50 am

Sounds to me like you will be looking to get a patent here -- Sam's Super Down Pillows -- available at QVC in the US, and coming to The Shopping Channel in Canada soon .......

Scrapyard Ape · Post by **Scrapyard Ape** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:55 am

jww wrote:-- Sam's Super Down Pillows --

Great... another SMF member created product I have to buy. I'm still resisting purchasing Richard's Magical Canadian Shaving Water, though.

Nitrox · Post by **Nitrox** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:36 pm

Sam, I've been doing that custom pillow for years.
I buy 2 pillows when on sale, cut them both open and stuff about a third of one into the full one. I sew the bigger one back up and it will last a lot longer than the new one.

Furrball2 · Post by **Furrball2** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:33 pm

I have a memory foam pillow from the Sleep By Numbers bed people. They have at least three differnt thicknesses and the people in the store fit you for the pillow; so it isnt' too high. I bought mine in 2005. It is getting a little softer but it is till very comfortable. I have never had a problem with heat build up.

dave

Cigar Dan · Post by **Cigar Dan** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 10:15 pm

I've been very pleased with the Pacific Coast pillows. The ones that I like are their "down around" pillows--which are essentially a feather pillow inside of a down pillow. It keeps its shape very well.

Click here for more information.

KAV · Post by **KAV** » Fri Nov 27, 2009 10:43 pm

Best night I ever had was a dig waaay out in the desert. I was dead tired and rolled up in my canvas bedroll with a squaw fire going. Pillow was my Filson jacket folded up and ceiling the Milky Way. Sometimes it's not how you sleep so much as where ( or with whom

)

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:00 am

Sam

the company Dave mentioned is having a big sale right now (what else is new?

)

clive

p.s. cant believe such a grand looking company has a store up the road from me....its a miracle

GollyMrScience · Post by **GollyMrScience** » Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:03 pm

I have had pretty good luck with memory foam pillows but have to replace them every two years as they get kinda forgetful after that.