Perfect Pillow Escapades
My hunt for the perfect pillow has finally reached a happy conclusion! It was not an easy journey, there are so many options, and I am pretty picky. Plus everyone has different needs depending on sleep position, anatomy, and aches and pains. Personally, I am a side and stomach sleeper with a long neck that is prone to pain/tension.
I have fond memories of the pillow I grew up with - a simple Beauty Rest synthetic latex pillow. Since moving away from home I have been lost in pillow limbo. I didn’t want to get another Beauty Rest since at this point I would much rather use a pillow made without harmful chemicals.
As a physical therapist, the topics of pillows and sleep habits sometimes come up, especially for my patients with neck, back, and shoulder pain, but I always felt somewhat misinformed and unable to give expert advise on the matter. That is until now, after my personal journey in finding the perfect pillow for myself, including hours of research, boxes of pillows in our house, and many trial nights.
Important qualities I was looking for were: organic high quality materials, made in the USA, supportive enough for side sleeping, yet soft enough for stomach sleeping.
Join me on this recap - I hope it helps you on your pillow journey.
(I am not affiliated with these companies. This is an honest pure review. I am only part of the Cozy Pure Cuddle Up Club since I bought a mattress.)
Cozy Pure LaNoodle Pillow
We invested in a king size organic latex mattress from Cozy Pure this year which is incredible (use my name, Shona Craig, and zip code 14886 for up to $100 off). We got the 10” which is still firm but with a little added cushion on top. We have their sheets and comforter as well. The best part is that they are organic and made in the USA. I have had their LaNoodle pillows for a few years since I got them for free with a mattress purchase. They are comfortable but I the shredded latex is a bit too lumpy for me.
Brooklinen Down Alternative Pillow
We had high hopes for the Brooklinen down alternative pillows since my sister, Lindsey, and her husband, George, chose these. They come in plush, mid-plush, and firm, and we chose mid-plush. Basically, it was way too lofty for me. George told me he had to beat it up a lot to make it settle. Maybe I wasn’t ruthless enough to the poor pillow, but I ultimately decided it was too high for my neck needs.
Avocado
Ahh Avocado. You have been good to us. We tried the molded latex pillow first. I love the organic nature of it and the feel of the materials. I would have been sold if I was just a side sleeper but it is a bit too high and firm for my stomach habits. My jaw/face felt a little sore from the firmness in the morning. My partner, Lex, has chosen this pillow as his favorite as he is a side and back sleeper. Also, it has softened a bit over time.
Then I ordered the green pillow because it looked softer and I liked the idea of adjustable fill of latex and kapok. At first, I thought it was a bit too firm with not enough bounce back. But after a couple of weeks it did soften and get bouncier. I would say that this green pillow is my second favorite of the whole bunch. It is hard to give it up.
Avocado Molded Latex
Avocado Green
Turmerry Latex Pillow
I initially had a good feeling about Turmerry because I thought I wanted a solid latex pillow reminiscent of my childhood pillow. It was okay, but not as nice as the Avocado pillow. This may sound crazy, but the night I slept with this pillow I had a horrible nightmare about being possessed by an evil spirit. Sooooo I went with my gut and tossed it aside.
Zen Bamboo Ultra Plush Gel Pillow
This pillow has great reviews on Amazon and is described as a “Premium Gel Fiber Pillow with Cool and Breathable Bamboo Cover - Hypoallergenic.” At this point, I was going for a softer lower pillow and this definitely checked those boxes. The gel material was soft and satisfying. However, I did not like the smell and it ended up being too low. It may have been the perfect height if I was solely a stomach sleeper, but alas my neck hurt in the morning due to not enough support on my side.
Saatva Latex Pillow
Home. Heaven. The one. As soon as my head hit this pillow I knew it was the one. It has the perfect combination of softness from the outside down alternative and supportiveness from the inside Talay Latex core. I am comfortable sleeping in any position. The following day all I wanted to do was return to bed and nuzzle into this pillow. It’s the best.
Purple Harmony Pillow
By the time this pillow arrived I had already fallen in love with Saatva. It has an interesting patented matrix on the inside that feels very bouncy and soft, yet supportive.
Final Ratings:
Saatva Latex Pillow
Avocado Green Pillow
Avocado Solid Latex Pillow
Cozy Pure LaNoodle Pillow
Purple Harmony Pillow
Brooklinen Down Alternative Pillow
Zen Bamboo Ultra Plush Gel Pillow
Turmerry Latex Pillow
