January 2, 2018 | Categories: Sleep
You know when you wake up after the best night’s sleep ever and you feel like you can conquer the world? In an effort to help you experience that feeling every morning, I sought to test some of the most popular and highest-rated pillows on the market so that you could wake up every morning feeling refreshed, pain free, and looking forward to reuniting with that pillow again as soon as you can. Getting enough sleep is a challenge for many of us, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention citing about one-third of Americans reporting that they’re getting less than the recommended amount of sleep. Shorting yourself sleep has adverse health outcomes, like higher risks of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and depression. Not to mention that drowsy driving can be fatal, you’re more likely to be involved in accidents at work, and well, when you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re probably less pleasant to be around. (Ask your partner.) If snoozing on the right pillow can help you get better-quality sleep and help you wake up feeling rejuvenated, then look to upgrading that lumpy, old blob you’ve been plopping your head on at night. Here are our top picks for the best pillows for sleeping.
How I tested the best bed pillows for sleeping.
After researching some of the top-rated and best-ranked pillows on the Internet, our team looked at the reviewed pillows on Sleepopolis.com and SleepLiketheDead.com. I slept on each pillow (I’m 5’6”) and gave them to my partner to sleep on (he’s 6’3”). I also napped on each pillow, had a pillow fight with my partner, (no ref involved but it’s a fair guess to say I lost them all). I also folded pillows in half and put a weight on them for about 30 minutes do see if they’d bounce back to their original shape or need fluffing. (Most bounced back immediately or couldn’t be folded in half). Here are the top pillow picks and why they made the grade.
Why I am writing this pillow review?
I loooove sleep. It’s my favorite. When I have a great night’s sleep, I feel like I can check off all of my work to-dos, exercise at my full potential, make healthy food choices, and act kinder and more patient to others. So when I don’t sleep well, picture the opposite of all of that. I’ve jokingly called myself a “napportunist” in the past (when an opportunity to nap arises, I try to take it). Sure, that makes me sound lazy in today’s American culture where people often pride themselves on short sleep. But I’ve been a health journalist for over a decade and have likely written an estimated 50 articles about sleep and health, so I know the importance getting quality sleep. I’ve also contributed to sleep companies’ content websites and review the latest sleep research when it comes out. So when my editor asked if I’d like to sleep, nap, and basically snooze for hours in the name of research, I was on board.
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BEST OVERALL
XTREME Comforts: Hypoallergenic Pillow Standard
I thought it was cool that this pillow arrived rolled up and compressed, but as soon as I took it out of the packaging, it fluffed up quickly. (Keep in mind that some of the memory foam pillows take longer to adjust in colder temps and they tend to be firmer when it’s cold out.) Since the packaging paperwork said that the pillow came “overstuffed” and I could adjust it for me, I removed about a quarter of the bamboo shredded memory foam and kneaded the pillow so the foam was evenly redistributed and it felt comfortable to lie on while on my side. Since I tend to get hot while I sleep, I liked that that pillowcase was something called a Kool-Flow Micro-Vented Bamboo Cover. I slept very well on this the first night and didn’t wake up in the middle of the night feeling hot. My partner is a back sleeper who usually sleeps with two pillows pilled up. I put the foam back in to full fill level and gave him the pillow to sleep on. He said he woke up without neck pain, which he had been feeling for the majority of the past year. This pillow felt supportive but soft, which is a type I learned that I gravitated to during this experiment. I like that you can wash the pillowcase and that it’s hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant.
Price (Standard): $49.97
Where to Buy: Amazon.com
BEST FOR NAPPING:
Parachute HOME Down Alternative Pillow
I tested out the medium density standard size pillow for this experiment because it seemed like it would be the most popular option. Parachute offers soft, medium, and firm densities at various price points, and they actually recommend the medium firmness for back sleepers, with the high firm for side sleepers. Since I was enjoying my experiences with memory foam pillows, I was surprised that a softer, loftier pillow like this one turned out to be a top pick of mine. I liked this “down alternative” made from a hypoallergenic microfiber fill better than the partial down pillow I tried with real feathers and down. My partner, who is a back sleeper, felt that the pillow was too soft and fluffy for his preferences, so it wasn’t his top pick. I slept okay on this overnight, but I it’s lightness and fluffiness made it perfect for me to toss on my couch and lie on for solid nap. Your head hits the pillow and sinks down a few inches but not all the way. Since it’s lightweight, I’d imagine this would be a nice pillow to fold in half and rest your head on during a long car ride nap.
Price (Standard): $59 (soft)
Where to Buy: ParachuteHome.com
Read the full article of the Best Bed Pillows of 2017 on Reviewed.com.
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