Original Buying Guide on Memory Foam Pillows
Learn What Foam Pillow is Best For You

Memory foam has become a very popular material to make pillows out of in recent years. The pressure relieving effects are undeniable, but with all the different choices of memory foam pillows on the market today, how does one determine which foam pillow is best?

There is not one pillow that fits all. Many things must be taken into consideration, such as what position you sleep in, the size of your bed, and your preferences in feel. It is worth the research, as many people have given their memory foam pillow credit for improved sleep. This guide will help you understand the differences and highlight the terms to know – everything from visco-elastic pillows to latex pillows.

What is Memory Foam?

Memory Foam is a pressure and heat sensitive foam that has the incredible ability to give where it needs to, and even retain its shape when pressure is removed from the foam (lifting your head off the pillow, for instance). What this does for you is create an environment of minimum strain on the body. Visco-elastic pillows are the same thing as memory foam pillows; these two can be used interchangeably, as visco-elastic means “elastic yet resistant to change”.

What Position do you Sleep in?

Stomach Sleepers- Stomach sleepers do not want to purchase a contoured (curvy) foam pillow. They will want something more traditional in shape. Why is this? The idea of a contoured memory foam pillow is to conform perfectly to the curvature of the back of your head and neck if you are a back sleeper. Stomach Sleepers can experience detrimental effects from a contoured pillow, and it is not recommended that they use one. We recommend that all stomach sleepers purchase a conventionally shaped foam pillow. These can be found in solid memory foam, or as shredded memory foam pillows; Solid pillows will generally be more firm than shredded pillows, although the pressure relieving effects may not be as pronounced.

Side Sleepers- If you are a Side Sleeper, memory foam pillows are a great way to go, because they generally do not flatten out like a standard polyester filled pillow. Therefore, they promote proper spinal alignment in the problematic neck area. A Side Sleeper can choose between a contoured or conventional foam pillow form. They also may choose between a solid and shredded memory foam pillows. If you are a person who likes to fluff up the pillow just like you prefer it, then go with the shredded foam pillow; however, if you don’t want to mess around with it, than go with the solid pillow.

Back Sleepers- Back Sleepers have probably most benefited from memory foam pillows. With the ability to have a pillow shaped to the curvature of the back of the neck, in addition to the overwhelming pressure relieving property of memory foam, the contoured pillow has proven a great breakthrough for many people. A Back Sleeper can really sleep on either a solid or shredded, contoured or conventional shaped pillow. We would recommend the solid contoured pillow, though, due to the fact that it takes a certain amount of stress off of the neck. It should be noted however, that a small proportion of people do not find these pillows comfortable (especially those who move around a lot at night).

Make sure you purchase a foam pillow that is the right size for your bed. Most will come in either a standard, Queen, or King Size. Also, make sure that you are purchasing a high quality memory foam, and not just something that was thrown in the pillow for marketing purposes. Normally, we do not recommend anything under 5 lb in density, but with pillows you can normally get away with 4lb density. That being said, if you want something that feels like the Tempurpedic pillows, make sure you go with a 5.3lb foam pillow (the density of foam they use). Shredded pillows will have a softer, more forgiving feeling than Solid memory foam pillows.

Latex Pillows can be produced both naturally and synthetically, and are by products of rubber trees. Some people have asked how memory foam pillows compare to latex pillows. One is not necessarily better than the other; this is a matter of preference. What can be said, however, is that memory foam tends to be a little heavier and will retain its shape while latex pillows are generally lighter and much more resilient, meaning they push back more. Memory Foam relieves pressure better, but some people prefer the resiliency and freedom of movement that latex pillows offer. Either type of foam pillow is a huge step up from traditional down, feather, or polyester filled pillows.

Some manufacturers have begun including a pinhole like structure in their pillows, similar to that of Talalay latex. This tends to cheapen up the process, but it is good if you like a softer pillow, which is what the end result is. In addition, you can also find some vary luxurious foam pillow covers today. Organic and Natural pillows have become popular too. At the end of the day though, you shouldn’t have to spend more than $200 for even the finest of memory foam pillows

If you take into consideration the type of sleeper you are, what your firmness preferences are, and the quality of the materials used, you will be satisfied with your foam pillow purchase.