OT: How do you buy pillows (for adults)?

[Rachels]

I have a gift for picking out what turn out to be too-thick or uncomfortable pillows. We have tempur-pedic pillows for ourselves (which really are THAT wonderful), but we can't throw down that kind of cash for all the beds in the house. I need to replace pillows and need a tutorial on how to pick out any that people will actually want to sleep on! Also, is there some kind of correlation between appropriate pillow firmness and side- or stomach- or back-sleeping?

Sigh. This is embarrassing. I've been buying my own bedding for well over a decade, and you would think I would have figured this out.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[KMommie]

I can only give you my limited experience. :) Never thought much about pillow buying, until I discovered how picky DH was! He's a tummy sleeper and insists on an extremely flat pillow. It has to be feather, not foam, and "squishy". I actually took him with me after buying too many "fluffy" reject pillows for him and he picks the pillows up and hugs them tight, it took him forever to find a pillow he liked. I tend to sleep on my back and I love fluffy medium support pillows. I think it really is a very personal preference. The great thing about those tempur-pedic pillows is they look like they are so adjustable! I bought a cheapie knock off, and it didn't work so well. It ended up being my "between the knees pillow" during the last months of pregnancy. Now, it sits in the closet.

Do you have regular guests? For us, my mom stays with us frequently. I asked her what kind of sheets she likes (flannel or cotton). Then I shopped to her preference.

Jeannie
mommy to Kiki 4/18/03

[nohomama]

There is a correlation between firmness and sleeping position. The firmer the pillow the more ideal it is for back sleeping. That rule doesn't always apply to every sleeper's preference though. Everyone's likes and dislikes are different so I'd advise going the middle-of-the-road route. Furnish your guest bed either with two medium firm pillows or four (two for each person) soft pillows.

I'd also tell you to go with a down alternative. I always slept on down before I was diagnosed with asthama in my twenties. Down alternatives like Primaloft, etc. provide the feel of down without being so allergenic.

Also, check out www.overstock.com for pillows, mattress pads, and other bedding. The quality of the things I've purchased from them has been excellent, as are their prices. And they have a flat rate shipping fee of $3 dispite the size and cost of the order.

HTH,

[nigele]

Funny, I'm shopping for pillows, too! We bought expensive pillows for our guest room a few years ago but nobody likes them. I can't wait to see the other replies...

BTW, I have a tempur-pedic pillow and I LOVE it. Well worth the money! But I agree that there's no way I would buy one for both our guest beds.

[egoldber]

LOL! For my guest beds, I have inexpensive pillows from Bed, Bath & Beyond. They are a Primaloft type thing, but were only $10 each. Am I horrible? :)

My DH is also INCREDIBLE picky about pillows. He will only use the SOFT down pillows from Lands End. Sigh...

[kathsmom]

We desperately need new pillow for our bed. Where do you find these Tempur-pedic pillows? Does anyone have a tempur-pedic mattress? Our king mattress, which is 5 years old, has a hump in the middle of it now matter how much we rotate and flip it.

Thanks!

[Rachels]

We do have a Tempur-pedic mattress. Ohhhh, it's nice. It also cost a small fortune, though. We got it because we needed a king bed, but we live in a hundred-year-old house with a narrow staircase. The Tempur-pedic can be folded in half, enabling it to get up our stairs, and it was the only mattress that did that. So it was that one or nothing. I love it love it love it. If we'd had a choice, though, we probably would have gotten a high-quality pillow-top mattress, just to spend a lot less. That's what we have for my stepson's room, and sleeping on that thing is like sleeping on a cloud.

FWIW, we've bought three mattresses now from 1800 Mattress. They show up the day you order (!) with your new mattress, set it up, and take the old one away. Their prices are very competitive, there are lots of online coupons, and there's a 30-day trial period. Nice!

Oh, and you can get Tempur-Pedic pillows online or at stores like Brookstone and Relax The Back.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[Marisa6826]

We have a king Tempurpedic mattress too and love, love, love it!

It does cost a fortune and weighs an absolute ton, but it's just wonderful. In fact, we hate sleeping in hotels, etc. because we miss it so much.

I sleep on my stomach, and I was never able to get used to the Tempurpedic pillows though.

Jonathan uses his, but I have a great down pillow we got as a wedding gift (well, two of them) from LL Bean.

-m

[nigele]

Rachel and Marisa

How long do the beds last? I know the pillows should be replaced every three years. I had one three years ago and got a new one for Christmas and the difference between them was enormous. I've always wondered how often the beds have to be replaced!

[ocmama]

Check out the Company Store. They go over all the types of pillows and what should be used for each sleep position. Some are a bit more expensive, but they will allow you to return pillows if you do not like them. I had to return 2 once because they were not firm enough and I had been using them for awhile.

HTH

ocmama

[kathsmom]

Rachel,

Thanks for the information on where to get the Tempur-pedic pillows. My neighbors across the street have a Tempur-pedic mattress I think. She usually comes over on Fridays to bring us baked goods (she is in culinary school and has baking this quarter), so I am going to ask her if she will let us come over and test out her bed. She said that she and her DH used to have back pain, but don't have it any more.

Thanks also for the tip about 1800 Mattress. I will definitely have to check them out.

Happy pillow hunting!

Take care!