Pam and I talk ‘most every day via google hangout, and one morning last week when she asked what was new, I excitedly mentioned that I’d finally found a truly comfortable pillow — the best pillow I’ve ever experienced — and that I had been sleeping extraordinarily well for the two weeks since I’d started using it. To my surprise, she suggested I write it up for the blog — and invite readers to have a little ‘pillow talk’ session.
I’ll preface my pillow tale by saying this: Sleeping is one of my top favorite things to do — along with vintage shopping, working on my house, cooking then eating a great meal and spending time outside. I like to get a solid eight hours every night if possible, so if anything disrupts my ability to do that I make it a priority to rectify the situation as quickly as possible. Lately, I had been noticing that I was having a tough time getting comfortable. I had originally bought a memory foam pillow, but found it was too hard and made my neck feel stiff in the morning. I fell back on my old, 100% down pillow that I’d had since I was a teenager, but it wasn’t giving me the support that I needed and felt like not using a pillow at all.
The best pillow we found — source: The Company Store
So, I set out to search the best pillow for side sleepers that I could. After doing quite a bit of online research, I found these Primaloft® Deluxe Pillows at The Company Store. They had plenty of good customer reviews, along with a Good Housekeeping stamp of approval, and I managed to snag a few on sale. I bought one firm pillow and one medium pillow just in case the firm was too much. After sleeping on the firm pillow only one night I was hooked — the right pillow makes all of the difference in the world. My husband Jim claimed the medium firm pillow — listed as the choice for back sleepers. He’s a combination side and back sleeper himself and he too, has been sleeping quite well as of late.
Pam says she’s been on a quest for a new pillow recently, too. She also offers this shopping tip: To get the best deal, sign up for The Company Store’s newsletter via their website. Soon enough, they’ll present you with a deal that you will want to grab. Also, be sure to look closely on the website for special daily discount codes. These pillows are not cheap — up to $60 each. Ouch. But, we bet we can beat that if we wait for the right moment.
While finding the best sleeping pillow for you isn’t usually something we cover here, a well designed and lived in home should be comfortable — and having the right pillow can really help. Check out The Company Store’s guide to choosing the right pillow — it just might help you get a better night’s sleep.
What do you think readers? What other ‘unseen’ comforts do you think are important in making a your home feel more comfortable?
P.S. No affiliate links here! Company Store not paying us to write this review — we just like these pillows!
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Over the years I have purchased down pillows. I like them because they can be washed. Two down pillows for each person seems to work well for us. Since they can be washed, they last for many, many years. Feather pillows are not the same–they have to be down and goose down is the best. Also, you need a very high thread count for the covers so the down will not come through. I also buy zippered cotton covers for the pillows and that protects them and they can be washed often too. I have bought pillows from The Company Store. I have also have had good luck with Pacific Coast.
Thanks for the tip! I’m also a side sleeper and think my memory foam pillow is not quite cutting it.
And I agree, pillows, rugs, and good lighting all add to the comfort of a home!
I good pillow is so key to a good night’s sleep. I’m a big fan of my memory foam pillow – I sleep well on it and it’s lasted me 4 years so far (the longest I’ve ever gone on one pillow). If it ever gets too hard or wears out, I’ll be sure to give one of these a go.
I’ve always favored down pillows. The last one, from LLBean was as hard as a rock; I tossed it. Currently using a 1/2 foam pillow from Vermont Country store. Thanks for the tip, I’ll have to check these out.
Thanks for the article and recommendations. Unfortunately when I need pillows I usually just buy whatever happens to be on sale at Target (and regreting it). I need to start putting more thought into it.
I can’t tell you how many pillows I’ve donated to the Methodist Free Store because I can’t find one I like better than my current set of way long-in-the-tooth JCPenney pillows. So I’m pretty excited about getting a recommendation. Will sign up and see what happens.
I’ve been sleeping on my firm pillow for over a month now — I’m still sleeping like a baby, way better than I was before. The right pillow makes all the difference! I’m a believer!
Very happy to see this post! I got a “nice” set from Amazon, and although they bragged about their high thread count, these pillows rain feathers! My pillow case seems to have more feathers than the pillow. And by the end of the week, it looks like a chicken exploded under the bed. I always wondered if ticking was the secret, and have been considering buying some vintage ticking to make cases for them. Too late now, because the pillows are about deflated. I’m going over to the Country Store right now. Thanks, girls!!
Oops, Company Store… I was thinking Vermont! Here I go…
Hmmm…I’m interested in checking out these pillows. Hubby is in desperate need, as he often wakes up with tension headaches due to muscle stiffness in his neck. We’ve already tried three different pillows.
We used to have (and absolutely loved) a NovaForm memory foam style pillow, but it was a memory foam middle wrapped in batting, so it was the best of both worlds. Those pillows lasted for a good ten years, but as with all good things, they eventually broke down.
Of course nothing like that is available now, at least that we can find, and as with you, the regular memory foam pillows are way too firm.
As soon as I type this, I’m off to check out those pillows. I’ve been on a lifelong (well, adult-long) quest for the perfect pillow.
Currently I have a “gel” pillow from Kohl’s….not really gel, but more like a synthetic down pillow. I use that on top of a “chiropractor pillow” with a hollowed-out area in the middle, and a sort of “bumper” around all the edges that provides neck support. Neither one works well alone, but together they are reasonable.
However, these sound great and worth a try. Thanks, Kate!
Yes! The Company Store!!!! As a stomach sleeper, it’s the lowest fill down (no feathers…they’re heavy and poke through) for me. Pricey but hey, it’s 1/3 of your life, right? I’m a big fan of TCS all around.
I love my Pacific Coast pillows. I have the ones that are a feather and down mix in the middle, surrounded by all down. I’ve had them so long that the sku has faded, but they’re either the Down Surround or the Hotel Collection Touch of Down®
They’re just the right combination of support and squish 🙂
Yep, the “Squish” factor – that’s a definite necessity in our family! Hubby is an airline pilot, so we travel space available ALL the time. I absolutely refuse to check any bags since I never know if I’m getting on or not…so the two carry on bag allotment is all I bring when I travel. So I’ve gotten my packing down to a fine science (even spent two weeks on a Baltic cruise back in June & that’s all I brought with me – and yes, I still had something for “formal” night – so yes, it CAN be done 😉 )! But the one absolute NECESSITY that I insist bringing on every trip is my Pacific Coast down pillow. Why? Cuz I can roll it down & “squish” it into an amazingly small size & shove it into to my carry-on. You would not believe the looks of envy – and amazement – when I proceed to pull out that pillow during a flight, plump it up and then place it behind my back, or if I’m lucky enough to get a window seat, against the side of the plane. 🙂
I am also a champion sleeper (side/stomach/back – I do it all!) but with neck and low-back problems.
The pillow I have used for the last 10 years or so is a Foam Double Core Cervical Pillow in “medium/firm” from Core Products International.
Totally not any kind of compensated review – I paid full sticker (ouch) – but it was a good option for me, as “regular” style pillows cause neck stiffness.
I also tried a similar shape in memory foam from another brand, but found it was too bulky, and caused the same neck issues I had from other pillows.
The Core did take a little ‘getting used to’ time, but has really changed how I feel when I wake up!
Thanks for the tip! I just ordered a bunch of the Company Store pillows for my household…. we’ll see….
Please. TEMPURPEDIC neck pillow. Come on.
I also went through pillow after pillow trying to find a good one, then I I bought a Tempurpedic mattress and pillows.
Best pillows in the world! And the mattress is even better than that!
I sleep like the dead!
We have been using “My Pillow” pillows for a couple of years. At first I loved it, but you have to put them in the dryer every single week, which is a PIA since it’s 2 floors down to the basement. And we paid more for these than $60 each.
Any idea of these are returnable if you don’t like them?
Are these Made In The USA??? Also all components Made In The USA???
I do not know. The Company Store can answer this question, I am quite sure.
Over the years I’ve found that the polyester fibers, such as Primaloft (which was developed by the US Army for non-domestic, combat conditions), tend to off-gas for quite a long time, and I can’t tolerate them. I enjoy down/feather much, much more. In any case, I wouldn’t add to the already overwhelming burden of chemicals I am (and all of us in this country are) assaulted with: The average American’s body contains traces of at least 700 (!) industrial chemicals.
I have chronic headaches and am watching the thread closely. I have been the same extremely thin all goose down pillow for the last 12-14 years at least! I have tried new down pillows here and there and even though they look promising; thin, fluffy, not too much bulk. I never make it through the night without waking with a headache and reaching for my old one.
I sleep on my stomach and side and have a skinny neck and small head and nothing new ever seems to work. Tried those side sleepers but they are too tall for me.
I am willing to drop some coin for a new pillow that works!
I suffer from headaches with the wrong pillow. I use JCPenny latex pillows. They are pricey. Around $70+. It has just the right amount of support and loft to not cause a headache. These pillows are surprisingly durable. I have tried cheaper versions of this pillow, don’t bother with them, JCP is the best. To date, it is the best pillow I’ve ever used. I think I’ll try Kate’s suggestion, since my hubby can’t find a pillow he likes. My Mom has used the JCP latex pillows since the 90’s like me. Waking up in the middle of the night with a headache is the worst.
Just recently I went through this business of getting better pillows. I was beginning to wake up with neck and shoulder pain that lasted all day. So, I called Cuddledown, my usual mattress pad and pillow resource. I called because the catalog was so confusing — too many different shapes all promising no pain. I got a very nice gentleman to help me and after a while it seemed I needed the gussetted one. The nice gentleman told me their pillow sale was going to start in a couple of weeks so I waited to order. Eventually I did order them, in the “faux” down as I don’t care for down.
Have had them about a month now and after only one night of sleeping on them the neck and shoulder pain was gone and is still gone. I am very happy to say the least.
One thing I have figured out over the years: if the pillow case is too tight fitting, the pillow is hard. It is too tight if you have to stuff the pillow in it. So, when I ordered I asked if they would fit my normal pillow cases. the straight side rather than knife edge was what concerned me. The nice man said they would. Well, only one of my 4 sheet sets had the right size pillow cases. So, I called Cuddledown to order some of theirs — all just a tad wider than what I had. These fit fine. Happily I did not have to buy sheets as well to get the pillow cases.
Elizabeth Nyland
i use a tommy bahama pillow made for side-sleepers. i no longer have to have my arm under the pillow to hold my head comfortably level. it was only $6.00 at Ross. highly recommended if you can find one.
regards,
cliff