How to Choose the Best Pillow For You

Some feel that the most important aspect of a person’s bedding is the mattress. While the mattress is essential, the quality of a pillow can have as much of an impact. The main job of a pillow is to support a person’s head and neck while they are resting. No one likes to wake up with a crick in their neck, and a good pillow can mitigate or even end that potentially literal pain in the neck. With all the different types of pillows out there, what are the qualities that one should look at when purchasing a new pillow?

Obviously comfort is the top quality that should sought after when looking to buy a pillow. The pillows that are best able to handle their job of supporting the head and neck are the ones that can stand up the repeated use without losing their fluffiness or ones that don’t flatten out quickly. Some pillows that might seem like they would be the softest and most comfortable can be the most uncomfortable long-term if they lack the support a person would need.

Another important choice to make when buying a pillow is to pick one with a filling material that can offer the correct amount of support. Some of the common filling material for pillows are the traditional feather and down filling, the artificial synthetic and polyester fiber filling and the many varieties of foam filling, such as can be found in the popular memory foam pillow.

Feather pillows, such as the ever popular goose down pillows, are some of the most traditional pillows. However, some balk at how much a good down pillow can cost. The high cost for these pillows is due to the intensive labor required to gather the down from the geese. The synthetic and polyester fiber filled pillows are a more cost conscious option. One of the significant advantages to using these synthetic fibers as a filling is that they are hypoallergenic.

Those looking for more firmness should look toward the memory foam pillows. These pillows offer a perfect mix of support and comfort. Newer memory foam pillows have added ventilation to make sure that the pillow holds on to no more body heat than the other pillow fills. The memory foam also has the advantage of being hypoallergenic like the synthetic and polyester filled pillows.

Once the preferred fill type is chosen, the next step is to find a pillow that best suits the position that one sleeps in. Sleeping on the back or side is best. For back sleepers the selected pillow should be able to support the normal curve of the spine. For side sleepers, a pillow that keeps the spine straight is best.

How do you choose your pillow?