Interviewer:
Thanks for joining us today, Cathy!
I understand you are an expert on pillows and have more than 20 years’ experience in the bedding industry.
Cathy:
I do know a lot about pillows as I have been in this industry for a couple decades.
Interviewer:
Let me start with our first question--what are the three factors people should consider when choosing a pillow?
Cathy:
You need to take into consideration how you sleep: side, back, stomach--which correlates with the firmness of your pillow. A hint on how to determine your sleep position is how you wake in the morning or from a nap.
A softer pillow is fluffy with plenty of give allowing your head to sink in, which is best for back and stomach sleepers. A medium-soft pillow has slightly less give than a soft pillow, providing a mid-range support for almost every kind of sleeper but ideal for back and some side sleepers. A firm pillow, typically made of memory foam, will provide you with the most support and it is ideal for side sleepers.
The next thing that you should consider is the distance between your shoulder and your head, as this also plays a role in finding the perfect pillow. For example, if you have a large frame, you will need a thicker pillow to provide you with the correct support.
On the opposite spectrum, if you’re a petite person, like me at 4’11”, that distance is much smaller, therefore I need a flatter pillow. When I sleep on normal hefty pillows they hurt my neck because they’re just too big.
The third factor that a lot of people don’t think about when choosing a pillow is what kind of mattress or mattress topper they have. Think of the relationship as a sleeping system, they both have to work together to provide you with the proper support and comfort you need.
If you're mattress or topper is super soft, then you're going to need a bulkier, more supportive pillow to overcompensate for when you sink into your mattress.
Interviewer:
What are the factors that differentiate the premium pillows offered by Dormeo—both the Duo Pillow and the Dark Pillow? And, how can those factors make a difference in a person's ability to get a good night's sleep?
Cathy:
The thing that makes our premium Dormeo pillows the most unique pillows on the market is the use of our patented Octaspring® technology. This technology is at the heart of all our products—mattresses, mattress toppers and pillows—and provides sleepers with the support and airflow required for a good night’s sleep. In our pillows the Octaspring technology creates the proper support for a person’s head.
Second of all, we've taken the Octaspring technology and we added features and benefits to make our pillows even more special. For example, with the Duo pillow, not only do we have our Octaspring technology as the core of the pillow, but we've also considered softness and support. The Duo Pillow has different density springs on each side, one side gives you firmer support and the other side is softer, which is going to give you a better position for a stomach sleeper or a back sleeper. The firmer side of the Duo Pillow is more for a side or back sleeper.
While thinking of softness, we developed a removable washable cover that has our WellSleep fibers on either side. This added feature provides your head with the perfect amount of loft, resilience, and durability to our pillow. It also gives you that huggable and squeezable feature that most of us look for when choosing a pillow.
So, if you toss and turn a lot at night and you're flipping your pillow around trying to get into a comfortable position, this is a great pillow for you because you can switch it around to give you the best support for your sleeping position.
Now, our new Dormeo Dark Pillow is more for the traditional memory foam pillow users. It also uses the Octaspring technology in the center of the pillow, but instead of having that beautiful surround of WellSleep fibers, it has our Signature Recovery Foam on the top and the bottom. In addition, we've added a layer of cooling gel on one side of the pillow. So, if you sleep hot you can sleep on that side and it gives you that cooling gel effect.
Why cooling gel on only one side of the pillow you ask? It’s a pillow for all seasons. There are people that say, well, I just want a cool pillow in the summer, but then I don't want it to be cool in the winter. Well, that's okay because our Dark Pillow gives you that flexibility.
I should mention two other things here. The Dormeo Dark Pillow is not actually a dark pillow. It is the traditional white color, with a beautiful 2-inch breathable gusset in black.
The other thing I’d like to mention is the quality of our pillow covers, which can be removed and are completely washable—you can put them in the washer and the dryer. These covers are super breathable and so you get that air flow from the Octaspring technology like you do in our mattresses and mattress toppers.
Interviewer:
That’s cool. No pun intended.
The next question is, are there any features people tend to overlook when considering a pillow that can lead to a great improvement in their sleep?
Cathy:
Let’s build on the answers from your first question.
A great pillow makes a huge difference. It's like that wow moment in your life when you wake up the next day after sleeping and you feel completely refreshed, with no aches or pains.
Again, think of your mattress or mattress topper and pillow as a sleeping system, they both need to work well together. And, while it can make a huge positive difference in your sleep, it also takes a little bit of time for your body to adjust to a new pillow.
Something else to consider when choosing your pillow is filling type. Types of fills include shredded memory foam, molded memory foam, latex, foam, down, feather, down alternative and polyester and of course, combinations of all. Each different fill provides you with different levels of comfort and support.
Interviewer:
Thanks again for your time today, Cathy! My last question is a bit of a follow-up. How does a person sleep—side, back, stomach--affect the type of pillow that's best for them?
Cathy:
My pleasure.
To summarize, if you are a stomach sleeper, you want to choose a softer pillow. Most soft pillows consist of natural fills like down and down + feather. You can also find them in down alternative fiberfill, which are less expensive. This softer pillow provides enough loft to keep you properly aligned with the perfect give for your head to sink in. Try to pick from pillows that look flatter and do not have gussets. Down alternative pillows that are overfilled will not give you what you need.
If you are a between a stomach and back sleeper, you need a medium-soft pillow. There are tons of options here when it comes to fill types such as down alternative pillows, shredded memory foam in combination with fiber, feather, and polyester fill. The key is to choose a pillow that has higher loft but will not prevent from the sinking in of your head. Any of our pillows are great for an in-between stomach and back sleeper but especially our Premium Duo Pillow.
If you are a side sleeper, you need a firm pillow. Most firm pillows are overfilled down alternative or polyester, look for pillows that have a gusset, which increases the thickness of the pillow and the amount of fill used. In this category, you also have molded foam, molded memory foam and latex options. They provide the proper support to keep your neck in the proper alignment and your head from sinking in too much. Both our Premium Duo Pillow and our Dormeo Dark Pillow are excellent for side sleepers.
My one last thought is that I hope everyone can find that “wow” pillow for them. I do think that our premium pillows are amazing and they're so unique because of the Dormeo Octaspring technology.
