This Pillow Is a Game-Changer for Side Sleepers
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I’m a side sleeper through and through, and I’m very annoying about my pillows. Like, I need one under my neck, one against my back and one between my knees just to fall asleep, and if I’m going to be away from home for a long time, I’ll at least try to stuff my memory foam side sleeper pillow in my suitcase. Whenever I use pillows not designed for side sleepers for too long, I start to experience incredible neck pain, so any accessory that makes my sleep position more comfortable is welcome in my home. When I heard about the Deep Sleep pillow, designed with shoulder-friendly contouring and cloud-like support, I was so intrigued that I bought it myself for a Cushion Lab review. Read on to see how it pleasantly surprised me after a week of testing. Spoiler: I'm way less achey.
What Is the Deep Sleep Pillow?
The Deep Sleep, from bedding brand Cushion Lab, bills itself as a "zero-pressure" pillow, with a focus on contouring and providing ergonomic support. It's filled with a dual-density memory foam, combining that soft top layer with an adaptive foundation. To eliminate the neck and shoulder pain that comes with being a side sleeper on a regular rectangular pillow, the Deep Sleep Pillow has a neck relief contour to its shape, cradling your head naturally. The sides of the pillow are bolstered, so no matter which way you turn, there's extra cushion meeting you.
Deep Sleep Pillow
amazon.com
$98.00
Delivery and Setup
The pillow arrives roll-packed in a pretty slim box. Once you take it out of the box and remove the shrink-wrap, it takes a few minutes to start to inflate. It takes some time to get that curved, ergonomic shape, so I recommend opening it and leaving it out for a day before you sleep on it. I found it was at peak inflation overnight. Beyond that, no further setup is needed! It comes with its own pillowcase and inflates inside the cover.
What I Liked About the Deep Sleep Pillow
Ergonomic Support
For a pillow to be this expensive, it had better live up to its support promises. Luckily, this one did, much more than many other side sleeper pillows I’d tried in the past. The divot in the center cradles my head perfectly whether I’m on my side or my back, which particularly impressed me. Many butterfly-shaped pillows work well for side sleepers, but are far too lofty for back sleepers to be comfortable. The memory foam is so responsive, yet soft to the touch, and it cushions my head on either side. One of the most unique features of the Deep Sleep pillow is that one side has a higher fill than the other, making it a pretty versatile pillow for different positions. You can rotate the pillow to whatever you need that night.
Cooling, Smooth Cover
The silky cover of the pillow is made from a 85 percent nylon, 15 percent spandex blend. It stretches to custom fit the pillow snugly, like a shower cap. I love this feature, because I don’t have to re-adjust the pillowcase every morning when I wake up. It also helps keep me cool, and the space between the cover and the dent in the pillow encourages airflow. I never needed to turn the pillow over to find the "cold side"—it was all cold side.
The cover feels smooth and nice against my skin, I couldn't stop running my hand back and forth on it. However, because it's made of synthetic material, I was worried it wouldn't have the same benefits as my silk pillowcases. So far, though, there's no drag on my skin or my hair. The unique shape of the pillow requires that custom pillowcase, so it might break the color scheme of your bedding, but it's pretty low-profile and easy to tuck behind your decorative pillows.
Durability
The dense pillow definitely weighs on the heavier side at four pounds, but it holds its shape incredibly well. The dense memory foam core means there’s no fluffing needed, and I haven't even noticed a stain on the cover, much less any pilling or tearing. Plus, the weight means I don't have to push up against my headboard to keep the pillow in place. Even on my most slippery sheet sets, the pillow stays still.
What I Didn’t Like About the Deep Sleep Pillow
The one major downside to this pillow is its smell. Once out of the vacuum-packed plastic, it comes with a strong factory odor. I was hoping this would fade after the first night, but I’m still smelling it a week later. Though the cover is machine-washable, the odor comes from that foam core, which means you're kind of stuck with it until it's gone. It's not my favorite thing to smell as I fall asleep or wake up, but the comfort truly is worth it. It has slowly lessened with a week of use, and I imagine it will continue to over time. It's also worth mentioning that I don't think the full-size version of this pillow is suited for travel, but Cushion Lab does offer a travel-sized version of the Deep Sleep, so that very well might be my next purchase.
Is the Deep Sleep Pillow Good for Side Sleepers?
Short answer: yes, but not just side sleepers! I haven’t been tossing and turning as much since sleeping with this pillow, thanks to the bolstering sides. I settle into the center crevice and let sleep arrive. But when I was laying on my back reading or scrolling through my phone, it lessened so much of the tension in my upper body. I’ll say this, though the Cushion Lab pillow is constructed with a “high” side and a “low” side in mind to accommodate different preferences, I found there to be very little difference between the two. I could hardly find which side was supposed to be higher or lower, but that even-ness works in its favor, creating a comfortable cushion no matter which way you turn.
How to Clean the Deep Sleep Pillow
While the solid memory foam core is not machine-washable, the outer pillow cover is. Run it through the washing machine on your cycle of choice, though I always recommend a gentle cycle to take care of luxury bedding. After the wash cycle is finished, simply air dry or tumble dry on low heat.
The Final Verdict: Is It Worth Buying?
Everyone sleeps differently, and it can be a pretty trial and error process to find the pillow that works for you. But if you frequently suffer from neck and shoulder pain, or just want a memory foam pillow that's a bit more contoured, the Deep Sleep pillow is an excellent option. It's helped so much with my tossing and turning, and it's so soothing after a long day of staring at screens to sink into it and let it cradle my head. Prepare yourself for the off-gassing process, and know that the nighttime comfort is 100 percent worth it.
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