Pillow science

Selecting an ideal pillow

Selecting a pillow is like trying to find your way out of a maze, but with a little bit of guidance you can actually get a good result. It's simply a matter of reading up.

Therapeutic Pillow International only produces contoured orthopaedic pillows. These are pillows that provide even support for the neck and head, and which encourage the spine's natural curvature during sleep.

Let’s go through the different materials that go into producing pillows, analyse them respectively, and by the end you can hopefully select your ideal pillow.

Foam Pillows

The past 15 years has seen foam go from technological breakthrough to technological breakthrough. You can now source foam that will retain both longevity and comfort integrity, whereas in the 'old days' all there was was foam that didn't really last that long ... so foam quite literally developed a bad image!

Those days are long gone, and now we can create a shape that perfectly supports and comforts in any sleeping position, and we can select a foam density that marries beautifully with that particular design and which will ensure ongoing support and comfort over many years. This was impossible with foam until recently!

Also, an added bonus with foam these days is that all Therapeutic Pillow's foam pillows contain bacteria-resistant properties to make the environment unfriendly to dust mites and other allergies.

There's a foam shape for you

The beauty of foam is that we can create the shape and size to suit a particular sleeping position or body frame. All you have to do is go to our Pillow Selector page and answer a few questions, and a number of pillow options will come up specifically tailored to your comfort and postural needs. Then read up on each.

We also have a very popular adjustable pillow in foam called CompleteSleeprrr which is also available in new-age Memory foam (CompleteSleeprrr Memory) — a visco-elastic foam designed to absorb and diffuse pressure points. Go to the Memory Foam FAQ page to read up more about this special foam.

So what’s the difference between traditional foam and Memory foam? It's all in the feel. Personal preference. A lot of people prefer traditional foam due to its broad diversity/availability in various grades and softness, while others want the sumptuous feel of the more expensive Memory foam. It’s a matter of reading up on this site and comparing the differences in shape, density, and softness factors, as well as your own personal comfort and support needs.

Latex Pillows

We have our Naturelle Latex Pillows made in Asia using our moulds, in 3 sizes High, Medium and Low, and they both feature a mild contour.
Unlike many other latex pillows out there, ours do not contain fillers. Pure latex only is used.

Latex is a sustainable and renewable resource, and is harvested by tapping the milk (sap) of the small tropical tree Heavea Braziliensis. More information on Latex production

Latex rubber provides a comfortable sleep platform, is dense, and will stand the test of time. It is also noted for its anti bacterial properties, and is mould and dust free.

Why latex over other pillows? No particular reason. Once again it comes down to a personal preference. Many like it for its natural properties. High quality foam mimics much of latexes’ properties. It’s really a toss up between the two. Latex tends to be expensive

Polyester (polyfill) Pillows

Comprised of thousands of polyester fibres, polyfill is successfully used in one of our pillows, the Sleepezy Adjustable Poly Pillow.

We overfill this pillow to allow the individual to delete filling in either of the chambers, and this enables you to create a pillow to exactly suit your personal comfort and support needs.

As the pillow flattens (bottoms out) over time, you simply access the pillow through the zip and plump it up again with a bit of refill. That simple!

Polyfill was traditionally the dominant pillow filling for many years, but its’ popularity has waned over recent times due to the introduction of premium quality foams and better latex into the marketplace. But it’s still out there, and the adjustable Sleepezy by Therapeutic Pillow International has a long-standing niche amongst those seeking an adjustable pillow with the 'feel' of quality polyfill.

Feather/Down Pillows

Plucked from the duck or goose, this company doesn’t really over-subscribe to this filling, although we do have a feather option for our Sleepezy Adjustable Feather Pillow simply to cater to feather lovers.

The Sleepezy in feathers, due to its design with the two varying width chambers, does provide medium support for the head and neck, but conventionally-shaped feather and down pillows out there in the marketplace don't.

Why would you want a regular shaped pillow that after a few minutes of use loses its support under the neck region, and subsequently throughout the night provides little or no support for the head either … thus leaving the spine puzzled as to what's going on?!

Many folk, particularly those from Northern Europe where traditional use of feather and down has been in train for a thousand years, shun anything else but feather or down. Well, the world has gone on from that and foam and latex have long surpassed passed feathers and down.

Don't be fooled by the soft feel of feathers or down in a swanky department store. Feathers, and more so down, won’t support you through the night. That’s the truth!

Wool Pillows

This company used to use carded (combed) wool in our Sleepezy pillow as an option to polyfill.

We discarded it because it packed down too quickly, and simply became too hard and resulted in ear crush and discomfort. It also tended to absorb body moisture and thus became a 'friendlier' environment for dust mite to thrive in.

It’s a nice natural product, and a good idea, and supported our wool producers, but we departed from it. Too many downsides.

Cotton Pillows

Same story as wool. We used to use it in our Sleepezy pillow, but moisture absorption and the fact that it packed down too much saw us withdraw from this natural filling.

A pity really, but it just didn’t work out. Quite literally too hard at the end of the day!

Buckwheat pillows

Too noisy, too hard, not forgiving, and lacks support and comfort through the night, and really ... something that hard can only be trouble for your spine. And being a natural substance, it absorbs body moisture ... just what may be growing in there is only your guess.