Best Pillows – Our Interview a Malouf Pillow Expert

Two Moms Review visited the Malouf headquarters to talk about the best pillows for great sleep. We spoke with Kelvin – their resident pillow expert to find out more about memory foam pillows, cooling pillows, and their bestselling pillows. Malouf is a brand that centers on quality and value – so you get the most luxury for the best price. Their offices were gorgeous! There is so much Italian white marble and an employee cafeteria to die for. You’ll see that luxury in all that they do – but you won’t pay a ton for it.

Best Pillows – Our Review

Pillows are one of the most personal things in your bedroom because it’s one of the few things you don’t share with someone else. Your head hits the pillow when you go to sleep – even if you share a bed – you usually have your own pillow (or pillows). Kelvin told us that people are very opinionated about their pillows. Some people like several pillows. One for their head, one to hug, and one between their legs to take pressure off their hips. Others sleep with just one pillow. We asked Kelvin to preview some of their bestselling pillows to give a range of features and price points.

Here’s what we learned:

Memory Foam Pillows with Essential Oils

Malouf has several of what they call “dough pillows” that are made with memory foam and are super springy. These pillows are soft and your head sinks in and gets cradled. They’re zoned so your neck is supported on the edges while letting your head sink in where you need it to – in the middle. What we really loved is the essential oil-infused memory foam pillows. They come scented and have a spritzer of essential oils should you need to re-scent your pillow.

Colors and Scents

What we love: that these pillows are scented and colored! They match Diana’s pants even! Of course, you can’t see the colors with the pillow case and pillow protector on, but it’s still fun that they are brightly colored. You can always get a brightly colored pillowcase to match, right?

Besides the scent, essential oils have different properties. Imagine that your pillow helps you relax and sleep better – that’s the benefit of a pillow that has essential oils infused into them.

Lavender – a popular essential oil that promotes relaxation and sleep. We call this a spa scent because a lot of spas have it diffusing to help you unwind. Perfect for your pillow!
Camomile – known to soothe and promote relaxation, this scent comes from the camomile plant is also made into a tea. It’s has a bit more earthy or woody smell than lavender.
Peppermint – this essential oil is often used for headaches and to clear the airways. Ideal if you have a cold or congestion. Also great for pregnant women as it can help ward off nausea.

After posting about the pillow, my friends said this:

Sizes:

Comes in standard, queen, king, and travel sizes.

Find these pillows on Amazon:

Z ZONED DOUGH Memory Foam Pillow Infused with Real Lavender – Natural Lavender Oil Z ZONED DOUGH Memory Foam Pillow Infused with Real Peppermint – Natural Peppermint Oil Z ZONED DOUGH Memory Foam Pillow Infused with Chamomile Scent – Natural Roman Chamomile

Gel Microfiber Pillow

This is an all-around good basic pillow for the features and price. They are filled with gel-coated microfibers. Rather than real feathers and down, these are synthetics that are easier to care for and offer a traditional feel. Real down-filled pillows are great but many people have allergies and some don’t love the smell of real feathers. These are antimicrobial and resistant to dust mites.

The best feature is that these pillows won’t clump and unlike memory foam, they recover quickly after being pushed down as you sleep. This helps them look nice on your bed, keep their shape, and best of all for moms, they are machine washable! You can put them in the washing machine on cold and then dry them on low heat.

Find these mattress protectors on Amazon

Z Gelled Microfiber Bed Pillow – Queen

Sizes:

These pillows come in standard, queen, king, body, and travel sizes.

Will this pillow work for side sleepers?

Yes, it is ideal for back and side sleepers.

Is this pillow scrunchable?

Yes! they are scrunchable and huggable! Get a larger size (not a standard) if you’re a hardcore pillow hugger.

Is the pillowcase machine washable?

Yes, you can put them in the washing machine on cold and then dry on low heat or air dry.

This pillow case zips off for easy machine washing and drying, which is a feature that’s important for everyone, but especially for kids who get bloody noses, throw up, etc more than most adults do. So you want to be able to wash your pillow or pillowcase. We recommend that you use a pillow protector and/or wash twice weekly to reduce dust and prolong the life of your pillow. Any dust, skin cells, food particles, or liquid will break down bedding faster, so it’s always a good idea to protect and wash.

Cooling Pillow with Z CARBONCOOL (high-tech cooling pillow)

If you sleep warm or even hot, you will die for this pillow. It’s by far the priciest on the list but Kelvin told us that people will do anything to cool down if that’s an issue. Maybe you sweat a lot. Or maybe you’re menopausal or just don’t have an air conditioner. We change our bedding with the seasons but some of you live in a hot climate all year. That or someone in the house loves to crank up the heat higher than you prefer. Either way, this pillow, and the cooling gel pillows are designed to help.

Phase Change Material absorbs and releases heat energy for an optimal sleep temperature
Memory foam infused with tiny graphite particles that create a pathway to remove heat via conduction
Supportive memory foam pillow with a ventilated design for maximum airflow
Soft, moisture-controlling TENCEL mesh cover that offers maximum exposure to the cool surface

Queen Mid Loft pillow measures 16 inches x 29 inches with a 6-inch loft.

Review:

Quite a soft pillow with proper head and neck support

I am very pleased with this pillow! Many plush pillows are so soft that they lack proper neck and head support. This pillow is perfectly soft, but also has sufficient pushback, so your head is supported when sleeping on your side. I love how this pillow disperses the heat in the hot summer nights and the pillow case has the soft feel that I thought only blankets can achieve. I luckily got this pillow for free and am now considering the purchase of another to match it! This pillow is amazing! – Gavin

PCM technology

The technology in this pillow makes it really good at pulling that heat away from your body and then moving it. It’s kind of this heat exchange cycle that moves the heat away from you, rather than a gel infusion which was a first attempt at innovating and helping you cool down. Really the gel simply traps the heat. This pillow dissipates heat constantly. When you put your hand or your head on it and look at it with a thermal camera, you’ll see that red blob of your body on it, and then when you move it, any heat that’s been transferred just disappears like that.

The pillow will warm up a little because your body is really efficient at generating heat, but it never feels hot and sweaty. It’s really easy to change positions or to move a little bit and have it cool right back down again. As we talk about in the video, it literally feels like the pillow has been in the refrigerator!

Will using a pillowcase diminish the cooling effect?

Answer:

This pillow still has a cooling effect with a pillowcase on it. It comes with a Tencel mesh cover that you can remove and use with a pillowcase. Or you can leave the Tencel cover on and use a pillowcase over it. Some people use the Tencel cover in place of a pillowcase. It is your personal preference.

Find this exact pillow on Amazon

Z CARBONCOOL Plus OMNIPHASE Phase Change Material Memory Foam Pillow – Continual Temperature Regulation

Warranty
These have three-year warranties, so if someone has an issue where it’s flattening out, there’s a good chance they get a warranty claim.

“With pillows, it’s either instantly I love it or I hate it, because it matches their preference or it doesn’t. We usually don’t hear back from them until they’re ready to buy a new one.”

Pillow Protectors

Protect your new pillow before you even sleep on it and it will last longer, have waterproof protection, smell better and help prevent allergies.

Pillow protectors on Amazon

SLEEP TITE ENCASE Lab Certified Bed Bug Proof Pillow Protector – Hypoallergenic –SLEEP TITE Smooth Hypoallergenic Waterproof Pillow Protector with 15-Year Warranty – Standard – Set SLEEP TITE by Malouf Pillow Protector Set of 2 – Queen – 100% Waterproof-Eliminates SLEEP TITE IceTech Waterproof Pillow Protector Set – Quiet, Breathable Fabric with Cooling Technology MALOUF Seal Tite Heavy-Duty Sealable 94

Malouf Offices

As we mentioned, Malouf has a sweet office! They have a salon with free haircuts, a full basketball court and workout area, spa-like bathrooms (better than any we’ve ever seen), and a chef that makes lunch. Wow! It’s designer decor everywhere and Janet even got to meet the CEO, Sam. What a great place to work!