Elite Rest Ultra Slim Sleeper Memory Foam Pillow Review

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A good night’s rest begins and ends with your overall comfort choices, and nothing is more important than choosing the products that help support your body to rest in a proper position. If you have been experiencing interrupted, and uncomfortable nights, you already may be considering what purchases you should make to help correct this problem.

Although a mattress may seem like an obvious answer to sleep discomfort, before you go make such a large investment, first take a look at some of the more overlooked reasons you might be wakeful.

To start, your pillow plays a crucial role in sleep comfort, and if you prefer a stomach or back position, then finding the right pillow may be difficult.

Here at The Sleep Judge we have purchased a series of the best rated thin pillows to help narrow down your choices and make finding a quality choice easy for you. Below you’ll find our honest, unbiased opinion of the time we spent with the Elite Rest Ultra Slim Sleeper, and what we found out.

Breakdown of the Elite Rest Ultra Slim Sleeper Pillow

The Elite Rest company created this pillow due to the demand of consumers for a supportive, yet thin pillow that didn’t bottom out or create too high a loft for both back and stomach sleepers. With the use of memory foam the pillow is able to provide a soft sink for your head and neck without creating pressure points, all while giving support to your neck when needed.

When sleeping in these positions it is important to avoid anything that props your head up too far and creating a curve to your spine. When your head tilts too far forward or too far back it also places unnecessary strain on your upper and lower back. Overtime this can result in sore muscles or even damage to your vertebrae.

Unpacking

This pillow came nicely packaged in its own plastic zippered case and well sealed. I did notice upon opening an offgassing smell from the product, which is pretty common with foam products due to their synthetic construction. Although the smell was pretty strong at first, this did dissipate within a few hours.

Features & Benefits

Your sleep comfort is entirely unique to both your sleep position and preferences. This includes your body weight, shape, and height, but no matter what size you are- back and stomach sleepers do need to look for a thinner surface to rest your head upon.

An uninterrupted night’s sleep is crucial to your overall health. Waking in the night is often caused by a discomfort of some sort and is detrimental to your sleep cycle. When you keep your body from cycling through these you are creating sleep debt which, in the long run, affects both mental and physical health.

Taking the time to research the products that can help you get a better night’s sleep is important, and looking over the details we’ve provided below concerning this particular model is definitely worth your while.

Sizes

Considered a one-size-fits-all pillow, it measures 16×24 inches which is a bit smaller than the standard 20×26 inches often accepted by the industry. Since side and back sleepers aren’t often side to side sleepers a larger pillow really isn’t needed, and even within a standard sized pillow case I didn’t notice much of a difference or much extra material flopping about.

Although larger pillows are often used to accommodate wider shoulder widths, the 24 inches provided here seems to be plenty for any back sleeper who takes advantage of the comfort of this pillow. I personally had no issues with size, and as a preferred stomach sleeper found that I any movements I may have made were easily encompassed within the size of the pillow.

Memory Foam Comfort

Memory foam first came to the sleep industry scene in the 1980’s as a product created for NASA’s space flight program and integrated into personal comfort options. It’s contouring comfort, soft sink, and pressure point relief was unlike anything offered in an innerspring mattress, and consumers have been hooked ever since. Of course through the years and growth of technology, new and innovative approaches to construction and use has been applied- which is why Elite Rest choose it as the foundation of their Ultra Slim Pillow.

Memory foam has the capability to allow a give to applied weight without sacrificing support, a detail that is important when creating a thin pillow as many pillow fills bottom out due to the lack of materials present. This material allows for an ultra thin construction and still provide a firmness, which allows you to sleep in proper alignment without your head dropping through the pillow to rest upon the mattress.

• Sleep ComfortI found the pillow to be on the medium plush side, meaning it did provide slight contouring for the pressure of my head and neck, but still offered uplifting support. I honestly was unsure of how this would work out through the night. Many memory foam pillows I have had experience with have been too thick for a proper stomach sleeper, and so have not always been as comfortable as I would like. I found this foam to be a great balance of soft and firm support.

Dual Sided Shaping

The shape of this pillow is also unique. One side has a gentle rounding, and the other is flat. This serves two purposes: the first being to use the flat side to provide stability to the pillow and further support to your head as you rest on the curved side- the second to allow for dual comforts if needed, and meet the preferences of a variety of sleep styles.

I actually felt very little difference between the two when I tried them out. It seems just as supportive on either side and I have no issues with the pillow shifting, or moving, in anyway through the night either way.

100% Cotton, Washable Cover

Although the memory foam itself is not machine washable, the 100% cotton breathable fabric cover is. This is important to help provide a cooler nights sleep, especially since memory foam has a tendency to occasionally retain heat due to its dense construction. When you compress it underweight, it breathes even less.

Cotton is a naturally absorbing, breathable fabric that helps wick moisture away from your skin and allow a free flow of air away from your body. With such a thin pillow I never noticed any heat retention, but that also could be due to the efficiency of the cotton cover. The seams are also well stitched and the zipper lays flat to keep it from getting caught on anything. I had no issues removing it although you should take care and pull it back gently to avoid extra strain on the zipper since it is a snug fit.

Loft

The loft of a pillow is defined by how high a pillow sits when at laying on a flat surface. The Elite Rest Ultra Slim is one of the thinnest pillows on the market and sits at a little below 2.5 inches tall. This is important to note because many other fills may appear to be more, or less, lofty, but once weight is applied their loft redistributes very quickly- and either they become too firm and high, or much too soft.

Memory foam allows for a true loft measurement as it provides contouring with applied weight with no redistribution of the rest of the filling as a polyfill does. I was pleasantly surprised at the soft cradle my head created with a complete lack of pressure points. Many times thin pillows end up feeling as if my head is laying on the mattress, but this is not the case with this product.

You might be interested: The Best Thin Pillows Money Can Buy

Spot Clean Only

Memory foam does not handle moisture well, and so it is important to make sure to use the protective cover and a pillow case. You may want to use a pillow protector as they provide excellent protection from allergens and moisture as well. In the case that you do have a spill or stain occur, blot well as quickly as possible and only use non-caustic fabric spot cleaners (no bleach). Also allow to dry well. It is possible to place these in a dryer to refresh, but be sure to use a non-heat tumble dry only.

Consumer Reviews

This is an incredibly popular pillow amongst both back and stomach sleepers with many stating they had been searching for years for just the right fit- and this one fits the bill. I mentioned earlier that a true thin pillow is often difficult to find, especially since so many bottom out easily or end up being too lofty overall. Consumers praise how flat this pillow really is without sacrificing comfort or support, and find it to be a firm pillow with proper contouring to fit their head and neck. Some consumers even mention that it seems to work well with side sleepers, making it a good all-around combination pillow as well.

Complaints mostly surround the slight offgassing that occurs when first opened, and those sensitive to such a thing do struggle with it until completely dissipated. Others do find it a bit too firm for their liking, especially when being used as a stomach sleeper choice. Another complaint was that it may sleep warm despite not having much of a sink to it. Although I never noticed this, nor did my second opinion, since memory foam is prone to this issue, it may be uncomfortable for some people. It also me be due to the type of pillowcase used by the consumer; a high thread count case inhibits proper airflow.

30 Day Guarantee

Elite Rest offers a 30 day, money back guarantee, which is pretty generous offer considering the personal nature of a pillow. This is a great deal since you can rest easy knowing that if you are not fully satisfied, your investment in comfort is well protected and you can continue your search for something that is a better fit for you.

My Trial Experiences

I’ll state here that I was very happy with my trial run. It was my first experience with a memory foam pillow this thin, and I was very skeptical of the overall experience at first since my first material choice has never been memory foam. I’ve also mentioned a few times that your sleep experience is unique to you, so what may be comfortable to me, may not be for the next person, although I assure you I was very happy with the overall trial and highly recommend you giving this pillow a try.

Stomach Trial

As a stomach sleeper who has never really had an entirely decent pillow, I was pleasantly surprised to wake the morning after my first trial run well rested, and aware that I had never once gotten up, or even moved through the night.

I could see how the pillow may seem a bit firm for some people who sleep on their stomach, and raise their head just a tad bit too much for overall comfort. I will admit that I had to do a little bit of shifting to get just the right comfortable position, and although the foam does contour nicely to weight, it doesn’t compress as much as I thought it would.

Back Trial

I also found it to be a great back sleeping choice as I often nap on my back. It supported my neck well and kept my head at just the right position to be in alignment with the rest of my back. I used it both on the bed as well as on the floor while watching a movie with my kids and loved how comfy it really is. I honestly feel this would be a good fit for bodies of all shapes and sizes as it is a very supportive pillow and can handle weight well without overly compressing.

You might be interested: The Best Pillows For Back Sleepers

Side Trial
I didn’t really expect to try this pillow out as a side sleeping choice, but since I read reviews from smaller, lightweight sleepers who found it to be a decent alternative- I thought I would try it out as well. I was surprised at the decent neck support it did provide for such a thin pillow, even though that isn’t what it is made for. In trying to sleep in this position however, I always found myself rolling back onto my stomach for proper comfort.

Side sleepers need to keep their neck and head well aligned with the rest of their back to avoid unnecessary strain on their vertebrate. For smaller people this may be a good choice, but there is no way that it would work out for a wider shouldered person since the space between the head and neck needs to be completely supported for spinal alignment in this position. This pillow just doesn’t have the loft to do so.

You might be interested: The Best Pillows For Side Sleepers

Other Uses

Pillows aren’t only for head support to provide proper positioning and comfort. Many pillows also work well for hip and knee support to alleviate stress and strain upon the back. A thin pillow such as this that provides a contouring and pressure point reduction can also work well for these types of jobs. It’s slightly smaller size also keep it from being too bulky.

Although I found it to be a bit too firm to work under my hips while sleeping on my stomach, I did find it to be comfortable as a knee support while sleeping on my back. Using a pillow in such a manner reduces tension on your lower back, and this worked well for me.

Second Opinion

I do like to hear what others have to say about what I’m reviewing and so sought out a fellow stomach sleeper to see what their experiences were like with this. They are a larger, and heavier person than myself, so I was interested to see what they had to say.

To start they found it to be a perfect stomach sleeping pillow, and had no issues with getting comfortable at all. They found it to provide perfect contour and loved that they weren’t lying on the mattress.

As a back sleeping pillow it was a little too low for their preference, which may be due to the broader, more muscular upper body build which would require a bit more loft. Overall it was a good choice and was preferred for stomach sleeping comfort.

 

Conclusion

This is an excellent thin pillow choice if you have been on the market for one. Although I was slightly skeptical of the firmness of the memory foam, it being so thin completely cancelled out my worries of it raising my head too high either on my back or on my stomach. Although I took a little bit of time to really get comfortable on my stomach, I think it is more of my way of settling in for the night than anything to do with comfort levels.

I am of an average weight and shorter build, so my smaller overall size may have something to do with how well it worked for me. I could see how smaller people than me might find it slightly too firm in certain positions, and for larger people it might not be quite high enough for their back.

Although heat wasn’t not an issue for our trial runs, it is an issue with memory foam in general, and the fact that some consumers did feel some heat retention should be paid attention to. If you are a hot sleeper, this might be something that will make you uncomfortable. Although their experiences may have a lot to do with their pillowcase material choices as well. It also offgassed, and even though in my experience it had dissipated within a few hours, this definitely isn’t anything you want to stick your nose into come night time if you are sensitive to that.

We were very happy with our overall experiences with this pillow, so if you are on the market for a pillow such as the Elite Rest Ultra Slim Memory Foam Sleeper Pillow, you might want to strongly consider this as a choice for you. From the incredibly low, yet supportive profile, to the contouring surface that helps hold you head level and in alignment with your spine for a proper sleep position- this pillow has all the benefits included in a quality product. Plus, with the 30 day trial you get the perfect opportunity to try it out with no risk.