I Love My Pillow Classic Traditional Pillow Review

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With innovative technology hitting the market every day, it’s easy to become quickly inundated and overwhelmed with the massive amount of information provided to you every day. When searching for the perfect pillow, you quickly realize that there are A LOT to choose from, and it can seem that it is impossible to sift through them all to find THE ONE.

The I Love My Pillow Company was created because of this reason: the difficulty in finding what provided the best comfort and affordability. The Sleep Judge Team received their own I Love My Pillow Classic Traditional Pillow, the pillow that started it all, to personally review. After spending multiple nights with (and many afternoons) the product, our own detailed results are ready to be shared below.

The I Love My Pillow Story

The I Love My Pillow Company owners actually started out as engineers manufacturing foam for some of the largest foam supplies in the United States. When they ran into trouble trying to find the perfect nighttime comfort to lay their head upon, they came up with the idea to design and create their very own pillow. Two years later, they launched their product named under “I Love My Pillow” because that is what their daughter exclaimed after using it.

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Breakdown of the I Love My Pillow Traditional Pillow

With a backstory such as the one I described above, it’s no wonder that the popularity of this pillow revolves around the foam that makes up the support and comfort it lends. Years were spent discovering the perfect foam formula to meet a wide variety of needs and preferences, as well as placing this pillow in an entirely different category than many other traditional memory foam pillows. This lightweight foam is surrounded by a wholly unique, minky microfiber pillowcase as well to create a comfort worth considering.

Unpacking

The unmarked, plain brown box that arrived on my doorstep held the branded box and pillow inside. It also was wrapped in plastic, hand sealed, and ‘stamped’ with a brand sticker. The personal touch was kind of nice as it felt like the pillow wasn’t just made, sealed, and thrown into storage for shipping but actually had been personally handled and placed in the box to ensure quality control.

First Impressions

I have to admit, I was a little thrown by the ‘fuzzy’ pillowcase I first came in contact with. It reminded me a little bit of terry cloth, which I love but wasn’t sure about as a pillowcase. It definitely was different than any other pillowcase I had experienced upon reviewing pillows, and I wondered if it would create a warm sleep trial. I also was surprised at how light the pillow felt. I wasn’t 100% sure it was a memory foam pillow as I hadn’t done any research into it yet, and it took me a bit to be convinced it actually was memory foam due to how light it weighed compared to many other memory foam pillows I’ve reviewed.

Features and Benefits

The features and benefit claims made by the company are exactly what you want to pay attention to when first beginning your research of a particular brand or product. These details should point you in the right direction concerning whether or not you want to delve any further into the information provided by the company, and the reviews consumers have been leaving. Our own detailed experiences concerning these features are described below to give you an even further insight on the I Love My Pillow product.

Size

I Love My Pillow actually comes in contoured, gel memory, down memory, and even travel size pillow choices as well as the Classic Traditional we have to review. But since this was the pillow that started it all, we wanted to know what helped this brand get the attention it has. Available in both a queen and king size, it measures 24 x 16 inches and 34 x 18 inches, respectively. This is slightly smaller than 20 x 30 inches and 20 x 36 inches that are considered an industry standard.

I did notice right away that the pillow did seem a bit smaller than even a standard pillow size, but from experience, I figured it wouldn’t make any difference to sleep comfortably. And I was right as the size was no issue when in use, and it was more than large enough for good support and comfort.

Loft

Although the company claims the pillows sits at a 6-inch loft, I found it to be closer to 8 inches. This could be due to it being fresh out the package with very few nights of compression having had occurred, but it is much higher than 6 inches initially. With such a lofty pillow, I at first imagined it would be a bit too tall to work for all sleep positions as the company states, but it is such a lightweight foam that it compressed very easily without feeling firm.

It was highly responsive with very little pressure, which makes me believe that if the foam was any thinner, the specialized ‘airiness’ the designers originally imagined would result in a firmer sleep surface for many people. Whatever the reasoning, it works- so don’t let the loft throw off your initial impressions.

Lightweight Memory Foam Filling

Since the owners and designers of this pillow were engineers for big name foam producers, they know a thing or two about the product. I mentioned that this was seriously lightweight- to the extent that I wasn’t even really sure this was a memory foam. Memory foam is known for being dense if it is of any kind of quality- and it’s rare to consider it airy or any other term used to describe light and ‘fluffy’. But that is exactly what this foam is- almost fluffy in nature and highly responsive.

However, this is made (since it is a top secret formula as most brand comfort foams are) comfortable to the users, and it really does feel like soft pockets of air are part of the entire makeup. This also results in a cooler night’s sleep- something I was wondering about, especially when combined with the pillowcase material. When compressed, you can actually feel the air movement within the pillow, causing an instant response to your weight, as well as instant bounce back.

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Micro Mink Pillowcase

Machine washable, stain resistant, and naturally hypoallergenic, the pillowcase reminds me of a cross between a soft terry cloth and a minky blanket. It really is very unique, and although may look like it would sleep warm, it actually breathes quite nicely. When placed under a cotton pillowcase, it provides a slight surface comfort softness to the entire area.

The seams are double stitched, and the zipper makes the foam very accessible if needed. It runs the length of one end of the pillow, and it is not at all very noticeable. I did find I had to somewhat wrestle the case off and back on as the zipper does not wrap around the edge of the foam at all, but the responsiveness of the foam make this not too difficult a task.

Comfort Claims

The company claims that this is a pillow that can work for any sleep position. Of course, I am not so naive to believe that everyone looks for the same comforts even if they share a similar sleep position, but I can see that this is a pillow that may work for a variety of people if certain personal preferences and comforts are met.

Back sleepers need a conforming, thinner comfort, stomach sleepers need a thin, padded comfort, and side sleepers need a thick head and neck comfort. This is a malleable pillow that allows you to shape it how you want it to a certain degree, plus it is incredibly responsive and has a soft feel without sacrificing support.

Care: Spot Clean Only

Even though the pillowcase is completely machine washable and dryable, memory foam is not. Moisture can begin to break down the cellular structure of foam, plus it is extremely difficult to get completely dry when saturated. This can harbor bacteria and mold growth over time. If you happen to spill something upon it, blot up immediately and place somewhere it can dry (a sunny window or even outside to refresh is always helpful).

The pillowcase is pretty dirt resistant and comes clean very easily with just a wet washcloth. Plus you should always use it with an additional pillowcase of your choosing for even more protection. Skin oils and moisture from your body will eventually work its way into the case, so be sure to launder it as you normally would your other bedding items.

3 Year Warranty/100-Night Sleep Trial

A 100-night sleep trial is pretty much unprecedented in the pillow industry. Pillows are very personal in nature but do take a little getting used to at times. The company has acknowledged that introducing a new product into your sleep regimen can take a little bit of time, and they want you to be assured that you can have that time worry-free. If you do not like the pillow or have trouble with it within the first 100 nights, they will work with you to get the pillow you need or provide a simple, hassle-free return.

The 3-year warranty begins with the purchase and needs to be registered with the company. It covers basic manufacturers, construction, and material defects for up to three years.

Consumer Reviews

On average, over four-thirds of those who have tried out the I Love My Pillow would recommend it, with the remaining fourth making note on the quality or claiming they prefer a different I Love My Pillow Style than the one they chose. This is a pretty good record so far for a fairly young company.

Neck soreness alleviation, proper head support, and waking refreshed have all been commented on. A neutral to cool temperature comfort has also been noted amongst reviews. Complaints of a warm sleep are few and far between and do not detail the use of the pillow as personal pillowcase choices, ambient temperature, and personal sleep habits can all play into the pillow and temperature relationship.

Other issues have arisen due to how much it compresses, making it a poor choice for their own support based on body types and posture needs. But those who have found it to work for them have nothing but praise.

Second Opinion

Although my own trials are found below, I wanted to pass this pillow on to another sleeper to see how well it worked for them. They are a larger, more broad-shouldered woman who prefers to sleep on their side and back sleep; while I am shorter and more narrow overall, I sleep on my stomach and side. I asked them to try it out in all three positions if they could get comfortable doing so and let me know what problems may have become noticeable during the time they had it.

Their results were favorable overall. As a back sleeping choice, it was a perfect fit for their larger frame. They felt it held their neck properly and held their head comfortably. As a side sleeping choice, they felt it compressed too much despite being able to bunch it under their neck. They appreciated the softness, but it needed to be thicker and less compressing for a decent side sleeping choice. Even though they are not a stomach sleeper, they tried it out and found themselves drifting off easily in this position even though they eventually have to get back into a more natural preference.

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My Sleep Trial Experiences

I mentioned I was slightly intrigued by the overall construction of this pillow. And although a solid memory foam core fill is not usually my first preference, I have been surprised by some pillow comfort claims in the past and approach each trial with an open mind. As a stomach and side sleeper, I usually look for a very shapeable, compressible pillow that will provide both the thinner support, as well as the way to fold or plump into the support I need under my head and neck while on my side. Shredded memory foam pillows, as well as feather pillows, are a standard go to.

Back

Sleeping on my back is not a preference, but I do like to catch quick naps or lay on the floor while watching a movie with the kids for overall spinal health. I will very quickly find that my neck is strained or my back is being stressed if my head is held too high, so I am very quick to note my spinal alignment whenever checking a pillow out for back sleeping.

With this pillow, I really liked how my head sunk into it to allow the foam to provide a comforting support to my neck. I also was able to rest the top of my shoulders along the edge of the pillow, which compressed well under the pressure. As my friend noted above, this was a decent choice as far as back sleeping support goes, and it comes recommended as a back sleeping choice.

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Side

Unlike the trial described above, this is where it was at for me. I’m sure I end up in some hybrid stomach, side sleeping combination through the night, and this pillow most definitely provided both compression and support wherever it was needed. Let’s put it this way- I fell asleep the first night and woke in pretty much the same position. This was repeated the second night.

When people shift through the night, it is usually due to some discomfort, even if they have no recollection of it. So if you can fall asleep in one position and wake pretty much in the same position, you are most likely moving very little or not at all. This is conducive to your overall sleep health as there is no disruption to your sleep cycle.

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Stomach

I really couldn’t quite get truly comfortable overall with this pillow as a sole stomach sleeping choice. Even though my friend above could, she is broad-shouldered and heavier than me, so it may work best for a different body type than mine. Despite this, it was an excellent choice when I angled it and used it more like a body/head pillow. Even though that isn’t what it is made for, it worked well for me and provided the support I need to keep from getting a sore lower back and hips (which often occurs if I have my head raised too high when sleeping on my stomach.

Trial Conclusions

I think it is safe to say that this pillow does hold up to its claims, and it can support all sleep positions, although this does depend on body type and personal preferences. The pillow is incredibly responsive with immediate bounceback, making the wait of memory foam to soften and conform a thing of the past- at least with this pillow. The compression lends itself as an excellent choice for back sleepers and many stomach sleepers, while the loft of it provides side sleepers the material needed for proper neck support.

Weight and shoulder width is probably the biggest deciding factor surrounding whether or not this may be a decent choice for you. Broad shoulder body types can most likely best use this as a back or stomach sleeping choice, while more narrow-bodies may find this a perfect fit for side sleeping- as I did.

It allowed me to sleep at a comfortable temperature, was easy to manipulate and ‘hug’, allowed for great shaping to head, neck and shoulders, and is overall a nice, lightweight choice. It has gained two thumbs up from us surrounding the quality and claim support.

Overall Sleeping Rating: 4.5

This is a great pillow that definitely stands up to the hype the company makes about it. It is not a one size fits all by any means, however, and those details do need to be taken into consideration prior to purchase. The foam construction is lighter than anything I have ever experienced, and I was amazed at how soft it was, as well as how quickly it bounced back after compression. It was a true plush feel in every sense of the word.

This compression may be a bit much for heavier side sleepers, as it may not provide the height needed for broad shoulders, but for a narrow body, it seems to work best. The compression also lends itself well to good back and stomach positions. It is not machine washable at all, despite the pillowcase being so, making it a choice that may not be best for children or hot sleepers that sweat. Plus, the ‘fuzzy’ micro minky cover may not be to everyone’s liking, even though you should use your own pillowcase over it.

Conclusion

Worth taking a closer look at, the I Love My Pillow Classic Traditional Pillow is a unique, quality product that has taken into account the many comfort needs people have. There is no true one-size-fits-all pillow, hence why not everyone can give it a rave review. But here at The Sleep Judge, our review team felt it held up to the claims made by the company, and through our own experiences feel it is a choice many people would be happy with.