Tempur-Neck Pillow Review

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If you suffer from neck pain or wake stiff and with limited mobility each morning, there’s a chance you can improve by properly supporting your sleep position. When your body lays at rest, you should be providing the proper support to allow for spinal alignment. Your central nervous system runs the length of your spine and serves as a superhighway for movement and feeling. Compromising your spine through compression and poor support while you rest can lead to long-term health issues – and the soreness you may already be experiencing are your soft tissues working to keep your body in a more neutral position.

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Thus, choosing the correct sleep products can help your body sleep in a more comfortable way. The Sleep Judge Team received an opportunity to try out the Tempur-Neck Pillow for ourselves to see if the claims surrounding neck support hold true. Our personal experiences and findings can be seen below.

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Tempurpedic Neck Pillow Specs

Filling- Memory Foam

Loft- ~ 5 inches

Comfort Positions- Side/Back

Warranty- 5 year

Breakdown of the Tempur-Neck Pillow

The quarter-century run The TempurPedic Company has within the sleep industry is still going strong and is characterized by the influences in innovative, technological changes that have occurred within the last 3 decades. TempurPedic’s patented memory foam that was first created for NASA space flight comfort, influenced the sleep industry to view sleep comfort in an entirely new manner. The introduction of this new material has led to a variety of products to help you get a better night’s sleep.

The Tempur-Neck Pillow was designed by doctors for proper cervical support and alignment to help neck and shoulders muscles relax and alleviate back and neck strain. The ergonomic shape was created to meet a wider variety of body sizes and is also offered in multiple measurements for a wider consumer coverage. The memory foam is also highly responsive, and although is considered an extra firm support, it provides excellent contouring without any hard surface feel.

Unpacking

Most TempurPedic Pillows come within a protective branded box that provides information concerning the pillow on the outside. This pillow came with a series of other pillows within an unmarked brown box as well, which is always a decent thing- especially if the box will be sitting on your front porch for a particular length of time. The pillow was also wrapped tightly with a thicker sealed plastic.

Many memory foam pillows will slightly off-gas, especially if they were stored in non-porous packaging. Although I usually notice this chemical smell with TempurPedic pillows, this pillow had a very faint smell but only if I placed my nose right up against it. For me, it had dissipated completely a few hours later, and I actually used the pillow the same evening as the morning I opened it. However, due to sensitivity issues to chemical smells, this experience may differ from one person to the next.

Features and Benefits

To sell a product, companies are generally quick to claim the many benefits a consumer will experience through the use of their brand. TempurPedic is no exception to this, and not only do they highlight the features of their patented memory foam construction, they also showcased the unique styling of this particular pillow.

When searching for a personal pillow match for your own comfort, these are the types of details you should pay particular attention to. This is especially true if they highlight personal experiences of other consumers in order to determine if it is worth your time to take a closer look. We’ve done just that for you below with our own trial of this pillow to help both explain the features of the pillow as well as our own opinions concerning them.

Sizes

The sleep industry has an average size measurement concerning pillows that are considered acceptable in order to fit in pillowcases. Small variance often occurs, especially with specialty pillow shapes, but most fit well within an industry measured pillowcase. The Tempur-Neck pillow is available in two sizes and definitely fit into the category of alternate sizes.

Each pillow measures 20 x 12 inches and fits well within a standard 20 x 26-inch pillowcase. The variances in sizes- small, medium, and large- are determined by the height of the lowest part of this ergonomically shaped pillow. The size you choose is determined by the following chart and the measurement in inches from the edge of your shoulder to your neck.

With a height just under 5’4” and a shoulder to neck measurement of 4.5 inches, I fall between the small and medium pillow choices for both side and back sleeping. I was able to try out the small pillow, and I honestly feel this was a perfect choice for my own preferences, especially since the pillow is a firm, albeit plush feeling, support. If you are sensitive to memory foam or fall between sizes (like I did), I would suggest maybe going down a size.

Ergonomic Shaping Comfort Claims

The ergonomic shape of the Tempur-Neck was developed by doctors to specifically address the promotion of cervical alignment. When sleeping on your side or back, it is important to properly position your head between your shoulders, and make sure your neck is cradled upon a surface that allows for proper support. This causes a relaxation of those soft tissues and lets your vertebrate relax into a more natural position. In turn, this allows a promotion of muscle and tendon relaxation through your shoulders and back for a more restful sleep.

This design is similar in nature to their Tempur-Contour Side by Side Pillow that is made specifically for side sleepers, but the softer, more responsive foam of the Tempur-Neck allows for greater variation of use in multiple positions. I was personally surprised by the soft cradling the raised side lent to my neck. Where I have been expecting to get used to a more sturdy pressure underneath my neck, I was pleasantly happy to find this support did more to stretch and comfortably support the space between my head and shoulders- both on my back and on my side.

Memory Foam Filling

Memory foam is a visco-elastic foam that can conform to shape variances through a reaction to body weight and temperature. TempurPedic has created more than one type of foam feel and has Extra Soft (ES), Tempur, and High Density (HD) foam categories- all of which define differences in density and firmness feel. Although this particular pillow is considered an extra firm choice, it feels slightly softer than many of their other TempurPedic extra firm pillow choices, and in my opinion, it is very responsive to both weight and temperature with a very short contouring time.

As mentioned, the pillow lent optimal contouring and support to my neck, and at no time did I feel any pressure point creations against my neck, jawline, the base of my skull, or temple when using it either as a back or side support. Since memory foam is not my first choice of pillow material (simply because I am not always a fan of a more ‘solid’ pillow and the prefer one I can shape) I can honestly say this foam is a comfortable surface- and one that provides a proper personalized shaping contour. This is not an instant contour, however, and it takes a moment for the full effect to take place, but it does conform gently and without much pressure.

For a more comfortable sleep, check out our recommended contour pillows.

Loft

Loft is the measurement of a pillow when placed on a flat surface and is used more to gain an idea of overall dimensions rather than the influence of comfort. The lowest measurement of the Tempur-Neck Pillow is what determines its size as explained by the size guide above. A small measures 3 inches, a medium is 4 inches, and large is 4.5 inches according to the product description when measured from seam to seam, as seen in the picture. The actual height is just slightly more.

Loft Measurement – Short Side

Loft Measurement – Tall Side

The neck role of each of these is approximately 1 to 2 inches taller. The small roll measured about 4.5 inches from top to bottom but only about 4 inches seam to seam. This filled the gap between the head and neck very well, and it also responded to shoulder pressure from the side without creating a hard surface to press against.

100% Polyester, Breathable, Removable Cover

The cover is a thicker, micro vented polyester casing that provides air flow and a soft, smooth feel. It can serve as its own cover, or you can use it with your own pillowcase. Stamped with the TempurPedic logo, it is a quality material that is not easily snagged- nor does it pill from what I can tell.

The seams are double stitched within for durability and are also piped for added quality aesthetics. Plus, the zipper runs along the length of the seam and is a lay flat design. It also is located at the bottom of the pillow side and blends into the design of the pillow. This aids in easy cover removal as well, which is an improvement over other TempurPedic zipper designs in various pillow models.

Pillow Cleaning- Cover ONLY

Memory foam is not a liquid friendly material and can actually begin to break down on a cellular level with long-term exposure to moisture. Therefore, if you do spill, be sure to blot up the liquid as much as possible and lay it out to dry completely. This also means that the pillow is not machine washable. The cover is, however, and it should be regularly laundered- especially if you do not use a separate pillowcase of your choice.

5-Year Limited Warranty

TempurPedic does stand by its workmanship and material quality, and therefore, offers a 5-year warranty protecting against defects and memory foam compression that is considered more than what is normal. They also accept returns on products damaged in shipping, as well as those who are found to be covered under warranty. This does only apply to those pillows purchased directly from the company or authorized dealers.

Consumer Reviews

TempurPedic has gathered quite a lot of followers surrounding this particular pillow comfort. It seems to be just the right balance of firmness level and size to fit a wide variety of needs, and consequently, it has a long list of positive ratings.

To top the list of positive attributes is the shape and contouring of the foam. This seems to be a favorite of back sleepers more so than side sleepers who say it feels as if it is stretching out their neck and providing shoulder relief. Side sleepers also like how well it keeps them in position through the night with many claiming it reduces tossing and turning.

The firmness level and pillow size only seem to be an issue surrounding personal preference rather than quality or true discomfort. Since memory foam has a tendency to be a ‘love it or hate it’ type product, this isn’t surprising.

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Second Opinion

Even though my personal experience was overall positive, I did want to run it by a few people other than myself- mainly to get a feel for sizing and initial impressions. Not surprisingly, this was not a good pillow size for anyone much larger than me. Since I already fell into a small to medium gap according to the size chart, when I did share with a larger bodied person, they immediately felt as if there was no support being given in a side sleeping position- although they said it was fairly decent for a back sleeper (which also isn’t surprising since back sleepers are supposed to size down).

I did ask a person of smaller stature than myself to provide an honest opinion. As a back sleeper, they were excited to try out the feel of the ‘roll’ since they already used a neck pillow at night to help support their neck. Their response to my questions concerning comfort are as follows:

“I immediately liked the feel of the pillow since I already use something similar, and I really like how well the pillow formed to allow my neck to sit within the foam. I also liked how I could turn my head to the side and still feel like it was being supported and I didn’t feel any pressure back. I would recommend the pillow to back sleepers for sure.”

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My Sleep Trial Experiences with the Small Tempur-Neck Pillow

Although a shaped, solid foam pillow is not my preference as I lean more towards malleable shredded foam and feather fillings – I can appreciate a decent pillow when I sleep on one, and this is a good pillow in my opinion. The personal experiences that led me to that conclusion are detailed below.

Back

I nap on my back but rarely spend a night in this position. With that being said, at first, I felt as if this pillow lifted my head too far up and would strain my shoulders and lower back over an extended time of rest. But my experience was quite the contrary. My neck sunk into the pillow roll quite well, and I felt as if my head was being cradled within the cushioning of the foam.

I often am sensitive to pressure along the base of my skull and can get pressure headaches easily. I was worried that this would occur, but I never felt any pressure or discomfort. This actually is a great napping pillow option for me as many pillows that have a more airly fill allow my head to sink lower than I would want to or loft up around my ears and side of my face. This pillow keeps its shape but allows a customizable sink.

Side

I either sleep on my side or stomach through the night, and I would often push my pillow around to provide the right amount of neck support prior to falling asleep. The size chart for this pillow was right on in my opinion since I fell between the small and medium for comfort and found this to work perfectly. In the past, firm memory foam has often created uncomfortable pressure against my neck and jawline, but the give of this foam is wonderfully balanced and provided excellent response to the curves and shapes of my head and neck.

I was easily able to drift off to sleep with this pillow, and even though I usually awake to trade it out with one I was more used to (as I occasionally shift positions through the night), I believe with time I could get more used to the solid pillow feel to help me sleep in a healthier, side sleeping position.

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Trial Conclusions

To conclude our trials, the extra firm rating of this pillow through the company is probably a bit off. Yes, it provides excellent support, but in comparison to their other pillow stated as extra- firm, this pillow is much more responsive and contouring to your weight and temperature. This does not mean it is soft, however, and it does provide excellent support.

The shape of the pillow, and particularly, the size differences are very supportive of the neck in both a back and side sleeping position. The claims the company makes surrounding this seems to uphold in both our trials as well as across many consumer reviews

This is a very specific shape for side and back sleepers, and there is no guarantee that one pillow size will work well for back and side combination sleepers like it did for me. Those who fall between sizes or have preferences to size are not able to run a sleep trial through the company as there is no offer of returns due to dislike. Despite that, the claims of the pillow stand up under scrutiny, and for the most part with smart consideration of the size chart, consumers will most likely choose what works best for them with so very little problem.

The memory foam is of great quality and is very responsive, but it’s not washable, so care should be taken by avoiding spills. The cover is pretty protective and easy enough to remove for washing as well.

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Conclusion

If neck and shoulder strain has become a problem for you, and you are a back and side sleeper, I would highly recommend that you check out the Tempur-Neck Pillow as a possible pain relief and a preventative pain pillow choice. High-quality construction, an excellent warranty policy, and size matching to both sleep preference and body measurements help provide you with a pillow to fit your body more closely than any other pillow offered by the company.