Tempur Original Pillow

...from a material known as Tempur (hmm, that possibly explains the name), which, according to the Tempur marketing machine was developed by NASA "in order to improve seating comfort and g-force protection in spacecrafts". Basically it is a temperature sensitive material that moulds to whatever is placed on it. So, when you lie on it, the parts of your body that make the most contact (i.e., the heaviest) give off more heat, causing the material ...
...I did that with my Tempur pillow it hurt! This is because the pillow is quite hard- as you lie on it, it gradually moulds to the shape of your head, and feels quite nice. I also found that the first time I used it, I woke up with a bit of a neckache. I had to try a few different sleeping positions to work out which was the most comfortable with this pillow, as it does feel quite different from a normal pillow. I think the neckache the first night ... more

A description
These pillows are made from a material known as Tempur (hmm, that possibly explains the name), which, according to the Tempur marketing machine was developed by NASA "in order to improve seating comfort and g-force protection in spacecrafts". Basically it is a temperature sensitive material that moulds to whatever is placed on it. So, when you lie on it, the parts of your body that make the most contact (i.e., the heaviest) give off more heat, causing the material to mould to your body. What this means for the pillow is that your head will sink further into the pillow than your neck, thereby giving your neck more support than a conventional pillow. This pillow, as you can see above is shaped so that there is a high ridge along one side- this enhances the neck support, as your neck lies on this raised bit when you use it. This makes sense as your neck is a lot narrower and lighter than your head.

So, are they comfortable
Well, I have (or, rather, had) a tendency to throw myself into bed, landing heavily on my pillow. The first time I did that with my Tempur pillow it hurt! This is because the pillow is quite hard- as you lie on it, it gradually moulds to the shape of your head, and feels quite nice. I also found that the first time I used it, I woke up with a bit of a neckache. I had to try a few different sleeping positions to work out which was the most comfortable with this pillow, as it does feel quite different from a normal pillow. I think the neckache the first night was probably caused by not having the ridged bit under my neck properly. My boyfriend, however, absolutely loved his from the first night, and woke up telling me how wonderfully well he'd slept.

Do they help with neck pain?
One of the claims made by the manufacturer is that these pillows will help with neck pain. I don't really suffer that much from neck pain, however occasionally I will find I wake up with a sore neck that seems can only have been caused by the way I slept. I haven't really had this problem since I started using the Tempur pillow (about 3 months). My boyfriend, on the other hand, was sufferring from fairly sever neck pain, which he had been seeing a physiotherapist for. This pain has actually gone completely since he started using the Tempur pillow, and this is without further visits to the physio.

Do they help you sleep better?
Again, the Tempur website claims that the pillows will reduce tossing and turning throughout the night. Well, I can definitely vouch for this. I used to toss and turn for at least 30 minutes every night before I fell asleep trying to find a comfortable position. The Tempur pillow makes this almost impossible, as it has moulded to your head and neck after about 5 minutes- that means if you change position it has to remould, and you spend a few minutes lying in a strange shaped dint in the pillow while it does this. At first, I found having my movements curtailed a little difficult to deal with, but once I got used it I've come to appreciate the fact that I don't have that worry anymore. My boyfriend also told me (unsolicited) recently that I no longer wake him up throughout the night with my constant movements, so I know my Tempur pillow helps him sleep better!

And now the downsides:
These pillows are very expensive (64.95 for the medium original pillow). I do find mine more comfortable than the old, thin pillow I had previously, however, I think if your current pillow is serving you well than you're probably not going to need to shell out for one of these. However, if you do suffer from neck and back problems, then it may be worth it. The website currently offers a 60 day trial, but only if you buy the mattress and pillow. I'd check with the company you're thinking of buying from to find out if you can send it back if you don't like it. Most good bed shops will let you try the pillow in the shop at least before you buy it.

The pillows are not waterproof- this means that you have to be very careful, if someone lovingly brings you breakfast in bed, not to spill the orange juice, tea or champagne (if you're luckier than me!). Now, maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I have, at times noticed a little bit of drool coming out of my mouth when I'm sleeping- I'm not sure if this is enough to damage the material (I assume the pillow case is enough protection from this small amount of liquid) but it does cause my a tiny bit of worry. Lastly, I think crying into your pillow is out of the question.

Due to the nature of the Tempur pillow, they're not very good for using as to prop your neck up, if you want to watch TV in bed, for example. If I want to do this then I have to go and get a big cushion from the lounge.

One additional downside is that the pillows look very institutional- they are cream in colour. You can get special pillow cases for them, but these only came in cream or white when we bought them (and they are also ridiculously expensive- to be honest, I don't know why we bought the covers). They do, however fit inside a standard pillow case (well the medium does), but I'm not sure if this reduces the effectiveness of the material.

The last downside is this- you will find an ordinary pillow just doesn't cut it after you've used this one, and will want to take it with you camping, to friends, hotels... 

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