Buying a pillow can be a very confusing experience.  If you go to your local department store or mass merchant you will find a wall of white pillows awaiting you, all of them in plastic bags which tell you that they are in fact the best choice.  How can that be true?

Of course it is not.  There are a few basics you can start with which will narrow the selection.

1. What size pillow are you looking for?  93% of pillows sold are standard (20x26) or queen (20x30) size. If you have standard sized pillow cases as most do, this is an easy decision.  But also consider buying a Jumbo (20x28") pillow.  This size is becoming more popular because it fits a standard or queen pillow case but is a little larger and plumper than a 20x26" pillow.

2. Do you prefer polyester (synthetic) or foam pillows or natural (feather and down) filled pillows?  Polyester or foam pillows are generally easier to launder and also hypoallergenic.  Feather and down pillows are nice for those who really love and scrunch and bunch up their pillow at night and they can be very soft but they tend to lack proper support for the neck.  Many down and feather pillows now make claims of being hypoallergenic but those with serious allergies should be careful.  A good safe choice here would be a synthetic pillow.

With those decisions out of the way the issue becomes, what pillow is best for you, or the person you are buying for?  A basic guideline is to select based on soft, medium or firm support.  Generally a larger person should select a firmer pillow and smaller person should select a softer one.  The idea is to maintain proper support for your neck as you sleep which will reduce the amount of times you wake at night to restuff and re fluff and restore the support you need.  The other factor here is sleeping position.  Generally, side sleepers need the firmest pillow, back sleepers a soft to medium pillow and stomach sleepers a soft pillow or no pillow at all (that's a money saver!).

After considering all of the above, if you're still not sure, a great choice would be an adjustable pillow.  This will allow you experiment with what support level gives you the best night's sleep.  Chance are, after only a few nights you will find the perfect support level for your own needs.  You can also buy an adjustable pillow for friends and family and know that they will be able to customize it to their needs.    

Buying a pillow can be a very confusing experience.  If you go to your local department store or mass merchant you will find a wall of white pillows awaiting you, all of them in plastic bags which tell you that they are in fact the best choice.  How can that be true?

Of course it is not.  There are a few basics you can start with which will narrow the selection.

1. What size pillow are you looking for?  93% of pillows sold are standard (20x26) or queen (20x30) size. If you have standard sized pillow cases as most do, this is an easy decision.  But also consider buying a Jumbo (20x28") pillow.  This size is becoming more popular because it fits a standard or queen pillow case but is a little larger and plumper than a 20x26" pillow.

2. Do you prefer polyester (synthetic) or foam pillows or natural (feather and down) filled pillows?  Polyester or foam pillows are generally easier to launder and also hypoallergenic.  Feather and down pillows are nice for those who really love and scrunch and bunch up their pillow at night and they can be very soft but they tend to lack proper support for the neck.  Many down and feather pillows now make claims of being hypoallergenic but those with serious allergies should be careful.  A good safe choice here would be a synthetic pillow.

With those decisions out of the way the issue becomes, what pillow is best for you, or the person you are buying for?  A basic guideline is to select based on soft, medium or firm support.  Generally a larger person should select a firmer pillow and smaller person should select a softer one.  The idea is to maintain proper support for your neck as you sleep which will reduce the amount of times you wake at night to restuff and re fluff and restore the support you need.  The other factor here is sleeping position.  Generally, side sleepers need the firmest pillow, back sleepers a soft to medium pillow and stomach sleepers a soft pillow or no pillow at all (that's a money saver!).

After considering all of the above, if you're still not sure, a great choice would be an adjustable pillow.  This will allow you experiment with what support level gives you the best night's sleep.  Chance are, after only a few nights you will find the perfect support level for your own needs.  You can also buy an adjustable pillow for friends and family and know that they will be able to customize it to their needs.    

It is interesting to note that the Mediflow Waterbase pillow was invented by the founder of our company when he suffered a painful whiplash injury in a car accident. The symptoms of whiplash injuries often include neck pain, stiffness, headaches, pain in the shoulder, lower back pain, and so on. Some victims also suffer with irritability, sleep disturbances, and fatigue.

While experimenting with a way to ease pain and improve sleep quality after his injury, the inventor of our pillow experienced a reduction of neck pain and improved sleep quality by placing a hot water bottle under his existing pillow.  This led to the idea of creating a pillow with a water bag sewn directly into the base of the pillow.  The new pillow design performed even better as the fixed base stayed in place and provided a responsive support level for proper cervical alignment and actually responded to head movement as he slept at night.  Eventually, a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins University Hospital confirmed what our founder already knew.  The Mediflow Waterbase pillow ranked best in all 5 categories tested in the cilinical trial including reduced neck pain intensity and imporved quality of sleep.

If you have suffered a neck injury or experience periodic neck pain a waterbase pillow could make a difference for you as well.  By also improving the quality of sleep after a neck injury or when you are suffering from neck pain you may avoid the secondary symptoms of irritability and fatigue.