Mattress Base

Personal Expressions Memory Foam Contour Pillow

~~ Catching My Zzz’s with Personal Expressions Memory Foam Contour Pillow ~~ Personal Expressions Memory Foam Contour Pillow My husband wanted a new pillow to catch some Zzz's, particularly after his long days at the hospital ...

I swear by my Isotonic Memory Foam Pillow Standard Size and my younger son had been hounding me for one. But - and this is painful for me to admit - I just didn’t think he needed an expensive pillow such as the one I had. I had a serious neck injury which requires me to use a special contour foam pillow. He just wanted something different.

So, I checked on the web and found the Personal Expressions Memory Foam Contour Pillow for a fairly inexpensive price. They came in one and two packs so I bought a two pack because, well, two is always better than one!

What I found was that, while this pillow is fine for most people, it will not support your neck and head well if you have serious neck issues. Otherwise, if you can deal with a little odor and a little breaking in time, it’s an inexpensive alternative to name brand memory foam pillows.

Manufacturer Hype

Personal Expressions Memory Foam Contour Pillow

White Visco-Elastic Memory Foam

Temperature sensitive foam responds to body heat and weight

Removable terry velour cover

Long lasting comfort and support

Hypo-allergenic

Measures 15×20x5″

Cover included

Manufacturer Info

The Pillow

Before I start, let me note that there are a few different sizes of these pillows on the net and all are called the exact same name. Watch carefully for sizing because some are very small, almost travel sized, while others are standard and still others are somewhat larger.

The pillow is white foam. The covering, which is soft terry cloth/velour combo is cream colored. You can zip the cover on and of for easy washing and use it as a pillow case or slip a case over it. The back of the case is cotton, not terry, and the back of the pillow is flat for stomach sleepers.

The pillow actually has a higher loft - five inches - than is recommended for proper alignment for most people. Four inches is the standard. However, because this pillow is “squishy”, the slightly higher hump really doesn’t cause much of a problem.

The first thing I noted was the odor. It is not unusual for a memory foam pillow to have a weird odor when first used. None of my others ever did but this one did. The odor is not terrible, just kind of a turn off when you lay your head down and have your face so close to it. It has a strange chemical scent that does wear off after a week or less.

The pillow is soft but doesn’t have superior “memory”. Good memory pillows immediately spring back when touched. This pillow sort of flattens out and eventually comes back to life.

It has two humps (one on each side of the pillow like a wave design), one slightly lower than the other to accommodate the user’s neck.

My Use

I gave one of the pillows to my son and kept the other for some unknown reason. My husband and older son refuse to even try memory foam pillows.

The scent was a turn off but it did go away after a few days with the help of some light linen spray.

My son is not super picky. He once slept on the craziest buckwheat pillow ever made and never complained that it was like laying his head down on a bunch of sticks. I know that is how it felt because I bought it for myself, hated it, and passed it down. Ha!

He has been sleeping on the Personal Expressions Memory Foam Contour Pillow since Christmas - about six weeks - and has no complaints. He does say that he misses being able to “scrunch” and shape the pillow but anyone who has not experienced a contour pillow needs to get used to a totally different way of sleeping which includes not shaping it and sleeping on hump that other pillows don’t have.

I had the second one so I gave it a whirl.

Ewww. I didn’t like it. I am used to my Isotonic and, when you get used to a certain pillow, others just feel weird. This one felt weird.

For one, it didn’t spring back as quickly and seemed flatter despite starting out with a higher loft. It was not as comfortable as my usual pillow and seemed to flatten out throughout the night.

I was unimpressed but I did not wake up in terrible pain like I have with other contour pillows. I was a bit sore but not in throbbing pain.

This would NOT be my pick for an every night pillow because of my special needs for my neck. I live with bulging discs and the pain they give me is crazy. If I sleep right, I don’t have pain and headaches. If I sleep wrong, watch out!

For my son and many others who want a contour pillow for the alignment they give, this pillow may be a good option. This is one of the least expensive pillows of its kind and holds up OK for what it costs.

Care and Other Info

This pillow is not washable. You should take care to keep it covered at all times. You can spot clean it and it has a somewhat water resistant quality to it so liquids don’t immediately soak into it. Still, keep it covered and away from liquids to ensure long life (of the pillow, not you!).

This pillow is hypo allergenic and good for those who can’t use traditional polyfill or feather pillows. It also is pressure and temperature sensitive and supposedly warms in the winter and cools in the summer.

I have noted that none of the contour pillows I have used truly warm or cool but they do feel comfortable in all weather.

This duo pack came with a five year warranty.

Buying Info

Sleep Innovations actually manufactures Personal Expressions pillows. You can find these pillows under either name and at a wide variety of household and mass-market stores on and offline. Sites like Overstock, Domestications, and Brylane Home, and even Walgreens have these pillows for low prices.

I believe I paid around $24.99 on sale for my duo pack. The prices vary widely for the exact same pillow so definitely do your research and get the best price you can!

Conclusion

This is an average, inexpensive contour pillow for those who want to try the concept out or who don’t have any special needs. This pillow is too soft and flattens out so it isn’t good for my personal use but my son thinks it’s OK. However, like I said, he would sleep on a potato sack and think it was OK.

I give this pillow 3 stars. It’s a very average one among many fantastic ones out there but the price makes it a good buy for most people.

If you have any neck issues, please go for a better name and spend a bit more. It will make all the difference between relief and pain.

Other memory foam pillows I have reviewed:

Isotonic Memory Foam Pillow Standard Size

Isotonic Extra Loft Memory Foam Pillow

Body Form Memory Foam Travel Pillow - Softer Alternative To Tempur Pedic!

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