What to Consider When Choosing the Best Bamboo Pillow
Despite being labeled a bamboo pillow, there is very little bamboo in the filling or pad. The name for this pillow comes from the bamboo fibers woven into the pillow’s cover material, which may be a bamboo blend in some pillows. The interior is filled with foam, which is the source of the pillow’s comfort.
When it comes to sleep, personal preference plays a big part in pillow selection, with the ideal support, size, and loft of a pillow varying between individuals. In the search for the best bamboo pillow, look for one that provides proper support and alignment for the head, neck, and shoulders to give muscles some time to relax.
Size
The unique feature of bamboo pillows is they are not one size fits all. Bamboo pillows are a bit more specialized than standard options. However, most rectangular-shaped bamboo pillows still fit within the dimensions of standard pillowcases. The size of the bamboo pillow should match the proportions of the bed, making it easier to determine which size is needed. Bamboo pillows come in a range of measurements that do not adhere to an industry-standard, so they vary within a few inches of regular pillow sizes.
Each manufacturer creates bamboo pillow sizes based on comfort instead of measurement parameters, so they may be wider than standard pillows. The unique feature of many bamboo pillows is that they are customizable to fit each individual’s body and preferred sleep position. The loft (or height) of a pillow can be adjusted in many bamboo pillows, making them thinner or thicker which may affect the overall size. The loft also depends on the type of fill used inside.
The size of a bamboo pillow may depend on its purpose. Larger wedge-shaped bamboo pillows are oversize and don’t adhere to standard sizing. Cylinder-shaped bamboo pillows won’t fit standard rectangular pillowcases.
Fill
A pillow’s loft depends on the type of fill used. Air pockets within the filling give it extra height but compress easily when the weight hits the pillow for the right sleep support. Most bamboo pillows use memory foam- a dense, hefty fill designed to cradle the head and neck. Memory foam is strong and easy to shape because it’s malleable, giving sleepers individualized comfort and conformity. The biggest perk of memory foam is that it self-adjusts for each person’s unique shape and moves with them as they sleep.
Bamboo pillows typically use shredded memory foam or shredded memory-foam blends. However, some pillows, such as wedge-shaped models, use solid memory-foam cushions. The shapeable filling gives comfort to all sleeping positions. Pairing memory-foam fill with a bamboo cover creates a cooler sleeping surface than when memory foam is on its own.