Method

There are four key factors we established as our keys to analyzing pillows and our pillow review method: support, durability, comfort, and value. Besides these factors, we also analyze the order process, delivery time, unboxing experience, and the return experience. We attempt to make all conclusions through quantitative methods to minimize opinion based reviews, so you can pick the perfect pillow for yourself. We just do the heavy lifting as far as analyzing each pillow.

We use tools and instruments more than subjective human thoughts to minimize outside factors like emotions and personal preference affecting our analysis, giving you the best possible review that is comparable across different pillows. At the end of the analysis, we determine a value based on the numbers that will correspond to a report card letter grade for ease of readability. Unlike all other review sites, our grades/ratings are dynamic. What does that mean? Well, when we establish a value for each pillow we test, we can easily compare values against each other and the overall grade can change in the future. This means no review is ever “stale”.

Method of Analysis and Review Steps

Support

We look at head and neck angle while in the three standard sleeping positions (side, back, and stomach). This is the most important factor when it comes to pillows because it dictates sleep quality and comfort. To do this analysis, we use an anatomical head that weighs the same as the average human’s (4.5kg) and it is placed in several positions across the pillow to analyze the support the pillow offers the head/neck and the alignment of the head, neck, and spine.

Durability

We dive deep into each material used in the pillow. The two main aspects of every pillow: cover and inner material. Regarding the cover, we test for pilling resistance, tear/abrasion resistance, washability, stitch quality, and zipper strength (if applicable).

Pilling resistance is dependent on both the tear/abrasion and wash testing. We subject the pillow to repeated movements to mimic years of a head moving on the surface of the pillow. After this, we subject the cover to five wash cycles (according to the care label instructions). With this done, we determine stitch quality by looking for any separation or weak seams.

For the inner material, the repeated movements we initially did with the cover in place tests the durability through wear. We will be able to see how well the inner material held up and if it continues to provide the support a sleeper needs. The only thing we can’t truly test is the longevity of the inner material based on aging and air exposure.

Comfort

For comfort, we test the firmness that can be experienced (See our firmness scale). Additionally, with the combination of support, we can help determine the comfort that a person may experience in each major sleeping position.

Value

We can’t simply just look at the price. Price only shows what you are paying, not what you are paying for and the value you are receiving. Therefore, we use a formula that combines our other factors to determine the true value of the pillow. As the old saying goes, “cheap isn’t good, and good isn’t cheap.” We are here to determine the true value of the product.

 

Review Steps

• Order Process and Delivery
• Unboxing
• Initial Thoughts (smell, feel)*
• In-Depth Analysis
• Return Process
• Finalize Analysis, Calculate Pillow Report Grade, and Re-index Pillow Grades

* Subjective or opinions are present and will be noted.