The other day, I had the pleasure of meeting at my friend’s work, they are the manufacturers of these Better than Down memory foam down pillows. I’ve actually been looking for some new pillows, some down pillows. Why I still haven’t spent any money on them? Let’s just say I am just lazy and also frugal, I don’t want to spend too much money on expensive down pillows. Even though I love them, I don’t want to end up spending a lot because I will need at least 2 or 3 of them. I still use these Keetsa memory foam neck pillows, which are great but really, I wanted more “down” feel to my pillows like staying at a 5-star hotel. To my surprise, my visit to my friend’s work ended up that I got to review these Brookstone BioSense memory foam down pillows. They told me that these sell like hotcakes at the Brookstone retail stores. Well, I tried them, and you know what, they are the “best” down pillows I’ve tried. I have to emphasize “down” because even though they are not technically 100% down, it feels like one.
In fact, it feel like 2 or 3 down pillows put into one pillow. As you can see in the above image, the core of the pillow is actually memory foam with drilled/slotted holes (that help air flow through) while the outer casing consists of “down”. This one is the “Neck Pillow”, you can get it on Amazon for $69.95. Here, I took a short video while I tried it out: Sadly, I wasn’t able to talk my friend into getting me a free sample but definitely I will be buying them on Amazon or haggling my friend for the next 3 months. There’s actually 3 different models of these new Brookstone BioSense memory foam down pillows. The one pictured above is a “Shoulder” pillow that let you easily sleep on your side. I am a side-sleeping addict, you know I can even remember sleeping like that in my mother’s womb. This one is actually my favorite, you can get this on Amazon for $69.95. If you are a side-sleeping addict like me, I *highly* recommend this, I really love this pillow.
Here’s a video of the neck pillow: For those of you who enjoy “traditional” down pillows, I recommend this “classic” Better than down pillow, which is just a regular pillow shape, available on Amazon for $69.95. Here’s a video of the classic pillow: Memory foam pillow prices can be anything but a dream, so how do you know you're getting a good deal? According to the experts, a cheap memory foam pillow can offer just as much satisfaction as an expensive one. But when it comes to something as personal as sleep, some customers swear by their pricey pillows. Technically, "memory foam" is open-cell polyurethane-silicon plastic and is known for its "viscoelastic" properties. That means it’s super soft, absorbent and bounces back to its original shape after compression. First invented by NASA scientists in the 60's, the squishy material is found in shoes, motorcycle seats, helmets, wheelchair seats, mattresses and pillows—pillows in every imaginable shape and size: snuggle side pillows, dual sided, Euro style, arc shaped, side cut, anti-snoring.
There’s even a special memory foam pillow just for naps. And they cost anywhere from $20 to more than $200. One brand, Tempur-Pedic, sells their "GrandPillow" for a whopping $399. , an independent sleep product research site. A Consumer Reports buying guide found little difference between the high-end and low-end brands in terms of comfort, sleep and construction quality. That hasn't stopped some customers from shelling out big bucks to get their sweet dreams. Northern Virginia stay-at-home dad Brian Holoubek, who stands 6’6” tall, admits he got hooked 15 years ago on the entire foam system: bed, pillows and a knee pillow. “I have four different styles of memory pillows just for the guest room,” said Holoubek. Other sleepers have found they're just as happy with their pillows at lower price points. Jodi Helmer, a North Carolina-based writer, bought a cheap brand at first to see if she liked the firmness and contours. “It was a baby step before investing in a brand name pillow,” said Helmer.
She fell in love and stuck with the knock-off brand. “It’s great so I never traded up,” she added. Dr. Karen Erickson, a member of the American Chiropractic Association, urges consumers to think carefully about the postural effects. “The pillow has a lot to do with how you rest so choose a pillow that is designed to fit the way you sleep,” said Erickson. But some pillows don't seem to work no matter what the price. When Sara Lafe bought a memory foam pillow she hoped it would be a “cherry on top of a cloud-like sleeping experience.” After all, the health research scientist said, her memory foam mattress topper “changed my life,” so a similar pillow seemed like a no-brainer. Lafe spent around $40 on her first foam pillow and woke up with neck pain. She upgraded to a fancy, expensive brand but found it was just as uncomfortable. Nowadays, she says, "I just move the pillow and sleep straight on the mattress.” Molly Blake is a California-based freelance writer.
Brookstone® BioSense® Memory Foam 2-in-1 Shoulder Pillow with Better Than Down® Cover The Brookstone BioSense Memory Foam 2-in-1 Shoulder Pillow with Better Than Down Cover is great for side sleepers Antimicrobial protection helps keep your pillow cover clean and fresh night after night Memory foam core delivers custom, pressure-relieving support for your head and neck Ventilated core lets air flow through the pillow, adapting to your body temperature for comfort and support that feels just right Memory foam Measures 10" W x 28" L x 6" H Inner cover: 100% polyester Outer cover: 85% polyester/15% nylon Satin piping 1" gusset Machine washable ImportedFoam doesn't hold up well when it gets wet. It starts getting crumbly and brittle. Think how a kitchen sponge gets after too many uses. There are a lot of air cells in memory foam. Water can get into those cells and mess up the structure. It's recommended to use a waterproof mattress protector over the mattress and any memory foam topper you might have.
The warnings against getting the topper wet doesn't apply to just the washing machine. That also applies to perspiration, drinks, or any other "wet spots" that might occur. This will damage the memory foam. That's why you should use the protector and wash that. /reas...NASA -style Memory Foam.Sponge Memory Foam.Nonflammable Sponge Memory FoamGel Sponge Memory Foam NASA-style Memory FoamSponge Memory Foam Nonflammable Sponge Memory FoamGel Sponge Memory FoamMemory foam is a soft urethane foam engineered to spring back more slowly than regular foam allowing it to conform to things resting on it. There is a temperature component to the conforming property so it conforms better to warm surfaces. There are numerous problems with washing the material. It is an open cell foam so all of the cells connect allowing the material to become saturated. Water, at 64 lbs/cu ft, inside this matrix can make it too heavy to pick up. I imagine the spin cycle on your washer could destroy the machine before it can remove enough moisture.
Trying to remove it wet may also tear the foam. Any treatments that were applied to the foam will be reduced or removed. Should you make it through the wash the dry cycle can be equally destructive. If you have one of the gel foam pads the gel component can not stand up to high heat like the foam can. If you compromise the gel cells the comfort level of the foam can go down drastically.If,as you say, the pad has already absorbed enough to be verging on disgusting then you have nothing to lose in the attempt if you monitor your washer and are prepared to shut it off quickly. Some sort of wringer and the hanging it out might be a better choice than a dryer. As far as what else you can do, we have found that a thin high quality mattress cover can keep the topper relatively clean to increase its useful life. Good luck and be sure to video. Memory foam has an open cell structure. When you wash it the water gets in to all the little holes and doesn't dry. It takes a long time for it to dry out and in the time it takes mold and other things can start growing.