home for your
A place to lay
your head
The proper pillow
is an investment
in your health
By Karen Haywood Queen
SOFT OR FIRM; feather, foam or down: How
do you choose the best pillow? If you wake up
with a sore neck and back, if your pillow is so
flat you have to bend it, if your last pillow
came from the bargain bin, you may need a
new pillow.
First, the job of a pillow is to support your
head, neck and back, pillow experts say. A better pillow can mean a better night’s sleep. You
can spend $5, $100 or in between. A good pillow might last for up to 20 years, while a less
expensive pillow may need to be replaced after
three years. Keep in mind, you’re investing not
only in a good night’s sleep, but also in your
health, as national studies have linked poor
sleep to a variety of health issues.
A proper pillow isn’t always the largest one
on the shelf. “The average consumer views big-
ger as better,” says Beth Mack, chief merchan-
dising officer for Hollander Home Fashions in
Boca Raton, Florida. “A pillow can be very
large and fluffy and not be correct for the type
of sleeper you are.”
How you sleep helps determine the best
pillow. About 70 percent of people sleep on
their sides, 20 percent are primarily back
sleepers and 10 percent are stomach sleepers,
says Mack, a Costco member.
A side sleeper requires the most support
and an extra-firm pillow, while a back sleeper
can go for a medium-firm to firm pillow and
a stomach sleeper might opt for a medium-density, flatter pillow, she says. Since more
people are side sleepers, a firm pillow is a
good choice for a guest room, she adds.
“If you talk to people, you’ll hear them say,
‘I bend my pillow in half to double it up,’”
Mack says. “They’re so used to buying a pillow
and bending it. The truth is, the pillow is not
providing enough support.”
If you have allergies, you’ll want to get a
hypoallergenic pillow. While all synthetic fills
The Costco Connection
Costco and Costco.com carry a variety of
pillow types, including down, memory foam,
latex and allergy-free head and body pillows.
are allergen free, you can also get down and
feather pillows rated hypoallergenic. Linda
Howard, vice president of sales for Pacific
Coast Feather, notes, “There are a lot of con-
sumers who feel they are allergic to down and
feathers when in fact they are allergic to
improperly washed down and feathers.”
A memory foam pillow will mold itself to
the contours of your body. Open-cell mem-
ory foam pillows are designed to keep air
flowing. “A lot of people, as they’re sleeping,
find their pillow gets hot,” says Maria
Sigmond, director of product development
for Sleep Innovations in West Long Branch,
New Jersey. “We get great feedback from our
Buyer’s
pıck
Shannon Axthelm
Small Electrics
Buyer
YOU KNOW IT’S a good vacuum when
you can say, “This really sucks.” I’m
always amazed and horrified when I see
the dirt in my Dyson DC33 Multi Floor
Plus Upright Vacuum Cleaner’s removable bin. Amazed at the powerful suction
that pulled it all up, and horrified that
there was so much to begin with.
My 6-year-old daughter had friends
MEDIA BAKERY
customers that they don’t feel hot on [open-
cell memory foam] pillows.”
Taking care of your pillow is important to
extend its life span, Howard says. “You defi-
nitely want to protect it from oils and dirt,”
she adds. To wash or not to wash? Check the
tag. In most cases, a pillow that can withstand
washing is higher quality, Howard says: “The
stitching will be more durable. The fill will be
good so it can withstand washing.” (Due to
the material it is made from, “memory foam
cannot be washed,” Sigmond notes.)
Whether or not your pillow is washable,
you can extend its life with zippered pillow
protectors in addition to pillowcases.
Take time when buying your pillow,
Sigmond says: “People’s tastes in pillows vary
greatly—it’s a very personal decision.” C
Karen Haywood Queen is a freelance writer
who covers home and health issues.
over one day and left tons of crumbs in
my sofa. The Dyson picked up so many
I could have fed my friends as well.
This bagless vacuum works for every
floor type, with a wand that extends 15. 7
feet for high-reach cleaning. Its washable
HEPA filter traps microscopic allergens
and lasts a lifetime.
The Costco model includes two additional accessories for added value: the
Dyson Mini Turbine Tool, with an air-driven brush bar that removes dust, dirt
and pet hair from tight spaces, and an
extra HEPA filter.
Why an extra filter when the first
one is a “lifetime” one? Axthelm’s Law:
As soon as you wash out the first one, an
emergency cleanup will be needed. C
