Key takeaways
- Loft is the height of a pillow. The right loft depends on your body, your sleeping position and your mattress, so one fixed height rarely fits everyone.
- With the Yourzzz pillow you order first. After delivery, a calculator tells you how much filling to remove from the pillow you received.
- An adjustable pillow supports your neck and head in a better-fitting position. It is not a treatment for pain, and persistent symptoms belong with a healthcare provider.
What is an adjustable loft pillow?
Loft describes how high a pillow sits under your head once you lie on it. Most pillows are sold at one loft: you get what the manufacturer made, and you hope it suits you. An adjustable loft pillow is made differently. The filling is not sealed in place, so you can take some out to make the pillow lower and softer, or add some to make it higher.
Our founders at United Comfort Industries have made pillows since 1990. Pillow sizing reminds Thijs van der Hilst, the Dutch physiotherapist who developed our algorithm, of shoe sizing: a store that sells one size rarely has yours. You would not wear shoes a size too small, and the same logic applies to a pillow that is a size too high.
Why does pillow height matter?
When you lie down, your head, neck and shoulders need to stay in a comfortable line with the rest of your spine. A pillow that is too high pushes your head up and to the side. A pillow that is too low lets your head drop toward the mattress. Either way there is a gap or a bend between your shoulder, neck and the mattress, and the pillow is supposed to fill that space.
Three things decide how much space there is to fill:
- Your body. Broader shoulders and a longer neck usually mean more distance between your head and the mattress.
- Your sleeping position. Side sleepers have the largest gap, because the shoulder holds the body up and the head hangs beside it. Back sleepers have a smaller gap. Stomach sleepers have the smallest, and a high pillow forces the neck to bend back.
- Your mattress. On a soft mattress your shoulder and hips sink in, which reduces the gap. On a firm mattress they stay higher, so the gap is larger.
Because these three factors combine differently for every person, a single fixed loft is a guess. For more on positions, see our page on the sleeping position that fits you.
What can a pillow do, and what can it not do?
A pillow that fits gives your head and neck steady support while you sleep. That is the extent of what we claim. We do not say that an adjustable pillow cures neck pain, stops headaches or fixes snoring, and we do not say it removes the cause of stiffness. Waking up stiff can come from your mattress, your sleeping position, stress, an old injury or a medical condition.
If you have pain that lasts, numbness or tingling in your arms or hands, or pain after an injury, see a healthcare provider. A pillow is not a substitute for that. If your sleep is poor for other reasons, our sleep guide covers the basics beyond the pillow.
How is the Yourzzz pillow adjusted?
The Yourzzz pillow is filled with premium memory foam flakes and polyester fibers. Removing filling makes it lower and softer. The inner cover is polyester with a memory foam sheet, with one firmer side and one softer side, so you can also choose which side you sleep on.
This is a different approach from picking a size and hoping it is right. You order the pillow first, and the adjusting happens at home, with your own pillow in front of you.
- Order the pillow. One pillow, one size. You do not choose a height at checkout.
- Use the calculator once it arrives. On the calculator page you enter four things: your height in inches, your weight in pounds, your sleeping position (side, back or stomach) and your mattress firmness (soft, medium or firm).
- Take out the recommended filling. The calculator tells you how much to remove and shows the final weight of the pillow. A kitchen scale is the easiest way to measure it. Without a scale, a 200 ml (6.8 fl oz) glass holds about 50 g (1.8 oz) of filling.
- Keep the extra filling. Put it in the storage bag that comes with the pillow. If your mattress, your weight or your sleeping position changes, you can adjust the pillow again. The bag also works for traveling with the pillow.
The algorithm behind the calculator was developed by Thijs van der Hilst. If you remove too much, you can order extra filling separately to make the pillow higher again.
What are the Yourzzz pillow details?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | $89 per pillow; buy 2 and get 10% off |
| Shipping | Free on all orders |
| Pillow size | about 25 x 17 in (64 x 44 cm); fits a standard US pillowcase (20 x 26 in) |
| Filling | Premium memory foam flakes and polyester fibers |
| Inner cover | Polyester with a memory foam sheet; one firmer side, one softer side |
| Outer cover | Tencel and polyester blend, removable, machine washable at 40°C (104°F) |
| Not washable | Inner cover and filling |
| Trial | 100 nights |
| Warranty | 5 years on material and production faults |
| Made in | The Netherlands |
Care is simple. Wash the outer cover as often as you wash your bedding. The inner cover and the filling cannot be washed. For hygiene, replace the pillow after 5 years at most. Some people replace theirs every 3 years.
What if the pillow does not suit me?
You have 100 nights to decide. If you are not satisfied, you can return the pillow. There is no prepaid label, so return shipping is at your expense, and you include the return form in the package. The refund goes to your original payment method 5 to 7 business days after we receive the return.
The 5-year warranty covers material and production faults. It does not cover normal wear or changes in firmness over time. You can read more answers on our FAQ page, or see the Yourzzz pillow page for the product itself.
Who is an adjustable loft pillow for?
It suits you if you have tried pillows that were too high or too flat, if you sleep in more than one position, or if you share a bed with someone who needs a different height. It also suits you if you plan to change your mattress, because you can adjust the pillow again afterward.
It is less suited to people who want a pillow that never needs any attention. Adjusting takes a kitchen scale and a little patience on the first night. It is also not the right answer to a medical problem, and we will not tell you otherwise.
Ready to try it?
Order the Yourzzz pillow for $89, with free shipping, and use it for up to 100 nights. Order the Yourzzz pillow.
After delivery
Once your pillow has arrived, open the calculator, enter your height, weight, sleeping position and mattress firmness, and it tells you how much filling to remove from the pillow you received.