Are memory foam pillows good?

What is a memory foam pillow?

Firstly, memory foam is a type of polyurethane foam that has been combined with chemicals to make it viscose, and elastic. This means it can slowly contour to your body when pressure is applied, and then regain its shape slowly once the pressure has been removed. This characteristic of memory foam is also why it's called viscoelastic foam.

Memory foam pillows are made using memory foam. It's important to note that there are multiple types of memory foam, and memory foam can be combined with other types of foams, or gels which has resulted in the hundreds of memory foam pillows in the market.

Traditional memory foam

Was first introduced within pillows in 1992, and made of a dense, closed cell structure which is characterised as making sleepers feel hot. This type of memory foam is great for insulation as it keeps heat in, is strong, and is often used to insulate walls due to it's water resistant design. While it's great for buildings, companies have slowly seen that traditional memory foam is not great for sleep products due to the heat.

Open cell memory foam

Is the softer version of memory foam as it has air pockets throughout making it less dense, and better for air flow. This type of memory foam is often described as spongey, and soft to touch. While it is more affordable than traditional memory foam, and better for pillows, you must take note of the density of the foam which gives an indication of how durable the product is.

Gel infused memory foam

Is open cell memory foam that has been infused with gel for the purpose of better breathability, and cooling qualities.

How to use a memory foam pillow?

Memory foam pillows come in many different designs, and often is designed with a curve. This is due to most memory foam pillows being designed for side or back sleepers. It is not recommended that stomach sleepers use contoured memory foam pillows as it will not provide you the support to your spine required since the contours were designed for the back of the head. However not all memory foam pillows are contour pillows. A great example is the Koala Pillow which can be used by all type of sleepers, and is made of gel infused, open cell memory foam for optimal support while you sleep!

How to clean a memory foam pillow?

It is highly recommended to not machine wash memory foam as it has a high likelihood to destroy the foam. you should always follow the care instructions that come with your pillow as these have been provided based off testing by the manufacturers. Normally, you can remove the pillow cover, and wash it if there are any surface stains. To clean the foam, you should be able to run it under slow, cool water without use of detergents to try remove any moisture that may have been absorbed. Then to dry, keep it elevated, and out of direct sunlight for a few hours.

So which Koala Pillow is right for me?

We currently have 3 amazing pillow options available at Koala. Take this short quiz to find out which one is for you: The Cloudy Pillow, The Koala Pillow or The Breeze Pillow!