Customize Your Night’s Rest With Sleeping Organic’s Shredded Latex Pillow

I’m pretty particular about my pillows. They need to serve a specific purpose on my bed and do the job well, or they’re gone. Since I was a teenager, I’ve been partial to down pillows. And for the past decade or more, my usual set up has been a large, European-type square lean-against pillow with a standard size down pillow (also for leaning on, but mostly for sleeping on) in front. This has worked pretty well for me, but once in a while, it’s not ideal. Down pillows don’t always get the job done when you need a pillow that doesn’t go flat in the middle, or you need something with some structure to lean against.

I recently had the opportunity to try out a type of pillow I’d never slept on before, one filled with shredded latex. Sleeping Organic’s Shredded Latex Pillow is filled with little bits of 100% natural latex fluff. This lofty fluff is surrounded by a zippered pillow cover made of 100% soft brushed organic cotton. The fabric is thick, soft, and sturdy, much different from the outside of any pillow I’d ever seen, including the down ones I’ve drooled over in Europe. Also, the pillow comes in a storage/travel bag with a zipper on three sides and handles for easy carrying. The storage bag seems to be made of the same material as the outside of the pillow and is large enough to tuck a small blanket or stuffty inside along with your pillow.

The first thing I noticed about this pillow was how heavy it was. It was definitely heavy for its size. The next thing I noticed was its size. It was much larger than I expected. Which also speaks to just how heavy it was. The squishiness of the pillow was also very springy. It has a lot of bounce-back. You could almost use it as a trampoline for your action figures. Or your cat. But I digress.

At first I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to remove the pillow from the zippered/handled pouch, but when it wouldn’t fit in a pillow case with it on, I removed it from the pouch. I then still proceeded to wrestle with it for a good five minutes to get the pillow inside a standard size pillow case. It really filled it up. That sucker isn’t shifting around, falling out of its pillow case as I sleep, that’s for sure.

I did learn that you can remove some of the lofty fluff from the pillow if there is too much in there for you, but I wanted to first try it as-is for a couple of nights. (For those who have extra big pillow cases to accommodate an even larger pillow, you can also buy additional shredded latex to add in.) They aim for the pillows, as shipped, to have a medium-high loft. I would say that this one came that way, though I think it errs on the side of “high” instead of “medium.”

After a couple of nights using this pillow as my main pillow, putting my trusty down pillow to the side, I concluded that the default amount of fluff was too much for my body size. I mostly sleep on my side, and there was just too much loft between my head and the bed. Fortunately, removing some of the latex reduces the height of the pillow to whatever size I need. And I could use the removed fluff and make a small travel pillow! Bonus.

After several nights now using the pillow, I’ve decided that it’s a really nice pillow. I like it enough to replace my down pillow, at least some of the time. But, more importantly, the Sleeping Organic Shredded Latex Pillow fills another need in my bed pillow arrangement—it bridges the gap between my lean-against pillow and my down pillow. It works very well between the two, and by adding a mid-height pillow in that spot, I now have more positions in which to sleep or recline.

You know how occasionally you’ll get heartburn just as you’re falling asleep, or a bad cough, or allergies, and sleeping at an inclined angle is the way to go? Well, since we don’t all have Craftmatic Adjustable Beds, this can be done with pillows. But my two-pillow setup didn’t really work too well for that. Either I slouched too much or my head hit the wall. But with this latex pillow between the two, it’s perfect. Now I have a cascade of comfort and structure to support me while sleeping in a more unusual (for me) position.

There are definitely some advantages to this pillow over my down pillow.

One, this pillow is dependable. Where the down in my down pillow moves around a lot, the loft in this pillow mostly stays put, with some minor adjustments. If you do end up taking out some of the stuffing, it’s more likely to have a variable shape, but with all or most of the loft kept inside, you rarely need to shift anything around. No daily fluffing required.

Two, this pillow is versatile. Since you can easily add or remove stuffing, you can customize it to your liking or to your particular way of sleeping. It can be kept firm and bouncy, or made more baggy and loose.

Also, this pillow will be a great tool in fighting Sore Neck Syndrome. Occasionally I’ll sleep weird and then my neck is mildly to incredibly sore for anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Having a very supportive pillow, along with my considerably less supportive one, gives me options for recovery.

The Sleeping Organic Shredded Latex Pillow comes in three sizes: Standard, Queen, and King. The amount of fill depends on the size of the pillow, with the Standard coming with 4-5 pounds of fluff and the King with 7-8 pounds of fluff. You can purchase additional fill if your pillow isn’t quite lofty enough for you (but, seriously, they come well filled already), either 5 or 10 pounds extra. The pillow prices range from $99 to $129 and are well worth the money if this kind of pillow is to your liking.

A good mattress and good pillows are key to a good night’s sleep. We spend so much of our lives sleeping in bed, or even just working, doing social media, or lounging, that we deserve to be comfortable there. Your body will thank you for creating a resting environment suited to your needs.

The Sleeping Organic Shredded Latex Pillow has definitely earned a place on my side of the bed. I’ll be using it to lean against, sometimes to sleep on, sometimes to take on a trip (assuming there’s room in the car for this behemoth). I wish I’d had it when I was pregnant. It would have been a hip-saver.

Note: I received a sample for review purposes. Also, I don’t have a latex allergy.