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This Adjustable Pillow Is Why I’m Sleeping So Much Better
And it solves my biggest gripe with them, too.
I am someone who can sleep anywhere—on the subway, in the middle seat of a plane, in a quiet corner of a coffee shop, you name it. But I’m also someone who wakes up never feeling fully refreshed, bright-eyed, or bushy-tailed, and needing a double shot of espresso before I can begin my mornings.
I’ve spent years trying to perfect my sleep set-up—I sleep with smooth percale sheets, I keep my bedroom cool, I fill my diffuser with calming lavender essential oil, and I use blackout shades. Admittedly, I’m on my phone right up until I close my eyes (though my husband would say that I revenge-scroll through social media for a bit too long), but even then, I’m able to fall asleep within minutes. So I could never figure out why I wouldn’t wake up refreshed and ready to go—until I tried the Marlow pillow. Three months later, I'm still looking forward to sleeping with it every night.
The Marlow adjustable pillow is made by the same folks behind Brooklinen, one of my favorite bedding brands, so expectations were undeniably high. At first glance, it looks and feels like any other pillow—bouncy and supportive memory foam with a soft, sleek cover. But sleep on it for just one night and you’ll see all the little upgrades that make a big difference.
Like the breathability of the shredded memory foam, which I often find suffocating with other pillows and feels much more comfortable than a large slab. Or the cool sateen cover that feels exactly like my favorite set of Brooklinen sheets. But perhaps the biggest upgrade is the seamless adjustability. Instead of removing or adding clumps of shredded foam by hand (which inevitably get all over my floor), you just unzip or zip the two lengths of the pillow for a higher or lower loft (as in, the pillow height) based on your preferences and sleeping position. There’s no need to take out a few handfuls of foam, shove them in a bag (if you even have one nearby), fluff the pillow, lay down, and then repeat if it’s not comfortable enough. You literally just zip or unzip, that’s it. And the zippers have a short ribbon attached to them so they're easy to find and pull without any fuss. See what I mean by the little details making all the difference?
My husband sleeps on his back and prefers a firmer, lower pillow, so he slept with both zippers closed. I switch between sleeping on my back and side, so I slept with the zippers open for a higher loft when on my back and with the zippers closed for a lower loft when on my side. Being able to switch between positions without messing with bits of foam, without being uncomfortable overnight, and without getting a neck strain? A dream.
However, I find that I need to fluff the pillow every couple of nights to reshape it; the shredded memory foam doesn’t quite bounce back to its original form like a pillow that’s made with a large block of foam. It’s not a big deal but one that can make the pillow less comfortable if you skip it.
At around $50 each if you’re getting a pair of standard pillows, or $65 if you’re getting a pair of king-sized pillows, the price is comparable to other (read: more expensive) pillows I’ve slept on. In fact, investing in quality pillows has been the missing piece in my sleeping experience and has helped me wake up more refreshed and bright-eyed these past few months—finally. I’ll still gladly take my two shots of espresso though.
Written by: Jada Wong
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7 Comments
I ordered right after commenting above and shipment was nearly immediate, so very happy with speed of delivery.
No odor usually associated with foam items and it seems very well made. So, we will see if these last a bit longer than the down/feather pillows I've been buying, but off to a good start.
One note, I recently bought a new mattress which I've had for 5 weeks and that contributed to sleep quality also (Saatva Classic).
I was thinking this morning that there are some similarities between the mattress and pillow: the both feel soft with underlying firmness and support - to me.
Sweet dreams to both of us :) !!
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