How to Pick The Perfect Pillow: Essentia Pillow Guide 2022

We tend to not think about things unless something changes our daily routine. For instance, if you recently got in a car accident, then you need a new car. If you were promoted to a new job in another city, then it’s time to find a new home. And if you just got married, you’re going to need a queen-sized bed to start that family. From consumable goods to major purchases, our decision-making habits are defined by our awareness. Once aware, the process begins and now you seek information to make your best decision.  

When it comes to getting your best night’s sleep, it’s not just about the mattress that you sleep on. Selecting the perfect pillow, eliminating harmful indoor stimulants, reducing sleep interruption, and creating good sleeping habits that have a direct correlation with deep restorative sleep for a healthy mind and body. Your health is the biggest investment for longevity, and it all starts with getting quality sleep and staying in the REM and DEEP sleep cycles to allow natural healing and growth. 

Finding your perfect pillow is almost as difficult as finding the perfect mattress, and in all honestly most pillows won’t feel perfect unless you are sleeping on a great mattress. Here at Essentia, we pride ourselves on offering amazing organic mattresses and great natural memory foam pillows that will support your neck and head so you can truly experience next level sleep. 

COMMON TYPES OF PILLOW FILLS 

Did you know foam, down and polyester pillows have an average 1-2 year lifespan? Latex pillows have the longest lifespan with 3-4 years and polyester has the shortest with some being replaced in 6 months. Organic latex pillows are non-toxic, allergy-friendly, reduce exposure to stimulants, and are considered the healthiest pillows on the market. Polyester pillows are the most affordable and provide the least benefits for quality sleep. These pillows also provide a nesting ground for mites and bed bugs which leads to other health complications.

1. LATEX – Squishy feel with the quick rebound, organic, non-toxic.  Comes as as one piece or shredded material. 
2. BUCKWHEAT – made from the outer shell of buckwheat kernels. 5-10lbs to fill a standard pillow. Good airflow but heavier, firmer feel, and noisy when shifting positions.
3. FEATHER – Most expensive and often confused with down.  Must be 100% pure white goose and no down fill. May cause allergic reactions and is not supportive enough for heavy sleepers.
4. DOWN FILL – fluffy clusters pulled from underbellies of geese and ducks for loft, and breathability. Lightweight absorbs less body heat, and requires more frequent fluffing.
5. MEMORY FOAM – Made with polyurethane and known for emitting a strong odor and off-gassing smell.
6. COTTON – Readily available and can be found mixed with organic or shredded polyester. Firmer than poly fills and average priced but tends to clump over time. Can also be a nesting ground for dust mites.

ESSENTIA ORGANIC PILLOW STYLES

The most important aspect of picking your pillow is taking into account your sleep position. The pillow you choose should support your sleeping position by ensuring your head, neck and spine remain in neutral alignment. This helps to alleviate neck pain and relieves pressure down your body. Here we will break down each Essentia pillow and how compatible it is with different sleeping styles. 

Here at Essentia, we make all of our pillows in our GOLS and GOTS certified organic factory and use GOLS certified organic latex and GOTS certified organic cotton covers. The result is ultimate pressure-relieving organic pillows that sleep cool. We have 2 categories or styles of pillows: Loose Fill Pillows and Molded Pillows. 

Essentia Loose Fill pillows are filled with our Comfort Mix which is a shredded blend of our proprietary patented natural memory foam and latex foams. Our loose-fill pillows tend to be more adaptable to all sleeping styles. 

Our second pillow style is our Individually Molded pillows. These pillows are made entirely of our patented natural memory foam and are individually molded by hand. As they are made of our patented natural memory foam these pillows are dense and based on the pillow shape can range from soft to firm feels based on sleeping style.     

WHAT TYPE OF PILLOW DO YOU NEED BASED ON YOUR SLEEPING STYLE? 

BACK SLEEPERS       

If you are a back sleeper, a pillow that offers a medium height and medium or adjustable feel will be the best for your sleep style. You don’t want a pillow that will be too high so your head will be pushed up too much, but you also do not want a pillow that feels like you are lying flat with no support for your neck arch. The best pillow for back sleepers is a medium feel which is also important to ensure you are supported properly without the pillow flattening as your sleep. Pressure relief is also extremely important to ensure your head and neck are comfortably cradled while also keeping proper spinal alignment. If you are a combination sleeper that always ends up on your back, a pillow that allows some customizable support would also be a big advantage for you. 

SIDE SLEEPERS     

Side sleepers need a higher and firmer pillow to ensure proper spinal alignment. A pillow that is loftier will help to relieve pressure on your shoulder and evenly distribute your body’s weight. You don’t want your shoulder to feel like it is digging too much into your mattress, which may be a sign that you need a taller pillow. Firmer support is also important to ensure your head won’t sink down which can lead to a crooked neck and pain. If you find it hard to get used to a firmer pillow that is not moldable, you can consider a pillow that can be fluffed up to be taller. 

STOMACH SLEEPERS 

This can be the trickiest of all sleeping styles to match with the perfect pillow. Essentially, stomach sleepers require a very thin pillow to ensure proper spinal alignment as you don’t want your head and neck to be pushed up while sleeping. This also means a pillow with soft support can help to ensure your head is not too propped up as it would be with a firmer pillow. Again, this is another situation where an adjustable fill would be beneficial. 

Now that we have assessed what kind of pillow you should be looking for based on your sleep style, we’re going to give you a brief overview of each Essentia pillow and the sleeping styles that we recommend for each. 

ESSENTIA PILLOW GUIDE 2021

COMFORT PILLOW            

This is a Loose Fill pillow, and our only pillow model available in both queen and king size. The Comfort pillow is fluffy while still being supportive. Filled with our Comfort Mix of shredded natural memory foam and proprietary latex foams, the Comfort pillow allows you to poof it up to make it loftier for side sleeping and also being smoothed out to be thinner for back and stomach sleeping. Unlike a feather pillow, the Comfort pillow does keep its structure making it soft but not overly so. This is a great option for the stomach, back, and side sleepers and is more reminiscent of a traditional pillow shape.           

ERGONOMIC PILLOW      

This Individually Molded pillow is for someone looking for more pronounced neck support, the Ergonomic’s S shape design offers just that. Made entirely of our natural memory foam this dense pillow is specifically designed to support the curve of your neck. This specific s-shape is the most recommended by chiropractors and the dense pillow is a medium feel. If you are looking specifically for neck support this is the one for you. Ideal for side and back sleepers.

CLASSIC PILLOW   

Don’t let the look fool you, this is no traditional pillow… the Classic pillow is another Individually Molded pillow, perfect for someone looking for more cradling head and neck support without any set or a specific shape. Made entirely of our natural memory foam this hefty pillow will gently mold to your head and neck offering support with a medium to a soft touch. We recommend it for side and back sleepers.

FORMA SPA PILLOW

Built with dedicated side sleepers in mind our Forma Spa pillow is a lofty Individually Molded pillow. Made entirely of our natural memory foam this dense pillow is the tallest pillow we offer and the shape also leads it to have a firmer feel. The Forma Spa memory foam pillow is about 5 inches in height making it ideal for head, neck, and shoulder support for someone that truly enjoys sleeping on their side. The ribbed texture offers soft, ventilated comfort. While we do recommend this pillow to dedicated side sleepers it can also be used by back sleepers who are taller or have more space between their neck and shoulders so that they don’t feel propped up too much at night.

SOFI PILLOW

Made entirely of natural latex foam, the Sofi pillow is lighter and less dense than our other Individually Molded pillows. The Sofi features our most delicate organic latex formula to adapt to a small neck arch support. It’s just enough pillow for those who almost prefer not having a pillow. This low-profile pillow is perfect for stomach sleepers, and for a back sleeper who prefers a thinner pillow, the Sofi will offer just enough support on your back.

BODY PILLOWS         

Bonus for someone looking for the ultimate in full-body, neck and back, support we offer 2 Body Pillow shapes. Our Body Pillow and Wholebody Pillow are both loose-fill pillows that can be used in bed or as maternity pillows, breastfeeding pillows, knee wedge pillows and fits a variety of sleeping styles. 

The Body Pillow filled with our Comfort Mix is the perfect companion for side sleepers. The Essentia Body Pillow proprietary mix of foams responds to the shape and pressure of your body to provide support where you need it while also staying breathable and sleeping cool. The perfect shape to offer head and neck support, as well as a great wedge for the knees. The Body pillow also allows for a range of sleeping positions as you can switch to your other side when not using the long end as a knee wedge and get more back support.

The Wholebody Pillow is a large, U-shaped body pillow that is designed to support your entire body. Our Wholebody, filled with our Comfort Mix, will not bottom out but rather continually adapt to your movements ensuring you always feel the cradling comfort on your neck and back. This u-shaped body pillow has you supported on three sides: a pillow to hug and position under your knees, a comfort pillow for your head and neck, and snug support for your lower back and to prevent tossing and turning.

All Essentia pillows are made using only natural and organic components to not introduce stimulants to your environment for a healthy, non-toxic pillow to add to your sleep sanctuary. Our pillows are also hypoallergenic as you won’t find any wool or fiber that can be nesting grounds for dust mites, in fact, dust mites and critters cannot burrow into our organic latex pillows. 

All Essentia pillows come with a 1-year warranty. Given the personal nature of these products, pillows are not returnable, we only accept returns if the item is damaged at delivery or if there is a product defect.