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Microbead
Pillow Review and Analysis
Pros
Contoured support, good air flow, softer than buckwheat pillow
Cons
Some off gassing, durability questionable
What is a Microbead Pillow?
A microbead pillow is filled with round polystyrene beads called
"microbeads," a small version of what is usually found
in bean bags. The outer fabric of the pillow is usually made
of nylon lycra/spandex, a soft and elastic material.
Below,
the pillow is evaluated for each characteristic on a scale of
one to ten. One means the pillow does not have the characteristic,
and 10 means it fully has the characteristic.
Firm
Microbead pillows have medium to high firmness, resulting in
good supportiveness. This firmness may result in some people
finding the pillow uncomfortable for their head or ears. The
microbead pillow has a small amount of fluffiness, but this
fluffiness tends to decrease as the pillow ages.
Score: 8 out of 10
Contouring Support
A microbead pillow instantly conforms to the head and neck area
resulting in even distribution and proper support. And, typically,
a microbead pillow maintains this support and won’t sink
significantly during the night. However, some manual adjustment
using one's hand may be needed to achieve the desired conforming
shape.
The ability to maintain their conforming support throughout
the night is the reason many people claim that microbead pillows
provide relief from neck and back pain, headaches, snoring,
muscle tension, TMJ syndrome, and sleeplessness.
Score: 7 out of 10
Adjustable Height and
Firmness
The pillow is not designed to be adjusted for loft and firmness.
In other words, you cannot add or remove the microbeads inside.
However, you can remove the spandex casing and use a traditional
pillow case to lower the loft and firmness.
Score: 3 out of 10
Good for Back Sleeping
They are good for back sleepers because of its conformability.
However, they may be too high for some.
Score: 7 out of 10
Good for Side Sleeping
They are excellent for side sleepers because of their loft and
contouring support.
Score: 10 out of 10
Good for Stomach Sleeping
The pillows tend to have too much loft and firmness to be good
for stomach sleepers.
Score: 2 out of 10
Quiet
The pillow is fairly quiet.
Score: 7 out of 10
Air Flow
Because the microbeads are spherical, they allow air to circulate
around them, which makes the pillow a poor insulator. This can
be good or bad depending on your preferences. If you like your
pillow to be close to room temperature, then you’re in
luck. However, if you like your pillow to act like a down or
foam pillow and get toasty warm by absorbing heat from your
body, then you’re out of luck.
Also, because air circulates through the pillow, moisture or
sweat will evaporate quickly, leaving the pillow dry and not
clammy.
It should be noted that regular use of the pillow will result
in increasingly compacted microbeads which will decrease air
circulation throughout the pillow.
Score: 8 out of 10
Light Weight
The pillow weights typically no more than one or two pounds.
Score: 7 out of 10
No Smell
The pillow can give off a chemical or plastic-like odor (off
gassing) due to the manufacturing and / or packaging process.
The odor often wears off after a few days or weeks. Consequently,
a microbead pillow may not be the best choice if you need a
pillow to sleep on immediately and do not have time to let it
off gas before use.
Score: 4 out of 10
Hypoallergenic
The pillows are naturally hypoallergenic and resist the growth
of mold, mildew and bacteria. They are likely as susceptible
to dust mites as other fibrous pillows. (The droppings of dust
mites, if case you don’t know, can cause allergies.)
Score: 8 out of 10
Durable
A significant number of owners report that microbeads can leak
out of the case. As the pillow ages, leakage may become more
likely.
Score: 5 out of 10
Easy To Care For
The pillows never need to be fluffed or shaken. According to
some manufacturers, the pillows can be gently machine washed.
However, many owners report the pillow being effectively destroyed
by doing so.
Score: 7 out of 10
Price
They tend to be mostly moderately priced.
Score: 7 out of 10
Value
Given their questionable durability, their value is a question.
Score: 5 out of 10
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