Here I have one of the most unique pillows to talk about, Purple Pillow. The most breathable pillow on the market.
You may have heard of Purple mattresses before, which come with the purple grid. It’s a patented, one of a kind gel like layer that comes in many of Purple’s products.
It’s my job to show you if this pillow is going to be the right pillow for you.
In this article I’ll go over the Purple Pillow’s construction, how it feels, who it’s good for, who it’s not so good for, and then at the end of the article I’ll answer some frequently asked questions.
Table of Contents
Construction
If you’re used to using a traditional down or memory foam pillow, this Purple Pillow would be unlike anything you’ve ever used before.
The construction of this pillow is what makes it stand out, setting it apart from any other pillow on the market.
Let’s start with the moisture wicking cover.
This is a breathable nylon spandex pillow cover. It’s light, stretchy and soft to the touch and does a nice job protecting the insert without insulating any body heat.
On the back side there is a u-shaped zipper that when opened up reveals two foam boosters and the unique purple grid.
The purple grid or smart grid is made from a hyper elastic polymer material that’s been molded into hundreds of tiny webbed triangles.
This polymer material is hypoallergenic, it’s CertiPUR-US and Clean Air GOLD certified, so it’s safe, it’s free of any of those harsh chemicals and it’s perfect for you and your family to use.
I’s obvious how unusual this grid design is, but it’s for good reason. Inside each triangle cutout is a hole that you can literally stick your finger all the way through. This design is made for optimal airflow and breathability so you will never overheat using this pillow.
The grid is about three inches thick and compresses about half an inch when pressure is applied.
Lastly the foam boosters can be used to adjust the height of the pillow. Depending on your body size and your sleeping position, you can add or remove these boosters to get you to your most comfortable loft.
Feel
Starting with the cover, it’s similar to the feel of an athletic jersey that you may have had as a kid. So you know it’ll be comfortable and it’ll feel soft to the touch.
It won’t trap any heat or make you feel sweaty.
When you completely press into the material, you can hear and feel the air whoosh through the grid. Similar to squeezing a rubber duck, but without the squeaky annoying sound.
This may sound strange, but the grid feels both squishy and firm at the same time. When you apply as much pressure as possible, you sink right through easily.
But if you were to just lie your head down, you would feel firmly propped up with not much give.
Sleep Positions
The Purple Pillow will feel differently based on your sleeping position. It is definitely not a one size fits all product.
that being said, this pillow does do a great job accommodating various sleeping needs like loft, thanks to those adjustable height options.
Bottom line, what you need in a pillow, in your most comfortable sleeping position, will your spine be properly aligned.
Let’s start with back sleepers.
Back sleepers of the world what you need is a medium loft pillow that will properly support your neck. This pillow does just that.
I recommend the Purple Pillow for back sleepers of all body types and sizes since the grid will cradle your head and provide amazing contouring support for your neck.
Purple actually specifically designed the grid to be firmer around the edges and soft in the center to accommodate your head and neck.
Side sleepers, you’re up next.
The three inch purple grid will not be lofty enough for you to properly keep your neck head and spine in alignment.
most side sleepers will notice that their head tilts down on this pillow, which puts a lot of pressure on your shoulders.
I’d say light to average weight sleepers would need to put both boosters into this pillow to stay lifted enough.
If you are on the larger side or have broad shoulders, you might want to opt for a loftier pillow in general.
But if you’re dead set on the purple grid, and want to try this pillow out, you can purchase additional boosters on Purple’s website.
Lastly stomach sleepers.
Unless you have a petite body frame. I would recommend this pillow for you, but just only using the purple grid inside, not any of those additional boosters because what you need is a low loft pillow that won’t overly contort your neck.
When you lie down your face will slightly conform to the grid and you’ll feel the surface
responding to your pressure keeping you buoyant on the surface, but it won’t compress too much.
If you’re an average to heavy weight body type and you can handle the three inch loft, I think you’ll really enjoy this option a lot.
Lastly I did want to mention if you’re a combination sleeper, this would also be a great option for you.
Since the surface is so responsive, you’d be able to move your head and the pillow would move with you and you wouldn’t need to reposition or re-fluff the pillow.
Pros
Pillow buying can be super confusing, so I made a pros and cons list to help make that decision a little bit easier for you.
Starting off with the pros.
This Purple Pillow is a great option for you hot sleepers out there.
Thanks to the breathable and airflow materials that come in this pillow, if you’re a hot sleeper, you could experience great relief with this option.
Moving on to number two.
The Purple Pillow is responsive. Thanks to that grid, any movement that you make on the surface will be easily responded to, so you don’t need to reposition or refluff your pillow.
Moving on to number three.
This pillow is durable. Just like the Purple mattress, this pillow is made to last versus traditional memory foam or down or down alternative pillows.
Cons
Moving on to the cons.
Unfortunately this pillow is big, bulky and heavy.
It is over 10 pounds, which is great if you want to do arm curls with it, but it’s not very easily molded or folded.
Moving on to number two.
This pillow is not lofty enough for you side sleepers out there. If you were to use it, you may experience neck pain, which is not what we want.
Finally number three, the Purple Pillow is on the pricier side at about a hundred dollars per pillow.
Policies
I’m going to go over some quick hits regarding Purple’s policies, so you know exactly what to expect when you buy.
Purple offers a 100 night sleep trial and a one-year warranty for both their pillow and the pillow boosters. As well as free shipping.
FAQs
How do I clean my Purple Pillow?
This is a great and very important question, but bear with me because it’s a little bit complicated.
Starting with the cover, this is machine washable and dryer safe. As for the boosters, you have to hand wash those, but you can put them in the dryer. For the purple grid, you have to hand wash it with some mild soap and let it out to dry.
Does the Purple Pillow come in multiple sizes?
No, it doesn’t. It only comes in this standard size, but it does fit a standard sized pillowcase.
Do you need to put a pillowcase on your Purple Pillow?
Purple says that this zipped case is not a replacement for a cover but it is machine washable. So if you decide to not get a pillow case, you can use this.
Alex P. Davis has a BA in Interior Design from The New York School of Interior Design and 10 years of experience expertly designing sophisticated interiors.