i actually own all of tempurpedic's pillows. i also own the cloud luxe mattress california king with box foundation. my brother owns the rhapsody mattress california king with box foundation. first, let me address the common complaints about these products. then i will address the superiority of these products as well as give justification for the costs of the tempurpedic items.
1)all of their products arrive with a distinct and strong plastic smell to them. this is an accurate statement. you have two choices with this: a) do not put a separate sheet or pillow case on the product, just use the sheet or pillow cover that it comes with for the first week. if you do it this way, it helps break the product in (makes it softer) and lets the product breathe. the smell will go away after 7 days, i timed it. this timetable is universal for all of their products. b) put a separate pillow case or sheet on the product and literally wait months for the smell to go away. my brother had this problem with his rhapsody bed and i verified the problem with one of the pillows when i first got it.
2)the mattresses and pillows are too firm. this is a correct statement for the first few nights. when i first laid on the pillows (with the exception of the cloud pillow) and the rhapsody mattress my brother had the first night, it felt way too firm. i even told myself that i was stupid for ordering the two pillows i bought but had not arrived yet when i was inspecting my brothers new rhapsody mattress. i then went to my brothers house a week later and laid on the mattress for about ten minutes and all i could say was that i was stunned. it felt much softer. my brother commented that putting a lower thread count sheet (not multiple sheets, just one and then the top cover), and laying on it, the mattress got softer and softer after each night until it was completely broken in by about the 5th night. after that, the mattress felt amazing, absolutely amazing. the trick is to put as little covering between the mattress and body as possible for the first week. if you do put additional covering, make sure it is 300 count cotton or lower. the reason is that the memory cells are not all opened yet, they need body heat and pressure to open for the first week. after the first week, when the mattress is broken in, all of the cells are open and they stay that way permanently. then the mattresses feel amazing. this also holds for the pillows. they recommend you do the above procedure in the directions when you first buy the mattress. follow the directions.
3)the tempurpedic products trap body heat. this statement is blatantly false. never once have i had any issue with heat on my cloud mattress or any of my pillows. i have a very high metabolism and my body cranks out a lot of heat, as a result i cannot sleep if i am too hot. my brother says his rhapsody mattress feels just fine, not too cold, not too hot. as far as heat is concerned, it feels just like any other mattress. the more sheets you put over you, the more body heat is trapped. this is true of any mattress, not unique to tempurpedic.
4)the tempurpedic products do not hold their shape after a few months or years. this statement is also blatantly false. i have had my cloud luxe mattress for almost a year now and i have had most of the pillows for over three years, let me assure you, the tempurpedic products do not loose any shape, at all. there are no caved in portions of the mattress or in any of my pillows. they are exactly the same shape now as when i took them out of the box, and i use my pillows and mattress every night and guests use the other pillows. they will never loose shape, i realize that now.
5)the tempurpedic products take forever to arrive and customer service is horrible. this statement is partially correct, their products literally take weeks to arrive. they are very lazy and do not process the orders quickly. so if you do order any of their products, get comfortable because you are going to wait weeks (3 weeks to a month in some cases). this is ridiculous, i agree with the complaints here. they also will never give you tracking information for your order on their website, and i mean never. you have to call them and get the tracking number, that's if they have shipped it by the time you call. customer service was delightful on the phone. never had a problem.
now for the reasons you should purchase a tempurpedic mattress/pillows:
1)superior build quality. the mattresses and pillows are constructed to last forever, right down to the stitching. their products are literally indestructible. not only is the quality leaps and bounds above the competition, you will notice the difference in quality and build whenever you lay on a regular mattress or pillow. everything just feels cheap compared to tempurpedic products. no, this effect is not psychological, it is very real and noticeable right out of the box.
2)tempurpedic products are very expensive, but not overpriced. you get what you pay for, if you decide to purchase a tempurpedic product, you will pay through the nose, but you will know where that extra money went after a week of sleeping on any of their products. trust me on this, it is well worth the money. no i am not rich, i was able to purchase the mattress and pillows over time. i spaced it out, i saved.
3)the extra money you shell out for tempurpedic products actually saves you money in the long run. as i said before, their products last forever. if you purchase a mattress and or pillows from tempurpedic, those will be the last you will ever have to buy. trust me on this, that mattress and pillow are going to outlive you.
4)out of this world comfort. as i stated earlier, when you first get the products (with the exception of the cloud pillow and cloud mattresses, they arrive soft, no breaking in), they will feel too firm. almost like sleeping on a wet rock or wet compact sand. make sure you sleep with only the cover their products come with. you can put additional covers on you, but don't put them on the mattress (between the mattress and your body) and likewise don't put an extra pillow case on the pillows. do this for the first week and i guarantee you the pillow/mattress will get softer and more comfortable after each night. by the 5th night, watch out, you will not want to get up in the morning. the sleep quality is nothing like i have ever experienced in my life. it literally starts to feel like you are sleeping on a cloud, you feel weightless. once those memory cells open up from body heat and pressure after the first five nights, you will be in heaven. you will never go back to any other type of mattress ever again, be rest assured of that.
I "test" slept this pillow from "Relax the Back." This is the only way to purchase one of these pillows to be sure you're not spending this much money on something that doesn't feel comfortable for you. I have had neck problems and this pillow is awesome. I sleep on my back but also on my sides. It's perfect for either. It does have a bit of smell, but not horrible and will likely get better. The pillow is heavy.
Buy The SymphonyPillow by Tempur-Pedic Now
I have had my symphony for just over a year now, and it is the best pillow i've ever had. I've always liked down pillows for the softness they provide, but always had to sleep with the down pillow on top of a regular one to get enough support. I tried the standard tempurpedic neck pillow but could never get comfortable with the shape of it. This pillow is perfect for both back and side sleeping, and I haven't had neck pain on waking up since I've owned it. It seemed a little hard at first, but after 10 minutes or so of laying on it (I think it conforms to both wieght and heat), your head sinks in just enough and you are cradled at the perfect angle for your neck. it always pops back to regular shape as soon as you get up, unlike my past down pillows that I had to get rid of after a year because they'd be compelety flat. You have to try this pillow, it is the best!
Read Best Reviews of The SymphonyPillow by Tempur-Pedic Here
I intermittently wake up with a sore neck or headache for lack of a decent pillow. Through the years I've tried a bunch. Generic foam rubber. Contoured. Down (How the hell do those feathers keep escaping?). Fiber, made of God knows what petrochemical byproducts. Fortunately, none of them exploded into flames. I even bought those pillows advertised by the crazy fitness guy with the ponytail. I felt like I was sleeping on a bag of sand with those. So, I finally pried open my wallet and tried the much heralded Tempur-Pedic Symphony. I've slept on it for three nights, and I like it quite a lot already.
As for the usual comments and sometimes complaints: First, yes it had a chemical smell when I first opened the packaging. I followed the advice someone left here and did not put a pillow case on it. The odor dissipated within a few hours to the point where I was not bothered by it. After three nights, there is just a trace of the odor left. I expect that will be gone soon. It's a non-problem.
Second, I did not find the pillow too firm for my comfort the first night I used it. Based on what I read in Amazon reviews and on the Tempur-Pedic website, I made an effort to break the pillow in a bit before I slept on it. I rolled it up in every possible direction. I scrunched it up every way I could. And I kneaded it like dough. I did this a few times before I slept on it. Yes, the first night the pillow was firmer than what I was accustomed to, but it was not uncomfortable. The pillow does have a very different feel to it than a conventional pillow. As the weight of your head pushes down on it, the pillow sort of pushes back as it is always seeking to return to its original shape. Like I said, I didn't find this uncomfortable, but it was a little odd at first. I can see why some people take several nights to get used to it. After three nights I feel quite comfortable sleeping on it. If it continues to grow more comfortable over the next several nights, as most people report it does, it will be fantastic.
I go to sleep on my back. But through the night I will also sleep on my side and stomach. Another reviewer suggested this pillow was not very satisfactory for sleeping on ones stomach, but I find it comfortable in all three positions.
As the problem with the headaches and sore neck is intermittent, it may be a while before I can testify that the pillow has solved that problem. Because of the price, I held my breath as I hit the purchase button. Let's face it, these are expensive pillows. But considering the money I've wasted on pillows over the years, this looks like it could be $100 very well spent on sleeping, and waking, comfortably. (If it turns out that I'm still waking up in the morning with those headaches and sore necks, I'll update the review and let y'all know.)
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I love this pillow. I just got it for Christmas and it's the best pillow out there. Perfect to sleep on. Your head just sinks into it. Not too stiff or too soft but just right!!! It cushions your head just so and you wake up with no neck pain at all!!! Wouldn't trade this pillow for any other one. Absolutely love it!!! :)
I've had this pillow for several weeks. While I realize that this pillow is made from memory foam, it just didn't give me the relief I was looking for while sleeping. It wasn't able to hold it's form or regain it's form even when it wasn't being used. It flattened like a pancake. So what's it's value? None in my book. I purchased a different one and am hoping for better results.
