Customer Reviews

Z by Malouf 100% Natural Talalay Latex Zoned Pillow, QUEEN-HIGH LOFT-FIRM

5 star:		(207)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(29)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

A. My Back Story.

I'm a stomach/side sleeper and had been doing research on how a pillow can affect morning back pain. I had been using inexpensive store bought pillows my entire life, but after doing extensive research, and reading every single Amazon review on this product, I decided to try the latex zoned pillow. Initially, I bought the plush version, but I loved it so much, a few weeks later I also bought the firm version, so this review applies to both.


B. The Smell.

First, let me address the top criticism I see in other reviews. True to the other reviews, this pillow does have an initial strong smell (I consider it akin to the new car smell). However, that smell was significantly reduced after just one day, and completely gone within 3 days. Personally, I didn't find the smell offensive enough to even wait a day before use. But, since each person is different, all it takes to get around the smell is to take the pillow out of the sealed plastic bag it comes in, and let it air out a few days before using. The smell will be completely gone forever, so don't let warnings of a strong smell stop you from experiencing this product.


C. The Product in Use.

I have experienced four unique benefits due to this pillow:

1) Spinal column alignment.

This pillow has all but eliminated my back pain. As a stomach sleeper, when my head sinks into the pillow, while my shoulders do not, my spine naturally straightens. I get the same benefit when I sleep on my side. This is a major change from before, where my head and shoulders stayed level, forcing my spine into a slight curve. I find that the slightly extra straightening of the spine has taken away the back pain almost completely.

2) Neck support.

Before I often woke up with a crook in my neck if I were in deep sleep. And if I weren't in deep sleep, I kept waking up to change positions. If you think about it, your head and neck or not flush so when you sleep that way, you're begging for neck pain. Most of us use multiple pillows to create the ideal setup, but whoa to those who fall into deep sleep without doing this, or who move out of the optimal position while sleeping. The way this pillow is designed, the edged of the pillow is firmer than the center, due to the larger size of the holes at the center (hence the term "zoned"). It's hardly noticeable until you lay on it, but because of that small difference, my neck doesn't sink into the pillow with my head, as it would with a regular pillow. My neck remains elevated above my head, and hence no abnormal pressure is applied to my neck while I sleep. The net result is that even when sleeping deeply, I don't wake up with the neck pain anymore.

3) No more hot pillow.

Body heat makes pillows hot. Warm breath makes pillows hot. And, we all know that you lose more heat through your head than any other part of the body. So you end up turning over your pillow or repositioning to avoid the heat. With this pillow, the heat dissipates, and the pillow stays cool, and I get a more relaxing night. I placed my hot laptop on the pillow for a few minutes just to experiment. When I removed it, the pillow was only slightly warm, and even then, only in the exact footprint of the laptop. The whole pillow was cool again within seconds.

4) Great for sitting up in bed.

An added benefit I found, especially after purchasing the firm pillow, was that these pillows are great for propping yourself up in bed. The conform so well, and hold that position, that I've actually dosed off sitting up in bed!


D. Firm vs. Plush.

There is a difference between the firm and plush versions. Preference is going to depend on the individual, but I'll at least share a few thoughts that you might find useful:

1) The plush version is softer than the firmer (I know, but it had to be said). As a result, it conforms better, so this is the version that I actually rest my head and neck on if using only one. This is also the version that will give you that "laying in the clouds" feeling.

2) The firm version is springier, making it significantly less conforming. As a result, it won't give you that perfect body alignment, by itself. However, it is more supportive, and thus it is better for propping up either a body part, or yourself entirely.

3) Neither version is memory foam, and so both return to shape as soon as pressure is released.

4) Both versions dissipate heat well.

All that said, if you are going to only buy one, I recommend going with the plush. However, I find them more useful together. Generally, I find it best to sleep with my arms sandwiched between the two pillows, with my arms actually resting atop the plush pillow. Although this is counter intuitive, I then place the firm pillow atop my arms and rest my head on the firm pillow. That's just the alignment that works best for me right now. It may be different for other people, and it may change for me at some point, but I think it's good to have both just to have options.


E. In Conclusion

I've had these pillows for about a couple of months now, and I still think they're great. They've helped me considerably with getting a better night's sleep, and with morning back and neck pain. I have since bought an additional plush pillow for a friend who was had been waking up with back pain, probably due to being forced to continuously sleep in an unnatural (for her) side position on a couch of relative, who has recently undergone major surgery, and whom she is staying with in order to assist in the recovery. According to her, the pillow has helped to alleviate the pain. So, I wholeheartedly recommend this product.

There are already some great reviews on this page that give plenty of detail about how comfortable this pillow is, and indeed, it is a very comfortable pillow. But if you're like me when I was contemplating spending the bucks for this relatively expensive pillow, you're probably having the dilemma of which of the 8...count 'em...8 choices to make.

You can choose between King or Queen size, then you'll need to decide if you want the High Loft/Firm, High Loft/Plush, Low Loft/Firm or Low Loft/Plush. So let me see if with my review I can make this part of the buy easy.

First, unless you're looking for a really slim pillow, you can rule out the Low Lofts. The High Lofts are right where you'd expect a normal pillow's height should be. If you decide to try the Low Loft anyway, I'd recommend the Firm over the Plush; the Low Loft/Firm will keep your head slightly elevated from the mattress while your head basically melts right through to the mattress with the Low Loft/Plush.

The High Loft/Firm keeps your head elevated at "normal" pillow height with a soft give. It's very comfortable and this is the one that I settled on. With the High Loft/Plush your head will smoothly sink to about a quarter of the way into the pillow, and it was a little too much "mush" for me, but my wife was overwhelmingly pleased.

Regarding the "new smell" odor that some of the other reviews mention, I didn't think the "new smell" was at all overpowering and it was really not unpleasant. If when you take the pillow out of the packaging that it arrives in and you find this smell to be undesirable, take the advice that is given in some of the other reviews: let it sit outside of the packaging for a day and wash the pillow cover that comes with it. The new smell on our pillows completely dissipated after the first day.

Hope that helps. Sweet dreams!

I'm a petite woman who sleeps mostly on her side, and other plush latex pillows I've bought have had too much loft for me. I've experienced whiplash several times, so if my neck is crooked while I sleep, it hurts for days. The plush version of this pillow gives me just the right neck support. As you would expect with latex, it stays cool and never goes flat. The zones work just as I hoped - the outer zone always provides a little extra support under my neck while the middle zone lets my head fall so my neck is at its natural angle.

As stomach sleepers already know, it is amazingly difficult to find a pillow that provides adequate support without being too lofty and causing neck strain from the height. I have searched the world over trying to find a pillow that would meet my needs. For the last few years I have settled for cheap, flat pillows that needed to be replaced approximately every 6 months because I thought it was the best I could do.

While researching my options I happened upon the natural latex phenomenon and all of its properties so I decided to try this pillow and boy am I happy I did!

The pillow arrives in a nice half plastic, half fabric case with a zipper opening and handle. The pillow comes encased in a surprisingly high quality, luxuriously soft white velour cover with the letter "Z" all over. The cover has a side zipper that is hidden which is a very nice touch. When the cover is removed, there is what I refer to as a lining over the pillow which can be seen in the stock pictures. The pillow itself is somewhat dense and a little heavier than expected with a bit of a bounce to it. As shown in the pictures there is also uniform holes over the majority of the surface which comes from the Talalay manufacturing process. For grins and giggles you should google the Dunlop and Talalay processes. It is rather interesting. Overall, I am very impressed with the quality and construction.

Before I get into the sleep quality let me help quell your fears about previous negative remarks on the smell. I was rather apprehensive that I would have to let the pillow air out for days or even worse that it would be so noxious I wouldn't be able to tolerate it at all. Those fears were alleviated as soon as I opened the case. Don't be mistaken, there is a distinct odor to it. However, it was more oddly sweet and earthy than a sickeningly chemical off-gassing. I slept on it less than 12 hours out of the package and while I could smell it, it wasn't bothersome and I quickly fell into slumber. I suppose those who are super-sensitive to smells might dislike it but I've had other products like my mini trampoline engulf multiple rooms with its stench that didn't dissipate until it was removed from the house altogether.

Now, let me me discuss how this thing actually sleeps. To be honest I was rather giddy about receiving this product so as soon as I had washed the cover I threw my pillowcase on ( Spasilk 100% Pure Silk Facial Beauty Pillowcase ) and tried it out. The feel is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Your head sinks into this conforming uber-soft latex cloud, but there is an astonishing springiness to it which provides support. This juxtaposition of softness and support is hard for me to describe as I am unfamiliar with anything like it. The first night I made the mistake of trying to sleep on it as I would have my old pillows which is to sleep on the very edge where I had previously formed a little groove by moving the fill to either side. The next night I slept with my head in the middle and actually used the outer zone for neck support and it worked beautifully! One note about the zones: The manufacturer touts this as a zoned pillow with the center being slightly softer for your head to rest and the remaining outline of the pillow slightly more dense to provide neck support. If one were to use their hand to try and find these zones they would be sorely disappointed. I tried and could not tell any difference. However, when finding my sweet spot for sleeping, there is a very subtle change which my head and neck could very well notice. I also wanted to mention that not only is this pillow not hot to sleep on like memory foam and other synthetic-type materials, but I have actually woken up cooler every single morning than with my regular pillow. The high today in my city was 93 with humidity in the 70's so this aspect was very important to me.

I will never go back to sleeping on traditional pillows ever again and with a 5 yr manufacturer warranty on this pillow I think the company is betting on it as well but even if it only lasts half of that time it would be well worth the price I paid. I have even ordered NATURAL 2-inch Medium Latex Mattress Pad Topper Queen - PLUS $10 OFF for my brand new yet too-firm memory foam mattress because I am head over heels for the feeling latex provides. I liken it to a Bentley when you're used to a Hyundai. Just try it, you won't be disappointed.

TL;DR
Buy it and thank me later!

Just ordered two of these...a firm and a plush. Arrival was very quick and they both come packaged in a convenient zipper stow-away with a removable cover for washing. Spouse prefers the firm while I preferred the plush...both are very comfortable and provide excellent support for both types of sleeping habits (side sleeper and stomach sleeper).

The only issue keeping this from receiving a five star review is the odor. The smell is simply too strong even after having washed the pillow cover and covering it with new pillow cases and another cover. It literally awoke me several times throughout the night until I had to set the pillow aside and grab my old pillows.

I'm not an especially sensitive individual and found it obnoxious so those with sensitivity to odors, smells etc may find this intolerable.

I'm going to allow it to air out for a few weeks to see if that improves the odor...if not, they go in the close as spares despite the comfort.

As a side note, these are made in China according to the label. The quality is nice but not as nice as some of the higher end pillows you may be familiar with...however, they are a bargain for the price IF you can stand the odor.

UPDATE - have now owned the original two pillows for a couple months and have purchased two more since. We remove the case and air each pillow...and in fact, have put it into a gentle cycle to wash although that is probably not recommended...due to the unpleasant odor. However, I'm pleased to say that the odor dissipates after a few days in the open air so that is not a problem for long term use.

I have arthritis in my neck and this has been a tremendous improvement in sleep quality...not a small feat since I routinely purchase expensive custom pillow from manufacturers like Cuddledown etc...without a doubt, these provide the best support and pain-free sleep I've had in years. Spouse loves them too! Great price, exceptionally pleased, pain-free sleep.

This is a great pillow! I've been using a $75 memory foam pillow for the last few years and needed to replace it as its elasticity was beginning to dull. I did some research of pillows and finally decided on a latex pillow over another memory foam. I came across this one during my research and based on the reviews everyone was basically happy with it, so I thought "why not" and bought it. And the reviews were all right! It is a really great pillow. I purchased the plush queen size. It's fairly thick but the plushness allows my head to sink to the proper angle. As a side sleeper my head isn't at an awkward angle using this pillow. It's soft yet firm when your head is on it. Hard to explain a bit...but I think it is the perfect balance of soft and firm. It's keeps its shape, is a little longer than full size pillow cases, but that's not too much of a problem. Some people complain about the smell of latex pillows but there was practically none on the pillow I received. I haven't had a bad night's sleep since I began using this pillow. For it's price you really can't go wrong. I'm thinking of buying another one for my girlfriend because she keeps trying to steal my pillow when she's over!

Have tried all sorts of pillows. This one has been the only one that doesn't cause a stiff neck. I'm delighted. I bought the plush for myself, the firm for my husband. We both love the pillows and are very happy with the good price on them. We've been using them for a few weeks now and might consider buying more of them. After trying every pillow that promised to help with sleep problems, this is the only one that has delivered that promise. We're both mainly side sleepers, but it is equally comfortable when sleeping on your back. It's a great purchase!

First off, let me just say that I have tried every pillow there is! I have disc problems and always wake up with neck pain. I have a Tempurpedic bed and thought that I had to use the memory foam-type pillows (I've tried them all). HOW WRONG I WAS! They just made my neck hurt more!

When I saw this pillow on Amazon, of course I was skeptical. But I grew up sleeping on a latex foam pillow and always liked it. The reviews for this pillow were great, and the price was right so I bought one (Queen Firm). I simply can not believe how PERFECT this pillow is!! It is soft and squishy and buoyant, yet firm enough to support your head and shoulders (it has a slightly firmer outer edge that gives you that awesome neck support). I LOVE this pillow so much that I can't wait to go to sleep at night, and hate leaving it in the morning! I've never experienced a pillow quite like this one. My neck has NEVER been this pain free with ANY other pillow. My son thinks it feels like a fluid gel that never loses its shape and never goes flat, so there is no need to "plump" it during the night. Even if you don't have neck pain, this pillow is absolutely heaven on earth! Trust me, I have 17 "didn't-work" pillows in the closet to prove it! Thank God, I have finally found THE ONE!

... but when I saw this $100 pillow marked down to $30 with a bunch of great reviews, I figured I'd give it a try.

I usually sleep half on my side and half on my stomach (hard to describe) and always wind up having shoulder pain and neck pain from sleeping on my arm a certain way. This pillow is magical, I swear. It did have that not-so-wonderful latex smell for the first few days (which I covered with some Bath and Bodyworks Pillow Spray)... but overall - I can't imagine ever sleeping with a regular pillow again.

It sometimes feels like I'm resting my head on a bouncy cloud. It really supports my neck and doesn't feel like the memory foam pillows I've tried, where my head just sinks in and doesn't feel very cushioned.

I'm about to buy another to send to my mother who has some issues with neck and shoulder problems as well. I highly recommend this pillow! It feels fantastic to be able to get a good night's sleep again.

I got the firm version of this pillow first but had to return it as it did not allow my neck to rest at a natural angle (I'm a avg sized 5'5" female) and instead ordered the plush version. The plush pillow was PERFECT for me and I didn't wake up with a neck ache. That's unusual, since I have 3 herniated discs in my neck and it is rare for me to not have some type of pain in my neck most days. This plush pillow is a godsend!

Edited Jan 2012: After using this for about 6 months or so, I got a new bed and it didn't work as well with the new mattress, as it seemed a bit flatter in the new bed. I ordered the memory foam/latex combo pillow from the same company and it worked perfectly for me with the new mattress. Probably even better than this one did with the old mattress. I think you have to get the right combo and that depends on the softness of the bed, which determines how far you sink into the mattress and how high your head needs to be propped to keep the neck in alignment. Softer mattresses need flatter pillows and firmer mattresses, loftier pillows. At least that's what I've found.