This post is a part of the complete polyester pillow buyers guide
You finally received your long-awaited bamboo pillow and you can’t believe it when you receive it. It’s tightly rolled, compressed or vacuum-sealed, and when you unroll it, it’s as flat as a pancake.
You’re supposed to sleep on this — and be comfortable?
Don’t be alarmed. That is the way bamboo pillows are packaged and shipped to save you money on shipping. It’s just a temporary stance. Once you get the pillow, there are things you can do to make it sleepable.
In this post, we’ll provide some guides and tips for how to sleep on a bamboo pillow.
What’s it Like to Sleep on a Bamboo Pillow?
Bamboo pillows are most often memory foam-filled pillows covered with the softes cover. The cover is made from bamboo, which has been broken down into fibers and spun into a yarn used to make a bamboo-based fabric.
It’s among the softest fabrics in the world and extremely comfortable. To make it even more appealing, it’s hypoallergenic and antimicrobial.
The memory foam in and of itself makes your pillow soft and supple, but the cover doubles that comfort.
Needless to say, once you’ve unpacked your bamboo pillow and followed our guides and tips, you’ll be ready for countless nights of your most comfortable sleeping ever.
Breaking in Your Bamboo Pillow
After unwrapping your pillow, there are a few things you will need to do to get ready for sleeping:
- Allow it to off-gas: You’ll notice a slightly unpleasant smell from your pillow. That is a natural smell and it will dissipate after a few days. The process of allowing the smell to leave on its own is called off-gassing. Allow it to air out as much as possible before using it.
- Break up the foam: Once the pillow has dissipated, shake the bamboo pillow to loosen the shredded memory foam inside of it. You may need to knead it a little with your hands.
- Refresh it: Remove the bamboo pillow casing from the pillow to run the pillow in the dryer. Throw a few dryer balls or tennis balls in the dryer with the pillow and run it on low heat for about 10 minutes. When the cycle is complete, fluff up the pillow. Stick the pillow cover in the washer to wash it, and dry it in the dryer separately from the pillow.
Tips for Sleeping on Your Bamboo Pillow
Tip #1: Adjust Your Pillow
Your bamboo pillow is unique from most other pillows, in that it has a zipper that allows you to adjust the amount of shredded foam in your pillow.
Use the zipper feature to adjust your foam to the loft that you need to have the most comfortable sleep of your life. You can take foam out or add as you need.
Any foam you take out of the pillow should be placed in a storage bag in case you decide you need to add some at a later date.
*Remember though that not all bamboo pillows come with shredded memory foam, some come with firm memory foam instead, and if you happen to have a firm memory foam pillow, you won’t be able to adjust the height as easily.
Tip#2: Fluff and Pump Regularly
Over time, your pillow will flatten from supporting your heavy head, neck and shoulders. You’ll gradually begin to notice this.
If you fluff regularly, you’ll tend to notice it less. It’s preferable to fluff when you make your bed in the morning so it has the entire day to air out and rebound.
You can also give it a quick plumping before you sleep at night for added measure.
Some ways to plump your pillow by hand are:
- Give it a good shake: Give your pillow a good shake and flip it over a few times to help break up any memory foam shreds that may be pushed up against one another. This allows room for the shreds to spread out and to let more air in between each piece. If you have a polyfill or other similar type of soft fiber blended with your shredded foam, this also lets it distribute more evenly within the pillow.
- Give it some good punches: Now that your pillow is well shaken up, turn it on its long side and give it a few good karate chop-like punches. This helps break the filling up even further and allows the shreds to rotate and redistribute to lay differently than they may have been previously.
- Give it a good grab and push: Now, grab hold of each short end with both hands and vigorously push the ends together and pull back apart a few times. When you do all three of these movements, you are better able to affect each of the shreds, allow full expansion of the foam and fiberfill, and help air out the pillow.
Regularly fluff your pillow by:
- Removing the bamboo pillow casing from the pillow to run the pillow in the dryer. Throw a few dryer balls or tennis balls in the dryer with the pillow and run it on low heat for about 10 minutes. When the cycle is complete, fluff up the pillow. Stick the pillow cover in the washer to wash it and dry it in the dryer separately from the pillow.
Tip #3: Lay Your Head High
To get the most comfort from your bamboo pillow, lay high on the pillow so that the pillow can mold into the shape of your neck and properly support it.
Otherwise, you might strain your neck instead of helping it.
Tip #4: Wash Regularly
Make sure to wash your bamboo pillow regularly. Keeping your pillow clean and freshened will make for very comfortable sleeping.
Some bamboo pillow directions state they are washable, and others are very specific about not washing. The general rule of thumb concerning memory foam of any sort is that it does not take to moisture very well over time.
It will start to break down the cellular structure of the material and cause it to compress. Therefore, even if a pillow states it is washable, it is best to avoid doing so unless absolutely necessary.
If you do have to wash it, be sure to follow the directions given on the pillow, and then you dry thoroughly – running it through a dry cycle multiple times until you are sure it is completely dry within and well plumped.
If you live in a humid environment or are concerned about washing your pillow, we suggest the use of a pillow protector to keep your pillow fresh longer.
Bamboo Pillows: A Complete Buyers Guide – Parts:
1. Why Use a Bamboo Pillow? The Benefits & Drawbacks
2. How Long Do Bamboo Pillows Last? (How to Make Them Last Longer)
3. How to Sleep on a Bamboo Pillow: Guide and Tips
4. Why do Bamboo Pillows Smell? And How to Get Rid of it
5. How to Clean and Dry a Bamboo Pillow: Step by Step Guide
6. Do Bamboo Pillows Attract Bugs And Dust Mites?
7. Will a Bamboo Pillow Make You Sleep Hot or Cool?
8. Are Bamboo Pillows Good For Skin and Hair?
