Z ZONED GEL DOUGH Gel-Infused Memory Foam Pillow for Side, Back & Stomach Sleepers - Queen Size Low Loft Cooling Pillow with 5-Year Warranty - Perfect for Hot Sleepers & Neck Pain Relief

At first I didn't like this pillow. I felt it was too hard and I started to return it. But as I committed to keep using it, it conformed to my head and shoulders perfectly. If at first you don't like it, use it for a couple of weeks and then decide whether to keep it or not!I've turned into a bit of a crazy pillow lady......on a quest to find the perfect pillow, I've tried a handful of Malouf's pillows, and I will cover all of them in this review. Here are a few things you should know about me that may influence my pillow preference....I'm a 5'3", average-sized woman who sleeps on a pillow-top mattress and prefers a soft-enough-to-be-comfortable but firm-enough-to-be-supportive pillow. Here is the sequence of the pillows I've triedPillow #1: Malouf Talalay Latex Pillow in High Loft Plush - I used this pillow for about 3.5 years and loved it. My only complaint was that it was a little *too* plush for me. It was still supportive, and it never caused any neck pain, but it just felt like my head was sinking in too much. I dealt with this feeling for a long time before I finally passed this pillow onto my husband and decided to try some others.Pillow #2: Malouf Z-Zoned Dough Pillow with Bamboo Charcoal in High Loft - I purchased this pillow in high loft, expecting it to be about the same size as my Talalay High Loft Pillow. Wrong. The high loft was way too high and caused my head/neck to be propped up too high to be comfortable, causing a lot of neck pain. I was stubborn and figured I just had to get used to it, so I kept the pillow past the return period...and then I was too cheap to replace it until I finally realized it was significantly impacting my sleep. The overall make of this pillow would have been comfortable if it had been the right size for me, so I'd only suggest the High Loft in this pillow for larger people with bigger shoulders. Even my husband who is 5'10" with broad shoulders felt the pillow was too high for him. Finally, I caved and decided to order my next pillow....Pillow #3: Malouf Z-Zoned Dough Pillow with Bamboo Charcoal Travel size/Low Loft: I went with this pillow next for two reasons. One, I was scared to try the mid-loft because I didn't know if it would be much lower than the high-loft. Second, we had a vacation coming up, and I had been wanting a travel pillow, anyway. Compared to the High Loft version, this pillow was significantly more comfortable for me, and it did end up being good for travel. It was way better than standard hotel pillows. However, lo and behold, it ended up being a little too low to consider using long-term as a nightly pillow. So, I kept this for travel but decided to try a new pillow.....Pillow #4: Malouf Talalay Duo-Latex Two-Sided Plush and Firm pillow: I figured this would be the answer....a pillow that would let me choose plush or firm depending on my preference night to night! Well.....unfortunately, I was wrong again. This pillow was much lower loft than my original Talalay pillow, and there wasn't a huge difference between the firm and plush sides. There was some difference, and if I flipped the pillow back and forth a time or two, I could usually figure out which was which....but it wasn't a huge difference, and neither side felt that comfortable to me. It wasn't as supportive as most other Malouf pillows, and it just felt like a standard, flat department store pillow. After about a week, I realized this was not the one and returned it. Alas, I decided to give Malouf one more try (I told you, I'm stubborn)....Pillow #5: Malouf Z-Zoned Dough Gel-Infused Pillow in mid-loft: This is it! This is the one!! The first night I slept on this, I could tell it was exactly what I was looking for. It was almost as plush as my original talalay pillow, but my head didn't sink in *quite* as far. Yet it was still supportive enough to keep me from feeling any neck pain. I immediately noticed that I was sleeping better again....not tossing and turning and waking up multiple times to re-adjust. This pillow does give that "floating on clouds" feeling. Now after having slept on it for about a week, there's one way to sum up how comfortable this is....it's so comfortable, I don't even think about whether it's comfortable or not anymore. I just lay down, fall asleep quickly, sleep great, and wake up feeling great - well-rested, no stiff neck, no lower back pain from being out of alignment. I'm so glad I stuck with Malouf, because I do think they make awesome products....there's just such a variety, it might take awhile to find the exact one that is right for you!I really, really, really wanted to like these. So much so that I bought 3 different versions of loft and material to try to find the perfect one for me. Unfortunately, none of them were comfortable after a full night's test. In total, I have tested three different models:• Z Zoned Gel-New ACTIVEDOUGH Medium Loft: The first version I tried. The new ACTIVEDOUGH is the softest of the three, giving way to your head while gently cupping it. The material and quality of the pillow is decidedly premium, and appears to be well worth the asking price when it comes to the touch and feel qualities of the pillows. Unfortunately, the softness gave way too easily, and it felt like it gave very little support to my head after a night's sleep.• Z Zoned DOUGH High Loft: The second version I tried. The most "basic" memory foam version of Malouf's lineup. Even as the most basic model, the material felt of the highest quality. This one feels a tiny bit harder in "give" than the GEL models, and most certainly firmer. I went with High Loft this time because the medium loft offered too little support for me. This one turned out to be too firm, as my head hardly sank into the pillow overnight, leaving my neck hanging for support the entire night.• Z Zoned GEL DOUGH High Loft: The Gel version of the DOUGH lineup. It's exceptionally premium to the touch and gives away to pressure slightly softer than the standard DOUGH version. The "cooling" effect is somewhat noticeable, perhaps due to the fact that the material is more breathable. While softer than the "basic" DOUGH version, it still did not offer me a good night's sleep due to the fact that my neck was not supported.The primary issue here with all three pillows I've tested is the suspension of the neck, where most of the night it was unsupported by the pillow due to the curves of which the foam is designed. Malouf pillows are more of an oval shape, whereas the good neck support pillows are rectangle shaped from a profile view.If Malouf comes out with an rectangular shaped pillow I will buy it in an instant, but until then I will have to go with another brand.I love love this pillow! I have had 1 for about 5 years and when I went home to visit family I forgot to bring it home. So I ordered one. Still the best pillow for me personally.Surprised at how light this pillow is given that it's memory foam - must have something to do with the holes, which also keep the pillow cool and provides greater support around the edge of the pillow than in the centre - perfect for cradling your head. Love the soft cover that came with it and the "new pillow" smell dissipated after a few days. Overall very satisfied - might get another!Oh my goodness I just love this pillow it is so comfortable I use it sometimes as a back rest when I am watching tv it is such a great pillow, it did have that funny smell when you first open it up but that goes away in a couple of days. Finally getting a good night sleep. Even my smaller dog wants to sleep on it I have to keep shoeing her off it . Not disappointed at all i Love it.This pillow is amazing! I bought it for my mom and am really jealous I didn't get one for myself. She says she sleeps a lot better with it. She doesn't really notice a huge change as far as the coolness of the pillow, but she still loves it and the outer case is very soft, and removable so you don't need another pillow case you can just remove the one it comes with and wash it.Purchased around 3 months ago, wanted to give plenty of time before giving review. Excellent product!! Would definitely buy again, I bought the low profile and may at some point try the medium? When you first go to bed it feels quite low but sleep has been excellent! So glad I bought and definitely recommend!!I'm small so this was a perfect fit. My neck is no longer crunchy when I wake up. So far this pillow has held up better than any other one I've ever bought. Had to get one for my husband too, even he stopped complaining!