In recent years, the Pancake Pillow has gained quite a bit of notoriety as one of the best adjustable pillows on the market. Complete with six soft stackable pillow layers, the Pancake Pillow promises the perfect pillow height for every sleeping position.
But is the Pancake Pillow really the best adjustable pillow on the market? In this article, we review Pancake Pillow Adjustable Layer Pillow and provide an overview of some of the best alternative adjustable pillows.
Pancake Pillow Review
Pancake Pillow is an adjustable pillow that comprises up to six soft stackable pillows within an outer cover. All of these thin pillows or layers have the same thickness and softness but you can stack them up to achieve the perfect pillow height for your sleeping style.
The thin pillows that make up the main Pancake Pillow are filled with down alternative gel microfiber fill, which feels just like down — extremely soft and plush. The outer cover of the pillow is made of 100% cotton, which ensures breathability and plenty of air circulation.
Since you can adjust the loft height of the pillow by adding or removing the pillow layers, this pillow is indeed suitable for all types of sleepers — stomach sleepers, back sleepers, and side sleepers. Depending on the number of pillow layers you use, this pillow’s loft height can range from 2” with one layer to 8.5” with six layers.
The outer cover is equipped with a three-sided zipper so you can open it up entirely to make all of the six soft stackable layers fit in. The seams are double-stitched for stability and the cover includes a 3.5” gusseted sidewall to accommodate all the layers. As such, this pillow is designed proficiently and is certainly a great purchase.
Pros of Pancake Pillows
- The greatest advantage of the Pancake Pillow is that you can adjust the loft height easily. In most adjustable pillows, you have to remove the fibers and re-fluff the pillow to achieve the desired loft height. In this case, you can adjust the loft height based on the number of layers.
- This pillow can simultaneously be one of the thinnest pillows on the market and one of the thickest pillows.
- The down alternative fiber is hypoallergenic and extremely soft.
- The outer cover is highly breathable.
Cons of Pancake Pillows
- Despite the breathable outer cover, this pillow gets really hot really fast. That’s because the six soft stackable layers retain heat, which increases the overall temperature of the pillow. It’s definitely not suitable for hot sleepers or those who suffer from night sweats.
- The soft stackable pillows are way too soft, which means they don’t offer adequate support. After a while, your head will sink into the pillow and the loft height will go down significantly. This lack of support can be a serious issue for those who suffer from neck pain.
Pancake Pillow Alternatives
Pancake Pillow is great — it’s convenient, adjustable, and lets you achieve the perfect pillow height. But it’s far from flawless and has two major drawbacks — the heat retention and lack of support. The following are some of the best Pancake Pillow alternatives you can consider that don’t have those same issues.
Elite Rest Shredded Memory Foam Pillow
Elite Rest Shredded Memory Foam Pillow is the ideal alternative to Pancake Pillow because it is one of the best adjustable pillows on the market. Much like Pancake Pillow, this pillow also lets you achieve the perfect pillow height because it’s stuffed with shredded memory foam. As such, you can add or remove the shredded memory foam filling to adjust the loft height according to your sleep style. Memory foam is even better than down alternative fiber because it conforms to the shape of your head to offer great spinal support. And, most importantly, this pillow comes with a 100% breathable bamboo cover that offers optimal air circulation to keep you cool at night.
Coop Home Goods
Coop Home Goods is yet another brilliant adjustable memory foam pillow. This pillow is made of shredded memory foam, which you can add or remove to adjust the loft height of the pillow according to your sleeping position. The shredded memory foam filling is packed into tiny cross-stitched pockets, however, so they remain uniformly distributed. This ensures that you won’t have to constantly re-fluff the pillow to distribute the fillings. This queen size pillow comes with a cover made of 60% Polyester and 40% Rayon Derived from Bamboo, which makes it extremely breathable and cool.
Mediflow Fiber
Mediflow Fiber is an extremely adjustable water pillow — in fact, it’s one of the first of its kind. The concept here is simple — you can adjust the loft height of the pillow by increasing or decreasing the amount of water inside the insulated water pouch. The water pouch is covered with a polyester fiber layer, which, in turn, is covered with a breathable 100% cotton shell. Water pillows are highly adjustable, let you adjust the height of the pillow, and they’re cool and comfortable.
Verdict
Pancake Pillow is widely considered to be one of the best adjustable pillows because it’s made of six soft stackable layers of pillows. As such, depending on the number of layers you use, you can adjust the height of the pillow according to your sleeping position. Side sleepers, for example, can use five or six layers while stomach sleepers can use one or two layers. However, Pancake Pillow adjustable layer pillow lacks support and can lead to neck pain because the pillow layers are too soft and it also runs hot because of heat retention. Elite Rest Shredded Memory Foam Pillow is one of the best alternatives for Pancake Pillow because it’s one of the best adjustable pillows. It’s made of shredded memory foam so you can add or remove the memory foam filling to achieve the perfect pillow height. Furthermore, it has an extremely breathable bamboo cover that promotes optimal air circulation.
