Replace my fascist pillows!
January 15, 2021 9:02 PM Subscribe
A few years back I was lured in by a deal on My Pillows at Costco and came away with a couple. Shortly after I started using them I learned about the fascism. Are there near-identical replacements for this product?
Unfortunately I have a ton of trouble getting to sleep and a big part of that is pillows not being the exact right position/temperature/etc. It turns out the the My Pillow in what I believe is the second from most firm option is pretty much ideal for me. I have in the past spent obscene cash on pillows that suck. I used to have like four to six pillows that I sort of mashed and molded into a nest situation and wrangled with all the time, but I now have just this one pillow and a flatter old one behind it that I use to prop it up when I want a backrest or to protect my head from the wall. It goes in the washing machine and fluffs in the dryer and has no annoying feathers or tags... I hate that I am writing a good review of this frigging product! The other one I got was the firmest pillow they sold and it is indeed too firm for bed but I have it as an armrest pillow on my tv watching couch and it is exactly right for that, it's like a nicer huge bolster cushion.
So it's been a few years and I have felt increasingly gross about this. I won't throw them out because they're still in good condition but I have in the past recommended them (with ignorant caveats about the religiosity of the brand) to people with similar sleep hygiene issues, and the one I use every day is finally losing some of its structure, so I know I'll need a replacement eventually.
Are there near-identical substitutes for My Pillows that aren't ethically fraught? I have tried other foam-chunk style pillows before and they really don't cut it. I don't know why. Money is not an issue although I am not going to like, commission some etsy person for a one-off. Ideally I could go shopping in person for pillows but that is not a thing. Also ideally I could buy something from a company that pays its workers well and has no associations with fascism or zealotry of any type. It needs to have the same smushy-firm-adjustable combo foam filling, no feathers, strong construction, no piping or fussy stuff on the pillow itself, be safe to put in the washing machine, and deliverable to Seattle, WA.
Unfortunately I have a ton of trouble getting to sleep and a big part of that is pillows not being the exact right position/temperature/etc. It turns out the the My Pillow in what I believe is the second from most firm option is pretty much ideal for me. I have in the past spent obscene cash on pillows that suck. I used to have like four to six pillows that I sort of mashed and molded into a nest situation and wrangled with all the time, but I now have just this one pillow and a flatter old one behind it that I use to prop it up when I want a backrest or to protect my head from the wall. It goes in the washing machine and fluffs in the dryer and has no annoying feathers or tags... I hate that I am writing a good review of this frigging product! The other one I got was the firmest pillow they sold and it is indeed too firm for bed but I have it as an armrest pillow on my tv watching couch and it is exactly right for that, it's like a nicer huge bolster cushion.
So it's been a few years and I have felt increasingly gross about this. I won't throw them out because they're still in good condition but I have in the past recommended them (with ignorant caveats about the religiosity of the brand) to people with similar sleep hygiene issues, and the one I use every day is finally losing some of its structure, so I know I'll need a replacement eventually.
Are there near-identical substitutes for My Pillows that aren't ethically fraught? I have tried other foam-chunk style pillows before and they really don't cut it. I don't know why. Money is not an issue although I am not going to like, commission some etsy person for a one-off. Ideally I could go shopping in person for pillows but that is not a thing. Also ideally I could buy something from a company that pays its workers well and has no associations with fascism or zealotry of any type. It needs to have the same smushy-firm-adjustable combo foam filling, no feathers, strong construction, no piping or fussy stuff on the pillow itself, be safe to put in the washing machine, and deliverable to Seattle, WA.
Context: Trump ally Mike Lindell of MyPillow pushes martial law at White House
Smushy, firm, adjustable— I’ve been on a shredded latex foam kick for bed pillows recently. The Purple pillow I used before that was very non-adjustable and just too rough on my ear as an inveterate side sleeper.
posted by supercres at 11:26 PM on January 15, 2021
Smushy, firm, adjustable— I’ve been on a shredded latex foam kick for bed pillows recently. The Purple pillow I used before that was very non-adjustable and just too rough on my ear as an inveterate side sleeper.
posted by supercres at 11:26 PM on January 15, 2021
I started sleeping on a buckwheat husk pillow a few years back and it's perfect. You can get it to just the right height by adding/removing some of the buckwheat husks. There is some light rustling that I got used to very quickly - they regulate heat and keep their shape very well once positioned in just the right way. Mine was 22€ or so.
posted by mathiu at 12:21 AM on January 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by mathiu at 12:21 AM on January 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Keesa has a great selection of pillows, but you already spent the money on pillows you like and use.
To reiterate what I said above, I will continue using these pillows but they are already showing wear. I am looking for eventual replacements at which time I will not be purchasing from this company again, and also I am looking for something that I can recommend to others who have similar sleep preferences as me (ie: people in my family). I have been trying to incrementally improve my awareness of the purchases I make over time, so no, of course I'm not going to stop using half the products in my life, but if I can switch to better ones when the time comes to get something new, I will do so. Again, I'm not throwing these pillows away, but they won't last forever and while normally I would buy identical replacements I absolutely will not be doing so in this case. Under capitalism where I spend my money is one of the only teeny tiny ways I have to express my opinion. I'm trying to be more aware of this over time. This is one of those situations where it's pretty clear cut. I was hoping other mefites might have similar dilemmas cropping up with the increasingly blatant bullshit in America, and have some suggestions.
posted by Mizu at 12:47 AM on January 16, 2021 [19 favorites]
To reiterate what I said above, I will continue using these pillows but they are already showing wear. I am looking for eventual replacements at which time I will not be purchasing from this company again, and also I am looking for something that I can recommend to others who have similar sleep preferences as me (ie: people in my family). I have been trying to incrementally improve my awareness of the purchases I make over time, so no, of course I'm not going to stop using half the products in my life, but if I can switch to better ones when the time comes to get something new, I will do so. Again, I'm not throwing these pillows away, but they won't last forever and while normally I would buy identical replacements I absolutely will not be doing so in this case. Under capitalism where I spend my money is one of the only teeny tiny ways I have to express my opinion. I'm trying to be more aware of this over time. This is one of those situations where it's pretty clear cut. I was hoping other mefites might have similar dilemmas cropping up with the increasingly blatant bullshit in America, and have some suggestions.
posted by Mizu at 12:47 AM on January 16, 2021 [19 favorites]
If you are open to memory foam, I've been really happy with Sleep Innovations.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:28 AM on January 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:28 AM on January 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
My sister got me Coop Pillows for my birthday. I love them. They come with a bag of the filling for adjustment. I bought a Tuft and Needle that was too hard, FYI.
posted by oflinkey at 7:44 AM on January 16, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by oflinkey at 7:44 AM on January 16, 2021 [4 favorites]
I don’t 100% understand what mypillows are filled with, but if foam chunk is anything like shredded latex, you might be interested in the offerings at Soaring Heart. I needed to change from back to side sleeping and also needed a bolster type pillow for sitting and leaning on. I went through a bunch of new pillows from department stores and ended up finding the perfect one there, though it helped being able to go in person. They are a crunchy artisan crowd and friendly—maybe you can call and talk to someone there?
posted by sunrise kingdom at 8:11 AM on January 16, 2021
posted by sunrise kingdom at 8:11 AM on January 16, 2021
Another vote here for the Coop Pillows. I got the original and have been very happy with them.
posted by maurice at 9:54 AM on January 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by maurice at 9:54 AM on January 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
I literally just switched to a Coop pillow, so I can't vouch for longevity, but I am super happy with the comfort.
posted by ktkt at 10:11 AM on January 16, 2021
posted by ktkt at 10:11 AM on January 16, 2021
One Fresh Pillow routinely pokes fun at My Pillow on Twitter. I'm outside the US, so never used their products, but their heart seems to be in the right place.
posted by Pallas Athena at 10:53 AM on January 16, 2021
posted by Pallas Athena at 10:53 AM on January 16, 2021
IKEA sells shredded memory foam pillows, go by the name "RUMSMALVA".
posted by Poldo at 12:08 PM on January 16, 2021
posted by Poldo at 12:08 PM on January 16, 2021
Coop have a great review from my shredded memory foam sleeping husband as you can tweak it over & over until you get it just how you like it.
posted by wwax at 2:14 PM on January 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by wwax at 2:14 PM on January 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
I have this Nest Bedding Easy Breather Pillow which has shredded foam and polyester mix, and I like it quite a bit. You can remove some of the foam to adjust the stiffness, which is the biggest selling point for me, and it breathes a lot better than plain memory foam pillows which is a big deal for me since I sleep hot.
No idea about their politics, but I didn't see any evidence of fascist leanings when I did a search and a perusal of their social media presence. (And there's a sentence I never expected to write on behalf of a company that manufactures bedding, but here we are.)
posted by Aleyn at 9:41 PM on January 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
No idea about their politics, but I didn't see any evidence of fascist leanings when I did a search and a perusal of their social media presence. (And there's a sentence I never expected to write on behalf of a company that manufactures bedding, but here we are.)
posted by Aleyn at 9:41 PM on January 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kate4914 at 9:33 PM on January 15, 2021 [2 favorites]