I’m incredibly picky when it comes to pillows. That’s why I’ve been using the same one for more years that I want to admit because apparently, it’s gross to sleep on the same pillow for over a decade (maybe two). I’ve tried several types of pillows over the years but I keep going back to my “old faithful”. I even told the folks at BedGear that I’m a pillow snob, but they were still willing to let me try their M1X Pillows, so let’s take one for a… nap.
What is it?
The Bedgear M1X is a 20 x 26 inch pillow that comes in four sizes: 0.0, 1.0 2.0 and 3.0. Each pillow is identical, except for their profile or size/thickness. I told the folks at Bedgear that I am a side sleeper 99% of the time, so they sent me their M1X 2.0 and 3.0 sizes.
Design and features
The M1X pillow comes packaged in a zippered bag and when I removed it, I immediately realized this was not going to be another $30 Kohl’s special. The Bedgear M1X pillow looks and feels superior to any pillow I’ve ever tried.
First of all, it has a curved area for your shoulder which is perfect for side sleepers like me.
The covering of the pillow features Dri-Tec and Air-X technology with a 3D mesh cover that is made of 98% polyester and 2% spandex and is supposed to help prevent allergens and dander from entering the pillow core. Speaking of the core, the M1X has a soft hypoallergenic shredded latex foam fill that provides great support and won’t bottom out. That’s pillow speak which means the pillow keeps its shape while you’re laying on it and bounces back, unlike some down filled pillows which get flat or lumpy during a sleep session.
The Bedgear is a comfortable pillow and I wanted to love it, but the thickness of the 2.0 and 3.0 pillows was a bit too high for me to comfortably sleep on through the whole night. I think I would be better off with either their 1.0 or even their 0.0 size.
That said, I do like the pillow quite a bit and the Dri-Tec and Air-X tech kept the pillow cool and dry even during the weird in-between weather we were having a few weeks ago when it was hard to regulate temps in the house at night with heat and AC. Even when the bedroom was slightly too warm, I didn’t feel sweaty sleeping on the Bedgear pillow.
There is one thing that’s important to mention about the Bedgear M1X pillow. It’s not machine washable. It’s only spot washable and with a price tag of $119, I think it should be fully washable for people who have problems with allergies.
What I like
- Comfortable
- Doesn’t get lumpy or flat
- Stays cool
- Comes in 4 sizes to match your sleep style and body size
What needs to be improved
- Needs to be washable
Final thoughts
I just returned from a vacation in California where we stayed in 4 different locations, which meant 4 different beds with 4 different pillows. The first night we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express near the Indianapolis airport. It was a very nice hotel that was so new that you could actually smell the newness. The bed was comfortable, but their pillows were like sleeping on a boulder. I don’t think I slept at all that night because like I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this review, I’m a pillow snob and am very picky about the cushion I put under my head at night. The other 3 places where we stayed in California had better pillows, but I would have loved to have had one of the BedGear M1X pillows with me on the trip. Even though the 2.0 and 3.0 sizes are too thick for me, I have little doubt that their thinner versions would make me want to burn my antique pillow once and for all.
Price: $119.00
Where to buy: Bedgear
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Bedgear.
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Did you mean to say it does NOT get lumpy or flat?
Oops! Yes, that’s what I meant. Fixed 🙂
It doesn’t stay as cool once the pillowcase goes on. Is it ok to sleep without a case and just wash the cover that comes on it?
The Bedgear pillow does NOT have a removable cover.
I’m the same way with pillows – it has to be right or I just can’t sleep. With as much travel as I do it is statistically impossible to get a decent night’s sleep.
I’ve been using (as cliched as it might be) My Pillow for the last year or so. It has been better than anything I have had in the past – not perfect, but much better. Plus I can wash it and it is back to like-new condition.
I am on a week long trip right now and tonight I will be trying the new My Pillow travel – it is supposed to be the same thing but in a convenient pack it in your suitcase size (small and compressible). We’ll see if it is something I can sleep on…
I agree about the My Pillow. I’m also very picky about pillows and so far, the My Pillow has worked well for me.
Unfortunately, I’ve found the travel pillow to be too small to work well for me. Hope it does a better job for you!
I bought 2 – partly because they look small and partly as a response to the old joke punchline (take two, they’re small).
Maiden run tonight. More when my personal sleep lab delivers the verdict.
Please let me know how you like it!
I’ll write a quick review tomorrow. I like the way they traveled here – I manually compressed them and the 2 pillows fit nicely in my suitcase. Plus on removal they expanded to “normal” size (normal being like a large chiclet). I hope they do the trick, because the airbnb pillows aren’t going to cut it.
I look forward to hearing what you have to say about it.
So the pillows themselves are about the size of airline pillows, which I can only assume was the intended use case for them. I used them as regular bed pillows, though. As you can imagine, they were small but light years better than the pillows my airbnb host had.
They compress nicely, and to be honest I never actually thought about doing this before. Next trip I will take a standard size My Pillow if I can compress it to a manageable size. Seems like an imperfect but workable solution to the problem. Or if I get used to these on the trip I might just continue with the travel version.
At the end of the week after using them for 4 or so nights I will write a more detailed review. But night 1, I like them and had a better night’s sleep than I expected.
What is the measurement of the travel pillow? It sounds tiny.
The travel version is a 12×18 pillow, so pretty much what you get in the nice seats on an airline. It does compress nicely in a suitcase, but then as I said I don’t think this was the intended use case.
All that said, I still like this more than the standard pillows you get in (most) hotels, size not withstanding. Two nights now I have slept better than average with these.
Next trip, though, I think I will try to pack a full size My Pillow and see if that works for me.
Thanks for the impressions! I’m hoping to get another pillow sample to try. I’m on a full-fledged quest now! I don’t need a travel pillow though since we only travel 3 times a year max.
I just purchased a bed gear pillow today have diegenerative disk disease in my neck and osteoarthritis in my neck I got mine at the brick and they let me try several sizes from 1,2,3 I purchased the 1 because even though I’m a side back and stomach sleeper I found that the 2&3 felt way too firm for my neck I love it already I’ve tried everything else on the market that I could find and nothing else has worked The only thing I don’t like is the fact that it’s not washable I am also concerned that it’s made out of latex because I’m allergic to latex do I put 2 pillow cases on it and it doesn’t feel cool which disappoints me should I might take them off and see if the latex bothers me I just am worried about it gaining too if I do that
I filled out a questionnaire provided by Bedgear and it turned out the best pillow for me was the M1X pillow. I purchased 2 pillows and spent around $150. It was a waste of money. I ended up having neck pain, shoulder pain and yes, arm pain when I woke up in the morning. I gave it to someone else who also complained that she woke up with neck pain. I cannot return the pillows where I purchased them since they have a no-return policy and Bedgear Customer Service initially answered my emails but then stopped. Customers should be able to return pillows within a certain time frame without having to incur a huge loss.