Regular readers will be well aware of my praise for the use of memory foam pillows and mattresses. In 40 mammoth winks I discussed my experiences with Mammoth Sport`s highly innovative mattress whilst in another 40 winks the focus was on memory foam pillows which I had purchased from Sleep Athlete who supplied me with two pillows. Both I found highly beneficial for improved sleep and overall recovery. During my initial contact with Mammoth Sport whilst obtaining my mattress I had asked them if they sold memory foam pillows to go along with their mattresses. I was informed that they did not but it was something they had considered so they could offer not only athletes but also everyday Joe Bloggs in the street the complete sleeping experience for optimal health and well-being.
It came with great surprise and pleasure when Mammoth Sport contacted me to say they were sending me one of their Orthopaedic Memory Pillows with a Hydraflex Fabric pillow case free of charge to try out.
The pillow arrived shortly after but unfortunately I couldn`t use it straight away as I was roughly 2 weeks away from competing in The World Coal Carrying Championships and I did not want to be changing anything in my preparations so close to race day which could interfere with recovery. Yes I am a creature of habit and the slightest change always seems to affect me.
So with The World coal Carrying Championships now out of the way I have spent the last few weeks sleeping exclusively on Mammoth`s Orthopaedic pillow. My first reaction to it was that it was firmer than the Sleep Athlete Pro Physio Pillow which I had been using and had mentioned in the previous blog post another 40 winks were the firmness of Sleep Athlete`s Pro Physio pillow had left me questioning whether it would be too soft during the increased heat of the summer months. The Mammoth Sport Orthopaedic Pillow`s extra firmness I feel will not become too soft during the hot months of the year, even more so because of its use of their Hydraflex covering. The pillow came out at 3.5 inches longer and 1.5 inches wider with the overall shape of the pillow not as rounded as the Pro Physio when you follow the contours down to the front & back of the pillow to the underside.
The extra firmness I found took a few nights to adjust to with some twisting & turning of the pillow to see whether I preferred the high or low sides for the best support of the head. In the end I could sleep with either it just depended on whether I started to fall asleep on my side or back. Back seemed to prefer small with sleeping on my side preferring the larger contour.
As with my Mammoth Sport`s mattress the Orthopaedic pillow did not make me sweat during sleep as some other memory foam products can do. My head felt cool and there were no visible signs of sweating whenever the pillow case was removed. The Hydraflex covering was living up to its promises of being stretchy and breathable. Both of which will add to the overall quality of sleep the user is getting and lead to increased recovery levels because of not being woken due to excessive heat or loosing valuable salts / minerals through sweating.
At some point I would like to put Mammoth Sport`s managing directors claims to the test when he write`s about their Ultimate Memory pillow
“Wow! I love this pillow. Since early February (2011), I have been using the first prototype
following a neck strain I picked up in the gym. Absolutely
magic!”
John Tuton, Mammoth Sport M.D
The Sleep Athlete Pro Balance (which I have) is similar in shape and size so it would be a fair challenge to pit them both against each other as I have already done with the orthopaedic / contoured pillows.
Overall I am extremely pleased and highly recommend the Mammoth Sport Orthopaedic pillow and Hydraflex cover. And unlike some sporting companies I have dealt with recently Mammoth will always respond to your emails irrespective of whether you have bought from them or not. I look forward to pushing their products to their limits over the coming months as I prepare for a variety of sporting endeavours to help with not only sports recovery but general improvements in health and well being, all thanks to getting a good nights sleep .
Steven. A. Barlow© 2011