As someone who oscillates throughout the night between sleeping on my side and flat on my stomach, finding the right pillow has been a life-long endeavour. Before the Henrie Adjustable Pillow, every pillow I've had that started out fluffy enough deflated within a few months, leaving me with a sagging, lumpy sack to sleep on and a crushed-shoulder-crook-neck situation by morning.
When it comes to sleep, I try to do everything right. I take cold showers in the morning, go for plenty of walks around the city, go on hikes, keep up on my wellness rituals and take regular visits to local spas. I have a spectacular mattress. But the pillow situation has always been dire. In all honesty, though, I've never crossed the $100 threshold when it comes to pillows. I've tried many, many pillows from a variety of different (low-end) stores, but never a luxury pillow. Now, it's finally time to spring for a Henrie pillow.
The Henrie Adjustable Pillow: The features
The premium, adjustable pillow comes inside a breathable, removable organic cotton outer cover that’s machine washable. I love this feature because, between my haircare products and skincare regimen, my pillows often get unsightly stains on them (even through a pillowcase) and putting the whole pillow in the wash often deteriorates it.
Inside, the Henrie pillow is stuffed with a custom blend of premium kapok and chopped CertiPUR-US memory foam. A natural fibre that grows from the tree of the same name, kapok is a renewable, sustainable and cruelty-free material (unlike polyester or down). The chopped stuffing is fully removable through a little zipper, allowing for a fully adjustable pillow that can be customized to the perfect size.
The Henrie Adjustable Pillow: The test
When my Henrie pillow arrives, it's rolled inside a neat little cylindrical cloth bag. The instructions dictate that I should let it sit for 24 hours to allow the pillow to expand to its full size. With my squashed-down pillow sadly slumping on my bed, I'm tempted to throw a cover on Henrie and take him for a test drive. But I wait patiently, watching as he grows and grows and grows in size.
Finally, the time has come. The first night, I don't bother taking any of the stuffing out. Henrie is gloriously large and I am here for it. The pillow is firm and comfy. His size is perfect for side-sleeping, but admittedly, when I roll onto my stomach, it's not so great. The next day I take some of the stuffing out. It's squishy and so, so soft. I could almost play with it. But I dutifully put it back into the cloth bag that Henrie came in and give him another go at his new, reduced size. I get an amazing, comfortable sleep.
For about a month, I sleep on Henrie, and I start to notice things. My partner's pile of pyjamas that he keeps under his pillow (why god? Why?) creeps over to my side, and it immediately disturbs my sleep. I had never noticed it before (what's one more lump when you're sleeping on a lumpy pillow?), but now I'm like The Princess and the Pea. I am having the most restful, comfortable sleep of my life — no neck pain and no back pain. Eventually, I adjust the pillow just once more to take a tiny bit more stuffing out, and everything is perfect. My sleeps are sublime.
The Henrie Adjustable Pillow: The verdict
I've always doubted whether spending more money could actually make a difference when it comes to pillows, but thanks to Henrie, I am a convert. Coming in at $199, it's a bit of a splurge, but as someone who went from sore-neck-sleeps to Sleeping Beauty-esque slumbers, I can say it's a worthy investment in your overall health and wellbeing.
Plus, I love that it's a Canadian company that made the Henrie pillow with sustainability and quality, health-conscious materials in mind. The Henry pillow is well worth the spend for a great night's sleep, again and again.
The Henrie Adjustable Pillow, $199, henrie.com
