Is a luxury memory foam pillow worth it? I tested Panda's £84.99 Hybrid Bamboo Pillow for a month and I'm now convinced it is

This Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pillow review puts the brand's premium memory foam pillow through its paces to find out if it's worth the price tag.

And to see if it can give the best pillows on the market a run for their money. *Spoiler alert*: I think it definitely does.

In a nutshell

The Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pillow is the most recent launch in the brand's pillow collection. It joins the popular Panda Memory Foam Pillow, which is a favourite with side sleepers thanks to its high loft, firm feel, and affordable price tag.

In contrast, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pillow is a softer pillow. It still utilises a memory foam core, but this bamboo and charcoal-infused memory foam inner has more squish to it than its predecessor.

That extra squish factor meant my head sank further into its surface during testing, and the result is a mid-height pillow that will suit side sleepers who prefer a softer sleep surface, side sleepers with narrower shoulders, and those of us who switch between side and back sleeping.

Unlike Panda's original Memory Foam Pillow, the Hybrid Pillow also features a quilted cover that's padded with bamboo and recycled polyester microfibre and finished with a silky smooth bamboo rayon cover.

These extra touches make for a very luxurious feeling pillow. It may be nearly twice the price of the Panda Memory Foam Pillow, but when you compare the two side-by-side, it's clear to see that the Hybrid Pillow is the more premium product.

All in all, if you're a side sleeper who's looking for a pillow that has enough height to keep your head in good alignment with the spine, but still offers plenty of sumptuous squish, this could be 'the one'.

Plus, a 30-night sleep trial makes this pillow's high price tag a little more palatable. That return period allows you to sleep on it – literally – to test out whether you think it's worth the money before you commit.

Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pillow review

Specifications

• Best for: side and back sleepers
• Materials: cover: bamboo rayon + polyester, inner: charcoal-infused memory foam
• Dimensions: 70 x 40 x 13cm
• Care instructions: the removable cover is machine-washable at 40°c, the memory foam core can't be washed

Comfort

Although this pillow's dimensions state it's 1cm deeper than the popular Panda Memory Foam Pillow (the Panda Hybrid Pillow is 13cm deep compared to the Panda Memory Foam Pillow's 12cm depth), in practice, this is a lower loft pillow.

That's because the Hybrid Pillow's memory foam core is significantly softer than the Panda's original memory foam pillow. I found the Hybrid pillow still did a great job of filling the gap between my shoulder and neck when I was laid on my side, but my head sank deeper into the pillow.

This means you lose some pillow height – so the firmer Panda Memory Foam pillow likely remains the best buy for any side sleepers with wider shoulders – but the overall sleep experience was a much more cushioned affair. Which I, for one, loved.

That slightly lower loft also means that (unlike the Panda Memory Foam pillow) the Hybrid pillow works for a back sleeper as well as a side sleeper. So it's a great option if, like me, you're prone to changing your sleeping position throughout the night.

Plus, as well as a softer memory foam core, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pillow also features a removable quilted cover that offers more padding.

That padding is a mix of bamboo and recycled polyester microfibre, and although it's only around 1cm deep, combined with the bamboo rayon cover which gives the pillow a silky feel, it results in a very luxurious feeling pillow.

In fact, this is by far the most luxurious memory foam pillow I've come across. Overall, I think it's one of the best synthetic pillows I've tested, achieving a great compromise between the plump sink-in comfort of a premium feather and down pillow and the firmer support of memory foam.

Temperature regulation

However, one of the downsides of opting for a memory foam pillow instead of one filled with natural materials, such as feather and down or wool, is that memory foam can tend to cause overheating.

That's because the plastic polymers used in this manmade material are very dense and don't allow for airflow through the pillow.

That said, the Hybrid Bamboo Pillow makes multiple efforts to address this. Firstly, Panda uses what it calls an 'activated bamboo charcoal-infused memory foam' for the pillow core. The brand says that those infusions work to cancel out memory foam's tendency to retain heat, and offer better temperature regulation.

Secondly, the brand has added channels through the memory foam core to allow for air flow.

Thirdly, there's a mesh band built into the cover that runs around the circumference of the pillow to allow for more airflow and breathability.

And fourth, the cool-to-the-touch bamboo rayon no doubt also helps deliver a slightly cooler sleep.

As a hot sleeper, I did still find this pillow felt warmer to sleep on than a feather and down or wool option, but I didn't wake up with a hot and sweaty head like I often have on other memory foam and polyester pillows I've tested. So considering, what it's made from, I think the Hybrid Bamboo pillow offers decent temperature regulation overall.

Ease of care

As with all memory foam pillows, you can't wash the main component of this pillow – the memory foam itself. But, the Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pillow's cover can be easily unzipped and removed for washing.

The care instructions advise a 40°c machine wash and then line drying.

Personally, I think adding a pillow protector is still worth it, but that extra layer of protection is a useful feature and shows attention to detail in the pillow's design.

Sleep trial

No matter how much research we may do before buying a pillow, this is still a tricky purchase to get right. That's because factors such as our sleep position, body shape, and how much cushioning our mattress offers can all affect which pillow feels most comfortable for us.

Unfortunately, that can mean a lot of wasted money spent on unsuitable pillows, which is why opting for one that comes with a sleep trial can be a very good idea.

Now very popular in the mattress market, a sleep trial allows you to test out a sleep product at home, sleeping on it for a set number of nights with the option to return it for a refund (or sometimes an exchange) if it isn't the right fit for you.

Panda is one of a few retailers that now also offers sleep trials on its pillows (and duvets, as I discovered in my Panda Cloud duvet review).

That means that you have 30 nights to test out the Hybrid Bamboo Pillow at home and really find out if it's the best pillow for you before you commit. In my opinion, this is a real bonus that could save you from a multitude of pillow-buying mistakes.

Value for money

The Panda Hybrid Bamboo Pillow isn't cheap. As of writing, it retails at £89.95, and a pillow that's just shy of a hundred pounds is going to be a significant investment for most of us.

However, when you add up how many hours you spend resting your head on a pillow, I do think an expensive pillow can be worth it if it's a good fit for your body and sleeping position.

In my opinion, this pillow will suit side sleepers and those sleepers who alternate between their side and their back. Whether it's the best pillow for you will depend on whether it's the right height to fit neatly between your shoulder and neck once you're laid on your side. But if it does, I think this is a brilliant pillow that is well worth that premium price tag.

The attention to detail in Panda's design is second to none, from the distinctive black panda logo to the quilted bamboo rayon cover, it's clear from the moment you unbox this pillow that it's a premium product.

And, in my testing experience, the soft cushioning and support this pillow offers is difficult to find anywhere else. So if its measurements suit your body frame, I don't think you'll regret paying its price tag.

Plus, if you shop whilst there are bedding deals to be found, you may not need to pay full price. I've been tracking the best Black Friday deals and Boxing Day and January sales for a few years now, and Panda usually offers good discounts at these times of the year.

The brand's pillows are also stocked by retailers such as Very, Amazon, and more. So if Panda itself doesn't have a sale on when you're ready to shop, you may still be able to find this pillow discounted elsewhere.