I usually avoid memory foam, but Panda's bestselling pillow has just changed my mind – here's why I'm a convert

This Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow review puts the brand's bestselling memory foam pillow through its paces to find out if it can deliver a great night's sleep.

After testing I think it's one of the best pillows for a side sleeper. Here's why.

In a nutshell

The Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow is the brand's original pillow offering, and since its launch, it has amassed an impressive roster of positive reviews and happy owners.

Once I unboxed it, I could immediately see why. This pillow will likely be too high for back or stomach sleepers, but if you're a side sleeper, it's a brilliant option.

That's because its high loft and supportive memory foam core do a great job of filling the gap between the shoulder and the neck to keep the neck well-supported when you're lying on your side. Plus, this pillow feels more cushioned and breathable than many other memory foam pillows on the market.

Even better is the brand's 30-night sleep trial that allows you to test out the pillow at home before you commit to keeping it.

A sleep trial is important because we're all built differently, and the key to a good night's sleep is finding a pillow that fits your body. That sleep trial allows you to find out if the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow is 'just right' for you.

Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow review

Specifications

• Best for: side sleepers
• Materials: cover: 70% bamboo fibre + 30% polyester, inner: memory foam
• Dimensions: 60 x 40 x 12cm
• Care instructions: the removable cover is machine-washable at 40°c, the memory foam core can't be washed

Comfort

As mentioned, this pillow has a high loft and a firm feel. Although Panda suggests it's suitable for all sleeping positions, I think it's far too high for a back or stomach sleeper, but that does mean it's the perfect design for a side sleeper.

When I was laid on my side, the pillow's dense feel and high loft did a great job of filling the gap between my shoulder and neck. This is important, as keeping the head in alignment with the spine is the key to finding a pillow that offers the right level of support to prevent neck pain.

The pillow also maintained that height throughout the night, meaning my head didn't gradually sink lower as I slept.

Plus, unlike many memory foam pillows I've tested, the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow still offered enough cushioning that it didn't feel like having a solid block underneath my head. Some memory foam pillows I've slept on have been so dense I've woken with earache! Not so with this option.

All in all, I think this is a great pillow choice for a side sleeper, and it reconfirms my experience that memory foam is one of the best fillings for a pillow if you sleep predominantly on your side.

However, as is the way with pillows, nothing is one-size-fits-all. If you're a side sleeper with very narrow shoulders this pillow may be too high, and if you're a side sleeper with wide shoulders it may not be quite high enough. However, a 30-night sleep trial can help you to assess if it's the right fit for you – more on that later.

Temperature regulation

Another common problem I've found when testing memory foam pillows is that they tend to cause overheating.

Memory foam is a very dense synthetic material that doesn't naturally allow any airflow. In my experience, this has meant waking up with a very hot and sweaty head in the night.

However, although the memory foam used in this pillow doesn't seem to have any particular cooling technologies added, in my tests I did find it slept cooler than many other memory foam pillows I've trialed.

Panda says this is down to the bamboo cover which is a mix of 70% bamboo and 30% polyester. Bamboo viscose is known for its cool-to-the-touch properties, so likely this helped me to keep a cooler head.

That said, I did still find that after a few hours under my head, the pillow felt warmer than a feather and down or wool-filled pillow. But, compared to other memory foam pillows, Panda's design offers far better temperature regulation.

Ease of care

You can't wash the memory foam core itself, but handily the Panda Memory Foam Pillow has a removable cover that can be unzipped and popped in the washing machine for a freshen-up.

The care instructions advise a 40°c wash and then a low tumble dry.

Adding a pillow protector is still worth it, but as you can't wash the main pillow core, the extra layer of protection is a nice feature.

Sleep trial

A pillow can be an incredibly difficult thing to get right. That's because our sleep position, our body shape, and how much we sink into our mattress can all affect which pillow is the best fit for us.

This is why a sleep trial is such a useful benefit. Usually reserved for mattresses, many brands are now extending sleep trials to other sleep products, which I think is great news for shoppers.

It's very difficult to tell if a pillow will be right for you before you sleep on it for a few nights, and without a sleep trial, that can mean a lot of wasted money.

The good news is that Panda offers us 30 nights to test out the Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow at home and find out if it's 'the one' for you.

Value for money

On unboxing – and with this pillow it is a proper unboxing as it's delivered in a recyclable cardboard box – the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo pillow immediately feels like a premium product.

The removable outer cover feels nice to the touch and its irregular dimpled texture and the distinctive black panda logo embroidered on one corner are nice touches.

Although, if you prefer to use white pillowcases, then just like in my Panda Cloud Duvet review, I did find that graphic black embroidery was visible through thinner material which may annoy some!

However, all in all, this feels like a great quality product, which makes its (relatively) very reasonable price point something of a surprise.

I definitely think investing in an expensive pillow is worth it if it offers you a better night's sleep, but, as of writing, the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow retails at just £44.95, which is about average for a memory foam pillow.

You can find slightly cheaper memory foam options, but in my experience, they're not of this quality, which I think makes this pillow a really good value buy.