The Groove pillow review: is this the ultimate pillow…

The Groove pillow review: is this the ultimate pillow to relieve neck pain?

My search for the perfect pillow has taken me everywhere, from the pillow menus of luxury hotels to trying out my friends’ sleep set-ups when I pop round. I’ve spent long nights punching fillings back into place only to wake with my head slumped against the mattress, and days stumbling around sleep-deprived, with a crick in my neck and a temperament akin to a grizzly bear’s.

I would argue that finding the pillow of your dreams is harder even than the search for the perfect pair of jeans or the killer LBD. It’s more personal than duvet togs, and as uplifting to your mood as rays of sunshine. Hours lost to a poor pillow are ones you’ll never get back. If you’re a big sleeper like me, a good one is utterly crucial to your health, wellbeing and outlook. So why is finding the perfect pillow so elusive?

Part of the reason is that we each have such different preferences that in turn, manufacturers offer all sorts of pillows with varying firmnesses. The choice is immense. On the low loft end of the scale are the flat pancake-like pillows masquerading as a place to rest your head, while on the other are densely-packed boulders that force your head and neck into an unnatural position as you attempt to catch your 40 winks. It’s how people on TV sleep, not regular folk. A hoax. Goldilocks had it easier. For me, neither result in a satisfying snooze - and believe me when I say I’ve tried a fair few.

As a grown woman, I’m reluctant to admit I sleep in a pillow fort but for want of a better term, that’s what it is. Two plump pillows to roll against on one side of the bed, one under my head, and one to hug - I’ve found it’s the most comfortable position for arms. I’m a side sleeper and often flip the head pillow midway through the night to get the cold underside. If I have a cold, I’ll double up on underhead pillows to help free up my airways. Despite sleeping with four pillows, none have given me the high quality of sleep I need.

Which is how I came across the Groove pillow. Recommended by physiotherapists and osteopaths, it’s designed to ease chronic pillow-triggered neck pain with a unique look that, sure, may not win any beauty contests, but is sculpted to properly support your head and neck while you’re out for the count. It has rave reviews, and now I’m adding my name to the pile. The search is over. This really could be the perfect pillow.

It’s a lower height than I usually go for, but the magic is all in the groove, a contoured dip in the middle bottom edge of the pillow. This supports the neck and shoulder’s natural curve (known as the cervical area) so your spine stays straight whether you’re on your back or your side, the two most common sleep positions.

The groove means no chance of flipping it over for the coolness I sometimes enjoy resting against, a fact that gave me cause for hesitation since the Groove is made from memory foam - a famously heat-retentive material. Yet there’s been no waking a sweaty mess thanks to the thermogenic protective inner layer, which takes care of changing temperatures as you snooze.

The antibacterial bamboo and charcoal fibres which partly make up the pillow also help on this front. No sweat, no funky odours, just blissful, uninterrupted sleep.

The cherry on top is the scuba-fabric protector, which you can throw in the wash when it needs freshening up. It’s soft, but that’s neither here nor there as I always throw a pillow case onto my pillows.

Verdict

The Groove pillow has given me my best sleep in months, and has automatically moved to the top spot in my pillow rotation. She’s Beyonce; the rest are all backing singers. The only extra feature I’d like to see is a cooling layer, not just a heat-regulating one, as this will help during the summer when nights are humid and sweltering.

Should you get one? Yes. And with a 100-day money back guarantee if your comfort doesn’t improve, there really isn’t anything to lose - apart from great sleep.