I’ve been happily sleeping on a Saatva mattress for three years now. So when the brand offered some pillows for me to try, I heartily said yes. I chose their most popular pillow, the Saatva Latex Pillow, which at the time of this post has a 4.8 star-rating from 190 reviews. But does this luxury pillow live up to the hype?
Size & Loft Options
When the package arrived, I was surprised by how heavy it was. Inside were two plush and hefty pillows in a clear plastic carrying case. The fill for each pillow weighs 3 lbs, 4 oz. This is a substantial pillow!
Saatva Latex Pillow – $165 for a queen, $185 for a king
I was also surprised by how big they are. The pillow comes in two sizes: standard/queen and king. For a moment, I thought I’d made a mistake and ordered the king instead of the standard/queen. But I checked the tag and it says, “queen.” To be honest, I didn’t even know there was such thing as a queen-sized pillow.
Saatva gave these pillows to me. As always, I decide what to write about and all opinions are my own.
At 28″ x 18″, it’s too long to fit in most of my standard sized pillowcases. I haven’t seen anyone else mention this in their reviews, but I think that’s an important thing to know! If you order Saatva’s standard/queen latex pillow, you’ll most likely need to use king pillowcases for them. The standard pillowcases I own from various brands range in length (see my bed sheets review here), and only the ones from Pact provide enough coverage. That’s a con in my book. I wish the pillow was shorter.
The pillows are gusseted and come in two lofts: standard (4-5″) or high loft (6-7″). The lower one is recommended for stomach and back sleepers while the higher loft is for side or combination sleepers. I ordered the standard loft.
The height of the standard loft is 4-5″
Materials & Construction
Saatva is known for using premium materials. The Saatva Latex Pillow has an organic cotton cover with a sateen weave and brown piping. It feels silky to the touch. One thing I’m not a fan of, though, is the company’s branding all over the cover.
You can unzip the cover at the side. Inside, you’ll find the pillow body, which also has a zipper. That’s because it consists of two parts: an outer layer and an inner core. The outer layer is microdenier fiber fill (made of polyester). This is the fluffy part of the pillow.
Unzip the cover and you will find another zipper.
Unzip that, and at the core you’ll find a sack with shredded latex. This two-layered construction results in a buoyant center surrounded by plushness.
The Saatva Latex Pillow has two layers. At the center is shredded natural latex.
The pillow is designed this way so that you can wash it. Latex is not washable, so you can remove the latex core, set it aside, and machine wash the cover and fiber fill layer.
The sack containing the latex.
Saatva also touts the pillow’s hypoallergenic properties from the down-alternative fill to the latex, which is put through a washing process to eliminate proteins that may trigger allergies.
How Does the Saatva Latex Pillow Feel?
Feel & Firmness: At first, I was kind of put off by the weight of the pillow. Why does a pillow need to be so heavy? But I quickly got over that. It’s not like I’m moving the pillow a whole lot as I sleep. The pillow is what I’d consider medium firm. My head sank into the fluffy outer layer, but at the same time, the latex core provided noticeable support. It felt a little bouncy, certainly different in feel from a more conventional pillow with just a down or a down-alternative fill.
Comfort: As a small person and a combo side and back sleeper, I found it quite comfortable. I tend to fall asleep on my side and wake up on my back and did not experience any neck or shoulder pains. The standard loft was sufficient for me; I think the high loft would have been too tall even though it’s meant for combination sleepers like myself.
But the Mister, who is a back sleeper, felt the standard loft was too tall. If you prefer a flatter or softer pillow, this isn’t for you. I also think it’d be too tall for a stomach sleeper. Sure, you could remove the latex core to create a lower profile, but that’s the most unique thing about this pillow.
Is It Worth the Price?
Price: At $165 for a standard/queen and $185 for a king, this is a pricey buy. It’s a luxury pillow — one that comes with a 45-night return window and a one-year limited warranty. But I’m at that age (in my 40s) where I will splurge on comforts for my declining body.
Latex pillows are also generally pricier than conventional pillows. So in that sense the Saatva pillow is not outrageously priced. SleepOnLatex’s pillow, which comes in one size, is $99. Avocado’s Molded Latex Pillow runs $129-$149 depending on size. And European Sleepwork’s Oxygen Pillow, which comes in a variety of lofts and firmness is $185. However, these other latex pillows consist of a single piece of latex. Saatva’s multi-layered construction is unique.
Since this pillow is about three times the price of a more conventional pillow, this begs the question: is the Saatva Latex Pillow three times as comfortable? That is subjective, of course, but I don’t know that it is. It certainly provides a more supportive feel owing to the latex, and it will keep its shape and not flatten much over time. But you could also find a perfectly fine pillow in the $50 range.
Concluding Thoughts: Overall, I think the Saatva Latex Pillow is a luxurious and comfortable pillow. While expensive, it’s not unreasonably priced with its materials and unique construction. And though I found it more supportive than the average pillow, it wasn’t life-changing, at least for me.
If you have neck or shoulder issues, then it’s probably worth a try to see if it can help alleviate pain. If you sleep hot, this could also be a good option as latex is naturally more breathable and should run cooler. Or if you just want a luxe sleep experience with a fancy hotel feel, this is a worthy candidate for a splurge.
If you’re interested in Saatva, here’s my referral code, which will take $100 off your order of $1,000 or more. When you click through to the site it should say, “View Your Extra $100 off at Cart or Checkout” at the top. You can use this code in conjunction with a promotion. (I will also receive a monetary gift, so thank you!)
