Review: Natura Pillows (+Giveaway)

Little by little, my husband and I have been trying to green our sleep. We figure that since our bed is the single place where we, and our daughter, spend most of our time, we want to make sure that it is as free of toxins as possible. It’s not feasible for us to buy a new organic mattress set right now, but we are doing our best to make sure that anything we put on top of our existing mattress is eco-friendly. That wasn’t so hard when it came to sheets, but I admit, I hadn’t thought much about our pillows until I was approached by a representative of Natura, a company that specializes in mattresses, pillows and other bedding made of natural materials like wool and natural latex.

I received the Organic Cloud Pillow and the Lavender Pillow to try. Because I’m a side sleeper who tends to have back pain, Natura recommended the organic pillow for me. It is covered in organic cotton fabric and filled with wool. I tend to prefer firm pillows, and the organic pillow delivered. It was very firm and the fibers very compact when I first received it.  I’ve been using it for about 2 months now, and it is  noticeably softer and more pliable than when I first started using it, which I guess is to be expected with any pillow. I have to say, it did help with my back and shoulder pain. I have a habit of rolling pillows under my neck to make myself comfortable, and I find that I no longer have to do that. The Organic Cloud Pillow firmly cushions my head and neck without being too hard.

My daughter was the recipient of the lavender pillow. The pillow includes a sachet containing fragrant lavender that is sewn inside the pillow. As much as I appreciated the aromatherapy, I do have some eco-issues with this pillow. While the fill and batting are made of wool and natural latex, the outer shell is made of polyester. I would have much preferred to have it be covered in organic cotton. It also would have been nice to know whether the lavender in the sachet was organic. I know I’m being picky, but if I’m going to buy a pillow for more $100, it would be great to know all the details.

The lavender pillow was very firm, and pretty heavy too. My daughter is 3, and it’s pretty tough for her to take it from room to room because it is so hefty. That’s a bit rough for a toddler who likes to take her pillow everywhere, but I viewed it as a bonus side effect and incentive for her to leave the pillow where it belongs — in her bed. As for her sleep, I definitely noticed that she is falling asleep a lot faster.  Typically, she tosses and turns a whole lot before falling asleep. Now, I put her to bed, read her a story, and within a few minutes, she’s snoring. I can’t guarantee that’s because of the pillow, but I noticed a change in her sleep pattern when her pillow changed.

What I love about both wool and natural latex is their antimicrobial properties. They are also breathable and tend to keep moisture away from your body instead of sucking it in. These materials are also much less likely than pillows made of traditional fills to contain mold, bacteria, bed bugs or dust mites.  Overall, I definitely prefer the organic cotton pillow simply because the materials used to make it are more natural, but these are some quality pillows that made a noticeable difference in my sleep and my daughter’s sleep, and good rest is truly invaluable.

Why It’s Green:

• Pillow fills made of wool and natural latex, which are both naturally antimicrobial
• Pillows available with organic cotton covers

Price: $102.50-$175 for organic pillows in a variety of sizes

(review)

WANT TO WIN?

Natura has offered up an pair of Organic Cloud Pillows for one lucky reader of Green Your Decor. So how do you win? Visit the Natura website, then come back here and leave a comment about something you liked or learned. It could be a product or something you learned about the company. Do this by 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 7, 2009, to enter.

Want to enter more than once? Boost your chances of winning by completing one or more of the tasks on this list. Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. If you haven’t already, sign up for Green Your Decor’s email updates by 11:59 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. You must verify your email subscription to be eligible. After you sign up, FeedBurner will send you a verification email. Please do not ignore it — your entry will be invalid if you do not verify. From now on, subscribers will no longer be entered automatically. This will help me avoid choosing a winner who is a subscriber, but who doesn’t necessarily want a specific prize. If you are an email subscriber and you want to be entered, please leave a comment saying that you are an email subscriber and interested in this giveaway. Subscribers will not be entered automatically. You must leave a comment saying that you are a subscriber in order to enter.
2. If you’d prefer to receive your updates via RSS, sign up for the GYD feed. Then please leave a comment letting me know that you’ve done so, and be sure to include your email address. RSS subscribers are anonymous otherwise. This will let me know that you want to be entered in this giveaway.
3. Blog about GreenYourDecor.com and post a link to your blog entry here.
4. Stumble or give a thumbs up to any page at GreenYourDecor.com via StumbleUpon and post a link to your SU profile to verify your thumbs up.
5. Fave Green Your Decor on Technorati. Then come back here and leave a comment with your Technorati user name so I can verify it.
6. Tweet about Green Your Decor or this giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your tweet.

You have until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 to enter. U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only! A winner will be chosen via Random.org and contacted via email. Good luck everyone!