Why aren't pillows better?
Whining and moaning instead of napping.
Last week, I was out of town, and I had a miserable time sleeping. I may be a grown up, but I have trouble sleeping without my favorite pillow and blanket. Even though hotels usually put a mix of pillow types on their beds, and some even have fancy pillow menus, none of them is ever quite right.
The best pillow I’ve ever had is my current pillow, although it isn’t perfect. It’s a custom pillow from Pluto (affiliate link), which I learned about when the founders appeared on Shark Tank. They also make a travel pillow that is expensive and ridiculous but that is so good, it is worth every penny: much cheaper than flying business class, yet you arrive from a night flight reasonably rested.
Before my custom Pluto pillow, I had a MyPillow and I loved it. I bought it well before the 2016 election, which I know because I convinced my father to buy one and he loved it. He died in September 2016, before Donald Trump was elected and Mike Lindell, MyPillow’s CEO, became better known for his politics than his pillows. I still have my MyPillow, and I would have bought another but then the whole brand became, well, about something other than a good night’s sleep and I could not bring myself to support the company any more.
I’ve noticed that many pillow companies offer refunds after long trial periods. Maybe the secret is just getting used to it? Although I should point out that I love new buckwheat hull pillows, but after a few months they seem to get super flat.
And now I am thinking of two things. First, do most people like their pillows?
Second, what is the line between conviction and delirium? I’ve often been suspicious of companies where the CEO becomes the personification of the brand (Abercrombie, any of Elon Musk’s companies). Mike Lindell embraced his MyPillow in the company’s ubiquitous ads, then he threw a very good business away by embracing fringe politics. He has been public about his past drug and gambling addictions (Amazon affiliate link); is it all just part of the mania that it often takes to succeed in business?
Maybe. What do you think?
I have two pillows from Wayfair that I actually do like--in part because they're king size and I'm short enough that they're almost like body pillows. If I travel by car, I take my pillows with. If by air, I take a king size pillow protector and then zip two regular pillows inside it. Not quite the same, but better than relying on skimpy hotel pillows!