A couple months ago, I decided to purchase a new pillow for myself because my old one was causing me neck and back pain. I typically purchase cheaper king-size pillows for myself because I didn't really know if I wanted to spend a lot of money on a more expensive pillow and if the benefits would outweigh the costs. My old pillow was starting to get flat as well and I was about to head to a local store and purchase another inexpensive pillow when I thought, why not see what I can find on here for pillows? I did a TON of research and mainly looked at memory foam pillows because many people seem to like them. I had it narrowed down to two pillows and, even though the other pillow was a bit cheaper and seemed to be more popular, I chose this one because overall, it seemed like a better pillow for side sleepers, which is what I am.The Snuggle-Pedic Bamboo Shredded Memory Foam pillow is a luxurious, eco-friendly pillow made for all sleepers from back to side to stomach to pregnant. The filling is made of 100% shredded polyurethane foam and the cover is made of 43% viscose of bamboo, 56.4% polyester, and .6% lycra. A lot of pillows go flat after time, which is what always happened to me with the cheaper pillows, but memory foam is never supposed to go flat. The shredded bamboo memory foam is supposed to conform to your head and neck and then fluff back up to its original shape when you wake up and are no longer using the pillow. This pillow is made with a Kool-Flow Micro-Vented Cover meant to keep you cool all night so you don't sweat as much. It is also hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant. The pillow is made in the USA in Southern California and comes with a 20 year warranty.Washing instructions are as follows: machine wash cold with minimum agitation and make sure the washing machine load is balanced, hand wash recommended over top load washing machines, can be tumble dried using a high-heat setting, do not use chlorine-based bleach, do not dry clean, and do not iron. You can also throw the pillow in the dryer for 20 minutes every so often to re-fluff it and soften the material (care instructions are included in the packaging and I'd recommend reading them carefully to ensure the longevity of your pillow).I purchased the king-size pillow since I've gotten used to that size ever since we bought our king-size bed years ago. This pillow is the same size as the other king-size pillows we own so it will fit your regular king pillowcases. In order to prevent staining on my new pillow from myself, my kids who like to jump on our bed, and my cat who think my pillow is the perfect bed (it actually is big enough for both of us!), I also purchased Zipper Removable Pillow Cover by Snuggle-Pedic - Kool-Flow Luxurious Bamboo Material - All USA Made (King Size), which has been a great purchase as well.I cannot tell you how excited I was for my new pillow to arrive. I'd never used a memory foam pillow before and I was thrilled when it arrived! Imagine my surprise though when the box it arrived in was a medium-sized box and I was afraid my new pillow was delayed. You'll want to note that the pillow is vacuum-packed so it can ship more easily. When you open the box, it will be rolled up and I've included a picture of this so you aren't surprised either. Carefully cut the plastic wrapping off to make sure you don't cut into the pillow. The pillow will immediately start to fluff up on its own but you can speed up the process by putting it in the dryer. Our dryer isn't the most reliable so I only put this pillow in the dryer for 7 minutes on high heat and watched it like a hawk. It came out even more fluffed up! At first, when I cut open the plastic, it had a new smell similar to a new car smell and that went away after a day or so.That night, I was even more excited to go to bed so I could test out my new pillow. The first time I laid my head down on it, I couldn't believe how comfortable it felt! It was like the pillow was made specifically to fit me because, even right away, it felt very supportive. I knew the true test would be how I slept because with all of the new pillows I've owned (remember, they were the cheaper ones), they always started out very fluffy and I had to adjust to them. For many days after using those pillows, I would wake up with a sore neck until I eventually broke it in. With this pillow, there was no breaking it in. The next morning, I woke up and thought, I slept so well and didn't wake up once! That alone describes how comfortable this pillow is. I've owned this pillow for almost two months and every night has been much the same, with the exception of getting woken up by one of our kids.Another amazing thing about this pillow is that it has a Kool-Flow Micro-Vented Cover which helps keep you cool all night long. I can attest that this is true. With all of the other pillows I owned, regardless of the season, I would sweat at night and mostly on my head so I would wake up with my hair and pillow sweaty. With this pillow, it has kept my head cool and I rarely wake up sweaty, which probably also has to do with my sleeping better.Like many people, I get stressed out at times and tend to carry my stress in my neck and shoulders. With my old, cheap pillows, I used to wake up in so much pain that I could barely move and get out of bed. It hurt so much and would take days to make the pain go away. During the two months I've used this pillow, I've still been stressed and my back hurts occasionally during the day but I have NEVER woken up in pain. I can't tell you what a relief it is to be able to wake up, get out of bed to help my kids get ready, and go about my day without being in so much pain. Who would've thought a pillow would be so amazing?!?!?!?!I'd like to summarize this review by stating that, if I haven't yet convinced you to purchase this pillow, let me say this. Ever since I purchased this pillow, I have slept better, felt better, and woken up happier than I have been in a long time...mostly because of this pillow! I don't even have any major neck or back problems and this pillow has helped me immensely. It is so comfortable and I look forward to going to bed at night! It keeps me cool at night and has been one of the best purchases I've made. I, too, was hesitant because of the price but I will tell you that you won't regret it. I've told my mother-in-law about this pillow and she is extremely interested because she needs to get a new pillow as well. So, if you are on the fence about purchasing this pillow, you won't regret it. The cost is higher but the benefits for me have been so worth it! There are a few different sizes available but I love my king-size pillow because it's so big and I love to sprawl, much to my husband's dismay. Because this is a more expensive item, I will periodically update this review and adjust my star-rating if my opinion on this pillow changes. For now, I VERY highly recommend purchasing this pillow! You will sleep and feel so much better!