The Derila Ergo is by far the most comfortable pillow I've tried, and it's the only pillow that stops me from tossing and turning at night. I used to think that it was normal to wake up periodically to shift my weight, but because the Derila Ergo adjusts to the exact loft (height level) I need to cradle my head in place, I no longer wake up in the middle of the night to move my pillow around. I'm amazed by how much deeper my sleep is with the Derila Ergo, and I wake up more well-rested in the morning.

Derila fully stuffed

Adjusted to preferred loft

I found the Derila Ergo to be great for side-sleeping in particular. Left picture shows Derila fully stuffed. Right picture shows it at the loft I like.

The Derila Ergo is one of three adjustable pillows I tested that use a combination of adaptive memory foam in the filling. The foam can be removed or added back in to adjust the loft. For side-sleepers, the adjustable loft is a huge advantage. The key to finding a good pillow is finding the right loft and the right softness, and an adjustable loft takes care of one half of the equation perfectly.

Derila Ergo

Melara Max

Sleep Connection

Derila filling uses the highest proportion of quality memory foam out of the pillows I tested that blend memory foam and polyester fiber.

The Derila Ergo distinguishes itself in the filling. Compared to other shredded memory foam and polyester fiber blends, the Derila filling has a higher proportion of memory foam, and the overall feel of the pillow is more like a true memory foam pillow. The Derila memory foam feels to me like it's the highest quality — with the signature slow-motion squish I've come to expect from genuine memory foam.

Derila foam

Melara Max foam

Slow-motion bounce-back

Derila filling has the high-quality, slow-motion bounce-back I expect from memory foam.

In the past, I had tried low-cost shredded memory foam pillows off of Amazon that were in the $20–$50 price range, and they almost made me give up on shredded memory foam pillows. The pieces of memory foam were hard and stiff, causing the pillows to feel lumpy. The Derila Ergo uses all new foam, and this pillow doesn't feel lumpy. If you've tried $20–$50 shredded memory foam pillows in the past and have been disappointed, I would give the Derila Ergo a try. You'll probably be surprised how different the Derila Ergo feels.

The Derila Ergo comes with a zippered tube that acts as a measuring cup for removing filling. The tube instructs sleepers to take out enough to fill the tube in order to have a thinner pillow. I appreciate the rough guidance on how much filling to remove for people who want a lower loft, though obviously everyone should make their own micro-adjustments to get the right loft for them. I personally took out enough to fill the entire tube for side-sleeping.

For back-sleeping, I use the same amount of fill as side-sleeping with the Derila Ergo. When I sleep on my back, I don't need the thickness to match my shoulder size, and instead, I care about giving my neck support while making sure my head doesn't get pushed too forward. The loft I use for side-sleeping works for back-sleeping on the Derila Ergo as well.

The Derila Ergo uses a removable cover made of bamboo fabric. The fabric has a slight sheen, and the texture sits halfway between silk and knit wool. Out of all the pillow covers, I enjoy the Derila cover the most.

Update (2 years later): I've been sleeping on the Derila Ergo for a while now, and it still sleeps like new! I'm very happy with the quality and durability of this pillow. I fluff this pillow in the dryer on a no-heat, gentle setting once every 2 months like the instructions say, and the pillow stays at the loft I want. I attribute this to the high-quality memory foam material. I tend to have more energy during the day now since finding the right pillow.

The Melara Max is the most comfortable shredded memory foam pillow I've tried outside of the Derila. The gel-infused foam has slow-motion bounce-back, and the bamboo cover is naturally cooling. It's a fantastic second-place pillow.

The Melara Air was designed to keep you cool all night. Its air-channel foam matrix prevents heat buildup. For hot sleepers, this is a game-changer.

The Dormiva's contoured profile was developed with orthopedic specialists. It keeps the spine aligned and provides measurable relief for chronic neck pain.

The Sleep Connection uses acoustic sensors and internal air pockets to gently reduce snoring without waking you. It's a genuine solution for couples.