Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I intentionally waited until sleeping on this pillow for one full month before coming back to review it. My thoughts: Price: It is a bit pricey, but not too bad. Most pillows aimed at side sleepers have bizarre shapes/functions and can get pretty expensive. It seems like good quality for the money. Smell: Many people have mentioned the smell of the pillow as being a huge con. I left it out for one afternoon but was impatient and wanted to sleep on it right away. It did have a funky smell, but it was not too overpowering or chemical at all, and in time I even started to enjoy it. Now I bury my face in it occasionally to see if I can still get a whiff of it. It's become a very soothing feature. Size: I went for a Queen size pillow even though I have a full sized bed. Because these pillows are so moldable, it fits the full size pillowcase with no issues. Noise: Yes, it is a bit noisy. I was used to it by the second night, but it still sometimes disturbs my boyfriend if I move too much. However, I toss and turn so much less now that he's willing to deal with it. Comfort: Okay, here's the big one. As other reviewers have mentioned, this is NOT a fluffy, squishy pillow. It's VERY firm, and holds its shape strongly as you sleep. My (poor guinea pig) boyfriend tried it out for just a few minutes and he couldn't stand how firm it was. This is the exact reason why I fell in love with this pillow so completely: I can lay on it, shift it around a bit, and it forms itself *perfectly* to my neck and shoulder area and supports me throughout the night (I imagine I must look like one of those cartoons showing "proper sleep alignment"). If I need to turn over, I just shift it again and it reforms to my new position. I have spent many years waking up with cricks in my neck, or sore shoulders, or just general aches, and to have almost complete relief from that is something I never thought could happen. I really had just resigned myself to accept the pain (for the record, I'm 30). I still manage to sleep in funky positions from time to time (thanks, cats) but the soreness is largely gone. Miscellaneous: When it arrived it did seem under stuffed, but after running upstairs to lay on it immediately (I'm an instant gratification kind of person) I ended up scooping out about 8 cups of buckwheat to save for later. I was pleased to see that cheap refills are also readily available. ****This is a four star review for 2 reasons**** 1. The case shrank a bit after one wash. Not too much, but I had to remove a bit more of the buckwheat to compensate. 2. The zipper on the edge (to remove buckwheat filling) does not go all the way to a corner. It's a smallish opening that's kinda in the middle of the side. When I had to empty it to wash it this was a bit annoying to mess with. OVERALL, after trying many pillows (including my last rendezvous with the Allstar Products Group Neck and Back Pillow, SideSleeper Pro which was previously my favorite...until the stitches on the inside all fell apart and after four months the entire thing went flat) to try and get some relief from these stupid neck cramps, I'm ready to declare myself officially in love with this one! Wordy review? YES. But I love getting GOOD SLEEP!