WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Review

Sleeping without a comfortable pillow is next to impossible – but buying one can seem just as difficult. There are many terms, material types, advertised benefits, and brand qualities to consider.

To help your decision, let’s take a peek at the WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow. With the help of gel, it stays cool, conforms to your head, and includes an easy-to-clean, removable cover.

With that said, not everyone has fallen in love with this pillow. Some testers noted the loft was too high and it wasn’t suited to back sleepers, while others found the pillow went flat after a month or two.

Was this a rare case or a problem for everyone? Here we dive into all the good and the bad, so you can make your own call on the WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow.

WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow: The Details

Specs

• Product Dimensions: 29 x 16 x 5 inches.
• Material Composition: Temperature-regulating gel, memory foam, and polyurethane.
• Cover: Polyester cover.
• Hypoallergenic: Yes.
• Warranty: Three-year warranty.

Available in Standard, Queen, and King.

Material Composition

The WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow is composed of exactly what the name states: memory foam and gel.

The memory foam is soft but supportive, made with polyurethane, and filled with channels to help with breathability. The gel is infused into the memory foam and works to regulate the temperature of the pillow.

The pillow’s cover is removable and made of 100% polyester. It’s also machine washable and can be put in the dryer on a low setting.

WEEKENDER: The Brand

The WEEKENDER brand started off as a hotel line for Malouf, another bedding company. The success of the line made the founders of Malouf, Sam and Kacie Malouf, to decide to offer it to everyone.

Now as a brand for the home, the WEEKENDER line includes sheets mattress protectors, pillows, mattresses, and bed frames. Their mission is to “offer luxury sleep at low prices.”

WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow Review

Stand Out Features

• 3-Year Warranty: WEEKENDER gives customers a 3-year warranty on their gel memory foam pillows. This protects customers against any damages caused in the manufacturing process. If an issue is found, the company promises to replace your pillow so there’s less to worry about.
• Machine Washable: You also won’t have to worry about lounging in bed alongside some snacks with this pillow. It’s machine washable with a removable cover making cleaning your pillow easy. All you have to do is toss it in the washer!
• Easy Shipping: Whether you’re buying one, a couple, or a number of these pillows, you won’t have to worry about fussing too much with them. They’ll come compressed and shipped right to your door. What’s left for you to do? Just take it out of the box and let it expand.

The Positives

Comfortable

A pillow isn’t worth much if it’s not comfortable. Luckily, according to tester feedback, this WEEKENDER memory foam pillow is extremely cozy.

With the soft memory foam and the cooling gel, it’s hard to describe this product as anything but plush and soothing.

The memory foam ensures your head is softly cradled while you sleep, while the gel not only keeps the pillow cool, but custom fits the pillow to your head.

This pillow is comfortable for a variety of sleepers, from those who sleep hot to those who simply want a cozier feeling when it comes to getting their nightly rest.

Supportive

The WEEKENDER pillow is also very supportive. The memory foam may be soft and comfortable, but it’s also sturdy enough to support your head and take the pressure off your neck and spine.

You won’t wake up with a crick in your neck. It’s slightly firmer than a down or down alternative, so as to provide structure and a cradled experience, whether you sleep on your side or on your stomach.

If you’re used to waking up with aches and pains, switching to this pillow will ensure you wake up fully rested and less groggy.

Supportive bedding comes in handy not just for daily sleep, but having a pillow with support is great for those who suffer from sleep disorders and for those recovering from neck and back injuries.

Stays Cool

This pillow will also never get overheated no matter the temperature in the room or how long you lay on it.

The gel is ventilated and temperature-regulating, so it will stay cool all night long. No need to worry about waking up sweaty, even in the summer, and you’ll never have to flip and fuss about finding the cool side of the pillow.

The ventilated gel also makes the pillow breathable. This helps with the cooling factor, but also with odor. There are little channels running through the gel, allowing air to circulate evenly and diffuse odors.

Memory foam can arrive with a chemical odor, but these ventilation channels allow that smell to air out and disappear much faster than with other designs. If you’re sensitive to smells, this pillow won’t have you turning away your nose.

And while it’s sure to stay cool in the summer, customers noted that there were no problems with it in the winter. Some memory foam pillows can remain hard and frigid in colder temperatures but this pillow is easily adaptable.

Easy to Wash

Testers also enjoyed how easy this pillow was to clean. Because the cover is removable, it can go right into the washing machine.

Whether you’re eating in bed and have a spill or there’s an accident and a stain gets on the cover, you can simply remove it, throw it in the washing machine and dryer, and put it back on the pillow.

If you get something on the actual pillow underneath, you will need to spot clean it very carefully and then let it air dry. You don’t want too much moisture getting into the actual pillow itself!

A pillow that’s easy to wash means you won’t have to worry about forgetting to leave your make-up on. Clean-up is easy, making the WEEKENDER pillow a convenient option too.

Inexpensive

Memory foam pillows – and especially ones with gel – can be over $100. Luckily, the WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Pillow is much less expensive.

On Amazon, this memory foam pillow is available in all sizes for under the $100 mark. Not only is that a great deal, but it makes it far more accessible to people who couldn’t normally afford a foam pillow of this quality.

According to tester feedback, the price does not represent just how high quality the pillow is, making these pillows a great value for any home.

Given the price, if you want to upgrade all the pillows in your home to the WEEKENDER, it’s very doable.

The Negatives

Not for Back Sleepers

Although this pillow is great for side and stomach sleepers, it’s not as comfortable for people who sleep on their back.

The loft of the pillow is just too high for this position. It lifts you up and places you at an angle that isn’t good for the alignment of your spine. No one wants to wake up with a stiff back.

The foam does give when you lay on it, but it’s just firm enough to keep you overly upright. Testers said that when they laid on their back on the pillow, it felt like they were sitting up in bed.

Goes Flat

A few testers mentioned in their feedback that, after owning the pillow for a month or two, the pillow started to go flat and did not offer the same support as when they first received it.

This wasn’t a problem for the majority of testers, but it poses a strong issue worth considering.

A couple of testers noted how they tried this pillow seeking relief from a neck or back injury. When it started to go flat, it was no longer helping remove pressure off those areas.

This may be an instance of ‘you get what you pay for.’ The pillow is fairly inexpensive, so the memory foam may not be durable enough to last a lengthy amount of time.

That being said, most testers did not have this issue.

Odor

One unfortunate feature of memory foam is that it tends to smell when you first receive it. The chemical odor comes from the manufacturing and shipping process but usually goes away after a few days.

If you’re especially sensitive to smells, a memory foam pillow is not right for you. A down or down alternative pillow doesn’t come with the smell and is your next best option.

You can also leave it unwrapped in an unoccupied room until the smell disappears, but that’s not an ideal option if you want to use this pillow straight away.

Not many testers had issues with the odor, but a few did mention that it was unpleasant. If you have a really sensitive nose and you can stick with the pillow for 72 hours, the odor should dissipate completely.

Overall Verdict

After looking over all the positives and negatives, we do recommend the WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow.

The memory foam and the gel make it both comfortable and supportive, and with the ventilated channels, you’re sure to always be sleeping on a cool surface.

As long as you’re a side or stomach sleeper, and don’t mind the odor for a day or two, this WEEKENDER pillow should provide you with a great night’s sleep. With the low price, you really can’t go wrong.

Where to Buy the WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow Review

WEEKENDER’s line of affordable bedding includes a variety of quality items from pillows to mattress toppers. This gel memory foam pillow is just one example of what their brand is all about.

Customers and enthusiasts have been raving about this brand, allowing them to rise in popularity. For this reason, you’ll be able to find the WEEKENDER Ventilated Gel Memory Foam Pillow both in-store and online.

While it’s usually best to check bedding, linen and home department stores, you can kick-start your search with the following online retailers.

• Wal Mart (from $30)
• Sears (from $33)
• Wish (from $33)

And of course, you can also find these gel memory foam pillows on Amazon.

That’s the end of our Weekender pillow review. Curious to give this a try?