Bear Pillow Review – Great for Hot Sleepers?

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At first glance, Bear’s pillow appears to be out of the future. With its mesh side panels, sleek design and “Double Ice” fabric that’s cool to the touch, the pillow may be ahead of its time. For those who love latex foam or hybrid foam pillows, this one might be worth the price. Read on for our full Bear Pillow review or click below for our in-depth video review!

Bear Pillow

Bear Pillow

For those who love latex foam or hybrid foam pillows, this one might be worth the price. Click the button below to save 20% on a Bear pillow!

Mattress Clarity Score
4.90 / 5
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Bear Pillow Video Review

Bear Pillow Review: Key Features

Here’s a general overview of the Bear pillow, including the main materials and design, plus sizes, care instructions and more.
  • Made with Double Ice Fabric: a special removable fabric that stays cool to the touch throughout the night
  • The core is made with Loft-X Foam: a hybrid foam that combines memory foam and latex foam to offer a level of contouring to the spine and neck (100% polyurethane)
  • Dual mesh side panels for continuous airflow throughout the night
  • Removable cover is machine washable and dryer friendly
  • Hypoallergenic and antimicrobial protection
  • Free Shipping & 2 Year Warranty
  • Queen ($95) and King ($115) sizes available
RELATED: Best Pillows 2024 – Our Top 10 Favorites! Bear Pillow Review - double ice fabric

Pros

  • Removable and washable cover
  • Smart looking shape and design
  • The cover fabric is soft and cool to the touch
  • Hybrid memory foam is firm

Cons

  • Slick, slippery cover material moves pillow around in bed
  • Some types of pillowcases may slip off of cover (we used bamboo sheets)
  • Minimal loft – some may want an additional pillow
  • May be too firm for stomach sleepers
  • Expensive
Bear Pillow Review - side sleeper

Pillow Construction

Bear Pillow (made by Bear Mattress) is made up of a few notable layers. The core is a foam that Bear calls Loft-X Foam. Through a chat with customer service folks at Bear, We learned that Loft-X Foam material is a hybrid of memory foam and latex foam (either way it’s 100% polyurethane according to the tag inside the cover). As seen from the photos the pillow’s core is basically a solid block of foam with holes punched into it – we assume to make it feel a little more lightweight and to help with breathability. The foam is covered with a thin cover of cotton that isn’t removable. Bear Pillow Review - LOFT X foam core The removable cover is a uniquely textured material that is 40% “cool yarn” and 60% polyester, according to the tag. Bear calls this “Double Ice Fabric”  and it’s noticeably cool to the touch and features a performance-wear feel to it. The sides of the cover are blue mesh paneling, designed to enhance the overall breathability of the pillow.

Our Experience with the Bear Pillow

We want to preface the review by saying that Katie, who personally reviewed and tested this pillow, traditionally sleeps on two pillows at night – one firmer pillow at the bottom and a softer, downier pillow on top. She’s always in the market for a pillow that will be thick, yet soft enough to be the only one she needed. Katie slept on the Bear Pillow every night for a week and wrote down different observations on different nights. Initially, she thought the pillow was really is cool to the touch. She woke up during the night to get a glass of water and when she came back to lay down she was so surprised to feel how cool the fabric was. Bear’s pillow is slippery; the “Double Ice” material is made from 40% “cool yarn” and 60% polyester. While it has an interesting feel to it, it slides around the bed easily. The slippery fabric also makes it difficult to keep a pillowcase on it; the pillowcase is removable so sleepers don’t have to use it but she preferred it. On multiple nights during her review, our bamboo sheet pillowcase would come halfway, if not more, off of the pillow. The textured fabric of the cover gives it a futuristic look but side and stomach sleepers can feel the ridges and bumps from the design under thin sheets (like bamboo bed sheets which are known to be lightweight). The removable cover is easy to take off and wash/dry which Katie really liked because it helped her feel like she was keeping her pillow clean (in addition to just washing the pillowcase). The pillow is the most comfortable for back sleepers. On the back, sleepers can’t feel the texture of the cover as clearly and it provides a good firmness. She sleeps in multiple positions and felt that she was most comfortable on her back, where she couldn’t feel the ridges and texture from the pillow. There were times when the profile was too low for her on her side but it may work for some side sleepers who don’t mind the outer texture. Bear Pillow Review - ventilated sides

Bear Pillow

Bear Pillow

For those who love latex foam or hybrid foam pillows, this one might be worth the price. Click the button below to save 20% on a Bear pillow!

Mattress Clarity Score
4.90 / 5
Read Full Review
Check Price
 

FAQs

Let’s address some commonly asked questions about the Bear Pill0w:

How do you wash a Bear Pillow?

In terms of care guidelines, the cover of the Bear Pillow is removable and can be laundered. The team at Bear have listed these instructions on their site:

  1. Machine wash cold
  2. Tumble dry on low heat
  3. Spot-clean stains with soap and water
Avoid cleaning, especially soaking, the LOFT-X foam core of the pillow; spot clean it only if necessary.

Does a Bear Pillow sleep hot?

No, the Bear Pillow does not sleep hot due in large part to the cool yarn in its Double Ice Fabric cover plus the breathable nature of the ventilated foam filling. The cover literally feels cool to the touch and the fabric durable, staying cool throughout the night.

Is the Bear Pillow good for side sleepers?

Based on my personal experience, the level of support and overall height of the pillow is not suitable for the majority of side sleepers. For reference, I’m average height and body weight. However, it’s possible that petite or smaller sized individuals who sleep on their sides will find enough support with the pillow.

How much does the Bear Pillow cost?

At full price, the Queen size costs $95 and the King size costs $115. Individuals with tighter budgets are advised to keep an eye out for significant discounts during major holiday periods.

Overall

This pillow is ideal for back sleepers – some more petite side sleepers – and those who don’t mind texture to their pillow cover.  One can also add an additional pillowcase over the pillow desired. Individuals who sleep hot will enjoy the Double Ice fabric that keeps the pillow cool to the touch and sleepers that prefer the feel of memory foam or hybrid foam pillows will like the firmness of this pillow. Customers willing to spend a little more in order to have a high-quality pillow that keeps the back, neck and head cool and supported during the night, Bear Pillow could be a great option.

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Katie Golde

Katie Golde

Senior Digital Content Manager/Managing Editor​

About Author

Katie Golde is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and previously served Managing Editor and Head of Sleep Research for Mattress Clarity. She handled the daily operations of the site and you’ll still see her in plenty of reviews, from mattresses to travel pillow and bed pillow reviews – plus the occasional How-To video. In addition, Katie reported, writed, and edited sleep health and sleep industry news for the site.

Since joining the Mattress Clarity team in 2016, she has reviewed hundreds of sleep products, like bed pillows and mattresses and written over 200 sleep-related stories for the site. She probably knows more about bamboo sheets and bed pillows than any one person should.

Katie has been writing about wellness-related topics, including sleep, for the last eight years. The first sleep story she wrote covered the best and worst foods to eat before bed. Her previous work can be found in print and online publications like Discover Magazine, USA Today, Bustle and The Huffington Post.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in Journalism with a focus on Interactive Publishing from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism as well. During her graduate studies, Katie focused on health and science reporting and she received the G.D. Crain Award for demonstrating leadership, management, and entrepreneurial excellence during her final innovation project.

Education & Credentials