***UDPATE****One of ours is leaking--I'm going to contact the manufacturer--I'll report back the findings.

REVIEW:
Hot flashes? Trouble sleeping? There’s a new way to chill-out at night! I saw this originally on Oprah, but didn’t think much about it at the time. Months later my husband mentioned he hadn’t slept well because his pillow was uncomfortable. Upon thought he decided it wasn’t that it wasn’t comfortable, it was that it was too warm (a problem I’ve never had!). It was then that I remembered the Chillow®, so I headed to the Internet to find it.

After searching, I found the best price at DrugStore.com. At the time they were on sale for $14.99. It’s currently $19.99 but it’s still cheaper than other stores—there are a few that are selling it for $39.99 so be sure to shop around for the best price.

I’ve looked around and found nothing like it—the next closest thing is a cool pack that needs to be in the freezer and is hard to find in such a large size.

WHAT IS A CHILLOW®?
It’s a flat, rectangular pillow that’s made of medical grade material which is hypoallergenic & nontoxic —one side is like flannel which helps it to cling to your pillow case; the other side is a plastic material. It doesn’t require electricity or refrigeration to work. It’s hard to describe, but what it isn’t is an actual pillow. When I think of a pillow I think of something fluffy and with some thickness. There’s nothing fluffy about a Chillow®!

When it arrives you’ll need to activate the cooling material inside—to do this you open the large valve and add 2 quarts of warm water. This only needs to be done once and activates the material inside. Long-term maintenance involves adding water when necessary (if it starts to dry out) and to “burp” it when needed. Like removing the air from a sandwich bag, it needs to be burped so that the outside material stays in contact with the inside cooling material—this only needs to be done occasionally.

HEAVY WHEN WET!
It’s huge! It measures 21" x 13.75" x 5/8" thick and weighs just under five pounds when activated. It adds substantial weight attached to your pillow so flipping it around isn’t going to happen. What you do is find a cool spot—as the night wears on and you warm the spot where your head is so you move to an outer corner that’s still cool. By morning it’s warmed to your temperature and the exposed parts are near room temperature.

To me it feels like a wet diaper—YUCK! It doesn’t bother my husband or kids, in fact, they boys liked it so much I will be buying each of them one. It’s not for me but then I sleep with my head under the covers even in summer and the few times that I did try it I needed to use it with a flannel pillow case. I didn’t like the plastic smell or feel of it myself, but they love it.

USES
It’s cool, not cold, so it’s perfect for minor sunburns, rashes, achy joints, etc. My family uses it for comfort—they love the coolness it adds to their pillow while sleeping. It’s not meant to be in direct sunlight and not to be used where ice is needed. It would be great for a senior citizen or anyone with diminished feeling in their extremities—it would never be so cool that it could cause damage to the nerves. Since there’s no electricity involved there’s no safety worries either. I can imagine that I would like it if I had a fever or headache—luckily I haven’t had the opportunity to try it out for this purpose.

HOW TO COOL DOWN
The temperature of the Chillow® can be lowered by the use of fans, air-conditioning, by putting it in the refrigerator (20-45 minutes is just right before bedtime on really hot nights), or by leaving it uncovered during the hours when it’s not in use. You can use it with or without a pillow case—cooling is more prevalent without. NEVER PUT IT IN THE FREEZER.

SAFETY
Not recommended for use by children age 5 or under or by anyone who could not lift the combined weight of the Chillow® and pillow off his/her face should he/she become trapped under it. It’s intended to be used by adults or under adult supervision. To be kept away from infants at all times. Additionally, no Chillow®-fights as the added weight could cause injury.

FOR THE DOGS AS WELL
They make them for pets as well—this “human” version is not as tough, I wouldn’t recommend substituting this one for the dog version. The canine version is larger, more expensive, and sturdier.

WARRANTY

Customer Service: info@soothsoft.com or 1-888-244-5569

LIMITED WARRANTY—one year warranty does not cover misshaping of the inner material (they do give hints in the instructions on how to fix it should this happen to yours), discoloration, or leakage caused by punctures, sunlight damage, artificial heat sources or freezing. It does cover defect in the seams/seals if not misused. You’ll have to pay $5.00 for shipping and handling in addition to whatever the postage fee you in mailing them the defective unit. You must have the original sales receipt as well.

FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re too warm at night and the noise of a fan is too disturbing; this is a silent way to cool off. I think it’d be great for a senior citizen who isn’t able to adjust their temperature as well because it’s never cold, just cool. The vote in our house is 1 to 3--three of them love it and can’t live without it.

UPDATE 6/5/03
It's HOT! Has been for the last couple of nights so last night I "borrowed" my husband's Chillow (he was on duty, he'll never know unless you tell him!). Anyway, the smell of it only bothered me for a few minutes but the chill lasted all night long........... Ok, so now I don't mind it at all! 5 stars!

UPDATE 08/10/04
It's mildewed inside....yuck! After getting a replacement and using it as directed, we pulled it out to use it and out of curiosity opened it up and it was filled with yucky, smelly, disgusting mildew. It's now in the trash and won't be replaced.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 14.99