I Never Realized How Much Difference a Good Pillow Could Make to my Sleep Until I Tried This One – Here's my Review of the Highly-Rated and Customizable Luxome LAYR Pillow

What if there was a pillow that could easily adjust to your sleep preferences – a pillow that can feel soft and lightweight on one night, then firm and supporting on another? That pillow exists, and it's called the LAYR Customizable Pillow by Luxome.

The LAYR Pillow is a design made by Luxome, a luxury home brand, which is known for high-quality essentials such as bedding, blankets, towels, and pillows. The LAYR Pillow is the brand's standout product because of its totally customizable design. The pillow comes with several removable inserts made from either down alternative or memory foam. It allows you the option to alter its firmness and height with ease.

Because of its unique adjustable features, the LAYR Pillow has already received a spot on our detailed rundown of the best pillows on the market. However, in this dedicated review I'll be going into far more detail about who it's good for, what I liked (and didn't and whether you should buy it). I've spent the last month sleeping on the LAYR Customizable Pillow by Luxome to completely understand all of its components, and I can confidently say this pillow is a game-changer.

The Luxome LAYR Pillow review

I've broken down this article into several sections so you can understand all of the specifications and features of Luxome's LAYR Pillow. I'll explain key details like size and composition, and outline who this pillow might suit. I'll also discuss my own experience sleeping with the LAYR Pillow, and I'll share details from the perspective of a family member who slept on the pillow, too.

After analyzing online reviews of the pillow and comparing it to other pillows on the market, I'll give you my verdict on whether or not you should buy the LAYR Pillow.

The LAYR Pillow Specifications

Who would the LAYR Pillow suit?

As a completely customizable pillow, Luxome's LAYR pillow is meant to suit everyone. It arrives pre-configured in a naturally cooling bamboo viscose cover with the brand's most popular combination: one layer of ultra-soft down alternative and another layer of gel-infused shredded memory foam. Along with that is the third layer, composed of a 1" and a 2" layer of solid memory foam that combine to form a firm layer. These layers can be mixed and matched in any way, or used individually. Plus, a simple flip of the pillow – switching which layer is on top – can change the way it feels, too.

Regardless of how you prefer to sleep – on your stomach, back, or side – there's bound to be a LAYR Pillow configuration that works for you.

In the image above, you can see that Luxome has labeled each layer with a letter: S (soft), M (medium), and F (firm).

If you are a back sleeper, the best configuration for you might be Luxome's most popular combination, and the combination in which the pillow arrives: the soft layer with the medium layer. This can provide a medium amount of firmness to support your head without feeling too stiff.

Side sleeper? You'll probably want to configure the LAYR Pillow with the firm layer – that is, the 1" and 2" memory foam layers combined. Depending on your height and preferences, you might want to add either the soft or the medium layer on top of the firm layer for extra support and proper neck alignment.

And finally, if you're a stomach sleeper, you might want to consider a variation that's low to your mattress. Consider sleeping with just the soft layer – its down alternative will provide an extra soft spot for your head and provide the slightest bit of elevation to ensure proper spine alignment and reduced neck strain.

What is the LAYR Pillow like to sleep on?

Over the past month that I've tested the LAYR Customizable Pillow by Luxome, I've tried all sorts of variations – the medium and soft layers together (flipping sides to notice how it affects my sleep), just the medium layer, just the soft layer, and the firm layer combined with one of the other layers.

As someone who flips and turns quite often while sleeping, I've found that using the medium layer by itself has provided me with the most comfortable sleep. Since this layer is made of gel-infused shredded memory foam, it acts as the perfect middle ground between the soft down alternative layer and the firm memory foam layer. I've felt comfortable using this layer alone while sleeping on my stomach, side, and back. In the image above, the medium layer is shown unzipped, with blue bits of memory foam inside.

Interestingly, I found sleeping on the medium and soft layers together to be a bit uncomfortable, despite that being Luxome's most common configuration. However, I attribute this to my constant movements while sleeping – I need a pillow that won't be too high for my neck if I turn to lie on my side or on my stomach while asleep. I quickly realized that this didn't work for me, and I took out a layer to find the right comfort level for me.

I know for a fact that I don't like memory foam pillows. So, I tried the firm layer of the LAYR Customizable Pillow by Luxome with caution, knowing that it probably wouldn't be something that I'd like. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself quite comfortable when combining it with the soft layer on top.

Although I swapped back to sleeping with just the medium layer, I've been using the firm layer as a back pillow when I want to sit up in bed, or even when I want extra back support at my desk (in fact, I'm leaning against it as I write this article).

During my 30-day trial of Luxome's LAYR Pillow, there was a weekend in which I was out of town, so I asked my mom to try the pillow to see what she thought. She slept with Luxome's most common combination – the soft and medium layers together.

'I was very happy with the pillow's performance,' she said. 'On a hot night, I felt as though the pillow kept cool. I really liked the way it felt when I would immediately lay my head down on it. Unlike certain memory foam pillows that can suck in your head and feel hard, this one took the form around my head, but it still felt really soft.'

My mom also commented on the LAYR Pillow's resilience while sleeping on it. 'Sometimes with other pillows, they form an indentation of my head, so I flip them in the middle of the night to sleep on a fresh, plush surface. I haven't had to do that with this pillow because anytime I move, the pillow reforms itself,' she explains.

From its natural cooling qualities (thanks to its bamboo viscose cover) to its inherent resilience, this pillow can ensure a comfortable and peaceful night's sleep.

How does the LAYR Pillow rate online?

On Luxome's website, the LAYR Pillow has a 4.9 out of 5-star rating, with over a thousand reviews. Lots of reviewers call it 'the perfect pillow' and claim it gives them 'the best night's sleep'. Many admit that they've bought the pillow to alleviate neck pain, and they've been more than impressed with how it has helped them.

'I would first like to start off saying that I have never heard of a configurable pillow until I saw an ad for this. I did some research, read the reviews, and was sold on the comments,' one reviewer explains. 'I have been sleeping on this pillow for the last week, and while this is still relatively new, I was surprised at all the things it came with. A week in and I have no more neck pain.'

This reviewer also commented on the configuration that they chose, and how the pillow feels while sleeping: 'I made it medium on one side and firm on the other for when I am sitting in bed. It stays cool throughout the night. We will see how it does over time, but for right now, it is a great pillow and truly an “all-in-one” pillow for all your restful needs.'

There are thousands of reviews just like this on Luxome's website, proving this pillow is well-loved by its users.

How does the LAYR Pillow compare to similar products?

One of the standout features of the LAYR Pillow is its ability to be completely customizable – you can layer it however you want to fit your sleeping needs. Not many pillows are designed in that way, making this a truly one-of-a-kind style.

Because of that, it's hard to compare the LAYR Pillow to other pillows. However, it can weigh up against a different type of adjustable pillow – the Marlow Pillow by Brooklinen. Instead of removable inserts, the Marlow Pillow features zippers that open and close to reveal or conceal vents – these vents let air in and out of the pillow to alter its firmness. Other adjustable pillows come with additional filler material that can be messy and tricky to store.

Both the Marlow and the LAYR pillows will work for any sort of sleeping position because of their adjustable qualities. However, there is a significant difference in price. While the Marlow ranges from $65 to $85 depending on size, the most standard variation of the LAYR Pillow starts at $150. That said, the price difference can be justified by the several additional features of the LAYR Pillow.

Should I buy the LAYR Pillow?

Here's the short answer: yes. After a month of testing LAYR Customizable Pillow by Luxome, I can confidently say that despite its steep price tag, this pillow is totally worth the money. Because of the many ways in which you can reconfigure this pillow, it's like getting multiple pillows in one. It's soft when you need it to be, firm when you need it to be, but always ensures a comfortable place to rest your head.

However, I don't think this pillow is for everyone. First of all, it has a lot of components – a soft layer, medium layer, and a firm layer (which consists of two memory foam layers). If you know what works for you to ensure a good night's sleep, you might not need all of these features. For instance, if you know that firm, memory foam pillows work for you, you probably won't use the extra layers. In that case, just get yourself one of the best memory foam pillows.

Also, I can't ignore the price tag. Although it comes with many components, a standard single pillow is $150 – that's a lot to spend for most people.

However, if you struggle with your sleep, aches and pains, or have yet to find a pillow that truly works for you, the LAYR Pillow really is a great option. It's designed with high-quality materials, and made to last. This isn't the type of pillow that you'll need to replace after a year of use. In fact, because it has so many components to it, this pillow can be used for years to come.

How we test pillows

At Homes & Gardens, we take all of our reviews very seriously, regardless of what we're testing – from pillows and bed sheets to vacuum cleaners and even pots and pans.

When testing this pillow, I slept on it over the course of one month. Because of the many different configurations of the LAYR Pillow, I spent time swapping inserts and trying different combinations until I had sufficient information on which I liked and which I didn't like. I let other family members try the pillow too – including my mom who also adjusted the layering arrangement before sleeping on the pillow to determine her preferences.

As a consumer myself, I know how important it is to read reviews before making a purchase. That's why I want this review to be as thorough as possible – providing you with all of the facts to consider before making a decision on whether or not to purchase the LAYR Customizable Pillow by Luxome.