Disclaimer: I received a Bedgear Balance 1.0 performance pillow to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!
Well, I overslept for work today. First, I fell asleep on the couch, where I had my Bedgear Balance 1.0 performance pillow, and then, when I went upstairs to the bed around 6 a.m., I brought my pillow with me. I figured I’d sleep for a short amount of time and then get up — maybe even write my Bedgear blog post.
I’m terrible at getting up early anyway, so I knew this likely wouldn’t happen, but I didn’t expect to oversleep as much as I did. Thankfully, I’d worked late on Friday, so it wasn’t a major issue.
Testing this pillow has been different than testing any other products for BibRave — because I have been asleep while I’ve been testing it. It’s a little harder to test a product if you are asleep.
I have always been able to fall asleep just about anywhere, so I haven’t slept on the pillow every night. I’m guilty of falling asleep on the couch as I watch shows on Netflix. However, the pillow is very comfy and I have been able to sleep well on it. I even fell asleep at the end of the Bedgear #BibChat as I laid on the pillow.
The testing period also included a few out-of-town trips in which I didn’t bring the pillow. I actually considered the fact that I didn’t want to be too comfy before my big race — Freedom’s Run — because I needed to get out of bed.
I have enjoyed using the pillow, and I just ordered a pillow protector from the Bedgear site as well, using our 15 percent off code — “BIBRAVE15.”
I was trying to put into words what was different about this pillow, and couldn’t find just the right word to describe it. However, the Bedgear website has me covered.
A subheadline on the Balance pillow section says, “Firmer, not harder.” Then, the description follows: “Unlike less dynamic materials that leave you feeling stiff in the morning, our Boost®’s firmer feel keeps you softly supported throughout the night so you can stay gently elevated and totally tension-free.”
My previous pillow, just a regular and probably pretty cheap pillow from the store, wasn’t really as solid as this one. It was more floppy, and it helped to use my boyfriend’s pillow as a second pillow when he wasn’t there. For the Bedgear pillow, the one pillow works just fine, and I feel like I sink into it — in a good way.
While I did see some other BibRave Pros tested the Balance 1.0 pillow, we were each matched up with different pillows by answering a few questions for a quick Pillow ID survey. (Take the survey here!) This included things like my gender and size, how I sleep and what type of bed I have. I also had to put what temperature I like for sleeping. I have never really had a problem with temperature, so I put neutral.
I answered that I have a medium body type and sleep on my stomach. I was matched with the Balance 1.0 pillow (small body type, stomach-sleepers) and Balance 2.0 pillow (medium body type, back-sleepers). I let BibRave know this info and was sent the Balance 1.0 pillow.
Like I mentioned before, it’s a little tough to review something that I’m testing while I am sleeping. My Garmin Forerunner 935 tracks my sleep, but I didn’t really see any trends in the data. I also mentioned above that I’m guilty of falling asleep on the couch often. But as far as I can tell, I am happy with my sleep using the Bedgear Balance 1.0 pillow.
Although I did order the pillow protector because I figured that would be a good idea for preserving a pillow that is higher-quality and more expensive than what I would normally buy, I also like the fabric that the pillow is made out of. It’s very smooth and soft against my face.
To quote the Bedgear website again, it’s “Always dry, never damp.” The website reads, “Sleeping should be no sweat. That’s why we developed our Dri-Tec® fabric to continuously wick away heat and moisture, stabilizing your temperature so you can get your most solid sleep.”
The FAQ section of the website recommends not using regular pillowcases with the pillows, which is why I’ve been using my pillow without one. This section also mentions that one of the brand’s pillows should last about 12-18 months — for “optimal performance.” I take that to mean the pillow will not automatically “go bad” after this time frame, but it will work best within the first year to year-and-a-half.
You may be wondering why I’m writing about a pillow on a running blog. The answer is because sleep is important! I believe that rest is an important part of training. In order to run well, we need to sleep well. I feel like it seems I need more sleep than the average person — I always seem to have trouble getting up in the morning, but I don’t go to bed excessively late — and maybe it’s because I run a lot. I’m wearing out my body, so I need to give it a rest.
The Balance pillow is one of the more affordable pillows on the Bedgear website, at $99. That is a lot of money, but if you have trouble sleeping or feel like something is lacking when it comes to sleep, maybe a personalized pillow can help. Sleep isn’t something to skimp on.
You can save 15 percent on the Bedgear website — aside from WoW deals — through Nov. 30 with code “BIBRAVE15.” Visit the Bedgear website here.
See what fellow BibRave Pros had to say:
- I Run on Beer — Thunder 1.0
- Life to the Full — Balance 1.0
- RunNerdGirl — Lightning 2.0
- Beard on the Run — Lightning 2.0
- FranklyRunning — Galaxy 3.0
- Scribble & Dash — Balance 1.0
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