Talk to me about pillows

[crimsonandclover]

I'm not a fan of the European (just German??) style pillows that are 80x80cm and I have to smoosh up into a ball to get enough substance and then as I move around in the night flatten out again. I have found some 40x80cm ones that are ok, but it seems like after about 6 months they're so flat I have to stuff 2 of them into one pillow cover to feel like I've got a decent pillow under me.

Has anyone gotten US-style pillows over here in Europe? If so, is there a specific phrase I should be searching for? I tried "american pillows" on amazon and ebay and only got a couple of hits of pillows with the US flag on them... not what I was going for.

[crimsonandclover]

ps- bonus points if you can give me the searchable phrase in German ;-)

[anna7602]

Pillows in France (I was just shopping) come in 50 x 70 and 65 x 65. I love the square 65 x 65 ones and want some to take back to the U.S. one day. I am holding out to find covers that would match my sheets at home.

Spanish and Portuguese ones are completely different (at least in the areas where I've lived/traveled). They're basically as wide as the width of a twin-sized bed there and are much shorter than American ones. I *think* Italian ones were the same way, but I haven't been to Italy in about 5 years.

Have you tried going to non .de Amazon sites like the uk one?

As for phrases, find out the exact dimensions of an American pillow in cm and then search with that, ie "whatever-the-german-word-is-for-pillow-cover-size-50x70"

Also, I love German duvets. Or maybe it's just in the former East Germany. They're as thick as pillows.

[anna7602]

This looks American-sized. It's 48 x 74.

www.amazon.co.uk/Homescapes-FEATHER-Department-Firmness-Downproof/dp/B0017Y5MM4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1357330437&sr=8-6

I found the same one on amazon.de.

www.amazon.de/Homescapes-ENTENFEDERN-waschbar-hypoallergen-STAUBMILBEN/dp/B005OK3JBI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357330539&sr=8-2

[irish]

I just checked amazon.co.uk and came up with lots of pillows! Homescapes - super microfibre bounce back pillows 48x74cm claim to be 5 star hotel quality and say they are used even in 7* hotels. On my phone so sorry for not being clicky...
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B002MAA7AO/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1357331662&sr=8-5&pi=SL75

Here's some on .de that I think you can plug your iPod into! 48x74 again...
www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B005OK3IKU/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1357331986&sr=8-38&pi=SL75

And these look good (might be same as my first option? My German not good...)
www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B004WJGF86/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1357332213&sr=8-35&pi=SL75

[irish]

And here in Ireland we have "normal" rectangular pillows. Got our last ones in ikea

[clogged]

I use the "outlast" brand cool touch pillows. I just realized my pillows are at 5 years old. Anyway- they are rectangular but feel a bit smaller (like an inch or so) smaller than usa pillows. Oh and hold up amazing (clearly since I just realized how long we had them). We have synthetic (for him) and down (for me). Both are still fluffy and full.

[clogged]

no German phrases, sorry. But can I settle for germany friendky in english amazon link?

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_11?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=outlast+pillow&sprefix=outlast+pil%2Caps%2C174

[GilliC]

I have no advice, but I can offer sympathy. I'm really picky about pillows, and I have trouble finding a perfect pillow even in the US. Last time I needed a pillow, I just bought one stateside and smushed it into my expandable suitcase, since it didn't weigh much.

[crimsonandclover]

Jan 4, 2013 15:45:59 GMT -5 irish said:

I just checked amazon.co.uk and came up with lots of pillows! Homescapes - super microfibre bounce back pillows 48x74cm claim to be 5 star hotel quality and say they are used even in 7* hotels. On my phone so sorry for not being clicky...
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B002MAA7AO/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1357331662&sr=8-5&pi=SL75

Here's some on .de that I think you can plug your iPod into! 48x74 again...
www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B005OK3IKU/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1357331986&sr=8-38&pi=SL75

And these look good (might be same as my first option? My German not good...)
www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B004WJGF86/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1357332213&sr=8-35&pi=SL75

Those Homescapes ones seem to be like what I'm looking for. Maybe I'll order one and find out :-) Thank you!

As for plugging in an ipod to your pillow, to me that sounds like torture, not to mention the fact that I don't own an ipod. I can listen to music as a primary activity, but I have a big problem with background music/noise. It makes me really irritable after a while except for a few artists with very low-key music.

[travelingturtle]

Westin sells their beds, sheets, and probably pillows. I looked into it when I was moving here since I knew I didn't like German style beds. It's all on their website
europe.westin-hotelsathome.com/productGroup.aspx?category1=Bed&category1Name=Bed&category2=Pillows&category2Name=Pillows&itemID=HBEU-108-S

It's a bit expensive though.

[elenetxu]

I have a "viscoelastic" (not sure what it would be in English... even less in German) pillow which I love. DH and I decided not to do the looooooooooooooooong Spanish pillow thing and save our marriage by getting two pillows.

[bail229]

I have no advice for you but DH asked me the other day why I have the two good pillows and he has the two crappy pillows? I said I'm the only one who changes the sheets or makes the bed so I give myself the good pillows! I think I deserve them!

I hope you get some good pillows!

[Dorothy Zbornak]

Crimson, do you have a TK Maxx near you? They have lots of UK/US stuff, including bedding. I think ...

Sent from the future.

[Cheesecake]

So Germans have square pillows huh? Dutch ones are rectangular , I think US pillows are even a little longer than NL ones - a narrower rectangle. Re firmness I can't say much about it. DH likes to have as thin a pillow as possible, and I prefer memory foam (love that thing). Bought one here, and one in the US and they really are the same, I think the US one is a little wider, but really, my head has mooooore than enough space on the EU one as well.

[travelingturtle]

I feel like pillows here are just a blanket cut into an 80x80 square. So uncomfortable and I don't even usually use pillows.

[crimsonandclover]

Jan 6, 2013 9:14:13 GMT -5 travelingturtle said:

I feel like pillows here are just a blanket cut into an 80x80 square. So uncomfortable and I don't even usually use pillows.

Yes, exactly. They're a tad thicker, but only a tad, which is why I feel like I have to crumple it into a ball to make it even semi-comfortable. And even the thicker ones aren't that great because the thickness settles all around your head and neck as you move around instead of staying firmly underneath your head and neck supporting you as it should.