Last Updated on March 30, 2023
The majority of pillows on the market today are catered to back or side sleepers. Every pillow you see boasts about its supporting ability, its loft, etc.
While you will find “soft” pillows; most of your available options will be medium or firm.
The few soft pillows that are available for sale are still a bit too bulky to be comfortable. They are really just for back sleepers with small heads.
A pillow’s main job (other than being comfortable), is to keep your spine in alignment. When you’re sleeping on your stomach, your spine is pretty much already aligned.
So a regular pillow, even if soft, is just too bulky. Your head will be tilted at an upwards angle, which is just not comfortable.
What a stomach sleeper really needs, specifically, is a flat pillow!
Like the Extra Soft & Very Flat Down pillow from Downlite.
A Down Pillow Catered To Stomach Sleepers
Downlite’s Extra Soft pillow is available in down alternative as well. Both versions offer the same height, weight, and overall dimensions – the fill is just different.
Most pillows are designed to hold on to a certain level of their original shape, even when compressed. Which makes even the most comfortable soft or medium density pillow feel too full!
The Extra Soft pillow from Downlite is constructed with no gussets and has a very slight amount of fill – evenly distributed throughout the pillow – so that it remains relatively flat.
Your head remains in the optimal position so that you can sleep comfortably, and wake up pain-free.
What most stomach sleepers crave is for their head to be raised just a bit off of the mattress. It really doesn’t take much force to squish the Extra Soft pillow down.
Which is exactly what a stomach sleeper needs.
Whether you sleep with your arms down, or with your arms either directly under your head, or cradling the pillow – the Extra Soft & Very Flat pillow from Downlite offers a very comfortable thin layer.
It’s thin enough to just barely notice that it’s there, while also being comfortable enough to provide that cloud-like cushion that is needed for a good night of sleep.
Let’s take a look at the specs and features of this pillow:
The Fill Options
We provided two links above, one for each fill variety. They are:
- 100% duck down fill
- Down alternative – 100% polyester
The down-filled pillow has a fill power of 525-550. It is filled with “RestAssured Hypoallergenic Down” – which has been sanitized to remove most dust and allergens that trigger allergies.
The down-alternative version contains EnviroLoft fill, which is itself very soft and silky. It comes as close to a down-like feel, without actually being natural goose down.
In our experience, most allergy sufferers don’t experience any issues with the down-filled version. But for the extremely sensitive; a down alternative version is still a great option.
We’ve got you covered If memory foam is your preference.
Sizes Available
Both the duck down, and the EnviroLoft versions are available in 3 sizes:
- Standard – 20″ x 26″
- Queen – 20″ x 30″
- King – 20″ x 36″
Fill Weights
To properly compare these to a traditional soft pillow, let’s look at the fill weights.
The fill weight for the Extra Soft pillow – in the duck-down version:
- Standard – 12 oz.
- Queen – 14 oz.
- King – 16 oz.
Now let’s compare that to a traditional soft pillow. These are the fill weights for a regular soft down pillow from Downlite:
- Standard – 13 oz.
- Queen – 15 oz.
- King – 17 oz.
As we can see, the fill weights in the Extra Soft version, are a full ounce less. One additional benefit of their low fill weight is that it makes them more affordable compared to traditional soft pillows.
The fill weights are only half of the equation, the shape of the pillow is significant as well.
The Shape Of The Pillow
A pillow, of course, is essentially just a big bag full of feathers (or polyester fill).
The shape of that “bag” decides the height or “loft” of the pillow. While back or slide sleepers prefer more loft to a pillow, a stomach sleeper needs little to no loft.
Or basically, a very flat pillow.
The Extra Soft & Very Flat pillow from Downlite is sewn with no gussetting on the sides. This allows the pillow to squish down, for example, with minimal weight.
While these pillows do feature a flatter shape than traditional pillows, don’t worry, they will still work with the pillowcases that you already have.
Pillow Cover Material
For most people, the outer cover of a pillow doesn’t really matter – since you’ll be using a pillowcase. For those that do care…
The outer cover is 100% cotton, with a 250 thread count. It features a damask striped pattern and is a very light blue in color.
The color is so light, that it looks more like white, with a blue hue.
If you actually prefer to sleep on a pillow without using a pillowcase, you’ll find the outer cover of these pillows to be very soft and smooth.
How To Make It Better
We’ve analyzed the specs, fill weights, and materials used, now let’s talk about how to make this pillow even better.
While this pillow lays fairly flat – flat enough to be comfortable for most stomach sleepers – it might not satisfy a small percentage of people.
If that turns out to be you, don’t be discouraged, because there is an easy way to make the pillow perfect!
Just throw it in the washer a few times!
This really seems to do the trick. As previously mentioned, this pillow will satisfy most, but for some, it might be just a tad too lofty. Washing and drying the pillow will make it shrink ever so slightly.
And that should make it perfect!
Final Thoughts
Many of us, the author included, sleep primarily on our stomach side. This position requires a certain type of pillow. One that is both thin and super soft.
If you look at all of the so-called “soft” pillows at your local department store, you’ll find that they really resemble the medium and firm pillows.
This is because they aren’t really “soft” at all – they’re just “softer” than regular medium or firm pillows.
The main flaw, of course, is in the design. A soft pillow features the same outer cover and shape of the medium/firm pillows. It’s just a softer version.
The Extra Soft & Very Flat pillow from Downlite uses a uniquely flat pillow shape.
There is very little rise in the pillow as you travel from one side to the other. That rise in the middle – which is commonly referred to as “loft” – is what causes discomfort for most stomach sleepers.