My old micro-bead pillow needed a rest (I've found the beads puff up again if left unused for awhile), so I went in search of a replacement. I've had down pillows in the past, so bought one locally and it just wasn't comfortable — overstuffed, I think. I also bought a Sobokawa, a small one (the only one available locally), and it was rock-hard and too small. I returned both. I decided to take a chance on this pillow from Amazon. I bought the Large size. The first night I was comfortable for a couple of hours, and then swapped it out for my old microbead pillow. The second night, I made it about halfway through the night. Third night and ever since, I've slept on it all night. It seemed hard at first, but now the beads support my head and neck very comfortably. Initially I think the case was tight — but it stretched a bit over the first couple of nights and now they have adjusted to my head and neck. One thing that I especially like is the shape of the pillow — the two contour seams that keep the beads from migrating too far, and the box edges. I'm a side sleeper, so the squared off sides keep my head and neck comfortably aligned. I think it takes a few nights to get to the point where you know for sure whether the pillow is right for you. I was glad, those first couple of nights, that I had my old microbead pillow nearby so that I could swap it out when the new one became uncomfortable the first couple of nights. Now when I put my head on the pillow, I think "ahhhhh…." and am very close to saying, "I love this pillow." Note: My queen-size pillow cases are pretty well filled to capacity by this pillow. I also have made some pillow cases, according to a pattern I have, and the pillow fits into them well. The cases I've made are longer, so they are a slightly better fit than the commercially available cases. I might try a couple of king-size cases to see if I like the fit of them any better. The take-away from this review is, I think, not to give up after just one or two nights. The beads will shift to fit your head and neck, but it does take 2 or 3 nights, and after 2-3 weeks I can say that I wouldn't give this pillow up. Also, I'm glad I didn't try the Small size — I am fairly sure that I would find it too small. Possibly the Medium would have been a good choice for me, too, but I'm very happy with the Large.
