Chillow Cold Pillow Reviewed
I couldn’t resist taking a look at the Chillow, which I first heard mentioned on the Nobody Likes Onions podcast back in 2007 and then suddenly saw a Google Ad for a few weeks ago. The concept is novel: a self-contained, self-cooling pillow which you can use as a cold compress, or simply to get that cool feeling out of a pillow that has us flipping the traditional ones over all night long.
I received the mini Chillow last week and immediately set about following the simple instructions that demand it be filled with about a liter and a quarter of water. It’s this water, combined with a “patented foam core” that allegedly keep the Chillow permanently cool.
The unfilled Chillow fits neatly into the box, until it downs a couple of pints! (do not fill with actual beer)
Contrary to my immediate feelings of skepticism, it doesn’t half work!
The Chillow has switched between laying upon our bedroom floor and beneath my head for the best part of a week now and still feels cold to the touch despite being in a room that’s constantly assaulted by central heating and often intolerably hot.
It’s a much, much better alternative to have around than a dangerously cold ice pack or a bag of peas and can easily be folded in half for use as a cold compress on the head.
My only concern with the Chillow is that it’s full of water. This makes it a little disturbing to sleep on at first, but I haven’t experienced any leakage yet. The instructions for filling the Chillow involve extracting all of the air from within to ensure it operates correctly, this means that the water inside is never under any significant pressure and isn’t prone to leaking.
Your filled and airless Chillow should look something like this.
If you really want to use the Chillow as a cold compress you can bung it in the fridge for a while and make it absurdly cold, it will also stay cold for quite a long time and, as it’s not frozen, it will neither defrost nor burn your skin.
Now… if only they sold mini Chillow cases.