Sleep Number Lumbar Pillow Review

The Mattress Nerd’s Take: The Sleep Number Lumbar Support pillow uses memory foam to contour to your back and help you achieve your best spinal alignment, whether you’re sitting at your office chair, car seat, or are lying down. Our biggest complaint with this pillow is that it holds on to your body heat.

Who It’s Good For

• People with lower back pain
• Those who aren’t ready to buy a new mattress
• Back sleepers looking for more back cushion
• Those looking for more back support

Who It’s Not Good For

• Hot sleepers
• Side sleepers
• Stomach sleepers

Mattress Nerd Pillow Scores

At Mattress Nerd, we’ve broken down every factor you’ll look for when shopping for the best lumbar support pillows and give them a numerical score out of five. I used my experience with the Sleep Number Lumbar pillow, as well as my broader knowledge as a Mattress Nerd, to help score each factor and break down these scores.

See Also: Best Pillow Guide

Cooling: 2/5

The Sleep Number Lumbar pillow features memory foam wrapped in a soft, velvety, microfiber cover—both of which hold on to your body heat. I wouldn’t call this pillow breathable or cooling, but I also don’t think that matters if you’re using the pillow as a lumbar support cushion at your desk chair. If you want a cooler seat cushion, look for one with a breathable mesh cover.

Alignment: 5/5

The primary purpose of a back support pillow is to keep the natural curvature of your spine when sitting for long periods of time. It’s also to relieve low back pain or sciatica symptoms. The Sleep Number memory foam back cushion conforms to the spine and encourages good posture. 

Lumbar back support can’t prevent slouching, but it compresses your lower back muscles, which helps to build the habit of sitting up straight. I felt supported and I certainly sat up straighter while using it. It could help any chair—even recliners or gaming chairs—to have a more ergonomic design, and it felt much more comfy than a lumbar roll.

Related: Best Memory Foam Pillows

Adjustability: 2/5

There aren’t too many ways to adjust the Sleep Number Lumbar pillow (other than flipping it upside down) because it’s just a block of foam. It’s also only compatible with back sleepers in bed, because it serves no purpose for side or stomach sleepers. Lastly, we’d like to see removable, adjustable straps as an option for those who plan to use the pillow as a chair backrest.

Quality of Materials: 4/5

Memory foam is the best material to use for lumbar pillows because of its ability to provide pain relief. The foam in this pillow is high quality, non-toxic, and hypoallergenic. I didn’t notice any off-gassing when I removed it from the packaging.

Care: 3.5/5

The pillow cover is completely machine washable, while the foam insert is spot clean only. To wash the cover, remove the insert, machine wash the cover with warm water on the normal cycle, and tumble dry on low.

Customer Experience: 5/5

Even though this is a lumbar pillow rather than your typical bed pillow, Sleep Number still offers the pillow industry-standard 100-night sleep trial period and one year warranty. They also have a live chat feature on their website, making it very easy to contact customer service.

Total Score: 3.6/5

Pros/Cons

Pros 

• Uses Memory Foam: Memory foam is a great material to use when you have aches and pains because it helps relieve pressure. 
• Budget-Friendly: This lumbar pillow comes at a value price, especially if you’re using it because your mattress isn’t as supportive as it used to be.
• Washable Cover: Sleep Number makes it easy to have a clean pillow surface, because the removable cover is machine washable.

Cons

• Heat Retention: Memory foam is notorious for holding on to your body heat, and the Sleep Number is no exception.
• Only One Size: Though you folks have different body shapes and back heights, the Sleep Number pillow only comes in one size. Also, the size makes it difficult to fit into a travel bag if you plan to use it on vacation.
• Only One Color: If gray isn’t your favorite color, I’m sorry—it’s the only color the pillow comes in at the moment.

Sizing, Pricing, and Policies

Size	Dimensions	Price
One Size	13” x 15” x 5.5”	$34.99

The Sleep Number Lumbar pillow ships free to the contiguous U.S., with an additional shipping fee for Alaska and Hawaii. Your pillow should arrive about two weeks after placing the order.

You get 100 nights to try out the pillow before the window for free returns and exchanges closes. During this timeframe, you can return your pillow for a full refund, or exchange it for a pillow that better suits you. You’ll also receive a one year warranty with a replacement guarantee if your original is defective.

FAQs

The Nerd’s Final Take

The Sleep Number memory foam lumbar support pillow is one of our top picks for back sleepers, budget shoppers, and those who need firm support while sitting at a desk for hours. However, we did notice that this pillow holds on to heat and comes in only one size and color.

In closing, customer reviews are positive for this pillow (4.6/5 stars), and it comes with a 100-night trial period. We say give it a shot—your chiropractor will thank you!

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