TechRadar Verdict
The Molecule All-Season Pillow is a unique all-purpose pillow that has a cool side and a warm side in addition to providing a choice of soft or medium comfort – without having to add or remove filling. It's an impressive amount of versatility for an affordable price, and will suit back, side, and stomach sleepers. Only the lack of a removable cover holds it back, although the whole thing can be machine-washed.
Pros
- +
Cool side and warm side
- +
Three adjustable firmness levels
- +
Affordable pricing
Cons
- -
Not as adjustable as adding or removing fill
- -
No removable cover
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
When we heard that the Molecule All-Season Pillow had a cool side and a warm side, along with three adjustable firmness levels, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it for testing to see how it compared to our list of the best pillows. These unique features sound interesting, but would they really make a difference?
It turns out that the Molecule All-Season Pillow uses advanced fiber technology to control the temperature. So, one side was cool to the touch, and the other side didn’t make our tester hot, but it also was not cooling – which is good during winter months. The Molecule All-Season Pillow also has an easy solution for adjusting the firmness level: there are zippers on both sides of the pillow, and when they’re both zipped, the pillow is firm. Unzipping one side provides medium firmness, and unzipping both sides will result in a soft pillow.
Read on for our full Molecule All-Season Pillow review, or if you're in the process of upgrading your sleep setup, check out our guide to the best mattress for all budgets.
Molecule All-Season Pillow review in brief
The Molecule All-Season Pillow is an all-in-one pillow, and for indecisive people like me it’s perfect. Sometimes, we want a soft pillow, and sometimes, like when we’re sitting up in bed to read or watch TV, we prefer a firmer pillow. But who wants to stop and add filling to a pillow, and then have to stop and take it back out? (After all, we’re the people too lazy to even reach for the remote, so we tell Alexa to turn the TV off and on.) The pillow is also a good choice for people who share a bed, since each individual can customize the pillow to their liking.
Type: 50/50 TENCEL and recycled polyester fill; polyethylene and polyester outer shell
Best suited to: Back, side, and stomach sleepers; hot and cold sleepers
Trial period: 30 days
Warranty: not listed
The Molecule All-Season Pillow is made with TENCEL Lyocell fiber (extracted from sustainably grown wood), which is also used in denim, activewear, and even footwear, because it’s soft and comfortable against human skin. The proprietary blend in the pillow also includes recycled fibers, and the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certification means that it’s free from chemicals and dyes, so the pillow is good for you and also good for the environment.
During the time we tested a pair of pillows, we enjoyed flipping them over and zipping and unzipping them to analyze the difference modes. It was nice being able to experience so much versatility in one pillow.
We tested a pair of the standard size pillows, but these are also available in king size. Since these pillows are adjustable, Molecule doesn’t sell a low loft or high loft version, which is the tack other bed brands tend to take (for example, check out our Brooklyn Bedding Talalay pillow review.
Molecule All-Season Pillow review: price and deals
The Molecule All-Season standard size pillows have an MSRP of $69 each, and the king size pillows are $89 each. Molecule sells a variety of pillows and the All-Season Pillow is the most expensive option – but not by much. The Molecule Infinity Essential Pillow and the Infinity PRO Foam Pillow both start at $59, while the CopperWELL Foam Pillow starts at $49.
In the wider pillow market, we'd consider this a mid-range option. It's not unusual for adjustable pillows to cost over $100 – for example, the Layla Kapok Pillow (with removable fill) starts at $109.
Molecule All-Season Pillow review: design and materials
- One cool side, one warm side
- Zips can be opened or closed to adjust firmness
- No removable cover for washing
The Molecule All-Season Pillow is made of 50/50 TENCEL and recycled polyester, as a nod to eco-friendliness. The top is made of Instacool knit 53% polyethylene, 47% polyester; the bottom is made of poly knit 100% polyester. The mesh and interior lining are also made of 100% polyester. The TENCEL Lyocell fiber and recycled fibers are designed to help keep you cool – or not, depending on your preference. No harmful chemicals or dyes were used in the pillow.
The ability to adjust the firmness level allows the pillow to be used by a variety of sleepers: back, stomach, or side and also cool and hot individuals. By zipping and unzipping the pillow, users can find the right position to provide support for their head and shoulders, while also keeping the spine in alignment.
Unlike some pillows, there's no removable cotton cover here, which means if you're going to clean it, you'll need to put the full thing into the washing machine. Ideally, we'd prefer a removable cover, as this can be washed regularly, whereas you only really want to wash a pillow once every 3-6 months.
Molecule All-Season Pillow review: performance
- Cooling side is noticeably cooler
- Zip system does change firmness, but not as dramatically as removing fill
The Molecule All-Season Pillow exceeded our expectations. As testers, we’ve learned that performance is often inconsistent with the marketing hype. However, we were truly able to tell a difference when sleeping on the cooling side. In addition, we were able to observe a difference in the pillow’s firmness level when zipping and unzipping it, although the difference wasn't quite as dramatic as you'd find with a pillow that can be opened to add or remove fill. Since we were able to test a pair of pillows, we would flip them on opposite sides and also leave one completely zipped while the other pillow was partially, and sometimes, completely unzipped.
Setup
The pair of Molecule All-Season Pillows arrived in the company’s colorful, branded boxes. They were securely packed and inside each box, the pillow was completely sealed.
After carefully cutting away the plastic surrounding the pillows, they started expanding immediately. We’re not the type of person who stands there to watch compressed items expand, but when we returned to the room about an hour later, they were nice and fluffy.
Temperature regulation
We slept on the pillows for over two weeks in early fall, when the weather was still pretty mild. While we didn't experience cold enough temperatures to say for sure if the warm side would keep us warm and cozy in chilly weather, it certainly didn't feel particularly cool – which is an advantage during the winter.
We can say confidently that the cool side did work effectively to regulate body temperature. We never woke up hot and sweaty once, even during times when we normally would have probably been quite warm.
Firmness and support
Having the advantage of adjusting the firmness level on both pillows, weI found them to be very comfortable. We primarily sleep on our side, so that pillow was unzipped on both sides. However, the other pillow was typically zipped on one side for medium firmness, or zipped on both sides for a firmer feel. With all of the settings, our head and neck felt supported and our spine felt aligned.
When we sat in bed for long periods of time binge-watching TV one weekend, the pillows were a little flat. However, we tossed them in the dryer (on a low setting) for a few minutes, and they regained their original shape.
Molecule All-Season Pillow review: user reviews
This particular model is currently out of stock at Amazon, and only had one customer review, but it was quite positive. On Molecule’s site, the reviews for all of the company’s products (mattresses, mattress toppers, pillows) are lumped together with no way to sort them. However, after poring over several pages of reviews, we were able to find some for All-Season Pillows from consumers who stated that they have slept better and more comfortably since purchasing the pillows.
Should you buy the Molecule All-Season Pillow?
We tested a pair of the Molecule All-Season Pillows for two weeks, and would certainly rate them among the best pillows that I’ve ever tested. We love the fact that we can zip and unzip them to adjust the firmness level. Also, the option to flip them over to get a cool or warm side (although we were not able to actually test the warmth in this climate) was also a convenience that we don’t take for granted.
The pillows are both supportive and comfortable, and they would be a great choice for side, back, or stomach sleepers. We do think that perhaps some people might be expecting a really soft pillow instead of just a soft pillow, and these individuals might prefer pillows with adjustable fill that can be added or taken out. But for most people, the versatility of the Molecule All-Season Pillow, combined with the relatively affordable price, combine to make this a great choice when you want to upgrade your pillows.
