TechRadar Verdict
The REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow is an adaptive, supportive and comfortable pillow that'll keep your head cool. There's no need to plump during the night or upon waking. It stays firm, but some may find it too hard and back sleepers may not find it responsive enough for a comfortable night's sleep.
Pros
- +
Supportive
- +
Removable cover
- +
No plumping required
Cons
- -
Some may find it too hard
- -
Back sleepers may not find it responsive enough
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.
REM-Fit has a selection of advanced pillows that'll keep your head cool and your body comfortable. The REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow is one of eight pillows by the brand, and it uses gel-infused memory foam technology to support the spine and provide pressure relief to the body.
The pillow is one of REM-Fit's best selling pillows, and in my opinion it could be the best pillow for keeping you cool and comfortable through the night. During testing I found that I only required one pillow, instead of two, for comfortably supporting my head, and I kept my cool too.
If you’re looking for a supportive mattress to really boost your comfort level, take a look at our guide to this year's best mattresses for all budgets.
Rem-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow review in brief
The REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow is a firm pillow which nestles the head and supports the spine. It is lofty and is one that doesn't need plumping, or rotating.
I've been using the pillow for a number of weeks as my main pillow. I found that I only required one of these pillows, and no additional pillows, to get the desired height. Although it was firm (not my usual go-to) it had just the right 'sink' for my head to be cradled in.
Type: gel memory foam pillow
Best suited to: side, back and front sleepers
Dimensions: 64x40x13cm
Trial period: 100 nights
Warranty: 5-year guarantee
When the pillow arrived it had the machine-washable outer cover zipped onto the gel-infused memory foam filling. It was tightly wrapped in plastic which (probably) helped to protect it in transit, although it was inside a box. There was a slight smell to the pillow after unwrapping, similar to mattress off-gassing, although this didn't linger for too long and certainly within a few hours the smell had vanished.
REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow review: price and deals
- List price: £99
- Frequently discounted
- Only available in the UK
The REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow is only available to be bought direct from the REM-Fit website - which is UK-only - for a list price of £99.
I recently reviewed the REM-Fit Snow Pillow, which has the same list price as the 500 Cool Gel Pillow and is similarly discounted. The biggest difference between these two pillows is that the Snow Pillow features Nordic Chill fabric for that cool-touch surface, whereas the 500 Cool Gel Pillow doesn't have this but it does have cool-gel infused core to achieve alternative temperature regulation properties.
The 500 Cool Gel Pillow and Snow Pillow from REM-Fit are the most expensive from the brand's pillow range. It also features the Hybrid Pocket Sprung Pillow for £79, Goose Feather & Down Pillow for £69 and Memory Foam Crumbed Pillow for £59.
Compared to other pillows the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow could be considered a luxury pillow (when it is not discounted). With the cost of living crisis that is affecting so many households, the price tag of near one hundred pounds is pretty steep. However, when it is discounted to half price (£49.50) as it frequently is, it becomes a lot more affordable.
If you like memory foam pillows, the Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow is a lot cheaper at £44.95 and comes with a built-in pillow protector plus 10-year guarantee. Alternatively, the Emma Premium Pillow offers customisable options with three layers so you can adapt it to your firmness and height preferences. It does come at a cost, however; it currently retails for £145.
REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow review: design and materials
- Memory foam pillow
- Cooling gel insert
- Removable outer cover is machine washable, inner foam pillow is sponge-clean only
The REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow has three parts to it: a removable outer cover, fixed inner cover and a filling. It measures 64x40x13cm and weighs 4lbs/800g.
The outer cover is soft and stretchy to touch. The material used is 40% Lyocell from Tencel and 60% polyester. This combination of material are known as Re-ax fibres that are designed to wick sweat away while you sleep. The passage of moisture and air is encouraged through the fabric, making it a popular choice for hot sleepers.
On all four sides of the outer cover are green mesh panels. It is not clear on the REM-Fit website what these do, and we're not too sure either, although they do define the pillow from the bog-standard pillow shape.
The inner cover wraps around the filling, and cannot be removed. This is made from 100% polyester. From what we can tell, it has no cooling or supporting properties, other than to protect the filling for damage and / or staining.
The main bulk of the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow is the filling. This filling is a lofty memory foam with a cooling gel insert. The memory foam supports the head to enable the correct spinal alignment while you sleep, and the cool gel insert, which is infused in the foam rather than being a separate layer, is designed to regulate excess body heat.
The removable outer cover can be unzipped and removed for machine washing at 40°C, and the memory foam filling can be sponge cleaned.
- This brand also makes mattresses – read our Rem-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid mattress review or our REM-Fit Pocket 1000 Hybrid mattress review
REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow review: performance
- Comfortably firm
- Adaptive
- No need to plump
I slept on one REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow for a couple of months, and used it as my main pillow. I wanted to find out how this popular cooling foam gel pillow fared for set up, comfort, support, and temperature regulation. I also altered my sleeping positions, switching between side, stomach, and back positions to see if performance was consistent throughout. Here’s how I got on...
Setup
5 out of 5 stars
The REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow arrived tightly wrapped in plastic which (probably) helped to protect it in transit, although it was inside a box.
There was a slight smell after removing the plastic although this quickly faded after a few hours. It regained its pillow-like shape after this time too so we used it the first night it was out of the box.
Temperature regulation
5 out of 5 stars
Memory foam pillows have a reputation for getting too hot in the night, but not this one. It's the brand's best-seller and I can see why on temperature regulation alone.
At no point in the night did I wake with a hot head. Although it is not as instantly cooling as the Snow pillow, the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow keeps a consistent cool temperature throughout the night. I used a cotton pillowcase so that the pillow wasn't prevented from cooling which, I imagine, will always help to keep the temperature down in bed.
Firmness and support
5 out of 5 stars
The memory foam and cooling gel insert is a firm pillow. It comfortably supports the head and spine with very little sinking, and it regains its shape with no plumping required.
As with all REM-Fit pillows the 500 Cool Gel Pillow has been designed to work with all sleeping positions, although I found that it was the most comfortable for me when I lay resting on my side. It'll work with all types of mattress to provide support for the head, neck and shoulders and ensure that the correct spinal alignment is achieved.
REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow review: user reviews
You can only buy the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel direct from the brand, and all the customer reviews are provided by the reliable TrustPilot. The overall score of this cooling foam pillow is 'Great' with four out of five stars, and I did manage to find a few supporting customer reviews for this.
Among the positive comments for the pillow, customers noted that it took a bit of getting used to at first, and remarked that while it feels quite solid, your head and neck melts into it. There was praise for its cooling technology and the fact that it never needs fluffing. However other customers questioned the effectiveness of the gel filling and said that they found it to be a bit too firm.
Should you buy the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow?
If it's a memory foam pillow that you want / need then the REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow is a good option. It has cooling properties, too, so it has the potential to correct your spinal alignment whilst helping you to keep a cool head during the night.
I used it every night for a couple of months as my main pillow. I'm used to used two, softer pillows to rest my head on, but I only needed one of the 500 Cool Gel Pillows.
Sleeping on my side got the best result for me. I tried using the pillow on my front and on my back but I found that it was a bit too firm for me to sleep comfortably in these positions with this particular pillow. At no point, though, did I wake up with a hot head, so those cooling properties were working a treat in combination with the foam filling.
A big bonus for me is that the outer cover can be removed for machine washing. This removed the need for a pillow protector because this cover is essentially doing the same job as a pillow protector would. The foam inner is sponge-clean only, though, so it always get that cover back on the pillow before using it again - otherwise you'll be adding another cleaning task to the list.
When it's not discounted this REM-Fit pillow is priced at £99, which is pretty steep. It is frequently discounted, though, so when it is down to half-price I think that it would be well worth a try. Don't forget that it comes with a 100-night free trial, so if you find that it is not the perfect pillow for you, you can request to have it sent back to the brand.
The REM-Fit 500 Cool Gel Pillow gets its design and performance spot on, and I genuinely feel that if you're looking for a more comfortable night's sleep then it'll be worth every penny.
