Otty Adjustable Pillow review: Find your “just right”

The Otty Adjustable pillow might just be what your guest room needs – but with a foam interior, it might not suit everyone.

Whenever I stay away from home, I find myself confronted with a choice of lofty or shallow pillows. Typically, neither cut the mustard – I’m often enveloped completely by the larger pillow and unable to get comfortable on a shallower one. Instead, I spend my nights craving a healthy middle ground. If this situation rings true to you, the Otty Adjustable pillow could be the perfect solution for your next pillow.

As its name suggests, its nifty design allows you to remove some of the shredded foam filling to reduce the thickness of the pillow. This adaptable design means it’s suitable for a wide range of sleepers, and even the fussiest people should be able to customise their pillow’s thickness completely. While the shredded foam material isn’t without its flaws, I think the Otty Adjustable Pillow could tick a lot of people’s boxes.

Otty Adjustable Pillow review: What do you get for the money?

The Otty Adjustable pillow costs £70, which is definitely more expensive than average (though not the most expensive pillow we’ve reviewed by any means). It’s made from a shredded memory foam filling, housed in a secure inner casing. This is inside a washable cover made from a “unique cool touch” fabric to regulate your body temperature while you sleep. It’s also hypoallergenic and CertiPUR approved, which means it’s suitable for those with allergies, sensitive skin and asthma.

The main selling point of the Otty Adjustable Pillow is, of course, its adjustability. The pillow comes fully stuffed by default. If you find the pillow is too lofty when it arrives, simply remove the pillow from its washable outer cover, unzip the inner lining and scoop out as much shredded foam as you desire. Thankfully, the pillow comes with a zippable bag to store the extra filling in, so you can easily top the pillow back up over time.

The Otty Adjustable Pillow comes with a slightly more generous warranty and returns window than other pillows. Other options cannot be returned once the original packaging has been opened, but Otty gives you 14 days to test the pillow. During that time, the pillow can be returned for a refund (minus the delivery fee). Of course, this isn’t even close to the lengthy trial periods offered when you buy a mattress online, but it’s far better than nothing – especially when the pillow costs this much. You also get a 1-year guarantee and a 10-year premium warranty that covers manufacturing defects.

Otty Adjustable Pillow review: What does it do well?

In my tests, the Otty Adjustable Pillow performed incredibly well. The pillow arrived vacuum-packed in its box, protecting it from damage and dirt in transit. When opened, the foam was compressed and took around twelve hours to inflate – I left mine overnight, and it was full and fluffy by the morning. Thankfully, the pillow was completely odorless on arrival – a welcome change compared to other memory foam pillows I’ve tried.

I found its shredded memory foam supportive but still soft and comfortable to sleep on. Since its filling isn’t a solid foam slab, the pillow had a much more malleable shape – perfect for fussy sleepers who toss and turn. Another advantage of its shredded filling is that the pillow could be fluffed up on the bed, giving it a far softer, more welcoming appearance.

Otty advertises that this pillow is best for side sleepers and I agree. The adjustable filling meant it was easy to customise the pillow to fit precisely in the nook of my shoulder – not too lofty and not too flat. This gave my neck and head the optimum support without sacrificing comfort. I also found that, with less filling, the pillow was ideal for front sleeping. Conversely, when I tried sleeping on my back, the pillow wasn’t quite as sturdy and supportive as other options.

More specifically, I found the adjustability of this pillow intuitive and effective. It was easy to access the filling by unzipping both pillowcases, and I was grateful that Otty had included a storage bag to safely store the extra filling when I wasn’t using it. If you’re worried about the filling leaking from the inner and outer casing, don’t be. When closed, the zips of the pillowcase are covered by a strip of elastic, which prevents the zipper pull from being caught, snagged and accidentally opened during use.

Otty Adjustable Pillow review: What could be improved?

While I enjoyed the pillow’s adjustability, it wasn’t completely without faults. Firstly, since the shredded foam is quite small, it was difficult to remove from the inner casing without spilling foam all over the place. I’m not convinced this is a fixable problem with this design, so be prepared for a little bit of cleanup after adjusting the pillow.

Furthermore, since the pillow isn’t made from a solid foam, its filling tends to gather together at the sides of the pillow you don’t sleep on. This can be fixed with a bit of fluffing, but if you prefer a more uniform sleep surface, you might want to consider a solid memory foam pillow, like the REM-Fit Cool Gel pillow.

Otty Adjustable Pillow review: Should I buy it?

The real kicker with the Otty Adjustable Pillow is its £70 price tag. Investing in quality bedding is one of the best ways to improve your sleep (and, more generally, your quality of life), but that isn’t everyone’s top priority in this economy. That being said, I still think this is a well-priced pillow for those who want the support of a foam pillow without losing out on the plush comfort offered by down and hollowfibre options.

Its adjustability is well-implemented and offers a huge bonus for fussy sleepers who want their pillow to be just right. I highly recommend it for side and front sleepers or those with allergies. If the price is too steep for now, I would advise you to wait for one of Otty’s sale periods before you invest – you could just bag a discount.