Pocket springs vs memory foam: airflow, height, and restacking

Restore guides · Comfort estimates are for guidance and do not constitute medical advice.

A pillow does two jobs at once: it holds your head at the right height, and it stays comfortable while you move. How it does those jobs depends on what is inside it. The two most common approaches are a solid block of memory foam, and a core of independent pocketed springs. They feel different, they breathe differently, and they change height in different ways.

Memory foam works by softening and moulding around your head. That close moulding is why many people like it at first: it feels soft, even, and quiet. The trade-off is that a solid block has nowhere for air to go. Heat and moisture tend to stay where they are, and the height is fixed unless you buy a different pillow. If the height is wrong for your shoulder width or sleep position, you cannot adjust the block itself — you can only add a second pillow, fold it, or replace it.

Pocketed springs work the other way. Each spring sits in its own pocket, so each one can move on its own when your head shifts. Press down in one spot and the springs under that spot compress, while the springs beside it stay closer to their normal height. That independent movement is what gives a pocketed spring pillow its responsive feel: it follows small movements through the night instead of holding one moulded shape.

Height is where the difference matters most for sleep position. A side sleeper usually needs a higher pillow than a back sleeper, because the distance from the mattress to the head is larger when you lie on your side. That distance also depends on shoulder width: broader shoulders generally need more height on your side. A fixed foam pillow gives you one height and asks you to adapt to it. A layered pillow lets you change the height itself.

Restore is built around that idea. Its core is pocketed springs, combined with gel and fibre layers that you can change in number and restack at home. Want it higher? Add a spring layer. Want it lower or softer? Use fewer layers, or change the gel and fibre combination. The Fit Finder gives you a starting build from your sleep position, shoulder width, mattress firmness, and feel preference, and then you try that build for 5 to 7 nights before deciding whether to restack it.

That restacking is the practical advantage over a solid block. Bodies change, mattresses soften, and preferences settle after a few nights. With layers, a height that felt slightly too high on night one can be adjusted by one layer instead of replacing the whole pillow. With a solid block, the same problem usually means a new purchase.

Neither approach is right for everyone. Some sleepers prefer the close, quiet moulding of foam and do not mind a fixed height. Others prefer the spring, airflow, and adjustability of pocketed springs. The honest test is not a claim about which material is better in general — it is whether the pillow holds your head at a comfortable height, lets air move, and can be adjusted if it does not. Try a build for 5 to 7 nights, restack if needed, and judge it on your own sleep, not on a material label.

Comfort estimates are for guidance and do not constitute medical advice. If you have ongoing neck or back pain, see a clinician — a pillow is a comfort fit, not a treatment.

Find your height — 2 minutes

Launch S$139 S$159 · Free shipping in Singapore · Warm Cream only at launch. Pre-order — first batch ships in December 2026. After you order, our customer service team will contact you within 1 working day to confirm your delivery date.

About Restore: Restore is a Singapore pre-order business. Its customizable pocketed spring pillow is built to your height with the Fit Finder, using spring, gel, and fibre layers, with a Tencel cover in Warm Cream.