8 min read • Last updated: February 25, 2026
Quick Answer
The Polar Tropic pillow features a dual-sided design: one side uses Ice Yarn technology for a cool-to-the-touch surface, while the other side has a warmer fabric for cooler months. The core is gel-infused memory foam. It is available at major chain and Dormez-vous locations across Canada. User reviews are genuinely mixed. Some people love the initial cooling sensation and the support. Others find the pillow too firm after the foam compresses under the weight of their head, too heavy to flip easily, and report that the cooling effect fades within minutes. It is not adjustable.
Brad, Owner, 40+ years of experience: "We have been helping Brantford families sleep better since 1997. Every customer gets personal attention, honest advice, and the kind of follow-up service you just do not get from big box stores."
The Polar Tropic pillow is one of those products that sounds great on paper. A dual-sided pillow with a cooling side for summer and a warm side for winter, made with gel-infused memory foam. The national chain that sells it has marketed it heavily, and it has become one of their bestselling pillows. But read through the actual user reviews, and the picture gets more complicated.
What the Dual-Sided Design Actually Does
The cool side of the Polar Tropic uses Ice Yarn, which is a fabric technology designed to feel cool against skin. When you first lay your head down, the surface temperature is noticeably lower than a standard pillow cover. That initial sensation is real and pleasant, especially on a warm night.
The issue is duration. Your body generates heat continuously, and the Ice Yarn fabric absorbs that heat until it reaches equilibrium with your skin temperature. For most people, this happens within 10 to 20 minutes. After that point, the pillow feels like any other pillow. Flipping it over can reset the cool feeling temporarily, but the pillow is heavy enough that flipping it at 3 a.m. is not exactly effortless.
The warm side is a standard plush fabric. It does not have any special heat-retaining technology. It simply lacks the Ice Yarn treatment, which means it feels warmer by comparison. Brad, who has been in the bedding industry for over 38 years, points out that most people buying a "cooling pillow" care primarily about the cool side and rarely think about the warm side until they realize the cooling has limits.
How Cooling Pillows Work (and Where They Fall Short)
Most consumer cooling pillows rely on one of three approaches: conductive materials that draw heat away from skin, gel infusions in the foam that absorb heat temporarily, or breathable structures that promote airflow. The Polar Tropic combines the first two. It is difficult to say how long any of these methods provide meaningful cooling overnight, because body heat production is constant and no passive material can remove heat indefinitely. Active cooling (like a fan or air conditioning) will always outperform a fabric treatment. Cooling pillows work best for that initial falling-asleep window when surface temperature matters most.
The Firmness Problem
This is where the Polar Tropic pillow divides people most sharply. The gel-infused memory foam core feels supportive when you first press your hand into it. But when you lay your head on it for an extended period, the foam compresses and many users describe the resulting surface as too hard.
Memory foam firmness is temperature-sensitive. In a cooler room, the foam is firmer. Since the cool side of the pillow is designed to lower surface temperature, it can actually make the foam beneath feel harder than it would on the warm side. Some ChickAdvisor reviewers noted this contradiction: the cooling feature inadvertently makes the pillow less comfortable by stiffening the foam.
The pillow is also heavier than most people expect. Gel-infused memory foam is denser than standard foam or fibre fill, and combined with the dual-sided cover design, the Polar Tropic weighs more than a typical pillow. Several reviewers mention that the weight makes it cumbersome, especially for people who move their pillow around at night or like to fold it.
What Users Are Saying
The retailer's own hosted reviews skew positive, which is common for retailer-hosted reviews. ChickAdvisor reviews paint a more nuanced picture. Some users genuinely enjoy the pillow and report better sleep, particularly during the first few months. Others describe a pattern where the pillow feels great initially but develops a persistent flat spot where the head rests, and the foam does not fully recover between nights.
Neck pain is a recurring theme in negative reviews. Dorothy, our sleep specialist, notes that memory foam pillows with a fixed height and density are inherently limited because they cannot be adjusted. If the loft is wrong for your sleeping position, no amount of cooling technology will make it comfortable. And because the Polar Tropic is not adjustable, you get what you get.
If cooling is your main priority, our guide on whether cooling blankets actually work covers the science behind temperature-regulating bedding more broadly.
Trying Pillows Before You Commit
The biggest risk with any pillow purchase is buying based on a feature list rather than how it actually feels under your head. At our Brantford showroom, Talia can set you up on a mattress and hand you different pillow types to compare. Whether you end up with a Silk and Snow adjustable pillow, a latex option, or something else entirely, tes
ting on an actual sleep surface tells you more than any review can. If neck pain is your concern, our cervical pillow guide covers pillows specifically designed for spinal alignment.
CARRIED IN-STORE AT MATTRESS MIRACLE
MyWonder Pillow - Adjustable Shredded Memory Foam | Cooling & Warming Dual-Sided
If the dual-sided idea appeals but you want to try one in person first, the MyWonder Pillow is the version we carry in Brantford: adjustable shredded memory foam with a cooling face and a warming face.
See it at Mattress Miracle →
Is the Polar Tropic Worth Buying?
If you sleep on your back with an average frame and you like the idea of a cool-to-the-touch pillow for falling asleep, the Polar Tropic may work for you. The cooling sensation is real for that initial window, and the foam provides decent support for back sleepers who do not need high loft.
Side sleepers, people with neck pain, and anyone who moves their pillow around frequently will likely find it too firm, too heavy, or not adjustable enough. The cooling effect is also temporary by nature, which is worth understanding before you spend the money.
For hot sleepers looking for a pillow that stays cool longer, a latex pillow with open-cell ventilation or a breathable fibre pillow may provide more consistent temperature regulation without the firmness trade-offs.
Shop This Topic at Mattress Miracle
Cooling picks we carry at Mattress Miracle:
Or cooling mattresses in our Brantford showroom.
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We are a family-owned mattress store in Brantford, helping our community sleep better since 1997. Come try mattresses in person and get honest, no-pressure advice.
441 1/2 West Street, Brantford, Ontario
Call 519-770-0001Does the Polar Tropic pillow stay cool all night?
No. The Ice Yarn cooling side feels cool when you first lie down, but the fabric equilibrates with your body temperature within about 10 to 20 minutes. After that, the cooling effect is no longer noticeable. Flipping the pillow can reset the sensation temporarily.
Is the Polar Tropic pillow good for side sleepers?
Many side sleepers find it too firm and not tall enough. The gel-infused memory foam compresses under head weight, and the pillow is not adjustable. Side sleepers generally need a higher-loft pillow that maintains its height throughout the night.
Why does the Polar Tropic pillow feel so hard?
The gel-infused memory foam core becomes firmer at lower temperatures. Since the cooling side lowers the surface temperature, the foam beneath can stiffen. Additionally, the foam compresses under sustained head weight, and some users find the remaining density too firm for comfort.
Where can I buy a Polar Tropic pillow in Canada?
The Polar Tropic pillow is available at major chain and Dormez-vous locations across Canada. It can also be ordered through the retailer's website. It is not typically available at independent mattress stores.
What is a better alternative to the Polar Tropic pillow?
For cooling, a latex pillow with open-cell ventilation breathes naturally without relying on fabric treatments. For adjustability, a shredded foam or buckwheat hull pillow lets you control the loft and firmness. Visit a showroom to compare options on an actual mattress before deciding.
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Sources
- Gordon SJ, Grimmer-Somers K, Trott P. Pillow use: the behaviour of cervical pain, sleep quality, and pillow comfort in side sleepers. Manual Therapy. 2009;14(6):671-678. DOI: 10.1016/j.math.2009.02.006
- Gordon SJ, Grimmer-Somers KA, Trott PH. Pillow use: the behaviour of cervical stiffness, headache and scapular/arm pain. J Pain Res. 2010;3:137-145. DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S11074
- Erfanian P, Tenzif S, Guerriero RC. Assessing effects of a semi-customized experimental cervical pillow on sympathetic nervous system parameters. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2004;48(1):20-28. PMCID: PMC1840035
- Persson L, Moritz U. Neck support pillows: a comparative study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1998;21(4):237-240. PMID: 9608379
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