The $75 pillow from startup Casper is not worth the price

Casper, a startup that makes and delivers mattresses, has expanded its product line to include a $75 pillow. 

That's a lot to pay for a pillow. Is it worth it? In my opinion, no. 

Casper sent me a pillow to test out and it wasn't for me. I would not recommend it for most people. 

There is one key benefit to buying Casper's pillow. The company says it will let users test the pillow for 100 days, and then return it for free if they don't like it. So if you're interested in trying the pillow, it is theoretically risk-free. You don't need to take my word for it — you can give it a shot yourself. 

However, if you're wondering, here's my take: I think the pillow is too soft for my taste, and I think it's too expensive.

Let's tackle those two complaints in reverse order. 

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You can buy a much cheaper pillow that's just as good, if not better, from Macy's or Ikea.

Ikea's pillows start at $3.49 and run up to $64.99. 

Macy's has pillows from $10 up to $200, giving you a wide array of options and pricing. But it feels like any time I go into a Macy's it's having a "one-day" 50% off sale. If you ever go into Macy's and it isn't offering a huge discount, just wait a week. You'll be able to get a high-quality pillow you love at $50 or less. And the nice thing is they have beds on display where you can test out the pillow for a few minutes.

So cost is an issue. The Casper pillow is expensive. But for $75 you don't have to go to a store, and you don't have to make a decision since there is only one option, which is worth it to some people.

If this was the best pillow in the world, I wouldn't care that it's $75. You can't pay enough for a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, this is not the best pillow in the world. 

Business InsiderI like a medium-firm pillow. The Casper pillow is simply too soft for my taste. My head sank into the pillow and I got worse sleep the nights I used it.

I talked to Casper about its decision to go all-in on just one type of pillow. Jeff Chapin, Casper's chief product officer, told me that after doing a massive sleep study he felt that the pillow he made would satisfy 95% of his customers. He didn't see the need to made a soft, medium, and firm pillow option. 

Perhaps I am just one of the 5% of people that are unhappy.

Business InsiderCasper CEO Philip Krim told me that the pillow's sales were blowing away expectations and the company ripped through its initial inventory. Although who knows what the initial inventory was. It could have been small.

A pillow is a highly personal thing. Some people want memory-foam pillows. Some people want really firm pillows. Some people (I guess?) want really thin, soft pillows. 

Casper's decision to charge a premium price for a single style of pillow that I don't like is the reason I wouldn't recommend it to most people. 

But, as I said earlier, if you're on the fence about getting the pillow, you should go for it. If Casper is willing to take the pillow back after 100 nights of testing, it's worth taking a shot. You might have a different taste in pillows than me. 

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