In an effort to reclaim access to his bedroom at night after being kicked out for excessive snoring, Lloyd Ecker eventually sought out his own solution for sawing logs. Enter his creation, The Snorinator, an ergonomically shaped pillow aimed at reducing snoring: the result of meticulous research, expert advice and trial and error. I was first introduced to the brand when Ecker appeared on Shark Tank, and his pitch to the business moguls had me wondering if it could successfully mitigate my husband’s regular snoring habit. In this Snorinator pillow review, I detail our experience with the pillow after sleeping with it for a week, including its highlights and potential drawbacks.
Designed to encourage users to sleep in the high Fowler’s position, a posture recommended by medical professionals to help reduce snoring, The Snorinator keeps you sitting upright, helping to open air passageways. Other bedding accessories like an adjustable bed frame and wedge pillow can function similarly, but The Snorinator’s design has been fine-tuned to reduce one’s tendency to switch postures. Below, I detail more about its effectiveness and who the pillow might be most appealing for. (I also suggest taking a look at our other anti-snoring recommendations.)
The Snorinator Pillow Features
Promotes Sleeping At A 66-Degree Angle
Snoring is the result of relaxed throat muscles or a relaxed tongue or soft palate obstructing your air passageway during sleep, whether that’s due to sleep posture or other factors—like alcohol, smoking or body weight. By resting in an upright posture, you reduce pressure on the chest, boost blood circulation and open airways, which can ease snoring symptoms. If you experience nonclinical snoring, The Snorinator can be a noninvasive aid at a good value. That said, it’s best speak to your primary care physician before using The Snorinator to help with snoring relief, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
During my husband’s week with the pillow, his snoring reduced significantly, and went from abrupt, loud snorting to deep breathing I could easily sleep through. We have an adjustable bed frame, and raising it to an anti-snoring position wasn’t nearly as effective as using this pillow, since The Snorinator kept him in an upwards posture for most of the night. However, he’d eventually switch to his side and couldn’t commit to being a dedicated back sleeper the whole night. If you’re most comfortable sleeping on your back already, I see the transition being much easier.
Two Sizes Accommodate Different Body Types
A typical pillow comes in a queen and king size, but The Snorinator isn’t your typical pillow. Instead, it’s fitted to your height; individuals under 5 foot 6 should choose the small size, and those who are taller should choose large. My husband used the large model, which is slightly too big for my head to fit as snug as intended within the head rest, so make sure to select an accommodating size. It’s also important to note that The Snorinator isn’t well-suited for those who are significantly overweight, according to the brand.
A Firm, Structured Design Helps You Maintain Posture
Made from high-density memory foam, The Snorinator has a firm and supportive profile that promotes spinal alignment and proper posture as you lie propped against its backing. The pillow’s flat side sits flush against the headboard, and your head and shoulders nestle against its “Head Nest,” as the brand calls it. There isn’t much give, but it’s intentionally designed that way for maximum support. In other words, it feels dense and solid, as opposed to doughy squishy like other memory foam pillows.
Although it took some convincing to get my husband to try it, he immediately found it comfortable and fell asleep within five minutes of using it during his first night. I’d compare the feel and firmness to an elevated wedge pillow, except it keeps your head situated in a comfortable position. It even muffles sound by default, as your head tucks in between its dense memory foam top cushions.
One downside is the memory foam’s off-gassing (a common occurrence with manufactured foams), so the pillow did need airing out for a day before we put it to use. That said, the material is Certi-PUR certified, meaning it’s free from harmful chemicals and agents found in cheaper, low-quality memory foam. Included with the pillow is a custom, machine-washable pillowcase that’s made from a nylon-blend fabric.
Final Thoughts
Although my husband and I were initially skeptics, The Snorinator drastically improved his snoring and, in turn, improved my sleep quality. Its unconventional design keeps you situated in an upright posture while maintaining spinal alignment, which may also provide relief for those who live with back pain.
We found he was able to fall asleep quickly, but struggled to commit to the Snorinator for an entire night. The hardest thing for him to get past was lying still, as he’s a regular combination sleeper who switches between all sleeping positions. If you’re someone who regularly sleeps supine, the position encouraged by The Snorinator likely isn’t a far stretch from your regular sleeping habits, especially if you rely on a wedge pillow. And note that the pillow needs time to breathe after unpacking, but its off-gassing shouldn’t be a dealbreaker, as it dissipates quickly.
It’s also important to mention the pillow’s stringent return policy. Returns are only accepted within 30 days of purchase if the pillow is unused within its original packaging; unboxing voids its policy.
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- McKenzie Dillon is the author of this story and a mattress and sleep editor at Forbes Vetted with a sleep science coach certification. She has tested hundreds of sleep products over her six-year tenure as an authority in the health and wellness space, including pillows and anti-snore devices.
- Bridget Chapman oversees the mattress and sleep category as the senior editor and has also earned her sleep science coach certification.
- This review was edited by Emmy Favilla, managing editor at Forbes Vetted and a 20-year media veteran. She has covered commerce content for nearly a decade and written and edited many sleep-focused pieces, like our guide to the best pillows and a Purple mattress review.
- Dillon had her husband (a regular snorer) test The Snorinator for a full week to determine how it performs, how comfortable and supportive it is to sleep with and whether or not it’s worth the buy.