When you hug a Parallel Pillow for the first time, expect to be in awe.
You’ll have already noticed what a gorgeous pillow it is. Whether it’s our streamlined Low Profile Pillow or plush High Profile Pillow with its signature parallel-gusset piping, every Parallel Pillow is meticulously stitched and assembled.
We’ve discussed why the inside of our Parallel Pillow is paradise to the touch in our What’s the BluTech Fusion Fill (BFF) in the Parallel Pillow? blog post. But what about its pleasantly cool, exquisitely soft outer cover?
“What IS this?” people always want to know as they stroke the flowing ridges against their cheek or fingertips.
"Is it bamboo? Silk? Some new synthetic?"
None of these — and much better. The answer is TENCEL™.
What is TENCEL?
TENCEL Lyocell fibers are what we use to weave the Parallel Pillow’s Omigosh-soft! outer cover.
TENCEL Lyocell is a botanical-origin material, mainly made from renewable wood fibers harvested from certified and tightly-controlled sources. Tencel fibers are known for their environmentally closed-loop and carbon-neutral production process, which turns wood pulp into smooth fibers. TENCEL fabric is renowned for its sustainability, moisture-wicking properties, hypoallergenic properties, and for its incredibly soft feel.
Yes, you read that right: the TENCEL cover is made from wood! Historically, we humans can credit much of our survival and evolution to wood. From the furniture in our homes to the trees that prosper in our farms, we’ve coexisted with wood for millennia. So, it only makes sense that wood is the perfect material to source for high-quality, long-lasting applications.
Sustainable and Omigosh-Soft!
Wood fiber is an efficient raw material for making textiles, and replenishes quickly in a vast range of climates and soil conditions. In other words, it’s a fairly sustainable resource compared to other pillow cover materials. From one field of farmed trees, we get ten times the amount of pulp as from the same field area of cotton!
TENCEL also has a higher vapor uptake capacity than cotton, which helps support your body’s natural temperature regulating mechanisms. In fact, TENCEL wicks moisture better than bamboo, polyester, synthetics or cotton! So, all year round, you can comfortably revel in the regulated tranquility of your TENCEL-covered Parallel Pillow.
Germs, Beware!
Germaphobes, this is your IDEAL pillow for dispelling all those nasty unwanted germs. Just like you, TENCEL sincerely dislikes bacteria. In fact, its structure is unaccommodating to microbial growth! This makes the Parallel Pillow an incredibly clean, hygienic place to lay your head - especially when paired with our ParaPur antimicrobial, anti-odor inner cover!
Oh, and did you know that TENCEL fabric is hypoallergenic? Since it’s not bleached, dyed and doesn’t generate static charge, this comfy slice of heaven doesn’t accumulate dust and other uncomfortable particles that contribute to irritation and unwanted side effects.
And finally, TENCEL Lyocell is biodegradable and compostable — enabling it to revert back to its place in nature after you’ve thoroughly enjoyed your Parallel Pillow.
To Sum Up
TENCEL is an amazingly soft, sustainable and long-wearing material, which made it our most obvious choice for the outermost layer of every Parallel Pillow. And remember, the outer cover is just the prelude to the enjoyment that awaits YOU, as you discover the many sleeping delights of the Parallel Pillow.
