Serta iComfort TempActiv Pillows Overview

Michael Magnuson

Founder of GoodBed, Leading Mattress Expert

Summary: Serta iComfort TempActiv Pillows

Included in Serta's iComfort line of bedding are three pillows in the TempActiv series. All three include memory foam. Each has a removable, washable cover, and all have cooling properties (though differ in what those features are), but that's about where the similarities end.

When it comes to choosing between these pillows, the goal of any pillow is to fill in the gap between your head and the mattress; which you choose will depend on your sleeping position, bed and its cushioning, and your body shape/weight. As with choosing a mattress, there's no "right" or "wrong." Rather, it's a matter of assessing your needs and preferences, then choosing an appropriate pillow. Not sure where to start? Check out our guide to choosing a pillow.

Below, from left to right are the TempActiv Scrunch, the TempActiv, and the TempActiv Max in Serta's iComfort pillow line.

Here's a look at how the three pillows compare when back sleeping.

Serta iComfort TempActiv Scrunch Pillow

The Scrunch pillow is just like it sounds. Made of shredded memory foam, you can squish and rearrange the pillow as you like. It reminded us of a down pillow in that way. The ability to squish the pillow allows you to configure it however you like, as a thinner or a thicker pillow. For that reason, we think it could work for a variety of sleeping positions.

The shredded memory foam includes gel, which is intended to help draw heat from the body and keep the pillow cool. Like all the TempActiv pillows, it has a removable and washable cover.

Serta iComfort TempActiv Pillow

The more expensive TempActiv pillow from Serta is made of a solid, molded piece of memory foam, in contrast to the Scrunch model that's filled with shredded foam. It's a flat pillow with very little doming (where the pillow poofs out).

For cooling, this pillow includes a sprayed on phase-change material on one side of the pillow that's supposed to make it feel cool to the touch. The TempActiv also has a removable and washable cover.

We thought the iComfort TempActiv pillow might be a good fit for back sleepers, since it is fairly thin.

Serta iComfort TempActiv Max Pillow

The TempActiv Max is the most expensive of the three pillows. It's a taller pillow than the TempActiv, but also made from a solid block of memory foam. On one side, the Max has a very thick layer of phase-change material intended to make the pillow feel cool on one side; to us, it almost felt laminated (you can see the blue phase-change material below).

The TempActiv Max also has phase-change material in the cover, along with a vented mesh section on the cover intended to improve air flow. The cover zips off and is machine washable. Generally, we thought the Max pillow might work well for side sleepers, who typically need a taller pillow to create good spinal alignment.