The Twilla Story

Over the years we have debated different product ideas to build a business around. Pillows were not on our radar until 2018 when one of our other brothers was excited about a pillow that he had just purchased. It was based off of a strong recommendation from Wire-cutter reviews. It was intriguing because you could zip open the pillow and adjust the shredded foam filling. That idea of being able to customize the filling sounded amazing... the reality was that the shredded foam was messy, unappealing, it smelled, and despite being able to adjust it, it wasn't very soft and it got really hot in the night.

We tried pillow after pillow and were left disappointed. None of the pillows fit right, so we took the best filling materials of the pile of samples, learned how to sew, and made a customized pillow that fit perfectly.

THE PROBLEM

It was great having a comfortable/personalized pillow... for a few nights, but now we were faced with a new problem: What about everyone else? We couldn't expect everyone to sew their own pillow. It was a real challenge: the most comfortable filling materials were really messy, on top of that, everyone has different body types, sleeping positions, and unique preferences.

THE SPARK

After struggling with this problem for several weeks, the idea came while loading the dishwasher... we were out of detergent pods, and as loose detergent spilled everywhere, it was clear that we could contain the messy pillow filling within adjustable pods.

DEVELOPMENT

As trained Industrial Designers, we applied our skills to the development of the Pod-Pillow. Over several months we created hundreds of pod shapes, tried every fabric and filling material we could find, testing over and over again to find the perfect combination and balance of materials. Once we had a concept that functioned how we wanted, and with our newly improved sewing skills, we made our first run of Pod-Pillow prototypes for testing. Testing revealed many opportunities for improvement and we have continued to make improvements over the past couple of years as we developed the business.

PATENTS

As we continued to innovate, we developed our patented Pod-System, wherein the outer layers of the Pod-Pillow integrate the Pods together for a smooth comfortable sleeping surface. Our experience in the corporate world, taught us a lot about patent law. It can be fairly easy to get a patent, but to get an effective patent that really protects your product can be a real challenge. We are happy to say that we were granted a United States Utility patent for the Pod-Pillow that generously protects the invention.

FILLING MATERIALS

Since the Pods keep all filling materials contained, we were not limited in our choices and could still have an adjustable pillow. Our early pillow testing had given us a wide range of knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the various filling materials:

Many people love the softness of a down pillow, but the problem is that it's often too soft and you fall right through the pillow with no support. Shredded foam pillows have trended in popularity because many people like that you can adjust it... it's not as messy as other filling materials but it's still messy and often the foam smells. The other big problem is that foam does not breath well, so when it's next to your face you get sweaty. Manufacturers have put a band-aid over this problem by covering the foam with cool feeling fabrics. The good thing about foam is that it can provide a good supportive cushioned feel.
During the development process, we discovered that the most comfortable filling materials were a combination of a down alternative filling and a quality supportive foam. Technology of down alternative materials have greatly improved over the years and many are better than down. They are just as soft, hypoallergenic, and cruelty free. With the soft down alternative in the outer layers of the Pod-Pillow, we use an odorless foam in the center of the pillow, and contained within the Pods. This allows for an incredibly soft lay down feel, followed by cushioned support.

MANUFACTURING

We have traveled all over North America and parts of Asia to find the best manufacturing options. Assembled in the US.

FABRIC

Talk about Tencel.

BUSINESS

Talk about our organization and the decision making process. Talk about the challenges of starting a business.

BRAND

Talk about the process of coming up with the name and talk about marketing.

FUTURE

Talk about our plans for the future of our products and the brand.