My Pillow
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Mike Lindell |
| Headquarters | Chaska, Minnesota , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Mike Lindell (Founder and CEO) |
| Products | Pillows, mattresses, mattress toppers, covers, sheets, towels, pet beds |
Number of employees | 1,500 (2017) |
| Website | mypillow |
My Pillow, Inc. (branded as MyPillow) is a U.S.-based manufacturer specializing in pillows, with its main office located in Chaska, Minnesota. Established in 2009 by entrepreneur Mike Lindell, the company promotes a patented open-cell poly-foam pillow design developed by Lindell himself. Prior to 2009, these pillows were distributed through Lindell's Night Moves Minnesota, LLC. The business has sold in excess of 41 million pillows, primarily fueled by television infomercials and a direct-to-consumer sales approach. Starting from just five staff members in 2004, My Pillow grew to employ around 1,500 people by 2017.
The company has encountered legal issues concerning deceptive advertising and unsupported health benefit claims, including assertions that its products can treat ailments such as insomnia and sleep apnea. A notable resolution occurred in 2017 when My Pillow settled a class-action lawsuit related to its buy-one-get-one-free offers. Moreover, in 2022, both the company and Lindell faced litigation from election technology company Smartmatic over false statements made to promote their products.
My Pillow’s marketing tactics involve vigorous promotional campaigns and sponsorships, including backing conservative political initiatives, which have significantly shaped its brand visibility and market footprint.
Founding
Mike Lindell from Minnesota founded My Pillow. To finance the company’s development, he sold four bars and took out a mortgage on his home. Initially, Lindell personally stitched the pillows and relied on family assistance for sales efforts.
The first pillow was sold in 2005 at a kiosk located in Eden Prairie Center mall in Minnesota. For six years following its launch, the business struggled with sales through mall kiosks, state fairs, and trade exhibitions.
Marketing
The company’s expansion gained momentum after airing an infomercial in October 2011. This half-hour advertisement cost $500,000 to produce and was broadcast approximately 200 times daily on both local and national television stations by 2013. Since then, My Pillow has sold over 30 million pillows and increased its workforce from 50 to more than 1,500 employees.
In July 2015, My Pillow sponsored a Guinness World Record for the largest pillow fight involving 6,261 participants during a St. Paul Saints baseball game. Later, in May 2018, Lindell led over 45,000 attendees in another record-breaking pillow fight at the PULSE Movement event held in U.S. Bank Stadium.
In January 2024, Lindell disclosed that he typically invested $1 million weekly on advertising with Fox but experienced a reduction of his credit terms from twelve to eight weeks. Fox subsequently cut ties amid a $7.8 million dispute over outstanding payments; Lindell asserted the debt was within his credit limit and accused Fox of trying to silence him.
Operations
The company’s main headquarters along with its call center and customer support operations are situated in Chaska, Minnesota. Production takes place at a 70,000 square-foot facility in Shakopee, where they manufacture pillows, mattresses, mattress toppers, covers, Giza cotton sheets, towels, and pet beds. Approximately 25,000 pillows are produced daily at this site. Many of their products are promoted as "proudly American made."
Retail Presence
My Pillow opened its inaugural retail outlet in Burnsville, Minnesota in 2012 and expanded to seventeen stores across Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska by 2017. The product line is also available through QVC, major retail chains, trade shows, and the company’s official website.
Production adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic
In March 2020, founder Mike Lindell announced that 75% of My Pillow’s manufacturing capacity would be redirected to producing cotton face masks intended for donation to healthcare professionals amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. While these masks were initially not available for purchase by the general public, they were subsequently listed for sale on the My Pillow website.
Technology and design
My Pillow products are built around a patented design that integrates multiple sizes of open-cell poly-foam. Mike Lindell personally tested 94 different foam types before finalizing a blend that includes a resin component, which enables the foam to maintain its shape customized to the user. These pillows are designed to be hypoallergenic, resistant to dust mites, and both washable and dryer-safe. In recognition of its innovation, My Pillow received the Q-Star Award for Product Concept of the Year from QVC in 2013.
Legal disputes and resolutions
A class action lawsuit filed in April 2016 accused My Pillow of false advertising, criticizing Lindell’s self-presentation as a "Sleep Expert" despite lacking formal credentials. Between 2013 and 2016, the Better Business Bureau recorded 220 complaints against the company.
In August 2016, New York State brought charges against My Pillow for allegedly failing to pay over $500,000 in sales tax. Although the company denied any misconduct, it ultimately settled for $1.1 million.
On November 1, 2016, My Pillow agreed to a $1 million settlement resolving a false advertising lawsuit initiated by nine California counties. The legal action challenged claims that the pillows could alleviate fibromyalgia, restless leg syndrome, and sleep apnea without scientific validation. As part of the settlement, My Pillow was prohibited from making unsupported health-related assertions in California and required to disclose any financial relationships with the National Sleep Foundation.
In November 2017, a class action settlement addressed issues related to marketing tactics, including health claims and ongoing buy-one-get-one-free promotions.
Dominion Voting Systems dispute
In January 2021, Dominion Voting Systems threatened legal proceedings against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell over his unfounded allegations of widespread fraud involving their voting equipment. On February 22, 2021, Dominion filed a defamation lawsuit seeking $1.3 billion in damages from Lindell and MyPillow. Dominion’s CEO John Poulos stated that Lindell’s persistent false accusations severely damaged the company’s reputation and posed risks to its employees and customers.
In April 2021, Lindell responded with a countersuit accusing Dominion of undermining the judicial process. Around this period, several major retailers—including Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl's, Wayfair, and Texas-based supermarket chain H-E-B—removed MyPillow products from their inventories. Retailers cited declining consumer interest and poor sales performance as reasons for discontinuing these product lines.
Consumer ratings and feedback
A 2016 review by Consumer Reports revealed mixed opinions about My Pillow products; only about one-third of participants indicated they would purchase them again.
In January 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) withdrew My Pillow’s accreditation and reduced its rating from A+ to F due to numerous customer complaints and the company’s continued use of a perpetual buy one, get one free promotion. The BBB requires such offers to be limited in duration; however, this promotion was still active as of August 2020.
Additional Controversies
On September 20, 2024, MyPillow promoted a traditional pillow sale priced at $14.88 on X (previously known as Twitter). Observers connected this pricing to the infamous Nazi coded message, the Fourteen Words, which led to endorsements from white supremacist profiles. Mike Lindell, the company's founder, refuted any insinuations of concealed symbolism, labeling the accusations as a media-driven attack.
Philanthropic Efforts
A portion of MyPillow’s revenue supports the Lindell Foundation, which aids individuals struggling with addiction, veterans, cancer patients, and others requiring assistance. In 2015, the company contributed pillows to the Sandra J. Schulze American Cancer Society Hope Lodge, benefiting patients traveling for medical care. By 2017, MyPillow pledged to donate one pillow per purchase across Minnesota and additional states such as South Dakota, Nebraska, Arizona, and New York. That same year, the company provided 60,000 pillows to those affected by Hurricane Harvey in Texas.
Political Engagements
Following Fox News host Laura Ingraham’s critical remarks about activist David Hogg in March 2018, numerous advertisers withdrew support from The Ingraham Angle. Contrarily, MyPillow amplified its advertising budget for the program by 625% during early April 2018. By mid-2020, MyPillow had become the primary advertiser on Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight, contributing nearly 38% of the show's ad revenue as other major sponsors pulled back.
MyPillow also financially supports the conservative Right Side Broadcasting Network and funded a two-week bus tour in December 2020 that endorsed Donald Trump’s attempts to challenge the 2020 presidential election results. The company’s ads on conservative platforms occasionally featured discount codes with political themes.
In February 2021, MyPillow’s official Twitter account was permanently banned for breaching platform rules after CEO Mike Lindell used it to circumvent his personal suspension related to election misinformation.
Early in 2021, David Hogg revealed intentions to create an "ethical" pillow brand competitor to MyPillow, escalating rivalry within the market. Nevertheless, he stepped down from Good Pillow and sold his shares by April 2021, concluding his direct competition against MyPillow.