Leeds Chartered Accountant says latex pillow solved his back pain

A Chartered Accountant who suffered from chronic pain as a student has launched a pillow using the same natural rubber that has been used in planes and race cars since the 1900s- and it is now top of an Amazon bestsellers list.

Gurveer Sabharwal, 29 who has worked for accounting firms such as KPMG and Teneo, founded Not Swiss Cheese after developing severe sciatica at 18 while studying Mechanical Engineering at Sheffield. When the NHS offered no immediate solution for his debilitating nerve pain, his father suggested a latex topper might solve his problems.

Gurveer, based in Leeds, said: "At 18, I was in agony every single day - severe sciatica shooting down my leg from cheap dorm mattresses and hours studying. Doctors told me to lose weight, which wasn't exactly helpful when I couldn't even sleep through the night.

“My late father worked delivering mattresses and suggested this latex topper. I was skeptical, but as an engineering student, I researched it properly. Within months, the pain started easing and I could finally sleep again. That transformation completely changed my life. Inspired by Dad’s work ethic, I threw myself into building my company from the ground up so everyone can feel the same relief I did."

‘Not Swiss Cheese’ directly challenges what Gurveer calls the "Swiss cheese marketing" of the sleep industry - full of holes and mystery fillings that fail to solve real problems. Since launching in the UK, Not Swiss Cheese is top of Amazon's Choice for latex pillow and has started distribution the USA and the EU.

Why it works

Natural latex begins as milky sap tapped from rubber trees, then undergoes a fascinating transformation where it's whipped like cake batter before being baked and freeze-treated to create resilient foam blocks. This process locks in flexibility while maintaining supportive structure, explaining why latex cushions were used in cars and rockets in the 1980s.

The Talalay process used in Not Swiss Cheese's flagship pillow adds extra refinement stages, creating optimal neck alignment through pure physics. Customers will feel minor neck adjustments in days one to four, optimal neck alignment by days seven to fourteen, and reduced nerve impingement by days fourteen to twenty-one.

Unlike memory foam that traps heat, sags and loses shape, or microfibre that compresses permanently, latex maintains consistent bounce and breathability throughout its eight to ten year lifespan.

Latex does not require any tree-felling or petroleum derivatives and generates biodegradable leftovers that avoid landfill, meaning the pillows are environmentally-friendly too. The company is currently working with customers to design and launch latex mattresses and toppers to complement their pillow range.