Meet 10 of the best pillows, offering that 5-star hotel feeling and excellent support. It’s crucial that your pillow suits your body, sleeping position and mattress. When this isn’t the case, your neck and upper back take up the slack, meaning lower quality sleep, aches and pains. The start of a vicious circle of tiredness, low mood and memory function, and higher risk of heart disease and weight gain. We can’t stress enough how important it is to de-stress your neck with the perfect pillow.
Our top 10 pillows have been painstakingly selected using feedback from over 12,341 customers along with our 11 years of luxury bedding experience.
The best pillows of 2022
- Best allrounder – 3-Chamber Premium Down pillow
- Best support pillow – Down & Natural Latex Pillow Prestige medium
- Best pillow for side sleepers – Vandyck pure nature box edge pillow
- Beste pillow for combination sleepers – Ducky Dons driekamer boxkussen
- Beste pillow for stomach sleepers – Duvet Doré 100% goose down pillow
- Beste pillow for back sleepers – Vandyck rood label kussen
- Best value for money – Double face pillow deluxe
- Best pillow for nature lovers – Ducky Dons Nextlife pillow
- The coolest pillow – Vandyck kapok pillow
- The best adjustable pillow – Ducky Dons Dauna soft pillow
Multiple factors play important roles when selecting the right pillow: firmness, body frame, sleeping position and sleeping system, for example. Filling materials and ticking fabrics also make an impact on your choice. Pillow materials used by various manufacturers are extremely diverse.
Read on to discover how to pick the perfect pillow. Scroll down to find the best pillows of 2022, available right now.
1. Best allrounder
A quality down pillow means the perfect proportion of feather to down. Feathers offer firmness and support, while down provides that 5-star hotel feeling, moisture absorbency and flexible fluffiness.
This pillow has a firm central core composed of 85% duck feathers. That means excellent support for the head and neck, preventing sleep-related neck injuries. The outer layer is incredibly soft thanks to a 65% duck down filling.
- Suits side sleepers with average to large frames and large-framed back sleepers.
- Duck feathers allow excellent air circulation.
- Down means excellent moisture absorbency.
2. Best support pillow
This pillow has a unique filling – a Talalay natural latex core. It’s a relatively expensive material which is both natural and eco-friendly. Natural latex feels deliciously cool, provides excellent support and is highly sustainable. Research (NCBI) tells us how latex pillow users enjoy better sleep quality and comfort compared with other filling types.
The latex core is surrounded by a 90% down and 10% feather filling, and both chambers are covered with quality ticking. Latex isn’t very flexible, so the addition of down means a soft, comfortable pillow. This combination means the pillow moulds to fit the shape of your head whenever you move.
- Suits side sleepers, back sleepers and neck pain sufferers.
- Research reveals that latex pillows have the most impact on sleep quality and comfort.
- This pillow offers excellent support and comfort.
- Down means excellent moisture absorbency.
- Natural latex retains its original shape better than a feather pillow.
3. Best pillow for side sleepers
As a side sleeper, you need a dense, firm pillow. Side sleepers have the greatest distance between head and mattress of all sleeping positions. Vandyck’s Pure Nature box edge pillow is the firmest in the Pure Nature line, with a box shape perfect for side sleepers.
This pillow combines volume (1400 gram fill weight of 85% small goose feathers) with comfort (15% goose down). It’s this goose down that makes the Navy Label extra luxurious; it’s a very sustainable option, too.
- Suits side sleepers with small to average frames or average to large framed back sleepers.
- Top combination of support and comfort.
- 100% fine combed cotton ticking.
- Down means excellent moisture absorbency.
Check out the best pillows for side sleepers
4. Best pillow for combination sleepers
Sleep on your back and your side? Then join the many customers who love this comfortable, quality pillow for combination sleepers. The firm core supports the neck and head and is surrounded by a beautifully soft outer layer, allowing you to truly sink into deep, restorative sleep.
This three-chamber box edge pillow from Ducky Dons is unique – every chamber has a different filling. This allows you to use it in two different ways: place your head on the softest chamber, or flip it over for a firmer feel. You’ll find this option a little softer than the three-chamber Premium. And the box edge pillow design? Perfect for both side and back sleepers with small to average frames.
- Down means excellent moisture absorbency.
- Suits average to large frame side sleepers and small to average frame back sleepers.
- Duck feathers provide excellent air circulation.
5. Best pillow for stomach sleepers
If you sleep on your stomach, you probably sleep well enough without a pillow, but adding a soft down pillow to your bed turns sleeping well into sleeping luxuriously well. Belly sleepers should fill but not overfill the small gap between head and mattress to avoid pressure on the upper spine and neck. Opt for a deep, firm pillow and you’ll wake up with a stiff neck.
Down is one of the softest, most durable fillings and the perfect option for belly sleepers. Goose down is even more sustainable than duck down and absorbs more moisture. This pillow’s high percentage of down means its filling is incredibly lightweight – just 500 grams. The perfect accompaniment to your travels, whether by car, train, boat or plane.
- Extra luxurious feel with quality filling and ticking.
- Extra soft choice that’s perfect for belly sleepers.
- High fill power means this pillow lasts up to 5 times longer than a synthetic option.
Top 5 best pillows for stomach sleepers
6. Best pillow for back sleepers
Vandyck’s Pure Nature Comfort 65 pillow is unique in its category with an average-softness core of 65% down and 35% feathers. To one side of this core is a sturdier edge containing 85% goose feathers, offering extra head and neck support.
Customers love how comfortable this pillow is and how firm and soft it feels. Ticking is made from 100% fine combed cotton. The ticking weave is so dense, no feather quills can stick through it.
- Suits side sleepers, back sleepers and neck pain sufferers.
- Goose feathers provide excellent air circulation.
- Down means excellent moisture absorbency.
Top best pillows for back sleepers
7. Best value for money
This pillow is composed of 2 chambers, one on each side. One chamber is firm thanks to a 100% duck feather filling. The other side contains 90% down and means you’ll rest your head on a cloud. Simply flip the pillow according to your personal preference.
Feathers are cheaper than down and make a pillow feel cool to the touch. They also produce a firmer pillow. Down, on the other hand, makes for a very soft and luxurious feel. It’s down that lets your head sink deeply into your pillow. By buying a pillow that contains both feathers and down separated by chambers, you get that high-quality feel without the high-quality price.
- Suits back sleepers with average or large frames and side sleepers with average frames.
- The combination of feathers and down offers both support and softness.
- Duck feathers provide excellent air circulation.
- Down means excellent moisture absorbency.
8. The best pillow for nature lovers
Do you place comfort and sustainability top of your list? You’ll love Ducky Dons’ Nextlife pillow. Filled with 15% recycled duck down and 85% recycled duck feathers, this pillow is quite firm. Best suited to side sleepers with average to large frames.
Duck feathers are excellent air circulators, as is this pillow’s cotton ticking. Your head will feel deliciously cool when it rests on a Nextlife pillow.
Recycled down is thoroughly washed; only duck feathers and down clusters which fit exacting Ducky Dons standards are selected. There’s no difference in quality between a pillow filled with recycled or new feathers and down. The recycled option also has less of an odour. Plenty of reasons to pick this sustainable option.
- Suits side and back sleepers.
- Natural recycled filling with cotton ticking.
- Lovely and light thanks to the duck feather filling.
9. The coolest pillow
Even in northern Europe, summer temperatures are rising. Some bedrooms end up feeling like greenhouses. Luckily, Vandyck has a cool solution – the kapok pillow. Kapok is the coolest natural filling. What’s more, you can remove or add filling via the ticking zip to adjust to your frame and sleeping position.
- Kapok is the most natural and least processed filling material on the market.
10. The best adjustable pillow
Would you like to decide how much filling is in your pillow? Then pick the Ducky Dons Dauna – you can add more filling or remove a handful whenever you want. Simply open the side zip.
The Dauna is a soft, smart choice if you suffer from a dust mite allergy or want a cheaper alternative to down. Filled with fibre balls that won’t trigger allergies, it’s also a good hypoallergenic option. You can even put it in the washing machine. That hollow fibre filling means the Dauna is much cheaper than a down pillow.
- Suits belly sleepers
- Easy to wash.
- Adjustable thickness.
Discover the right pillow for you using our comparison tool or perfect pillow test.
2 steps to the perfect pillow
Various factors determine how perfect your pillow choice is. It’s a very personal process which takes into account your mattress, body frame and sleeping position. When you get it right, you can enjoy a deep and restorative night’s sleep feeling fully supported and totally pampered.
Our perfect pillow advice comes from years of expertise as well as feedback from over 5,000 customers. We can tell you which pillow is ‘the one’ in just 2 simple steps:
- Determine pillow firmness through personal data
- Pick the right filling
1. Pillow firmness – the personalised approach
The right pillow is subjective – one size does not fit all. Personalisation is key. Look at the picture below to see what the perfect sleeping position should look like:
To get the right pillow density to align the spine, several factors must be considered.
Sleeping position
The position in which you sleep is a major factor because it affects the distance between your head and the mattress. For side sleepers, that distance is around one shoulder breadth – a wide gap compared to other sleeping positions. Over 60% of Europeans are side sleepers.
In this case, the best choice is a deeper pillow with average to firm comfort that sufficiently supports the neck.
Back sleepers are most comfortable with an average firmness pillow. For belly sleepers, where the gap between head and mattress is very small, a soft pillow is the best option.
Body frame
Are you large framed and/or broad shouldered? This means a relatively large gap between your head and the mattress. This gap needs filling to straighten your upper spine, because when your spine is aligned, you’re unlikely to wake up with a stiff, painful neck. The broader your shoulders and the larger your frame, the greater the distance between head and mattress and the deeper your pillow must be.
Matrass
The firmness of your mattress also helps in the search for the perfect pillow. We sink deeper into soft mattresses than we do into firm ones and this affects that head-to-mattress distance. When you sink into a soft mattress, the gap becomes smaller. You need a soft, thin pillow. Balance on top of a firm mattress and the distance between head and mattress increases. You need a deeper pillow.
2. Pick the right filling
Physical and digital specialist bedding stores offer dozens of pillow filling types. Each type has its pros and cons. Here’s a quick rundown of the most common pillow fillings:
Down
The down used in pillows and duvets comes from ducks and geese. Water birds need down to stay warm in freezing temperatures and keep their eggs at the right temperature; this means down has many pros.
Pros
- Down pillows are extremely light and fluffy. They quickly adjust to body position and are therefore very comfortable.
- Down filled pillows are good at absorbing moisture. That’s important, especially as we lose around 2 litres of water every night. During the day, this absorbed moisture evaporates into the air – a down pillow never feels sweaty or damp.
- Down is a great thermal regulator – your pillow feels cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
- Down is one of the most sustainable fillings available and lasts for at least 5 years.
Cons
- Down, especially goose down, is of limited supply. As a natural and relatively scarce material, prices are higher than with other pillow fillings.
- Down pillows are pillows to sink into. They’re soft to medium soft options, so are less suitable for side sleepers or those with larger frames unless combined with firmer fillings, like feathers.
- Down pillows should be professionally cleaned.
Veren
Like down, feather pillow and duvet fillings come from ducks and geese. Feathers provide a protective layer for all water birds. Water runs off feathers, making them very suitable as pillow fillings. Feathers also need to be lightweight and aerodynamic to allow birds to fly, more features which make them a good filling choice. Feather pillows provide average to high levels of firmness.
Pros
- Feather pillows, like down pillows, are soft, lightweight and supple when compared to other types of filling.
- Feather-filled pillows circulate air extremely well and stay cool, even in the summertime.
- Feathers are usually more durable than other types of filling.
- Feather pillows are firmer than down pillows and suit a wider range of sleeping positions.
- Feather fillings are cheaper than down fillings.
Cons
- Feather quills can be sharp and may stick through lower-quality ticking.
- Feather pillows, especially duck feathers, can have a strong odour.
- Feather pillows are difficult to wash.
Natural latex
Natural latex comes from the sap of the rubber tree. Latex pillow fillings are sometimes combined with synthetic ones. A 100% latex pillow is also called a natural latex pillow. These pillows are medium firm to firm.
Pros
- Research shows that latex pillows are best for reducing joint pain and alleviating pressure points. Latex pillow converts rave about the excellent support qualities.
- Natural latex pillows keep their shape – they provide support all through the night.
- Latex doesn’t absorb body heat and feels quite cool to the touch.
- Dust mites don’t like latex. Natural latex pillows are a top choice for dust mite allergy sufferers.
Cons
- Extracting and processing natural latex is quite an expensive process and this has an effect on the price.
- Latex pillows can smell quite strongly for the first few days; however, the odour disappears within a short time.
Synthetic fillings
Synthetic fillings cover a broad range of materials. Pillows can be filled with fibre balls or granules, for example. You’ll find very soft to very firm varieties depending on the man-made materials they contain.
Pros
- Synthetic pillows are often the cheapest option.
- Most synthetic fillings are hypoallergenic.
- Synthetic pillows have little to no odour.
- Most synthetic pillows are easy to wash.
Cons
- Although synthetic pillows are relatively cheap, they only last an average of 3 years.
- That’s quite a lot less than most natural fillings, and up to 4 times less than a down pillow.
- Synthetic pillows can feel very warm and are less suited to the summer months.
Kapok
Synthetic pillows can feel very warm and are less suited to the summer months.
Pros
- Kapok is great at regulating moisture and allows air to circulate. This means a kapok pillow always feels cool to the touch – the perfect summertime pillow.
- Kapok is antibacterial and a good choice for dust mite allergy sufferers.
- Kapok pillows are relatively firm, so are best suited to side and back sleepers.
- Kapok is a 100% natural filling.
Cons
- Kapok can’t be washed and doesn’t last as long as most other fillings.
Memory foam
Memory foam is a popular pillow filling. It moulds to the shape of the shoulders, head and neck. Memory foam fillings come in two different types – cut foam (small pieces) and whole foam.
Pros
- Memory foam offers the right balance between support and comfort.
- Memory foam pillows are suited to most side and back sleepers.
Cons
- Memory foam holds onto body heat and isn’t the best option for warm, summer nights or for people who easily overheat during the night.
- Memory foam has a strong odour that eventually disappears.
- The average price of a memory foam pillow is quite high when compared to other synthetic fillings.
Do you need more help?
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body#2
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