Pillow Review – Wool, Latex, Down

The Perfect Pillow Update

Ever since I wrote the article last year “In Search of the Perfect Pillow“, people keep on asking me, “Well, have you found it yet?”

Now here’s my update!

Wool Pillows
Wool is inhospitable to dust mites and it goes on forever. I see our wool pillows as virtually indestructible. It is not a lofty pillow and what loft it does have disappears quite quickly. Great for those who like a very firm pillow.

Alpaca Pillows
Alpaca pillows are an undiscovered little jewel. As hard wearing as our pure wool pillows, they contain 70% alpaca and 30% wool. BUT given Alpaca is softer than cashmere they have all the advantages of a wool pillow but are discernibly softer.

Cotton Pillows
For those people who want a firm pillow but one softer than wool with no chance of having any allergic reaction to it, a cotton pillow may be the answer. It is not as lofty as down or Primaloft but it wears quite well and is definitely softer than wool.

Hypoallergenic Down Primaloft Pillows
We actually enjoy our Primaloft pillows, I just wish they lasted a little longer, but for the price they cannot be beat. The medium-fill compresses down quite a bit within 6 months and is flat after two years. For a synthetic down, feeling as soft as it does, you cannot beat it ,especially at the price.

Royal Pedic Natural Latex Pillows
These are wonderful natural latex foam pillows, especially if you need to align your back and neck. They are best for side and back sleepers but not for those who like to sleep on their stomachs. We are disappointed that they were not larger in size and they are not for those who wriggle around in the night, because you manually need to readjust the pillow when you move, as the latex is rigid in form. Also they are not for people who like to mash a pillow into a ball beneath them.

Hypodown Pillows
In my opinion, these are the crème de la crème. We started with Hypodown firm pillows which after a year show virtually no signs of aging. However, given the choice again we would go with Soft or Medium 800-fill Hypodown pillows.

We did a blind test in the office between the 600- and 800-fill pillows. Everyone got it right, there is a noticeable difference between them.

Hyperclean Pillows
Hyperclean pillows are good hypoallergenic down pillows that are more value priced compared to the Hypodown and also have some useful child and travel sizes. They do not have the same luxury feel as a 800-fill pillow but they will still last for years and not cause allergic reactions.