Pillows

Just about everyone who sleeps on a bed uses a pillow to support their head. A pillow helps in maintaining the correct alignment of the neck with the spine and it helps to produce a relaxing sleeping posture.

Like mattress toppers, pillows have a wide range of fillings that include feathers and down, various types of foam and even materials like wool. Below you will find a summary of some of the most popular options..

Popular pillows

The majority of people tend to use a compressible foam pillow, or an organic pillow filled with feathers or down, but memory foam and Latex foams are increasingly popular.

Most foam based pillows are available in varying firmness levels. These usually include soft, medium and firm, but extra soft and extra firm may be options.

Feather and down based pillows are normally designated by the quality of their feathers, e.g. you would find a duck down pillow at the top of the range. This type of pillow is loved by some and hated by others and, although they are washable, feather pillows do not do well when subjected to modern washing machines.

Foam pillows are very comfortable, but they have a short life span that sees their ability to recovery and regain their sponginess fall-off very quickly. This means that, although they are cheap to buy, they need replacing every two to three years.

Pillows made from memory foam

Memory foam pillows shape themselves to the head resting on them in a very distinctive way. They are made from the same visco elastic material as memory foam mattresses and they offer a different feel to other foam materials used in pillows.

Many people consider visco elastic pillows to be superior in their support and comfort to standard foam or feather pillows. This is of course a matter of personal preference.

Memory foam pillows are available in a regular pillow shape, or they can be bought in a pre-shaped format that has a profile that is shaped to support the head and neck. These pillows feel firm and supportive but they take time to get used to.

Pillows made from latex foam

Latex foam pillows are the other modern alternative to traditional foam or feather based pillows. They have many of the properties of visco elastic memory foam, but with more bounce and a spongier feel than the memory foam option.

Latex pillows will usually be perforated to improve their ventilation and this makes them a cooler option than memory foam which some people find quite warm. Latex and memory foam pillows have hypoallergenic properties that make them ideal for those with allergies.