Bed Pillows
You spend a good portion of your life face down in it -- shouldn't you get yourself a quality bed pillow?
Pillow Materials
By far the most important aspect of any pillow is its filling. - Some materials offer firm support for the head and neck, others offer a soft cozy resting place.
- The pillow that is right for you is the one that helps you get a good night's sleep.
- Generally speaking, people who sleep on their sides (about 85% of the population) should use medium to firm pillows.
- People who sleep on their stomachs do better with soft pillows. Back sleepers do well with medium pillows.
- Down
 /Hypodown
- Down pillows are soft and squashy. Some find this comfortable. Others do not. Those allergic to feathers, should stay away from this filling.
- Hypodown is for the down-allergic. It is processed to remove allergens with a bit of milkweed fiber for good measure.
- Be aware of the feather content of your down pillow. Some pillows are 100% down (goose is softer than duck). Others are down-feather blends.
- Pure feather pillows are firmer than pure down pillows.
- Synthetic Down
- Primaloft makes a synthetic down that is as soft and squashy as the real thing but without the chance of allergic reactions.
- Soft, lightweight, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, machine washable.
- May not last as long as some other kinds of pillows.
- Wool
- Wool provides a firm pillow that doesn't squash down easily or lose its shape.
- Available in medium and firm.
- Hypoallergenic, resistant to dust mites and mold, warm on cool nights, long-lasting, wicks away moisture.
- Alpaca pillows are not as firm as sheep's wool pillows -- generally available in soft to medium.
- Harder to clean than some other fillings and can't be machine washed.
- Cotton
- The pillow is made of cotton batting, which is about as hypoallergenic as you can get.
- Generally firm and can be compacted further over several years.
- Cool, breathable, and mold-resistant.
- Many companies manufacture all-cotton pillows that are additionally free of dyes and made from 100% organic, cruelty-free, environmentally and economically sensitive cotton.
- Buckwheat Hulls
- Especially popular for neck/travel pillows. Also available in standard sizes.
- Provide excellent support.
- Additional inserts allow you to mutate your pillow at your will.
- Cool in summer, warm in winter -- some can also be warmed or cooled to use as compresses. (See the guide on therapeutic pillows.)
- Buckwheat is a renewable resource, hypoallergenic (when properly processed), and resistant to breakage.
- Also known as "makura pillows" (redundant as "makura" is the Japanese word for "pillow.")
- Latex
- Latex gives good support, but crumbles over time.
- Look for natural latex -- it is hypoallergenic (unless you have a latex allergy, of course) and has no odor.
- Synthetic rubber can give off unpleasant odors.
- Latex can also be made into contoured shapes specifically designed for certain sleeping positions.
- Latex is sometimes shredded -- shredded latex can be fluffed but provides a lot of support.
- Foam
- Memory foam is an intriguing idea and gives good support.
- Foam can be very hot and some kinds of foam harbor dust and dust mites.
- Some types of synthetic foams can give off gases, such as toluene (a liquid aromatic hydrocarbon that resembles benzene but is less volatile, flammable, and toxic and is used as a solvent, in organic synthesis, and as an antiknock agent for gasoline, according to Webster's). Do you really want to breathe that?
Loft- Loft refers to the pillow's thickness.
- The thickness you prefer is up to you -- but keep in mind that a thick pillow made of a soft material will have a lot of give to it.
Pillow Shape and Size
Pillow Cover
The pillow cover should be at least 260-thread count for down and feather pillows. It keeps the feathers from escaping. For other fills, a thread count of at least 200 is recommended.
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