Pillows – Buyers Guide, Latex pillows, down pillows

From down pillows to latex pillows reviews

Pillows – Which One Is Right For You?

Pillows are an individual choice, but I have tried to distinguish the individual characteristics of each type, so you can make more of an informed choice.

Hypodown Pillows
If you have feather allergies but are a fan of down as a fill for pillows, with Hypodown Pillows you can have your cake and eat it too. The infusion of a modest amount of Syriaca into the down causes it to become completely allergy free and the manufacturer guarantees it.

In my opinion, Hypodown is the crème-de-la-crème of pillows. My husband and I tried out all the Hypodown pillows, and both of us had a preference for the Hypodown “soft” as we prefer to scrunch up a pillow underneath us, and we both sleep on our sides. Most people prefer the “medium”. Three kinds of firmness are available.

We did a blind test in the office between the Hypodown 600, Hypodown 700 and Hypodown 800-fill pillows. Everyone got it right; there is a noticeable difference between them. The 800 fill is the most lofty and of course the most expensive. If you need to economize, do it on the covering of the pillow but not the inside. After all, you put a pillow case onto the pillow, so it is the fill which you will be noticing, not its cover.

Latex Pillows
In our personal opinion, the “soft” latex pillows are a good runner up to Hypodown. Although they have an entirely different feel to down, they are more affordable. I have actually standardized these pillows for all my bedrooms in my summer home, and people love them- including my sister and niece who insisted on taking one each back to the UK with them on a visit this last summer.

The most popular is “medium” but the pillow crunchers will like the “soft”. Latex is naturally hypoallergenic and wicks away moisture very quickly, so it is inhospitable to dust mites. Besides being reasonable in price and lasting for 10 years, we no longer have to use dust mite encasings on our pillows, which is an added bonus.

Alpaca Pillows
Alpaca pillows are an undiscovered little jewel. As long lasting as our pure wool pillows, these pillows contain 70% alpaca and 30% wool. But given that Alpaca is softer than cashmere, they have all the advantages of a hypoallergenic wool pillow, but are discernibly softer. Alpaca pillows work best for those who like a “flatter feel” and not so much loft to their pillows as they do compress over time.

Wool Pillows
Wool is inhospitable to dust mites and they last a good long while. I see our wool pillows as virtually indestructible. However wool does not produce much loft and what loft it does have disappears quite quickly, so wool pillows are great for those who like a rather firm pillow.

Silk Pillows
Silk is naturally dust mite resistant and silk pillows do have a wonderful feel to them underneath your head. I do not recommend these pillows for every day use as they do not retain their loft for too long, but as a travel or extra boudoir pillow, or as a gift they are quite delectable.

Primaloft Pillows
Primaloft Pillows are puffy, squishy and soft when they are new – just the way you like them. Eventually they will start compressing down, but for the price they cannot be beat. So for a soft feeling of synthetic down, the Primaloft are a great value.

Lyocell Pillows
Lyocell pillows are made from Austrian Beachwood that is organic and chemical free. Perfect for sensitive skin, the soft and supple Lyocell has a luxurious silky feel and is 100% biodegradable. These pillows look and feel like down, but Lyocell is a body-heat regulating, all-natural alternative to down. I actually think these pillows are quite lovel, but as a new product in 2006 we do not have data on how long they last compared to some of our other pillows.

Royal Pedic Natural Latex Pillows
Royal Pedic latex pillows are wonderful 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 were surprised 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 and also quite firm. Also they are not for people who like myself who want to mash a soft pillow into a ball beneath them. However, some people swear by them especially if they have neck problems.

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

Memory Foam Pillows
Memory foam pillows are hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant but those with multiple chemical sensitivities should avoid them since some brands outgas a bit when they are new. Nevertheless, memory foam is to my mind very comfortable but not so malleable as latex. Where memory foam shines is for special situations like bed wedges or cervical shapes. We have a very large selection of memory foam pillows on our sister site SleepBuyersClub.com and invite you to take a look, especially if you have special needs.