Top 5 compared
The best pillows
A pillow at the right height and softness for the way you sleep, whether on your back, side or front.
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The top 5 at a glance
A pillow’s filling sets how it feels and how it washes. Hollowfibre, a springy polyester fibre, is light and goes in the washing machine; duck feather is softer and can be pushed into shape; and some adjustable pillows have a core of foam cubes that come out to lower them. For memory foam, see our memory foam pillow list.
How you sleep matters as much as the filling: side sleepers tend to want a firmer, fuller pillow, back sleepers something in between, and front sleepers a soft, low one. Pillows are sold in pairs or singly; most here come in pairs, in the standard 48 x 74cm size that fits an ordinary pillowcase.
What matters
- The firmness and sleeping positions the maker says it suits.
- Machine washable whole, or a cover that zips off.
- Responsible Down Standard certification on feather and down.
#1Slumberdown Rebound Pillows (pair)
£10–£20
Springy fibres that push back into shape after every night, for a firm, full pillow that doesn’t need plumping each morning. Slumberdown belongs to John Cotton of Mirfield, West Yorkshire, a firm set up in 1916 to recycle waste textiles.
What owners say: Owners like the price, how full they are and how they bounce back into shape, and find them supportive; some find them too hard, and opinions differ on how well they keep from flattening.
A closer look: Being firm and full, they suit back and side sleepers; a front sleeper will find one too high. If they start to settle, a machine wash and a tumble dry brings the loft back, and Slumberdown backs them with a two-year guarantee.
- No plumping each morning
- Soft-touch microfibre cover
- Tumble-dryer safe
- Made in the UK
- Two-year guarantee
Best for: Back and side sleepers
- Filling
- Hollowfibre
- Support
- Medium-firm
- Suits
- Back and side sleepers
- Pack
- Pair
- Machine washable
- Yes
#2Adam Home Bounce Back Pillows (pair)
£10–£20
A bouncier take on Adam Home’s hotel-style pillows: virgin hollowfibre that springs back after each night, in a brushed cotton-blend cover, made for side and back sleepers. The Rochdale firm says it fills them with British winters in mind.
What owners say: Owners say they feel soft as a cloud yet hold the neck well, and like how smart they look on the bed; durability is mixed, with some reporting seams splitting.
A closer look: A shake when making the bed keeps the filling spread evenly, so neither end ends up thin. A pillow protector takes some strain off the seams, the weak spot owners mention, and keeps them fresh between machine washes.
- Brushed cotton-blend cover
- Shake to keep filling even
Best for: Hotel-style beds at home
- Filling
- Hollowfibre
- Support
- Plush, bounces back
- Suits
- Back and side sleepers
- Pack
- Pair
- Machine washable
- Yes
#3ARLINENS Stripe Pillows (pair)
Under £10
A pair with a striped polycotton cover and plush hollow-fibre filling, in the standard 74 x 48cm size and made for back, front and side sleepers alike.
What owners say: Owners find them comfortable, soft, very bouncy and good value; keeping their shape is mixed, with some going flat before long.
A closer look: They arrive rolled up two to a roll, so unpack them a day before they’re needed and give each a good shake to loosen the fibre. They’re an easy way to fill a guest bed, which is how ARLINENS pitches them too.
- Striped polycotton cover
- Standard 74 x 48cm size
- Arrives rolled up
Best for: Guest rooms and spare beds
- Filling
- Hollowfibre
- Support
- Soft, plush
- Suits
- All positions
- Pack
- Pair
- Machine washable
- Yes
#4Homescapes White Duck Feather Pillows (pair)
£24.99 RRP · for two
Classic feather pillows with a soft to medium feel, filled with white duck feather in a downproof cotton cover, and easy to plump into whatever shape suits. The feathers are certified to the Responsible Down Standard, which bans live-plucking and force-feeding and was handed to Textile Exchange by The North Face in 2014.
What owners say: Owners say a quick shake plumps them straight back up, and like being able to push the feathers about until the firmness feels right.
A closer look: New feather pillows can carry a faint farmyard smell, which fades after a day or two of airing out of the packaging. A firm plump each morning stops the feathers settling flat, and after a wash a low tumble dry until they’re dry right through keeps them from clumping.
- No live-plucked feathers
- Downproof cotton cover
- 233 thread count
- Plumps into shape
Best for: A soft, mouldable feel
- Filling
- Duck feather
- Support
- Soft to medium
- Suits
- Back and side sleepers
- Pack
- Pair
- Machine washable
- 40°C
#5Simba Hybrid Pillow (single)
£109 RRP
An adjustable pillow with a core of small foam cubes inside a soft fibre sleeve: take cubes out for a lower, softer pillow or leave them in for more height. Its cotton cover has Simba’s Stratos finish, which the maker says feels cool to the touch.
What owners say: Owners value being able to fine-tune the height and firmness by taking cubes out, and many say they sleep more comfortably on it.
Heads up: At 45 x 70cm it’s a little smaller than the usual 48 x 74cm pillow, so it sits loosely in a standard pillowcase.
A closer look: Start with every cube in and give it a few nights, then take out a handful at a time, keeping them in the spare pouch in case the height needs to go back up. The quilted outer cover zips off for a gentle machine wash.
- Cover feels cool to touch
- Storage pouch for spare cubes
- Sleeve fibre from recycled bottles
- Zip-off quilted cover
Best for: Getting the height just right
- Filling
- Foam cubes, fibre sleeve
- Support
- Adjustable
- Suits
- Back and side sleepers
- Pack
- Single
- Machine washable
- Cover, 40°C
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Slumberdown Rebound | #2Adam Home Bounce Back | #3ARLINENS stripe | #4Homescapes duck feather | #5Simba Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best feather pillow | Best premium | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| Price | £10–£20 | £10–£20 | Under £10 | £24.99 RRP | £109 RRP |
| Filling | Hollowfibre | Hollowfibre | Hollowfibre | Duck feather | Foam cubes, fibre sleeve |
| Support | Medium-firm | Plush, bounces back | Soft, plush | Soft to medium | Adjustable |
| Suits | Back and side sleepers | Back and side sleepers | All positions | Back and side sleepers | Back and side sleepers |
| Pack | Pair | Pair | Pair | Pair | Single |
| Machine washable | Yes | Yes | Yes | 40°C | Cover, 40°C |
| Best for | Back and side sleepers | Hotel-style beds at home | Guest rooms and spare beds | A soft, mouldable feel | Getting the height just right |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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