Each night as you drift off to the Land of Nod, you could be resting your head on a plump pillow woven from the finest fabrics by the most skilled artisans in the world. Sound like an upgrade?
The purveyors of fine bedding embody luxury and comfort in equal measure. They combine quality and craftsmanship with sumptuously soft to fantastically firm fillings, all with the desire to elevate your sleep set-up so you can doze off feeling snug, supported and soothed.
Choosing the right pillow is a decision that will affect you every single evening. It can be the difference between eight hours of uninterrupted slumber, and counting down the clock tossing and turning from one side of a lumpy vessel to the other.
Leave that decision in the hands of luxury labels that you may find you recognise from the world’s most exclusive dwellings - be grand hotels, opulent palaces, private planes, first class train travel or yachts of splendour.
But before you dive in, there’s a few things that you should know.
Different types of fillings explained
Do you know the difference between a plump goose down or hypoallergenic microfibre? When selecting the right one, you need to consider your sleeping position - side, front or back - and the ideal loftiness (aka height) of your pillow as well as synthetic, feather, memory foam or down.
- Synthetic: these are the most cost-effective pillows on the market. They are ideal for the allergy prone and require little maintenance. Synthetic materials like polyester tend to be the quickest to need replacing, loosing their shape and filling.
- Feather: these are more durable, generally inexpensive and soft - yet spiky quills can poke through the casing and there’s not a whole lot in the way of support or shape. Feather may also trigger allergies.
- Down: these are some of the softest, fluffiest and most luxurious on the market. They are also refillable and long lasting. They tend to be expensive and may not offer support for the neck. Down is naturally hypoallergenic as the material is less likely to trap allergens. Hungarian goose down is viewed as one of the best sources and is renowned for its temperature regulating capabilties. Siberian goose down may be loftier, but the name could be misleading and the quality questionable.
- Memory foam: these are good for pain relief but may feel too firm to some.
How do you clean pillows?
It is often overlooked as we embark on our household chores but you should really be washing your pillows - and mattresses - every six months. Cotton, feather and down iterations can generally be washed in the machine but this does vary from model to model - check the label for instructions. You can use a mild washing powder or a cup of white vinegar into the rinse cycle for effective odour-removal.
How many pillows should you sleep with?
Sleep experts explain that for best spinal alignment, one pillow is ideal. This encourages your head, neck and spine to be in a straight line and will counteract any pain in these areas. Instead of stacking a couple of thin pillows that may prop up your head too high, invest in one supportive option and place any excess between the knees to create a better posture as you sleep.
Shop the best luxury pillows below
Best pregnancy pillows to support your body through maternity
Best cooling pillows that help with night sweats
Bedding sales: the best deals and offers on bedding right now
Best anti allergy and hypoallergenic pillows to help you sleep soundly
Best duvet covers 2023: Stylish and comfortable bedding sets
Best quiet fans for the bedroom to keep you cool and help you sleep soundly
Best orthopaedic pillows to help ease neck and back pains
Best pillows for neck pain to support and help prevent aches
Frette Soft Cortina Down King Pillow
You never forget the first time you rested your head on a Frette pillow. For me it was September 2, 2022 at The Norman Hotel in Tel Aviv. The result? One of the most comfortable sleeps of my life to date. After that the deal was done. I was a Frette person now and no slumber will ever be the same.
The brand has a rich heritage that dates back to 1860. So renowned is the Italian label that it is the pillow of choice for the altar at St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City as well as the plush backdrop to your meals aboard the Orient Express. It has also got the royal seal of approval, sitting pride of place in boudoirs in as many as 500 royal properties - a testament to both the luxurious softness of these pillows and their premium quality.
The Cortina is stuffed with plush goose down with an exquisitely crafted cotton exterior. Word of warning, when it comes to cleaning, this is dry clean only.
Buy now £500.00, Harrods
Brinkhaus Climasoft Outlast Pillow
You know you’ve done something right when NASA comes knocking on your door - and that’s what happened to Brinkhaus. When the civil space programme required specialised technology that could absorb warmth but wouldn’t cause you to overheat, the label created Outlast. This design harnesses the power of phase change materials that absorb, store and release heat to craft the optimal temperature throughout the night.
Another heritage label, Brinkhaus’ expertise dates back to 1847 and is known for its creative combinations of state-of-the-art fabrics as well as luxe nature-sourced iterations, whether that’s down and feather, wild silk, wool or cashmere. This pillow is filled with polyester but the sumptuous exterior is cotton and silk. It can be machine washed.
Buy now £299.00, Harrods
The White Company Luxury Hungarian Goose Down Pillow
Few high street labels do bedding as well as The White Company. The luxury sleep label has just the thing to enable you to sink into your bed for the most restful slumber. The Luxury Hungarian Goose Down Pillow is like placing your head on a cloud with its fluffy filling.
There are actually two firmness levels on offer; soft or medium so you can choose the one to suit your preference but both are kitted out with a firmer inner three-chamber core so you have support no matter what. This is one of the many reasons that this pillow is one of the brand’s bestsellers. The luxury goose down is mixed with very fine leather so comfort is guaranteed - yet another reason it belongs in your bedtime routine.
Buy now £95.00, The White Company
The Fine Bedding Company Boutique Silk Pillow
Craft the optimal sleep environment - think a solo staycation in a five star hotel - by incorporating this pillow into the comfort of your own home. The interior is filled with The Fine Bedding Company’s trademarked thermal efficient Smartfil fibres alongside silk - a material not only renowned for its luxury feeling but also its temperature regulating properties too. How’s that for style and substance combined? Relish getting into bed each night with the soft cotton cover and shape-retaining construction.
Buy now £36.00, The Fine Bedding Company
Cuddledown Edelweiss Siberian Goose Down Pillow
This is a premium pillow has been made in Switzerland with every attention paid to every details in order to supply comfort and support in equal measure. Indulge with the finest pure Siberian goose down filling as well as the pure cotton casing that has been double stitched to ensure the longevity of your pillow night after night.
Siberian goose down was selected especially for the fluffy feel that it brings to your boudoir, while also being renowned for its durability. This natural down fibre gives a breathability that synthetic alternatives are lacking, while also keeping your sleeping set-up free from poking quills (as is common with feathers).
There are two firmness options available with soft and medium, the latter of which contains 20 per cent more stuffing.
Buy now £161.25, Cuddledown
Soak & Sleep Soft As Down Microfibre Pillows
For those prone to allergies, you may just find that feather and down pillows cause stuffiness as you enter your sleep environment. A microfibre alternative may just be a better option in that situation as the hypoallergenic material has a way of preventing the interference of irritants like dust mites.
With this pillow from Soak & Sleep, you need not sacrifice on comfort or luxury with its softness and loftiness to rival that of its feather and down counterparts. The fine denier polyester fibre is available in either soft/ medium or medium/firm where a supportive middle chamber will appeal to side and back sleepers most of all. Double stitched edges and box quilting gives it durability, while it’s safe to machine wash and tumble dry.
Buy now £18.50, Soak & Sleep
Tempur Comfort Cloud pillow
Tempur’s M.O. is all about the support. This brand is all about keeping the optimal alignment for your body while the day falls away. The Comfort Cloud pillow is a case in point. It adapts to the contours of the head and neck to cradle them as you toss and turn throughout the night. The beauty is in its adaptability. It gives a customisable feel and this is all down to viscoelastic cells that are mouldable and thus will suit all types of sleepers - whether you drift off on your back, side or front. It’s also machine washable.
Buy now £105.00, Harrods
Harrods of London Soft 90% Hungarian Goose Down Pillow
One of the most blissful places to lay your head is on this Hungarian Goose Down Pillow from the own-brand label of one of the world’s most luxurious department stores. Harrods of London’s sleep companion is plumped with a sumptuous feather down filling derived from ethical sourcing and is ready and waiting to elevate your dozing. It is encased in a high thread count exterior sheet made from breathable cotton and is also machine washable.
Buy now £279.00, Harrods
The White Company European Duck Down & Feather Pillow
The Goldilocks of luxury pillows, this is a best of both worlds situation for restless sleepers. If your set-up is getting in the way of a sound slumber, step it up to the next level with this pillow from The White Company. It gives incredible comfort, but also provides enough support for head and spine alignment. There’s duck feather and down sourced from some of the coldest regions for cosiness as well as various firmness levels to suit stackers or solo pillow sleepers alike. Whether you doze off on your front or back, this suits both with sink-right-in appeal.
Buy now £45.50, The White Company
