Luxe Pillow is the small, no-nonsense sleep startup you've never heard of but need to try - here's why

• Two pillows from a young and nondescript company have dethroned my longstanding big-name favorites.
• Luxe Pillow makes two eponymous pillows - the premium down-and-feather Luxe Pillow ($129) and the less expensive gel Luxe Pillow ($79) - that have a firm internal core and softer external chambers that nail a soft-but-supportive feel.
• They worked well as I slept on my side, stomach, and back. The pillows come with breathable cotton casings, and are machine washable and dryable.
• I'd recommend using the 100-night sleep trial to check both out for yourself before deciding which one is better suited for your needs.

As a commerce reporter, most of my time is spent researching cool new retail startups and integrating said startup's products into my life as an e-commerce shopper's proxy guinea pig.

Despite always trying something new though - or perhaps because of it - all these new products face an uphill battle.

When you've already pitted your toothbrush, face wash, sheets, towels, and pillows up against dozens of supposed competitors, you grow confident in your top choice. Like a true Darwinian contest, those products actually become harder to defeat the longer one owns them.

But two nondescript pillows with the same name from a nuts-and-bolts, we-sell-two-things company called Luxe Pillow recently unseated my incumbent favorites.

I'll still write home about the breathability of Helix's Cool Pillow and the preternatural bounciness of PangeaBed's now-retired Copper Pillows, but the best classic pillow I've tried goes to the down-and-feather Luxe Pillow ($129), with the more affordable Luxe Pillow ($79, and made from polyester gel fiber) coming in not far behind.

The company uses a three-layer design for comfortability, so there's a structured core surrounded by two chambers that prevent the fill from becoming unevenly distributed while you sleep. The high-quality feather, down, and fine polyester fill won't clump or bunch, and the pillows come with cotton casings keep things breathable. Bonus - the pillows themselves are machine washable and dryable. The feather and down are known to fluff up like new after, and the gel poly fiber won't clump at all.

What each Luxe pillow feels like

Luxe Pillow, Down and Feather, from $129

This is the company's most premium pillow, made from certified sustainably-sourced white goose down and small-game waterfowl feather, and housed inside the breathable cotton casing. The structured internal core is made out of the waterfowl feather, and the two additional chambers are composed of goose down. It's certified hypoallergenic too.

It comes in a standard queen size as well as a king. Of the two, in my experience, this is the superior pillow as it has more heft, and a firmer center.

Luxe Pillow, Polyester Gel Fiber, from $79

Despite being named essentially the same thing, this is Luxe's gel alternative, which is why it's the more affordable of the two. It's not 100% perfect, but still a great value and gave me a good night's sleep.

It has a polyester fiber fill that includes gel to help pull heat away from your skin and keep you cool throughout the night. It's certified hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial, and comes with a cotton case again.

It comes in a standard queen size as well as king. This is a very close second and will cost you $50 less than the premium, so it's worth checking out.

If you're unsure about either one, know that Luxe Pillow has free shipping and returns, as well as a 100-night no-risk sleep trial.

My experience with each pillow

I sleep on my back, stomach, and side regularly, and both Luxe Pillows strike a great balance between support and softness, which makes them easy adaptors to any sleeping style.

The internal core provides underlying support your head can always feel, and the surrounding chambers help provide that plush, contoured feeling you want without sinking all the way into the pillow. It's pretty responsive too when I change sleeping positions - it can go from feeling really flat yet soft when I'm on my stomach, and then thicker and more supportive when I'm on my side.

The cotton casing is soft and effective at keeping my temperature regulated at night, though I'll still put my usual pillowcase over it.

The pillows have more similarities than differences, which is rare and impressive for pillows that use vastly different materials. If your budget is a bit tighter, you'd be quite happy with the down pillow for $79. But if you can afford to spend a bit more, the premium Luxe Pillow with both down and feathers is noticeably plusher, and its support is more dynamic. It has a slightly firmer center too, which might be more helpful for side sleepers.

Of the two, the down and feather model is the superior pillow for me. But it's not so far ahead of the down-only alternative that I check which pillow I'm laying my head on at night. Both are good, and both are standouts for me, so it's a matter of your personal preference here.

If you'd like to test both out for yourself, order one of each and do a blind sleep test to see which one you should keep during the company's 100-night no-risk sleep trial. Though after trying both, I'd be willing to bet you keep the premium version.

Shop the Luxe Pillow, Down and Feather, $129

Shop the Luxe Pillow, Polyester Gel Fiber, $79

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