The best down pillows

Filled with 100% goose down at 750 fill power, the Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow is so feathery-soft.

Some inferior down pillows are really stuffed mostly with feathers. That means you run the risk of being poked by a stray quill. Plus, feathers are not as soft and fluffy as down. The Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow is filled with 100% goose down, which is much fluffier than less desirable duck down, so you'll enjoy a luxuriously comfortable night of sleep.

Royal Hotel doesn't skimp on the down, either. With a 750 fill power and 35-ounce fill weight, you're getting lots of downy comfort in a very supportive pillow that isn't too soft and isn't too firm. Plus, the down is sanitized to remove allergens and bacteria, so you can enjoy the pillow even if you are usually allergic to feathers. The cover of the pillow is 100 percent cotton, with a 500-thread count, so it's soft and smooth, but strong enough to contain the down.

The pillows are firmer than many might expect, which might be good or bad depending on your preference.

For down pillows, the price is actually quite reasonable, but Royal Hotel only sells the pillows by the pair, making it a more expensive purchase overall. — Michelle Ullman

Pros: High quality down, firm, comfortable support.

Cons: Only sold by the pair, may have a faint "feathery" smell at first

Stomach sleepers need a high level of support in a down pillow, and the Downlite Extra Soft Down Pillow has a thin design that won't compress much during the night.

Doctors and sleep experts agree that you probably should not sleep on your stomach because it can lead to back and neck problems due to the unnatural stress you're putting on these parts of your body. Still, some of us just can't help ourselves, because stomach sleeping starts out so comfortable.

One reason why this Downlite down pillow works so well for stomach sleepers is that it doesn't compress flat under constant pressure. The Extra Soft Down Pillow isn't as thick to start with as some other down pillows, so it doesn't go flat as fast and the pillow will hold its shape quite well through the night.

You can pick from two sizes of this pillow: queen or standard. Downlite uses duck down as the fill material with a fill power of 525 to 550. It's machine washable and hypoallergenic.

The Downlite pillow's thinness delivers the level of support that stomach sleepers need to avoid neck and spine alignment problems.

Because stomach sleepers will have their faces pressed into the pillow, the hypoallergenic properties on this Extra Soft Down Pillow make it safer to breathe in the night, says Bedding Pal.

If you listen to your doctor and you don't sleep on your stomach, you still can appreciate the support found in the Downlite Extra Soft Down Pillow, according to Super Comfy Sleep, as it yields a higher than average level of support for a down pillow.

Pros: Flatter than most down pillows to help stomach sleepers achieve just the right level of support, tough pillow that's machine washable, has nice hypoallergenic properties to help with allergy concerns

Cons: A higher than average cost for a down pillow, may be too thin for some

Even though it carries a high price tag, the goose down in the Continental Bedding Premium White Goose Down Pillow gives it a feeling of luxury that justifies its cost.

When it comes to selecting luxury products, you naturally expect to pay more. So the high price point on the Continental Bedding Premium White Goose Down Pillow should give you a clue as to its excellent level of quality.

But price alone doesn't guarantee a pillow will be luxurious. It needs to deliver a premium level of comfort to receive that tag, and the Continental Bedding down pillow delivers.

By using goose down instead of duck down in the Premium White Goose Down Pillow, you get a softer and fluffier pillow with a high level of comfort that's tough to match at this price. It has a 550 fill power and the pillow is hypoallergenic. You can get it in several sizes in soft or regular levels of firmness.

Considering the quality of its materials and the goose down fill, the Continental Bedding Premium pillow is reasonably priced. Sleep Advisor gives this pillow high marks because it features 27 ounces of high-quality goose down and feels incredibly comfortable to sleep on. In its review, Bedding Pal highlighted the 233 thread count cotton cover of the pillow for its breathability.

However, both Sleep Advisor and Bedding Pal say the pillow isn't as flexible as some down pillows, which will disappoint those who like to fold and adjust their pillows.

Pros: Extra comfort from goose down fill makes this pillow feel great, uses an all-cotton pillow cover for breathability, offers customers a good value as it will last for a long time without breaking down

Cons: Not as flexible as some down pillows, may compress too flat for some people

The Puredown Natural Goose Down and Feather Pillow Set uses a mixture of feathers and down to give you a great price.

If you are feeling disappointed by the high prices you see for most down pillows, you're going to appreciate the price tag on the Puredown Natural Goose Down and Feather Pillow Set, which gives you two down pillows for the price you'd normally pay for one.

These Puredown pillows consist of goose down and feathers, which typically carries a higher price tag than duck down and feathers. The pillows do contain a high percentage of goose feathers along with the goose down, though with the ratio being 95% feathers and just 5% down. This high percentage of feathers in the pillow definitely won't appeal to everyone who wants a down pillow, but it keeps the price down.

Puredown follows the Responsible Down Standard when it selects the down and feathers used in its pillows. These pillows have 32 ounces of down and feathers for medium support.

The 100% cotton, 233 thread count cover keeps the pillow comfortable and breathable while also protecting it from wear. The cover is tough, too, preventing feathers from leaking out. They a nice level of softness, but may compress too much under pressure, not giving sleepers the support they need. If you like firmer pillows, these may not be the ones for you.

Pros: Excellent price point for two goose down pillows, uses a high-quality pillow cover for comfort and breathability, very soft and comfortable, feathers will stay inside the pillow nicely

Cons: Compresses too much for some people, may have an odor initially, higher percentage of feathers than down

Here are the most common types of down in pillows:

• Duck down is the least expensive type of down pillow. Duck down gives you a nice cushioning, but it does sometimes have an odor to it.
• Goose down costs more than duck down, but it's higher quality. Goose down tends to retain heat better than duck down, too, which is nice for cold nights.
• Eider down is easily the most expensive style of down used in pillows, as it comes exclusively from the eider duck. It's incredibly soft and comfortable, but you'll have to hunt quite a bit to find this type of pillow.

A note on down and fill power

Down is a protective covering on a bird that lies below the feathers. Down clusters used in pillows actually don't look much like feathers. Instead, down looks a bit more like a tiny ball of cotton threads. Many down pillows consist of a mixture of down and feathers. Such pillows won't be as soft as down-only pillows, but most people don't mind the feel of the mixed pillow.

The pillow should list a percentage of the down and feather mixture it contains. The more down clusters the pillow has, the softer it should be. Ratios of 50%, 75%, and 95% are common.

Fill power measures the loft of down or how much it rises when not compressed by an outside force. This gives you a clue as to the durability of a pillow, as well as its ability to retain its shape. Fill powers of 700 and higher are the best quality because they retain their shape longer, though 550 fill power is the most common for medium down pillows.

Fill weight is how much down is physically packed into the pillow. The higher the fill weight, the firmer the resulting pillow. It's important not to confuse fill power with fill weight. A 700 fill power pillow will not be firmer than a 550 fill power pillow with the same fill weight, but it will be more durable. On the other hand, a pillow with a 32 ounce fill weight will be much firmer than a pillow with a 16 ounce fill weight, even if they both use 550 fill power down.

One final consideration you should have relates to the cleaning and maintenance required for the pillow. According to Good Housekeeping, some down pillows are machine washable, which is convenient, while others must be dry cleaned or only may be spot cleaned. Some have removable covers that can be washed, while other covers cannot be removed.

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