The Best Down Pillows

Down Pillows: A Buying Guide

The question of having a comfortable sleep comes down to the kind of pillow that you are using. Since we all enjoy a good sleep, the perfect pillow choice matters!

What Are They?

Down pillows are pillows that are filled with either goose or duck down, instead of feathers. ‘Down’ refers to the hair on the other parts of these birds, found on the belly, under the wings, and typically anything that’s found under the exterior of a bird.

What is a Feather Pillow?

A feather pillow, as the name suggests, is made with the actual feathers of the bird and its wings. Feathers have long quills, which can cause discomfort as these quills can poke out of the pillow in the long run. Feather-filled pillows are generally mixed with some down so that they become softer and fluffier, while pure feather pillows are slimmer and tend to flatten over time. In comparison to feather and down pillows, cotton pillows do not stand a chance when it comes down to luxury and comfort. Cotton pillows too, as their name suggests, are made out of cotton. However, these too, like feather pillows, tend to flatten over time, and easily get slimmer as time passes.

Why Buy Down?

Down pillows are definitely more expensive than their counterparts - feather and cotton. However, this price difference is directly proportional to the comfort it gives. You may go so far as to say that you get more than what you paid for! If you are someone that is looking for the ultimate comfort - a luxury sleep- then this is definitely for you! It does not get any better than down pillows!

Things To Consider

While buying any pillow, there are certain things you’d have to take into consideration before you get that perfect match. To list a few:

Softness

It all depends on what type of person you are, and what are your preferences. Pillows range from - ultra-soft, soft, normal, hard, and very hard. So obviously, as said earlier, if you’re someone looking for that ultra-soft, premium, luxurious experience, then nothing will ever come even close to the experience a down pillow can give you.

If you are someone that prefers the harder pillows, then maybe down isn’t for you. Hard cotton pillows should do the trick in this case, and even some feather ones can hit that sweet spot if that is what you like.

Weight

As weird as it may sound, pillow weight does matter. One of the major differences between down and feather is their weight. Down clusters are considerably lighter than feathers, and even then deliver the same level of warmth. This means that you get an extremely lightweight pillow, which soaks your head in and maintains that body temperature. Since down is not as bulky as feathers, they tend to be more airy and fluffy.

Fill Power

Fill power is the amount of fluffiness, or the height of the pillow. This measurement is mainly for down types only, but comparisons can still be made. A normal pillow or soft toy will have a fill power of about 500, while down pillows have an average fill power of 650 and go all the way to 850! To put this in perspective, anything above 600 is considered to be of high quality.

Climate

The climate you live in plays a huge role in the type of pillow that you should buy. Down are incredibly famous in colder climates, because it has the natural ability to insulate you and keep you relatively warmer than the other pillows out there. Feather and cotton pillows in this regard are not too different from each other. Both are decent under normal circumstances and can be used comfortably in both warmer and colder climates. Then again, the question of only comfort and quality of sleep comes in, where down pillows will win under any climate, no matter the climate.

Oil

Oil from our skin also plays a huge role in the longevity of the pillows we use. Again, this too is a matter of personal preference and difference. We all have oil that gets released from our faces at night when we sleep. In this respect, down and feather pillows fail when put against regular cotton pillows. Cotton pillows can absorb a considerably larger amount of facial oils when compared to down and feather ones. Down pillows might score the lowest in this section since they are made by extremely soft and fluffy clusters, which have the tendency to be easily tarnished when they come in contact with substances like oil.

How Much Should You Pay?

At the end of the day, the price of any item is extremely important. Price is that one factor that can influence any decision of ours. When talking about price, down and feather pillows are drastically more expensive than normal cotton pillows. This is because down and feather pillows are both more ‘exotic’ than regular cotton ones. Try looking into Gel pillows as a great middle-ground if you are unable to decide between the two.

Down pillow, as well as feather ones both, are made by taking hair and feathers while are extremely hard to come by without exploiting the birds used. Places like Hungary and Scandanavia specialize in human methods of doing so. Factors like the ease of access to the materials for the manufacture of these pillows affect the price heavily. This makes it easy to see why down and feather pillows are so much more expensive than our regular cotton or alternative pillows such as memory foam.

After knowing what down pillows are and how they are different from other pillows like feather and cotton ones, it becomes easier to make a more informed choice. When push comes to shove consider which pillow provides you with the most comfort and buy accordingly - if you are unsure buy a couple of different kinds...No such thing as too many pillows!